McLennan Community College ADN costs $10,149. Here is what it pays back.
An associate degree in nursing (ADN) in Waco, About 2 years after prerequisites (4 levels, 36 nursing credit hours). In 2025, 82 of its 86 first-time test takers passed the NCLEX-RN.
The short version
- Its 2025 pass rate of 95.3% was 6.7 points above the Texas average. In 2024 it was 1.8 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
Nine of every ten dollars goes to adn tuition and fees, levels 1 to 4 (36 credit hours, mclennan county residents). In-district (McLennan County) figures. Non-nursing prerequisite and corequisite courses (24 credit hours) are listed separately at $2,928, for a combined total of $13,077. The itemized additional costs add up to $859 to $909, less than the stated $959. Out-of-district rates are given per credit hour only. Textbooks are not listed.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| ADN tuition and fees, levels 1 to 4 (36 credit hours, McLennan County residents) | $9,190 |
| Additional costs: uniforms, shoes, stethoscope, supplies, licensure, background check, drug screen | $959 |
| Total 1 | $10,149 |
Not included: prerequisite courses and living costs. Undated estimate.
When it pays you back
If you set aside 10% of the Waco RN median wage, about $774 a month, the $10,149 cost is covered in about 1.1 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 | $2,928 | Data coming soon |
| McLennan Community College ADN, including licensing fees | $10,149 | About 2 years after prerequisites (4 levels, 36 nursing credit hours) |
| Living costs while in school | Not included | |
| Total before living costs | $13,077 | About 2 years after prerequisites (4 levels, 36 nursing credit hours) |
Prerequisite courses at McLennan Community 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, 82 of McLennan Community College's 86 first-time test takers passed the NCLEX-RN. Its rate rose from 90.9% in 2024 to 95.3%. 2
Bars start at 75% so small differences are visible. National rates are on the methodology page. Earlier years: 3456
What nurses earn around Waco
Payback time uses the middle wage. Here is the wider picture.
How it compares in the Waco area
The 2 programs in the area that lead to an RN license.
| Program | Cost | Pass rate | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| McLennan Community College ADN (this program) | $10,149 | 95.3%82 of 86 | 1.1 yrs |
| Hill College ADN | Not published | 74.5%35 of 47 | Can't calculate: cost |
Similar programs
Picked by rule from programs with published data, never by payment.
Program facts
- Length
- About 2 years after prerequisites (4 levels, 36 nursing credit hours)
- Starts
- Fall and spring
- Entrance exam
- HESI A2
- 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 RN program ($10,149) costs less than the lowest-cost LVN program ($11,624).
What changed
- Nov 2026Total cost recorded from the school's estimate (undated estimate): $10,149.
- Apr 20262025 pass rate added: 95.3% (82 of 86).
- Apr 20252024 pass rate added: 90.9% (50 of 55).
- Apr 20242023 pass rate added: 93.0% (53 of 57).
- Apr 20232022 pass rate added: 97.3% (36 of 37).
- Apr 20222021 pass rate added: 88.2% (45 of 51).
Sources and dates
- McLennan Community College, Expenses in the ADN Program, Undated estimate.
- 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), Waco, 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