Texas Southmost College LVN costs $11,000 to $13,000. Here is what it pays back.
A vocational nursing (LVN) certificate in Brownsville, 12 months (3 semesters, 41 credit hours). In 2025, 12 of its 14 first-time test takers passed the NCLEX-PN.
The short version
- It has the lowest published cost of the 5 LVN programs in the Rio Grande Valley area that publish one, $3,011 less than the next lowest, Valley Baptist Medical Center LVN.
- Its 2025 pass rate of 85.7% was 6.2 points below the Texas average. In 2024 it was 6.7 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 states an estimated $11,000 to $13,000 for tuition, books and uniforms for the year. No itemized breakdown or residency is given.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Tuition, books and uniforms for the year (low end of range) | $11,000 |
| Total 1 | $11,000 |
Not included: prerequisite courses and living costs. Undated estimate.
When it pays you back
If you set aside 10% of the Rio Grande Valley LVN median wage, about $469 a month, the $11,000 cost is covered in about 2.0 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 (see requirements, plus an entrance exam) | Data coming soon | Data coming soon |
| Texas Southmost College LVN | $11,000 to $13,000 | 12 months (3 semesters, 41 credit hours) |
| Living costs while in school | Not included | |
| Total before living costs | $11,000 to $13,000 + prerequisites | 12 months (3 semesters, 41 credit hours) + prerequisites |
We will add typical prerequisite costs at nearby colleges once collected. How we count cost
Will graduates pass the NCLEX-PN?
In 2025, 12 of Texas Southmost College's 14 first-time test takers passed the NCLEX-PN. Its rate fell from 100% in 2024 to 85.7%, a larger drop than the statewide average. 2
Small group: 14 test takers. One result moves the rate a lot.
Bars start at 60% so small differences are visible. National rates are on the methodology page. Earlier years: 3456
What LVNs 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 LVN license.
| Program | Cost | Pass rate | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas Southmost College LVN (this program) | $11,000to $13,000 | 85.7%12 of 14 | 2.0 yrsto 2.3 yrs |
| Valley Baptist Medical Center LVN | $14,011 | 82.8%24 of 29 | 2.5 yrs |
| Texas State Technical College LVN | $15,115 | 80.0%52 of 65 | 2.7 yrs |
| South Texas College LVN | $15,275 | 92.0%160 of 174 | 2.7 yrs |
| Valley Grande Institute for Academic Studies LVN | $26,454 | 87.9%29 of 33 | 4.7 yrs |
| Divine School for Healthcare Professionals LVN | Not published | 100%5 of 5 | Can't calculate: cost |
| Rio Grande Valley College LVN | Not published | 93.1%285 of 306 | Can't calculate: cost |
Similar programs
Picked by rule from programs with published data, never by payment.
Program facts
- Length
- 12 months (3 semesters, 41 credit hours)
- Schedule
- Five days a week, about 34 to 40 hours of class and clinical
- Starts
- Spring (January) and fall (August)
- Before you apply
- No prerequisite courses; applicants need ATI TEAS scores of at least 56 composite and 60 reading.
- Entrance exam
- ATI TEAS
- 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 ($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): $11,000 to $13,000.
- Apr 20262025 pass rate added: 85.7% (12 of 14).
- Apr 20252024 pass rate added: 100% (12 of 12).
- Apr 20242023 pass rate added: 70.4% (19 of 27).
- Apr 20232022 pass rate added: 90.9% (10 of 11).
- Apr 20222021 pass rate added: 95.2% (20 of 21).
Sources and dates
- Texas Southmost College, Licensed Vocational Nursing program page, Undated 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), 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