Dallas College LVN costs $3,966. Here is what it pays back.
A vocational nursing (LVN) certificate in Dallas, About 12 months (two 16-week semesters and two 5-week summer sessions, 43 credit hours). In 2025, 19 of its 21 first-time test takers passed the NCLEX-PN.
The short version
- It has the lowest published cost of the 8 LVN programs in the Dallas area that publish one, $3,334 less than the next lowest, Collin College LVN.
- Its 2025 pass rate of 90.5% was within 1.4 points of the Texas average. In 2024 it was 26.6 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
Three of every four dollars goes to tuition and textbooks for the program semesters, exam fees, uniforms and equipment. Dallas County residents. The packet's program total of $5,256 also counts $1,290 of prerequisite courses, entrance exam and health requirements, shown separately here. Out of county the total is $7,612.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Tuition and textbooks for the program semesters, exam fees, uniforms and equipment | $2,921 |
| Exit exam, review class, NCLEX-PN licensure and pin | $1,045 |
| Total 1 | $3,966 |
* How we calculated this: We left out the pre-admission costs. The packet's total of $5,256 also includes $1,290 of prerequisites, shown separately.
Not included: prerequisite courses and living costs. Current packet (2026 application cycle).
When it pays you back
If you set aside 10% of the Dallas LVN median wage, about $536 a month, the $3,966 cost is covered in about 0.6 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 (3 courses, plus an entrance exam) | $1,290 | Data coming soon |
| Dallas College LVN, including licensing fees | $3,966 | About 12 months (two 16-week semesters and two 5-week summer sessions, 43 credit hours) |
| Living costs while in school | Not included | |
| Total before living costs | $5,256 | About 12 months (two 16-week semesters and two 5-week summer sessions, 43 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-PN?
In 2025, 19 of Dallas College's 21 first-time test takers passed the NCLEX-PN. Its rate rose from 66.7% in 2024 to 90.5%. 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 (this program) | $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 | $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
- About 12 months (two 16-week semesters and two 5-week summer sessions, 43 credit hours)
- Schedule
- In person, daytime only, at the El Centro Downtown Health Sciences Center
- Starts
- Fall
- Before you apply
- ENGL 1301, BIOL 2401 and PSYC 2301 or a speech course with a C or better and a 2.5 GPA, plus TEAS scores of at least 55% in each section.
- Entrance exam
- ATI TEAS
- Credential
- Vocational Nursing (LVN) certificate, eligible for NCLEX-PN
- 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 (2026 application cycle)): $3,966.
- Apr 20262025 pass rate added: 90.5% (19 of 21).
- Apr 20252024 pass rate added: 66.7% (12 of 18).
- Apr 20242023 pass rate added: 94.7% (18 of 19).
- Apr 20232022 pass rate added: 53.3% (8 of 15).
Sources and dates
- Dallas College, Vocational Nursing Information Packet, revised for the Spring 2026 and Fall 2026 application cycles (Word document), Current packet (2026 application cycle).
- 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