South Texas College ADN costs $17,666. Here is what it pays back.
An associate degree in nursing (ADN) in McAllen, 5 semesters including a prerequisite semester (60 credit hours). In 2025, 174 of its 175 first-time test takers passed the NCLEX-RN.
The short version
- South Texas College ADN costs $2,849 more than Texas State Technical College- Harlingen ADN, the lowest-cost RN path in the area, and $22,804 less than Southern Careers Institute ADN.
- Its 2025 pass rate of 99.4% was 10.8 points above the Texas average. In 2024 it was 5.4 points above.
These findings are generated from the numbers on this page and change when the data does. How we write them
Where the money goes
The school's estimate, in 5 parts. The sheet gives a $19,798 program total for the traditional track, including a $2,132 prerequisite semester (13 credits), which is shown separately here. The LVN/RN and paramedic/RN transition tracks total $16,256. Residency (in district or not) is not stated, and some columns on the sheet are not clearly labeled.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Tuition, 4 nursing semesters (48 credits) | $7,708 |
| Differential tuition, 4 nursing semesters | $3,075 |
| Program and other fees, 4 nursing semesters | $5,183 |
| Books | $350 |
| Supplies and equipment | $1,350 |
| Total 1 | $17,666 |
Not included: prerequisite courses and living costs. 2025-26 estimate.
When it pays you back
If you set aside 10% of the Rio Grande Valley RN median wage, about $671 a month, the $17,666 cost is covered in about 2.2 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 | $2,132 | Data coming soon |
| South Texas College ADN | $17,666 | 5 semesters including a prerequisite semester (60 credit hours) |
| Living costs while in school | Not included | |
| Total before living costs | $19,798 | 5 semesters including a prerequisite semester (60 credit hours) |
Prerequisite courses at South Texas 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, 174 of South Texas College's 175 first-time test takers passed the NCLEX-RN. Its rate rose from 98.1% in 2024 to 99.4%. 2
Bars start at 70% so small differences are visible. National rates are on the methodology page. Earlier years: 3456
What nurses earn around Rio Grande Valley
Payback time uses the middle wage. Here is the wider picture.
How it compares in the Rio Grande Valley area
The 7 programs in the area that lead to an RN license.
| Program | Cost | Pass rate | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas State Technical College- Harlingen ADN | $14,817 | 77.6%45 of 58 | 1.8 yrs |
| Texas School of Health Sciences ADN | $15,000 | 57.7%15 of 26 | 1.9 yrs |
| Texas Southmost College ADN | $17,122 | 85.7%24 of 28 | 2.1 yrs |
| South Texas College ADN (this program) | $17,666 | 99.4%174 of 175 | 2.2 yrs |
| Southern Careers Institute ADN | $40,470 | Data coming soon | 5.0 yrs |
| Rio Grande Valley College ADN | Not published | 94.4%85 of 90 | Can't calculate: cost |
| University of Texas Rio Grande Valley BSN | Not published | 87.0%200 of 230 | Can't calculate: cost |
Similar programs
Picked by rule from programs with published data, never by payment.
Program facts
- Length
- 5 semesters including a prerequisite semester (60 credit hours)
- Schedule
- Face-to-face; traditional, LVN/RN transition and paramedic to RN tracks
- Starts
- Fall and spring (LVN/RN transition: spring and summer)
- 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 LVN program ($11,000) costs less than the lowest-cost RN program ($14,817).
What changed
- Nov 2026Total cost recorded from the school's estimate (2025-26 estimate): $17,666.
- Apr 20262025 pass rate added: 99.4% (174 of 175).
- Apr 20252024 pass rate added: 98.1% (211 of 215).
- Apr 20242023 pass rate added: 91.3% (168 of 184).
- Apr 20232022 pass rate added: 77.2% (223 of 289).
- Apr 20222021 pass rate added: 81.8% (266 of 325).
Sources and dates
- South Texas College, Associate Degree Nursing Program Cost (PDF), 2025-26 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), McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, 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