Nursing programs in the Dallas area: what they cost and what they pay
19 Board-approved programs in Dallas, McKinney, Farmers Branch and 7 nearby towns. RN programs with published costs range from $6,832 to $114,939, and registered nurses here earn a median $101,420.
Dallas College is the low-cost route here: its information packets put the associate degree at about $6,800 and the LVN certificate at about $4,000 for Dallas County residents, with prerequisites extra. Collin College in McKinney, Navarro College to the south and Trinity Valley Community College to the east publish their own estimates, mostly in the $7,000 to $12,000 range. Baylor's nursing school and East Texas A&M run the area's established bachelor's programs but do not post a program total. Private schools sit far higher: Chamberlain, Arizona College and West Coast University each list more than $100,000 for a BSN, and Concorde's LVN certificate is about $38,000.
Every program in the area
Grouped by license, then sorted by cost. Missing numbers sort last.
| Program | City | Cost | Pass rate | Length | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas College ADN | Farmers Branch | $6,832 | 90.5%181 of 200 | 4 semesters | 0.7 yrs |
| Trinity Valley Community College ADN | Kaufman | $10,605 | 87.6%120 of 137 | 2 years | 1.0 yrs |
| Navarro College ADN | Corsicana | $11,475 | 90.3%65 of 72 | 2 years | 1.1 yrs |
| Chamberlain College of Nursing BSN, Irving | Irving | $101,080 | 82.4%84 of 102 | 122 credit hours, as few as 3 years | 10.0 yrs |
| West Coast University Texas BSN | Dallas | $113,979 | 92.2%213 of 231 | 120 credits, 8 semesters; as few as 39 months at the accelerated pace | 11.2 yrs |
| Arizona College of Nursing BSN | Dallas | $114,939 | 69.1%65 of 94 | 9 semesters | 11.3 yrs |
| Collin College ADN | McKinney | Not published | 94.7%230 of 243 | 4 semesters | Can't calculate: cost |
| South College Dallas ADN | Farmers Branch | Not published | Data coming soon | Data coming soon | Can't calculate: cost |
| Baylor University BSN | Dallas | Not published | 96.1%348 of 362 | Traditional: 2 years of upper-division nursing after prerequisites; FastBacc: 12 months | Can't calculate: cost |
| East Texas A&M University BSN | Commerce | Not published | 79.2%38 of 48 | 4-year degree, 120 credit hours | Can't calculate: cost |
| Program | City | Cost | Pass rate | Length | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas College LVN | Dallas | $3,966 | 90.5%19 of 21 | About 12 months (two 16-week semesters and two 5-week summer sessions, 43 credit hours) | 0.6 yrs |
| Collin College LVN | McKinney | $7,300 | 95.8%68 of 71 | 12 months | 1.1 yrs |
| Trinity Valley Community LVN, Terrell | Terrell | $7,818 | 95.2%20 of 21 | 1 year (3 terms, 46 credit hours) | 1.2 yrs |
| Navarro LVN, Corsicana | Corsicana | $11,624 | 97.5%39 of 40 | 12 months | 1.8 yrs |
| Navarro LVN, Waxahachie | Waxahachie | $11,624 | 95.5%42 of 44 | 12 months | 1.8 yrs |
| Arlington Career Institute LVN | Grand Prairie | $23,979 | 51.9%14 of 27 | 12 months | 3.7 yrs |
| Concorde Career LVN, Dallas | Dallas | $38,414 | 88.9%48 of 54 | 13 months | 6.0 yrs |
| Concorde Career LVN, Grand Prairie | Grand Prairie | $38,414 | 83.6%97 of 116 | 13 months | 6.0 yrs |
| CTK Healthcare & Career Institute LVN | Irving | Not published | 85.7%6 of 7 | 12 months | Can't calculate: cost |
Small groups: CTK Healthcare & Career Institute LVN had 7 test takers. Pass rates: 1, 2
Quick findings
- Lowest-cost RN program: Dallas College ADN, from $6,832.
- Highest RN pass rate with 20+ test takers: Baylor University BSN, 96.1% (348 of 362).
- Largest program: Baylor University BSN, with 362 first-time test takers in 2025.
- Highest LVN pass rate with 20+ test takers: Navarro LVN, Corsicana, 39 of 40.
- RN vs LVN pay gap here: $37,050 a year at the median.
Generated from the table above. They change when the data does.
Two ways to become a nurse here
Using this area's real costs and wages.
Dallas College ADN, 4 semesters after prerequisites (60 credit hours). Median RN pay $101,420.
Dallas College LVN, About 12 months (two 16-week semesters and two 5-week summer sessions, 43 credit hours). Median LVN pay $64,370 while you bridge.
The local job picture
Programs here are in Commerce, Corsicana, Dallas, Farmers Branch, Grand Prairie, Irving, Kaufman, McKinney, Terrell, and Waxahachie. BLS does not publish separate Dallas figures for these occupations, so wages are for the whole Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro area.
