Tarrant County College LVN costs $3,330. Here is what it pays back.
A vocational nursing (LVN) certificate in Fort Worth, 3 consecutive semesters (12 months). In 2025, 14 of its 14 first-time test takers passed the NCLEX-PN.
The short version
- It has the lowest published cost of the 3 LVN programs in the Fort Worth area that publish one, $5,229 less than the next lowest, North Central Texas College LVN.
- Its 2025 pass rate of 100% was 8.1 points above the Texas average. In 2024 it was 3.3 points above. That rate is based on a small group of 14 test takers.
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. The school lists $3,330 total tuition and fees for 2026-27 at in-state, in-county rates, excluding textbooks and materials. The program's About page separately gives an undated all-in estimate of about $5,500 in district (tuition, books, immunizations, prerequisites and more) plus a $200 licensure exam fee.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Total tuition and fees, Vocational Nursing certificate, 45 credit hours (in county) | $3,330 |
| Total 1 | $3,330 |
* How we calculated this: This is tuition and fees only, as the school lists them. The school's own rough all-in estimate is about $5,500 including prerequisites, plus about $200 in licensing fees.
Not included: prerequisite courses and living costs. 2026-27 estimate.
When it pays you back
If you set aside 10% of the Fort Worth LVN median wage, about $536 a month, the $3,330 cost is covered in about 0.5 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 (see requirements, plus an entrance exam) | Data coming soon | Data coming soon |
| Tarrant County College LVN | $3,330 | 3 consecutive semesters (12 months) |
| Living costs while in school | Not included | |
| Total before living costs | $3,330 + prerequisites | 3 consecutive semesters (12 months) + prerequisites |
We will add typical prerequisite costs at nearby colleges once collected. How we count cost
Will graduates pass the NCLEX-PN?
In 2025, 14 of Tarrant County College's 14 first-time test takers passed the NCLEX-PN. Its rate rose from 96.6% in 2024 to 100%. 2
Small group: 14 test takers. One result moves the rate a lot.
Bars start at 65% so small differences are visible. National rates are on the methodology page. Earlier years: 3456
What LVNs earn around Fort Worth
Payback time uses the middle wage. Here is the wider picture.
How it compares in the Fort Worth area
The 3 programs in the area that lead to an LVN license.
| Program | Cost | Pass rate | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tarrant County College LVN (this program) | $3,330 | 100%14 of 14 | 0.5 yrs |
| North Central Texas College LVN | $8,559 | 100%65 of 65 | 1.3 yrs |
| Weatherford College LVN | $12,132to $12,870 | 95.6%43 of 45 | 1.9 yrsto 2.0 yrs |
Program facts
- Length
- 3 consecutive semesters (12 months)
- Schedule
- Full time, in person at Trinity River East; clinicals any day, typically 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Before you apply
- A minimum 2.0 GPA and a HESI A2 score of at least 75 on each section.
- 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
The lowest-cost LVN program ($3,330) costs less than the lowest-cost RN program ($4,440).
What changed
- Nov 2026Total cost recorded from the school's estimate (2026-27 estimate): $3,330.
- Apr 20262025 pass rate added: 100% (14 of 14).
- Apr 20252024 pass rate added: 96.6% (28 of 29).
- Apr 20242023 pass rate added: 100% (22 of 22).
- Apr 20232022 pass rate added: 100% (22 of 22).
- Apr 20222021 pass rate added: 71.9% (23 of 32).
Sources and dates
- Tarrant County College, Vocational Nursing program page (How Much Time and Money to Finish table), 2026-27 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), Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, 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