Panola College LVN costs $8,804. Here is what it pays back.
A vocational nursing (LVN) certificate in Carthage, 3 semesters. In 2025, 41 of its 45 first-time test takers passed the NCLEX-PN.
The short version
- Panola College LVN costs $504 more than Trinity Valley Community LVN, Palestine, the lowest-cost LVN path in the area, and $1,401 less than Tyler Junior College LVN.
- Its 2025 pass rate of 91.1% was within 0.8 points of the Texas average. In 2024 it was 0.0 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
About half of every dollar goes to estimated tuition (in district). In-district figures. The sheet prints an estimated total of $8,500 in district and $11,500 out of district, but its own tuition ($4,500) plus additional costs ($4,304) add to $8,804; the itemized sum is used here. Out-of-district tuition is $7,500. The general costs include a possible $150 declaratory order fee.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Estimated tuition (in district) | $4,500 |
| General costs: learning resources, immunizations, physical, uniforms, shoes, stethoscope, background check, licensure fees | $2,690 |
| Course fees | $1,614 |
| Total 1 | $8,804 |
* How we calculated this: The school's sheet prints a total of $8,500, but its parts ($4,500 tuition plus $4,304 other costs) add up to $8,804. We show the sum of the parts.
Not included: prerequisite courses and living costs. 2025-26 estimate.
When it pays you back
If you set aside 10% of the Tyler-Longview LVN median wage, about $496 a month, the $8,804 cost is covered in about 1.5 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 |
| Panola College LVN, including licensing fees | $8,804 | 3 semesters |
| Living costs while in school | Not included | |
| Total before living costs | $8,804 + prerequisites | 3 semesters + prerequisites |
We will add typical prerequisite costs at nearby colleges once collected. How we count cost
Will graduates pass the NCLEX-PN?
In 2025, 41 of Panola College's 45 first-time test takers passed the NCLEX-PN. Its rate fell from 93.2% in 2024 to 91.1%, 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 Tyler-Longview
Payback time uses the middle wage. Here is the wider picture.
How it compares in the Tyler-Longview area
The 5 programs in the area that lead to an LVN license.
| Program | Cost | Pass rate | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trinity Valley Community LVN, Palestine | $8,300 | 70.0%7 of 10 | 1.4 yrs |
| Panola College LVN (this program) | $8,804 | 91.1%41 of 45 | 1.5 yrs |
| Northeast Texas Community College LVN | $9,249 | 100%22 of 22 | 1.6 yrs |
| Tyler Junior College LVN | $10,205 | 93.1%95 of 102 | 1.7 yrs |
| Kilgore College LVN | Not published | 100%6 of 6 | Can't calculate: cost |
Similar programs
Picked by rule from programs with published data, never by payment.
Program facts
- Length
- 3 semesters
- Schedule
- Face to face; clinicals may be days, evenings, nights or weekends
- Starts
- Fall (Carthage campus) and spring (Center campus)
- Entrance exam
- HESI A2
- Credential
- Vocational Nursing (LVN) certificate, eligible for NCLEX-PN
- Board approval status
- Data coming soon
- Accreditation
- Data coming soon
- Sector
- Public community college
In the Tyler-Longview area, the LVN route gets you working sooner. The lowest-cost LVN program ($8,300) costs less than the lowest-cost RN program ($9,796).
What changed
- Nov 2026Total cost recorded from the school's estimate (2025-26 estimate): $8,804.
- Apr 20262025 pass rate added: 91.1% (41 of 45).
- Apr 20252024 pass rate added: 93.2% (55 of 59).
- Apr 20242023 pass rate added: 97.8% (44 of 45).
- Apr 20232022 pass rate added: 89.8% (44 of 49).
- Apr 20222021 pass rate added: 84.3% (43 of 51).
Sources and dates
- Panola College, Estimated Cost of VN Program, revised 6/2025 (PDF), 2025-26 estimate.
- 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), Tyler, 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