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Major · Health Professions

A short trade-credential path to LPN/LVN nursing licensure

Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training (CIP 51.3901) is a certificate or associate’s program that prepares students to sit for the NCLEX-PN exam and work as LPNs or LVNs under RN or physician supervision. About 2,248 students complete it across 101 institutions, with associate’s grads earning around $63,980 — close to the BLS national median for the underlying job.

Schools offering
101
Annual completions
2,248
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$59k

About this major

Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training (CIP 51.3901) is a certificate, diploma, or associate’s program that prepares students to provide general nursing care under the supervision of a registered nurse, physician, or dentist. The CIP definition lists vital signs, sterile dressings, patient health education, and assistance with examinations and treatment as core scope-of-practice content. Coursework typically runs 12-18 months full-time and includes nursing fundamentals, anatomy and physiology, pharmacology basics, medical-surgical nursing, maternal-child nursing, mental health nursing, and clinical rotations across hospitals, long-term care, and outpatient sites. The credential exit is the NCLEX-PN national licensing exam plus state licensure.

The major fits students who want a fast, defined path into bedside clinical nursing without committing to a four-year RN program upfront. It rewards stamina for shift work, comfort with hands-on patient care, and tolerance for documentation and regulatory detail. Many LPNs use the credential as a stepping stone, bridging to RN through well-defined LPN-to-RN programs at community colleges and online providers.

One grounded observation about scale and earnings: 2,248 students complete this CIP across 101 institutions, with associate’s graduates earning $63,980 five years out — slightly above the BLS national median of $62,340 for Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses. The small bachelor’s cohort earns far less ($29,927), which is a salary inversion worth flagging — it likely reflects students still in school or in atypical placements, not a true bachelor’s wage. The BLS lists "Postsecondary nondegree award" as the typical credential and projects 2.6% growth. The top of the producer list is heavy with proprietary schools (Stanbridge, Gurnick Academy, Miller-Motte) alongside Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Guayama and several public technical colleges (Del Mar, Bates, Green River).

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

Occupation Median wage Job growth Typical education
Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses $62k +2.6% Postsecondary nondegree award
Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$59k

Associate's vs Bachelor's — early-career earnings

Associate's

$64k

Bachelor's

$30k

Who this major is for

Good signs this major fits: you want hands-on clinical work and a defined credential rather than a four-year detour, you can handle shift work and the physical demands of bedside care, and you’re comfortable with documentation, medication administration, and following protocols inside a supervised scope of practice. The associate’s grads in the data earn $63,980 five years out — slightly above the BLS national median — and the credential opens doors at long-term care facilities, physician offices, home health agencies, and outpatient clinics. LPN-to-RN bridge programs are widely available if you want to ladder up later.

Reasons to pause: hospital employment of LPNs is shrinking — most hospital bedside positions now require RN credentials, so if your goal is hospital-based nursing, plan on the LPN-to-RN bridge or skip directly to an ADN or BSN. The for-profit dominance among top producers (Stanbridge, Gurnick Academy, Miller-Motte) is a flag worth checking — verify NCLEX-PN first-time pass rates and compare net price against local public technical colleges (Del Mar, Bates, Green River) before signing. The bachelor’s figure in this CIP ($29,927) is anomalous and shouldn’t be treated as a real wage signal; the meaningful credential here is the certificate or associate’s plus NCLEX-PN.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Guayama Guayama, PR 205 0 205
Stanbridge University Irvine, CA 161 0 161
Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts San Jose, CA 134 0 134
Miller-Motte College-Tulsa Tulsa, OK 119 0 119
Del Mar College Corpus Christi, TX 107 0 107
Bates Technical College Tacoma, WA 78 0 78
Green River College Auburn, WA 67 0 67
San Joaquin Valley College-Bakersfield Bakersfield, CA 67 0 67
South Louisiana Community College Lafayette, LA 61 0 61
ATA College Louisville, KY 61 0 61
Section 7 · Explore sideways

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Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What does LPN/LVN training actually involve?
Coursework includes nursing fundamentals, anatomy and physiology, pharmacology basics, medical-surgical nursing, maternal-child nursing, mental health nursing, and clinical rotations across hospital units, long-term care, and outpatient settings. The CIP definition lists vital signs, sterile dressings, patient education, and assistance with examinations as scope-of-practice content. Most programs run 12-18 months full-time and culminate in supervised clinicals plus the NCLEX-PN national licensing exam.
How is this different from RN training?
Registered Nurse training (CIP 51.3801) is broader, longer (associate’s ADN, bachelor’s BSN), and leads to the NCLEX-RN exam. RNs have wider scope of practice, manage care, and supervise LPNs. LPNs/LVNs work under RN or physician supervision with a narrower scope (basic care, vitals, simple medication administration, dressings). LPNs typically earn less than RNs, but LPN-to-RN bridge programs are common and well-defined — many LPNs use the credential as a stepping stone.
Do I really need a degree, or is a certificate enough?
Honest answer: many LPN/LVN programs are offered as certificates or diplomas rather than associate’s degrees, and the BLS lists "Postsecondary nondegree award" as the typical credential. The state-required gate is the NCLEX-PN exam plus state licensure, not the degree level. The packet shows associate’s grads earning $63,980 — slightly above the BLS national median of $62,340 — but the bachelor’s figure ($29,927) is far lower because the small bachelor’s cohort here likely reflects students who hadn’t yet completed RN-level credentialing. The certificate or associate’s, plus NCLEX-PN, is the real credential.
Where do LPNs actually work?
The largest employer category is long-term care and skilled nursing facilities, followed by physician offices, hospitals (though hospitals increasingly hire RNs over LPNs), home health agencies, and outpatient clinics. LPN/LVN work is hands-on bedside care: vital signs, medication administration within scope, wound care, patient education, and chart documentation. Pay is often shift-differential-driven; nights, weekends, and rural settings tend to pay more.
Should I plan on bridging to RN?
Many LPNs do — LPN-to-RN bridge programs are widely available at community colleges and online, typically 12-24 months. The case for bridging: RN pay is meaningfully higher (BLS RN median is ~$86,000 vs LPN $62,340), scope is wider, and hospital roles are more accessible at the RN level. The case for staying LPN: faster credential, lower upfront cost, and stable demand in long-term care. If you’re unsure about a long career in clinical nursing, starting LPN and bridging later is a defensible strategy.
Why are so many top programs at for-profit and Puerto Rico schools?
The packet’s top-ten list includes Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Guayama (205), Stanbridge University (161), Gurnick Academy (134), Miller-Motte College (119), and ATA College (61) — heavily for-profit or proprietary nursing schools. Public two-year colleges (Del Mar College, Bates Technical, Green River, South Louisiana CC) appear lower on the list. Tuition and outcomes vary dramatically; before signing with any program, verify NCLEX-PN first-time pass rates (the state-by-state gate) and check program-level cost relative to the local public-college option.