Nursing programs in the Fort Worth area: what they cost and what they pay
12 Board-approved programs in Fort Worth, Gainesville, Weatherford and 4 nearby towns. RN programs with published costs range from $4,440 to $25,028, and registered nurses here earn a median $101,420.
Tarrant County College has the lowest published price in the area, but its figure covers tuition and fees only; books, uniforms and licensing add more. Weatherford College and North Central Texas College publish fuller cost sheets, roughly $8,500 to $15,500. For a bachelor's degree, UT Arlington, Texas Woman's University in Denton, TCU and Tarleton State are the big programs, and none of them posts a program total. The newest option is UNT Health Science Center's BSN in Fort Worth, which lists about $25,000 in resident tuition and fees.
Every program in the area
Grouped by license, then sorted by cost. Missing numbers sort last.
| Program | City | Cost | Pass rate | Length | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tarrant County College LVN | Fort Worth | $3,330 | 100%14 of 14 | 3 semesters | 0.5 yrs |
| North Central Texas College LVN | Gainesville | $8,559 | 100%65 of 65 | 12 months | 1.3 yrs |
| Weatherford College LVN | Weatherford | $12,132to $12,870 | 95.6%43 of 45 | 12 months | 1.9 yrsto 2.0 yrs |
Small groups: Tarrant County College LVN had 14 test takers. Pass rates: 1, 2
Quick findings
- Lowest-cost RN program: Tarrant County College ADN, from $4,440.
- Highest RN pass rate with 20+ test takers: Texas Christian University BSN, 97.1% (198 of 204).
- Largest program: University of Texas at Arlington BSN, with 936 first-time test takers in 2025.
- Highest LVN pass rate with 20+ test takers: North Central Texas College LVN, 65 of 65.
- 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.
Tarrant County College ADN, 2 consecutive years (AAS, 60 credit hours). Median RN pay $101,420.
Tarrant County College LVN, 3 consecutive semesters (12 months). Median LVN pay $64,370 while you bridge.
The local job picture
Programs here are in Arlington, Denton, Fort Worth, Gainesville, Keene, Stephenville, and Weatherford. BLS does not publish separate Fort Worth figures for these occupations, so wages are for the whole Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro area.
What changed
- Nov 2026Updated: North Central Texas College ADN, Tarrant County College ADN, Weatherford College ADN, University of North Texas Health Science Center College of Nursing BSN, North Central Texas College LVN, Tarrant County College LVN, Weatherford College LVN.
- Apr 2026Updated: North Central Texas College ADN, Tarrant County College ADN, Weatherford College ADN, Southwestern Adventist University BSN, Tarleton State University BSN, Texas Christian University BSN, Texas Woman’s University BSN, University of Texas at Arlington BSN, North Central Texas College LVN, Tarrant County College LVN, Weatherford College LVN.
- Apr 2025Updated: North Central Texas College ADN, Tarrant County College ADN, Weatherford College ADN, Southwestern Adventist University BSN, Tarleton State University BSN, Texas Christian University BSN, Texas Woman’s University BSN, University of Texas at Arlington BSN, North Central Texas College LVN, Tarrant County College LVN, Weatherford College LVN.
- Apr 2024Updated: North Central Texas College ADN, Tarrant County College ADN, Weatherford College ADN, Southwestern Adventist University BSN, Tarleton State University BSN, Texas Christian University BSN, Texas Woman’s University BSN, University of Texas at Arlington BSN, North Central Texas College LVN, Tarrant County College LVN, Weatherford College LVN.
- Apr 2023Updated: North Central Texas College ADN, Tarrant County College ADN, Weatherford College ADN, Southwestern Adventist University BSN, Tarleton State University BSN, Texas Christian University BSN, Texas Woman’s University BSN, University of Texas at Arlington BSN, North Central Texas College LVN, Tarrant County College LVN, Weatherford College LVN.
- Apr 2022Updated: North Central Texas College ADN, Tarrant County College ADN, Weatherford College ADN, Southwestern Adventist University BSN, Tarleton State University BSN, Texas Christian University BSN, Texas Woman’s University BSN, University of Texas at Arlington BSN, North Central Texas College LVN, Tarrant County College LVN, Weatherford College LVN.
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.
- North Central Texas College, ADN Program Costs (PDF), Undated estimate.
- Tarrant County College, Nursing program page (How Much Time and Money to Finish table), 2026-27 estimate.
- Weatherford College, Associate Degree Nursing Tuition and Fees 2026-2027 (PDF), 2026-27 estimate.
- UNT Health Fort Worth, Traditional BSN tuition and fees, Spring 2025 to Summer 2026 rates.
- North Central Texas College, 24-25 LVN Program Costs (PDF, updated 7/15/2024), 2024-25 estimate.
- Tarrant County College, Vocational Nursing program page (How Much Time and Money to Finish table), 2026-27 estimate.
- Weatherford College, Vocational Nursing Program Tuition & Fees, Day and Evening (PDFs), 2026-27 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