ProgramsKern County, California
LVN programs in Bakersfield
The California Board of Vocational Nursing lists 7 approved vocational nursing programs in Kern County. Together they sent 328 first-time candidates to the NCLEX-PN in their latest reported year and 83.9% passed, 0.2 points below the California figure of 84.1%.
7
Approved programs
83.9%
Area pass rate
328 candidates
$6,500
Lowest tuition
highest $37,700
$76,130
Local median pay
1,480 LVNs employed
Every program in Kern County
Sorted by the latest first-time pass rate the board published for each program. Tuition is the approximate total the school reported to the board, before books, uniform and exam fees.
| Program | City | Type | Tuition | Candidates | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield Adult School | - | Adult school | $6,500 | 112024 | 100% |
| Bakersfield College | - | Community college | $7,286 | 512025 | 96% |
| Carrington College, Bakersfield | Bakersfield | Not in the fee table | - | 692025 | 86% |
| Unitek College, Bakersfield | Bakersfield | Private school | $36,352 | 1662025 | 83% |
| North-West College, Bakersfield | Bakersfield | Not in the fee table | - | 52025 | 80% |
| High Desert Medical College, Bakersfield | Bakersfield | Private school | $32,175 | 262025 | 54% |
| San Joaquin Valley College, Bakersfield | Bakersfield | Private school | $37,700 | - | - |
What an LVN earns in Bakersfield-Delano, CA
The Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median at $76,130 a year ($36.60 an hour), with the bottom tenth on $62,070 and the top tenth on $91,460. It counts 1,480 vocational nurses working in the metro.
LVN programs in Bakersfield: common questions
- How many LVN programs are there in Bakersfield?
- 7 approved programs in Kern County appear in the board's published tables: Bakersfield Adult School, Bakersfield College, Carrington College, Bakersfield, Unitek College, Bakersfield, North-West College, Bakersfield, High Desert Medical College, Bakersfield, San Joaquin Valley College, Bakersfield. Programs whose board entry gives no campus location are not placed here; the full list is on the programs page.
- Which Bakersfield LVN program has the highest NCLEX-PN pass rate?
- Among programs that sat 20 or more first-time candidates, Bakersfield College posted the highest rate: 96% of 51 in 2025. A pass rate is one year's result, not a grade of the program.
- How much does an LVN program cost in Bakersfield?
- Board-reported tuition in Kern County runs from $6,500 at Bakersfield Adult School to $37,700 at San Joaquin Valley College, Bakersfield. 2 of the 7 programs are public (community college, adult school or regional occupational program) and 3 are private. Figures exclude books, uniform, the NCLEX-PN fee and licensing.
- Which Bakersfield program trains the most LVNs?
- Unitek College, Bakersfield sent the most first-time candidates to the exam: 166 in 2025.
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