Nursing programs in the Midland-Odessa area: what they cost and what they pay

Name: Nursing programs in the Midland-Odessa area: cost, pass rate and local pay
Creator: Program Outcomes

8 Board-approved programs in Big Spring, Midland, Odessa, Andrews and Monahans. RN programs with published costs range from $8,410 to $9,735, and registered nurses here earn a median $82,120.

8 programs · 4 RN, 4 LVN · Updated Nov. 1, 2026

About this area

Midland College and Odessa College both publish cost sheets, which put their associate degrees at about $8,400 to $9,700 and Midland's LVN program at $8,000. Odessa College also runs LVN programs at its Andrews and Monahans sites, and Howard College teaches nursing in Big Spring. UT Permian Basin in Odessa is the area's bachelor's option.

Programs

4 RN · 4 LVN

RN cost range

$8,410 to $9,735

Published estimates

RN median wage

$82,120

Midland-Odessa metro ³

LVN median wage

$64,240

Midland-Odessa metro ³

Compare LVN and RN paths here

Every program in the area

Grouped by license, then sorted by cost. Missing numbers sort last.

RN programs

Program	City	Cost	Pass rate	Length	Payback
Odessa College ADN	Odessa	$8,410	94.6%88 of 93	3 semesters	1.0 yrs
Midland College ADN	Midland	$9,735	95.2%60 of 63	4 semesters	1.2 yrs
Howard College ADN	Big Spring	Not published	100%25 of 25	2 years	Can't calculate: cost
University of Texas Permian Basin BSN	Odessa	Not published	88.6%70 of 79	Data coming soon	Can't calculate: cost

LVN programs

Program	City	Cost	Pass rate	Length	Payback
Midland College LVN	Midland	$8,000	100%8 of 8	12 months	1.2 yrs
Howard LVN, Big Spring	Big Spring	Not published	100%13 of 13	12 months	Can't calculate: cost
Odessa LVN, Andrews	Andrews	Not published	92.3%36 of 39	12 months	Can't calculate: cost
Odessa LVN, Monahans	Monahans	Not published	100%29 of 29	12 months	Can't calculate: cost

Small groups: Howard LVN, Big Spring had 13 test takers; Midland College LVN had 8 test takers. Pass rates: ¹, ²

Quick findings

Lowest-cost RN program: Odessa College ADN, from $8,410.
Highest RN pass rate with 20+ test takers: Howard College ADN, 100% (25 of 25).
Largest program: Odessa College ADN, with 93 first-time test takers in 2025.
Highest LVN pass rate with 20+ test takers: Odessa LVN, Monahans, 29 of 29.
RN vs LVN pay gap here: $17,880 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.

Straight to RN

From $8,410

Odessa College ADN, 3 semesters of nursing courses, year-round. Median RN pay $82,120.

LVN first, then bridge

$8,000 to start

Midland College LVN, 12 months, starting each August. Median LVN pay $64,240 while you bridge.

Compare the two paths in detail

The local job picture

$82,120

RN median ³

$64,240

LVN median ³

Data coming soon

Projected yearly RN openings

Programs here are in Andrews, Big Spring, Midland, Monahans, and Odessa. Midland and Odessa are separate metro areas with similar pay; wages shown are for the Midland metro area.

What changed

Nov 2026Updated: Midland College ADN, Odessa College ADN, Midland College LVN.
Apr 2026Updated: Howard College ADN, Midland College ADN, Odessa College ADN, University of Texas Permian Basin BSN, Howard LVN, Big Spring, Midland College LVN, Odessa LVN, Andrews, Odessa LVN, Monahans.
Apr 2025Updated: Howard College ADN, Midland College ADN, Odessa College ADN, University of Texas Permian Basin BSN, Howard LVN, Big Spring, Midland College LVN, Odessa LVN, Andrews, Odessa LVN, Monahans.
Apr 2024Updated: Howard College ADN, Midland College ADN, Odessa College ADN, University of Texas Permian Basin BSN, Howard LVN, Big Spring, Midland College LVN, Odessa LVN, Andrews, Odessa LVN, Monahans.
Apr 2023Updated: Howard College ADN, Midland College ADN, Odessa College ADN, University of Texas Permian Basin BSN, Howard LVN, Big Spring, Midland College LVN, Odessa LVN, Andrews, Odessa LVN, Monahans.
Apr 2022Updated: Howard College ADN, Midland College ADN, Odessa College ADN, University of Texas Permian Basin BSN, Howard LVN, Big Spring, Midland College LVN, Odessa LVN, Andrews, Odessa LVN, Monahans.

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), Midland, TX, May 2025.
Midland College, ADN Admissions Packet, Program Costs (PDF), 2025-26 estimate.
Odessa College, Associate Degree Nursing Program Cost fee sheet (PDF), Undated estimate.
Midland College, Vocational Nursing Program Information Packet (PDF), Undated 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