Texas Southmost College ADN costs $17,122. Here is what it pays back.
An associate degree in nursing (ADN) in Brownsville, 2 years full time. In 2025, 24 of its 28 first-time test takers passed the NCLEX-RN.
The short version
- Texas Southmost College ADN costs $2,305 more than Texas State Technical College- Harlingen ADN, the lowest-cost RN path in the area, and $23,348 less than Southern Careers Institute ADN.
- Its 2025 pass rate of 85.7% was 2.9 points below the Texas average. In 2024 it was 4.2 points below.
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 3 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 and fees, all courses including pre- and co-requisites, lab, testing, software and nclex fees. The school states about $15,000 for the whole program, including pre- and co-requisite courses and NCLEX fees, and lists required supplies separately; the two are added here. An optional blood pressure cuff ($10) and immunizations and CPR (varies) are not included. Residency is not stated.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Tuition and fees, all courses including pre- and co-requisites, lab, testing, software and NCLEX fees | $15,000 |
| Textbook bundle | $1,500 |
| Uniform, shoes, stethoscope, watch, skills pack, laptop, drug test and background check | $622 |
| Total 1 | $17,122 |
Not included: living costs. Undated estimate.
When it pays you back
If you set aside 10% of the Rio Grande Valley RN median wage, about $671 a month, the $17,122 cost is covered in about 2.1 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 (3 courses, plus an entrance exam) | Data coming soon | Data coming soon |
| Texas Southmost College ADN, including licensing fees | $17,122 | 2 years |
| Living costs while in school | Not included | |
| Total before living costs | $17,122 + prerequisites | 2 years + prerequisites |
We will add typical prerequisite costs at nearby colleges once collected. How we count cost
Will graduates pass the NCLEX-RN?
In 2025, 24 of Texas Southmost College's 28 first-time test takers passed the NCLEX-RN. Its rate fell from 88.5% in 2024 to 85.7%, a smaller drop than the statewide average. 2
Bars start at 70% so small differences are visible. National rates are on the methodology page. Earlier years: 345
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 (this program) | $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 | $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
- 2 years, full time
- Schedule
- Full time; classes usually Monday to Thursday
- Starts
- Fall and spring (LVN to RN: summer)
- Before you apply
- BIOL 2301, BIOL 2302 and MATH 1342 with a C or better, plus ATI TEAS scores of at least 60 composite.
- 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
- 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 (undated estimate): $17,122.
- Apr 20262025 pass rate added: 85.7% (24 of 28).
- Apr 20252024 pass rate added: 88.5% (23 of 26).
- Apr 20232022 pass rate added: 76.2% (16 of 21).
- Apr 20222021 pass rate added: 90.0% (9 of 10).
Sources and dates
- Texas Southmost College, Associate Degree Nursing program page, Undated 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 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