Arlington Career Institute LVN costs $23,979. Here is what it pays back.
A vocational nursing (LVN) certificate in Grand Prairie, 12 months (day) or 14 months (night). In 2025, 14 of its 27 first-time test takers passed the NCLEX-PN.
The short version
- Arlington Career Institute LVN costs $20,013 more than Dallas College LVN, the lowest-cost LVN path in the area, and $14,435 less than Concorde Career LVN, Dallas.
- Its 2025 pass rate of 51.9% was 40.0 points below the Texas average. In 2024 it was 19.9 points below.
These findings are generated from the numbers on this page and change when the data does. How we write them
Where the money goes
Nine of every ten dollars goes to tuition. The catalog supplement lists a total cost of program of $23,979 for Vocational Nursing. Licensure and NCLEX fees are not listed.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Registration fee | $100 |
| Tuition | $20,632 |
| Books | $2,747 |
| Lab fees | $500 |
| Total 1 | $23,979 |
Not included: prerequisite courses and living costs. Rates effective March 23, 2026.
When it pays you back
If you set aside 10% of the Dallas LVN median wage, about $536 a month, the $23,979 cost is covered in about 3.7 years of work.
Before taxes and loan interest, and assuming work starts right after licensing. Red is money still owed to yourself; green is money ahead. Why we use 10%
The real cost of getting licensed
The program price is not the whole bill. Here is what stands between today and a license, with what we know and what we don't.
| Piece | Cost | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Prerequisites | Data coming soon | Data coming soon |
| Arlington Career Institute LVN | $23,979 | 12 months (day) or 14 months (night) |
| Living costs while in school | Not included | |
| Total before living costs | $23,979 + prerequisites | 12 months (day) or 14 months (night) + prerequisites |
We will add typical prerequisite costs at nearby colleges once collected. How we count cost
Will graduates pass the NCLEX-PN?
In 2025, 14 of Arlington Career Institute's 27 first-time test takers passed the NCLEX-PN. Its rate fell from 73.3% in 2024 to 51.9%, a larger drop than the statewide average. 2
Bars start at 45% so small differences are visible. National rates are on the methodology page. Earlier years: 345
What LVNs earn around Dallas
Payback time uses the middle wage. Here is the wider picture.
How it compares in the Dallas area
The 9 programs in the area that lead to an LVN license.
| Program | Cost | Pass rate | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas College LVN | $3,966 | 90.5%19 of 21 | 0.6 yrs |
| Collin College LVN | $7,300 | 95.8%68 of 71 | 1.1 yrs |
| Trinity Valley Community LVN, Terrell | $7,818 | 95.2%20 of 21 | 1.2 yrs |
| Navarro LVN, Corsicana | $11,624 | 97.5%39 of 40 | 1.8 yrs |
| Navarro LVN, Waxahachie | $11,624 | 95.5%42 of 44 | 1.8 yrs |
| Arlington Career Institute LVN (this program) | $23,979 | 51.9%14 of 27 | 3.7 yrs |
| Concorde Career LVN, Dallas | $38,414 | 88.9%48 of 54 | 6.0 yrs |
| Concorde Career LVN, Grand Prairie | $38,414 | 83.6%97 of 116 | 6.0 yrs |
| CTK Healthcare & Career Institute LVN | Not published | 85.7%6 of 7 | Can't calculate: cost |
Similar programs
Picked by rule from programs with published data, never by payment.
Program facts
- Length
- 12 months (day) or 14 months (night)
- Schedule
- Day and night programs in Grand Prairie
- Credential
- Vocational Nursing (LVN) certificate, eligible for NCLEX-PN
- Board approval status
- Data coming soon
- Accreditation
- Data coming soon
- Sector
- Private career school
The lowest-cost LVN program ($3,966) costs less than the lowest-cost RN program ($6,832).
What changed
- Nov 2026Total cost recorded from the school's estimate (rates effective March 23, 2026): $23,979.
- Apr 20262025 pass rate added: 51.9% (14 of 27).
- Apr 20252024 pass rate added: 73.3% (22 of 30).
- Apr 20242023 pass rate added: 90.0% (18 of 20).
- Apr 20232022 pass rate added: 85.7% (18 of 21).
Sources and dates
- Arlington Career Institute, Catalog Supplement (effective March 23, 2026), Rates effective March 23, 2026.
- Texas Board of Nursing, Report of 2025 NCLEX-PN Examination Pass Rates (Board Meeting, April 2026, item 3.2.12), April 2026.
- Texas Board of Nursing, Report of 2024 NCLEX-PN Examination Pass Rates (Board Meeting, April 2025, item 3.2.11), April 2025.
- Texas Board of Nursing, Report of 2023 NCLEX-PN Examination Pass Rates (Board Meeting, April 2024, item 3.2.14), April 2024.
- Texas Board of Nursing, Report of 2022 NCLEX-PN Examination Pass Rates (Board Meeting, April 2023, item 3.2.6), April 2023.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX, May 2025.
Every number was checked against its source on Nov. 1, 2026. Spot an error? Report it. Program Outcomes is independent and not affiliated with any school or the Texas Board of Nursing. Our independence policy