Texas State Technical College- West Texas ADN costs $14,817. Here is what it pays back.
An associate degree in nursing (ADN) in Sweetwater, 12 months (LVN to RN transition). In 2025, 26 of its 41 first-time test takers passed the NCLEX-RN.
The short version
- Texas State Technical College- West Texas ADN costs $972 to $1,332 more than Cisco College ADN, the lowest-cost RN path in the area.
- Its 2025 pass rate of 63.4% was 25.2 points below the Texas average. In 2024 it was 3.5 points above.
These findings are generated from the numbers on this page and change when the data does. How we write them
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 Abilene RN median wage, about $669 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 | Data coming soon | Data coming soon |
| Texas State Technical College- West Texas 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, 26 of Texas State Technical College- West Texas's 41 first-time test takers passed the NCLEX-RN. Its rate fell from 96.2% in 2024 to 63.4%, 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 Abilene
Payback time uses the middle wage. Here is the wider picture.
How it compares in the Abilene area
The 7 programs in the area that lead to an RN license.
| Program | Cost | Pass rate | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cisco College ADN | $13,485to $13,845 | 97.1%33 of 34 | 1.7 yrs |
| Texas State Technical College- West Texas ADN (this program) | $14,817 | 63.4%26 of 41 | 1.8 yrs |
| Ranger College ADN | Not published | 91.7%22 of 24 | Can't calculate: cost |
| Abilene Christian University BSN | Not published | 97.2%35 of 36 | Can't calculate: cost |
| Hardin-Simmons University BSN | Not published | Data coming soon | Can't calculate: cost |
| Howard Payne University BSN | Not published | 100%11 of 11 | Can't calculate: cost |
| Patty Hanks Shelton School of Nursing BSN | Not published | 100%19 of 19 | 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, mostly online, with labs in Sweetwater; for licensed vocational nurses only
- Starts
- Spring (application period Aug. 24 to Nov. 13)
- 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 ($12,838) costs less than the lowest-cost RN program ($13,485).
What changed
- Nov 2026Total cost recorded from the school's estimate (spring 2027 information packet): $14,817.
- Apr 20262025 pass rate added: 63.4% (26 of 41).
- Apr 20252024 pass rate added: 96.2% (25 of 26).
- Apr 20242023 pass rate added: 84.6% (33 of 39).
- Apr 20232022 pass rate added: 80.0% (20 of 25).
- Apr 20222021 pass rate added: 78.0% (78 of 100).
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), Abilene, 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