Dallas College ADN costs $6,832. Here is what it pays back.
An associate degree in nursing (ADN) in Farmers Branch, 4 semesters after prerequisites (60 credit hours). In 2025, 181 of its 200 first-time test takers passed the NCLEX-RN.
The short version
- It has the lowest published cost of the 6 RN programs in the Dallas area that publish one, $3,773 less than the next lowest, Trinity Valley Community College ADN.
- Its 2025 pass rate of 90.5% was within 1.9 points of the Texas average. In 2024 it was 0.3 points below.
These findings are generated from the numbers on this page and change when the data does. How we write them
Is it a fit for you?
Based on the program's schedule, length and requirements.
- Good fit: You have finished, or can finish, the 5 prerequisite courses.
- Less of a fit: You need a bachelor's degree at graduation.
Where the money goes
The school's estimate, in 4 parts. Dallas County residents. The packet's program total of $8,761 also counts $1,929 of prerequisite courses, entrance exam and health requirements, shown separately here. Out of county the total is $12,921.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Semester 1: tuition and textbooks, program resources, Board of Nursing screening, uniforms and equipment | $1,884 |
| Semester 2: tuition, textbooks and program resources | $1,954 |
| Semester 3: tuition, textbooks and program resources | $1,091 |
| Semester 4: tuition, textbooks, program resources, NCLEX review, exam and license | $1,903 |
| Total 1 | $6,832 |
* How we calculated this: We added the four nursing semesters from the school's packet. The packet's total of $8,761 also includes $1,929 of prerequisites, shown separately.
Not included: prerequisite courses and living costs. Current packet (2027 application cycle).
When it pays you back
If you set aside 10% of the Dallas RN median wage, about $845 a month, the $6,832 cost is covered in about 0.7 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 (5 courses, plus an entrance exam) | $1,929 | Data coming soon |
| Dallas College ADN, including licensing fees | $6,832 | 4 semesters after prerequisites (60 credit hours) |
| Living costs while in school | Not included | |
| Total before living costs | $8,761 | 4 semesters after prerequisites (60 credit hours) |
Prerequisite courses at Dallas College's own rates, from the same cost sheet. Taking them elsewhere can cost more or less. How we count cost
Will graduates pass the NCLEX-RN?
In 2025, 181 of Dallas College's 200 first-time test takers passed the NCLEX-RN. Its rate fell from 92.4% in 2024 to 90.5%, a smaller drop than the statewide average. 2
Bars start at 65% so small differences are visible. National rates are on the methodology page. Earlier years: 3456
What nurses earn around Dallas
Payback time uses the middle wage. Here is the wider picture.
How it compares in the Dallas area
The 10 programs in the area that lead to an RN license.
| Program | Cost | Pass rate | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas College ADN (this program) | $6,832 | 90.5%181 of 200 | 0.7 yrs |
| Trinity Valley Community College ADN | $10,605 | 87.6%120 of 137 | 1.0 yrs |
| Navarro College ADN | $11,475 | 90.3%65 of 72 | 1.1 yrs |
| Chamberlain College of Nursing BSN, Irving | $101,080 | 82.4%84 of 102 | 10.0 yrs |
| West Coast University Texas BSN | $113,979 | 92.2%213 of 231 | 11.2 yrs |
| Arizona College of Nursing BSN | $114,939 | 69.1%65 of 94 | 11.3 yrs |
| Collin College ADN | Not published | 94.7%230 of 243 | Can't calculate: cost |
| South College Dallas ADN | Not published | Data coming soon | Can't calculate: cost |
| Baylor University BSN | Not published | 96.1%348 of 362 | Can't calculate: cost |
| East Texas A&M University BSN | Not published | 79.2%38 of 48 | Can't calculate: cost |
Similar programs
Picked by rule from programs with published data, never by payment.
Program facts
- Length
- 4 semesters after prerequisites (60 credit hours)
- Schedule
- In person at Brookhaven, El Centro, Mountain View and North Lake; clinicals may be day, evening or weekend
- Starts
- Fall and spring
- Before you apply
- RNSG 1008 Dosage Calculations (90% or higher), BIOL 2401, ENGL 1301, MATH 1314 or MATH 1342, and RNSG 1301 or RNSG 1311, with a C or better and a 3.0 GPA, plus TEAS scores of at least 55% in each section.
- Entrance exam
- ATI TEAS
- Credential
- Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), eligible for NCLEX-RN
- Board approval status
- Data coming soon
- Accreditation
- Data coming soon
- Sector
- Public community college
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 (current packet (2027 application cycle)): $6,832.
- Apr 20262025 pass rate added: 90.5% (181 of 200).
- Apr 20252024 pass rate added: 92.4% (158 of 171).
- Apr 20242023 pass rate added: 94.6% (53 of 56).
- Apr 20232022 pass rate added: 94.7% (54 of 57).
- Apr 20222021 pass rate added: 73.4% (47 of 64).
Sources and dates
- Dallas College, Associate Degree Nursing Information Packet, revised for the Spring 2027 and Fall 2027 application cycles (Word document), Current packet (2027 application cycle).
- Texas Board of Nursing, Report of 2025 NCLEX-RN Examination Pass Rates (Board Meeting, April 2026, item 3.2.13), April 2026.
- Texas Board of Nursing, Report of 2024 NCLEX-RN Examination Pass Rates (Board Meeting, April 2025, item 3.2.12), April 2025.
- Texas Board of Nursing, Report of 2023 NCLEX-RN Examination Pass Rates (Board Meeting, April 2024, item 3.2.15), April 2024.
- Texas Board of Nursing, Report of 2022 NCLEX-RN Examination Pass Rates (Board Meeting, April 2023, item 3.2.5), April 2023.
- Texas Board of Nursing, Report of 2021 NCLEX-RN Examination Pass Rates (covers Oct. 1, 2020 to Dec. 31, 2021) (Board Meeting, April 2022, item 3.2.6), April 2022.
- 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