What changed
- Nov 2026Updated: Dallas College ADN, Navarro College ADN, Trinity Valley Community College ADN, Arizona College of Nursing BSN, Chamberlain College of Nursing BSN, Irving, West Coast University Texas BSN, Arlington Career Institute LVN, Collin College LVN, Concorde Career LVN, Dallas, Concorde Career LVN, Grand Prairie, Dallas College LVN, Navarro LVN, Corsicana, Navarro LVN, Waxahachie, Trinity Valley Community LVN, Terrell.
- Apr 2026Updated: Collin College ADN, Dallas College ADN, Navarro College ADN, Trinity Valley Community College ADN, Arizona College of Nursing BSN, Baylor University BSN, Chamberlain College of Nursing BSN, Irving, East Texas A&M University BSN, West Coast University Texas BSN, Arlington Career Institute LVN, CTK Healthcare & Career Institute LVN, Collin College LVN, Concorde Career LVN, Dallas, Concorde Career LVN, Grand Prairie, Dallas College LVN, Navarro LVN, Corsicana, Navarro LVN, Waxahachie, Trinity Valley Community LVN, Terrell.
- Apr 2025Updated: Collin College ADN, Dallas College ADN, Navarro College ADN, Trinity Valley Community College ADN, Arizona College of Nursing BSN, Baylor University BSN, Chamberlain College of Nursing BSN, Irving, East Texas A&M University BSN, West Coast University Texas BSN, Arlington Career Institute LVN, Collin College LVN, Concorde Career LVN, Dallas, Concorde Career LVN, Grand Prairie, Dallas College LVN, Navarro LVN, Corsicana, Navarro LVN, Waxahachie, Trinity Valley Community LVN, Terrell.
- Apr 2024Updated: Collin College ADN, Dallas College ADN, Navarro College ADN, Trinity Valley Community College ADN, Arizona College of Nursing BSN, Baylor University BSN, Chamberlain College of Nursing BSN, Irving, East Texas A&M University BSN, West Coast University Texas BSN, Arlington Career Institute LVN, Collin College LVN, Concorde Career LVN, Grand Prairie, Dallas College LVN, Navarro LVN, Corsicana, Navarro LVN, Waxahachie, Trinity Valley Community LVN, Terrell.
- Apr 2023Updated: Collin College ADN, Dallas College ADN, Navarro College ADN, Trinity Valley Community College ADN, Arizona College of Nursing BSN, Baylor University BSN, Chamberlain College of Nursing BSN, Irving, East Texas A&M University BSN, West Coast University Texas BSN, Arlington Career Institute LVN, Collin College LVN, Concorde Career LVN, Grand Prairie, Dallas College LVN, Navarro LVN, Corsicana, Navarro LVN, Waxahachie, Trinity Valley Community LVN, Terrell.
- Apr 2022Updated: Collin College ADN, Dallas College ADN, Navarro College ADN, Trinity Valley Community College ADN, Arizona College of Nursing BSN, Baylor University BSN, Chamberlain College of Nursing BSN, Irving, East Texas A&M University BSN, West Coast University Texas BSN, Concorde Career LVN, Grand Prairie, Navarro LVN, Corsicana, Navarro LVN, Waxahachie, Trinity Valley Community LVN, Terrell.
Sources and dates
- 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 2025 NCLEX-PN Examination Pass Rates (Board Meeting, April 2026, item 3.2.12), April 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX, May 2025.
- Dallas College, Associate Degree Nursing Information Packet, revised for the Spring 2027 and Fall 2027 application cycles (Word document), Current packet (2027 application cycle).
- Navarro College, ADN Program Cost page, 2026-27 estimate.
- Trinity Valley Community College, Health Science Center Handbook 2025-26 (PDF), ADN estimated expenses, 2025-26 estimate.
- Arizona College of Nursing, BSN Catalog No26 V5 effective May 4, 2026 (PDF), Rates effective Aug 31, 2026.
- Chamberlain University, Irving campus page, Tuition & Fees (Effective July 2026), Rates effective July 2026.
- West Coast University Catalog, Texas Undergraduate Programs tuition and fees, Rates effective Spring II 2025.
- Arlington Career Institute, Catalog Supplement (effective March 23, 2026), Rates effective March 23, 2026.
- Collin College, Vocational Nursing program page, Undated estimate.
- Concorde Career College Dallas catalog, Program Costs (effective 01/20/2026), Rates effective Jan 20, 2026.
- Concorde Career College Grand Prairie catalog, Program Costs (effective 01/20/2026), Rates effective Jan 20, 2026.
- Dallas College, Vocational Nursing Information Packet, revised for the Spring 2026 and Fall 2026 application cycles (Word document), Current packet (2026 application cycle).
- Navarro College, LVN Program Cost page, 2026-27 estimate.
- Navarro College, LVN Program Cost page, 2026-27 estimate.
- Trinity Valley Community College, Health Science Center Handbook 2025-26 (PDF), Vocational Nursing estimated expenses, 2025-26 estimate.
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