Southern Careers Institute ADN costs $40,470. Here is what it pays back.
An associate degree in nursing (ADN) in Brownsville, About 75 weeks full time (1,590 clock hours, 103 quarter credits).
We are still collecting data for this program. This page will be listed in search once it has a published cost or graduate earnings.
The short version
- Southern Careers Institute ADN costs $25,653 more than Texas State Technical College- Harlingen ADN, the lowest-cost RN path in the area.
These findings are generated from the numbers on this page and change when the data does. How we write them
Is it a fit for you?
Based on the program's schedule, length and requirements.
- Good fit: You have finished, or can finish, the 5 prerequisite courses.
- Less of a fit: You need a bachelor's degree at graduation.
Where the money goes
Nine of every ten dollars goes to tuition. Catalog total is $40,470. NCLEX-RN ($200) and Board of Nursing application ($125) fees are listed separately and not included. The optional Pre-Nursing Pathway for the prerequisite courses costs $950.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Tuition | $40,170 |
| Other fees (kit, four scrub sets, lab coat) | $300 |
| Total 1 | $40,470 |
Not included: prerequisite courses and living costs. 2026 catalog.
When it pays you back
If you set aside 10% of the Rio Grande Valley RN median wage, about $671 a month, the $40,470 cost is covered in about 5.0 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 (5 courses, plus an entrance exam) | $950 | Data coming soon |
| Southern Careers Institute ADN | $40,470 | About 75 weeks full time (1,590 clock hours, 103 quarter credits) |
| Living costs while in school | Not included | |
| Total before living costs | $41,420 | About 75 weeks full time (1,590 clock hours, 103 quarter credits) |
Prerequisite courses at Southern Careers Institute's own rates, from the same cost sheet. Taking them elsewhere can cost more or less. How we count cost
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 | $17,666 | 99.4%174 of 175 | 2.2 yrs |
| Southern Careers Institute ADN (this program) | $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
- About 75 weeks full time (1,590 clock hours, 103 quarter credits)
- Schedule
- Day classes at the Brownsville campus
- Before you apply
- Term one prerequisite courses (GEN 101, BIO 120, BIO 120L, CLSC 2429, GEN 108) with a C or better, a passing TEAS, a background check, drug screen, health clearance and an interview.
- Entrance exam
- ATI TEAS
- Credential
- Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), eligible for NCLEX-RN
- Board approval status
- Data coming soon
- Accreditation
- Data coming soon
- Sector
- Private career school
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 (2026 catalog): $40,470.
Sources and dates
- Southern Careers Institute, 2026 Catalog, Tuition by Program, 2026 catalog.
- 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