Texas State Technical College- Harlingen ADN costs $14,817. Here is what it pays back.
An associate degree in nursing (ADN) in Harlingen, 12 months (LVN to RN transition). In 2025, 45 of its 58 first-time test takers passed the NCLEX-RN.
The short version
- It has the lowest published cost of the 5 RN programs in the Rio Grande Valley area that publish one, $183 less than the next lowest, Texas School of Health Sciences ADN.
- Its 2025 pass rate of 77.6% was 11.0 points below the Texas average. In 2024 it was 1.8 points above.
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 meet, or can meet, the entry requirements.
- Less of a fit: You need a bachelor's degree at graduation.
Where the money goes
Three of every four dollars goes to tuition and fees, 3 semesters. Three semesters (36 credit hours). The packet does not name a campus or residency. The program requires an LVN license.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Tuition and fees, 3 semesters | $11,052 |
| Online learning resources (books, virtual programs, exams), 3 semesters | $3,015 |
| Lab supply kit, uniforms and drug screen | $475 |
| NCLEX-RN exam and Texas Board of Nursing license (paid to outside agencies) | $275 |
| Total 1 | $14,817 |
* How we calculated this: TSTC's program page shows a single "Estimated Cost" of $18,420 without a breakdown. We use the itemized estimate from TSTC's Spring 2027 information packet instead.
Not included: prerequisite courses and living costs. Spring 2027 information packet.
When it pays you back
If you set aside 10% of the Rio Grande Valley RN median wage, about $671 a month, the $14,817 cost is covered in about 1.8 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 State Technical College- Harlingen ADN, including licensing fees | $14,817 | 12 months (LVN to RN transition) |
| Living costs while in school | Not included | |
| Total before living costs | $14,817 + prerequisites | 12 months (LVN to RN transition) + prerequisites |
We will add typical prerequisite costs at nearby colleges once collected. How we count cost
Will graduates pass the NCLEX-RN?
In 2025, 45 of Texas State Technical College- Harlingen's 58 first-time test takers passed the NCLEX-RN. Its rate fell from 94.4% in 2024 to 77.6%, a larger drop than the statewide average. 2
Bars start at 55% 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 (this program) | $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 | $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
- 12 months (LVN to RN transition)
- Schedule
- Hybrid, day schedule; Harlingen and Sweetwater
- Starts
- Spring (next cohort Spring 2027)
- Before you apply
- An active LVN license is required.
- 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 (spring 2027 information packet): $14,817.
- Apr 20262025 pass rate added: 77.6% (45 of 58).
- Apr 20252024 pass rate added: 94.4% (34 of 36).
- Apr 20242023 pass rate added: 70.9% (39 of 55).
- Apr 20232022 pass rate added: 65.3% (32 of 49).
- Apr 20222021 pass rate added: 84.4% (27 of 32).
Sources and dates
- Texas State Technical College, SP27 RN Information Session Advisory Packet, LVN to ADN Transition estimated costs (PDF), Spring 2027 information packet.
- 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