Galen College of Nursing LVN costs $24,340. Here is what it pays back.
A vocational nursing (LVN) certificate in San Antonio, 12 months full time, or 21 months part time. In 2025, 544 of its 586 first-time test takers passed the NCLEX-PN.
The short version
- Galen College of Nursing LVN costs $4,200 more than Baptist Health System LVN, the lowest-cost LVN path in the area.
- Its 2025 pass rate of 92.8% was within 0.9 points of the Texas average. In 2024 it was 2.5 points above.
- It is the area's largest LVN program, with 586 first-time test takers in 2025.
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 program tuition. Plus a $75 resource fee each term. The San Antonio tuition page says to budget about $1,000 more for books, which is not counted here.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Program tuition | $24,100 |
| Background check, registration and testing fees | $240 |
| Total 1 | $24,340 |
* How we calculated this: We added program tuition to the background check, registration and testing fees from Galen's fee schedule. Books (about $1,000, per Galen) are extra.
Not included: prerequisite courses and living costs. Rates for students starting April 2026 or later.
When it pays you back
If you set aside 10% of the San Antonio LVN median wage, about $519 a month, the $24,340 cost is covered in about 3.9 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 |
| Galen College of Nursing LVN | $24,340 | 12 months full time, or 21 months part time |
| Living costs while in school | Not included | |
| Total before living costs | $24,340 + prerequisites | 12 months full time, or 21 months part time + prerequisites |
We will add typical prerequisite costs at nearby colleges once collected. How we count cost
Will graduates pass the NCLEX-PN?
In 2025, 544 of Galen College of Nursing's 586 first-time test takers passed the NCLEX-PN. Its rate fell from 95.8% in 2024 to 92.8%, a larger drop than the statewide average. 2
Bars start at 75% so small differences are visible. National rates are on the methodology page. Earlier years: 3456
What LVNs earn around San Antonio
Payback time uses the middle wage. Here is the wider picture.
How it compares in the San Antonio area
The 7 programs in the area that lead to an LVN license.
| Program | Cost | Pass rate | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baptist Health System LVN | $20,140 | 87.2%41 of 47 | 3.2 yrs |
| Galen College of Nursing LVN (this program) | $24,340 | 92.8%544 of 586 | 3.9 yrs |
| Hallmark University LVN | Not published | 88.9%8 of 9 | Can't calculate: cost |
| Schreiner University LVN | Not published | 100%5 of 5 | Can't calculate: cost |
| Southwest Texas Junior College LVN | Not published | 80.0%32 of 40 | Can't calculate: cost |
| St. Philip’s College LVN | Not published | 95.5%63 of 66 | Can't calculate: cost |
| The Institute of Allied Health LVN | Not published | 78.6%11 of 14 | Can't calculate: cost |
Similar programs
Picked by rule from programs with published data, never by payment.
Program facts
- Length
- 12 months full time, or 21 months part time
- Schedule
- On campus; full-time day or part-time schedule
- Starts
- 4 times a year
- 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 ($20,140) costs less than the lowest-cost RN program ($37,080).
What changed
- Nov 2026Total cost recorded from the school's estimate (rates for students starting April 2026 or later): $24,340.
- Apr 20262025 pass rate added: 92.8% (544 of 586).
- Apr 20252024 pass rate added: 95.8% (341 of 356).
- Apr 20242023 pass rate added: 95.5% (322 of 337).
- Apr 20232022 pass rate added: 84.6% (341 of 403).
- Apr 20222021 pass rate added: 88.5% (371 of 419).
Sources and dates
- Galen College of Nursing, Student Catalog (San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, Houston), VN tuition and fee schedule (PDF), Rates for students starting April 2026 or later.
- 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.
- Texas Board of Nursing, Report of 2021 NCLEX-PN Examination Pass Rates (Board Meeting, April 2022, item 3.2.7), April 2022.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), San Antonio-New Braunfels, 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