undergradly.
Major · Health Professions

A nursing-support catchall for LPN and aide programs

Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants, Other (CIP 51.3999) is a catchall code for sub-baccalaureate nursing-support programs that don’t fit a named CIP. About 476 students complete it across 8 institutions, with associate’s grads earning $63,980 — wages that track the LPN/LVN labor market.

Schools offering
8
Annual completions
476
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$59k

About this major

Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants, Other (CIP 51.3999) is a catchall code — its definition reads "any instructional program in practical nursing, vocational nursing, and nursing assistants not listed above." That means specific program content varies considerably by institution. Programs grouped under this code typically don’t fit the named CIPs: Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training (51.3901, the standard LPN/LVN code) or Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide (51.3902, the standard CNA code). In practice, this code captures hybrid LPN-plus-aide curricula, career-college LPN programs that sit outside standard state board categories, and patient-care assistant tracks that schools have classified as "Other."

The major fits students considering an entry into nursing-support work without committing to a four-year RN degree. Coursework centers on patient-care fundamentals, medication administration (LPN scope), vital signs, basic nursing procedures, and supervised clinical hours in long-term-care facilities or hospitals. The credential exit at the LPN level is the NCLEX-PN exam, administered by your state board of nursing — there is no way around it. The CNA path uses a shorter state-administered competency exam, often four to twelve weeks of training. The work rewards stamina, a tolerance for clinical bedside care, and the ability to follow protocols precisely.

One grounded observation about scale and concentration: 476 students complete this CIP across just 8 institutions, and Unitek College in Fremont alone produces 417 of those completions. That single-school dominance means the national wage figure of $59,440 mostly reflects Unitek’s LPN cohort, not a broad labor market signal. The packet names two BLS occupations: Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses ($62,340, 2.6% growth) and Nursing assistants ($39,530, 2.3% growth). The wage gap between LPN and CNA is roughly $23,000 — the credential you finish matters more than the institution.

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
Nursing assistants $40k +2.3% Postsecondary nondegree award
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 a fast, sub-baccalaureate path into nursing-support work and have already decided whether the LPN or CNA credential matches your goals, you understand the LPN path requires NCLEX-PN approval through a state-board-approved program, and you’ve checked the specific institution’s NCLEX-PN pass rate against the state-board published data. The LPN/LVN role pays $62,340 and grows 2.6% annually — solid for a postsecondary nondegree credential — and the LPN-to-RN bridge programs at WGU, Chamberlain, and Excelsior keep the door open to a $93,000 RN ramp later. Career changers and students balancing work or family obligations often find the shorter timeline a practical fit.

Reasons to pause: the "Other" CIP code groups programs that don’t fit named tracks, so program quality, content, and licensure pathway vary considerably — ask any prospective school why it uses 51.3999 instead of 51.3901 (LPN) or 51.3902 (CNA), and what the answer reveals about the program’s structure. Verify NCLEX-PN approval and pass-rate data with your state board directly; the CIP code does not tell you. The for-profit and career-college concentration in this code (Unitek alone is 417 of 476 completions) means due diligence on accreditation and pass rates matters more than usual. Reconsider this route if your goal is a four-year nursing career — the standard Registered Nursing CIP (51.3801) leads to NCLEX-RN and a meaningfully different wage trajectory.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants, Other

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

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
Unitek College Fremont, CA 417 0 417
PITC Institute Wyncote, PA 33 0 33
Caribbean University-Bayamon Bayamon, PR 4 7 11
Caribbean University-Vega Baja Vega Baja, PR 1 4 5
Pennsylvania Institute of Technology Media, PA 4 0 4
Pennsylvania Highlands Community College Johnstown, PA 3 0 3
Caribbean University-Carolina Carolina, PR 1 1 2
Caribbean University-Ponce Ponce, PR 0 1 1
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General

27,135 completions/yr

Communication Sciences and Disorders, General

4,781 completions/yr

Audiology/Audiologist and Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist

4,422 completions/yr

Health and Wellness, General

4,268 completions/yr

Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training

2,248 completions/yr

Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist

1,462 completions/yr

Audiology/Audiologist

172 completions/yr

Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide

42 completions/yr
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What does this CIP actually cover?
The CIP definition reads: "any instructional program in practical nursing, vocational nursing, and nursing assistants not listed above." In practice, that means LPN/LVN training, nursing assistant programs, patient-care aide tracks, and hybrid LPN-plus-aide curricula that schools have classified as "Other" rather than the named codes. Specific program content varies considerably by institution; you should not assume uniform content from the CIP code alone.
How does this compare to the named LPN and CNA CIPs?
The named codes are Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training (51.3901, 2,248 completions) and Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide (51.3902, 42 completions). Most LPN programs use 51.3901 and most CNA programs use 51.3902. This CIP (51.3999, 476 completions) is the residual — programs that don’t fit either named code, often because they bundle LPN and aide content together or sit outside standard state board categories. Ask any 51.3999 program why it chose "Other" — the answer reveals the program’s actual structure.
Is this a bachelor’s major?
No. Despite the data packet showing both associate’s and bachelor’s entries, this is a sub-baccalaureate field. The named credentials are LPN/LVN (postsecondary nondegree award, NCLEX-PN gate) and CNA (state competency exam, often 4-12 weeks). The bachelor’s entries here are mostly outliers from a few institutions and the bachelor’s wage figure of $29,927 reflects that — it doesn’t represent the working LPN labor market. If you want a four-year nursing path leading to RN licensure, look at Registered Nursing (CIP 51.3801) instead.
What jobs do graduates land?
Two BLS occupations: Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses ($62,340, 2.6% growth, postsecondary nondegree award) and Nursing assistants ($39,530, 2.3% growth, postsecondary nondegree award). The LPN/LVN role works in long-term care facilities, doctor offices, home health, and hospitals; the CNA role works mostly in skilled nursing facilities and hospitals. The wage gap between the two is roughly $23,000, so the credential you finish — LPN versus CNA — matters considerably more than the school you attend.
Can I move up to RN from here?
Yes — LPN-to-RN bridge programs are a common path. Most are one-year ADN-RN bridges or two-year BSN bridges, with online options at Excelsior, Western Governors, and Chamberlain. CNAs typically have a longer climb — most go to LPN first, then bridge to RN. Plan the bridge before enrolling: ask the LPN program whether its credits articulate to the ADN or BSN bridges you’re targeting, and check that the bridge program is approved by your state board of nursing for NCLEX-RN.
Where are the strongest programs concentrated?
Unitek College in Fremont, CA produces 417 of the 476 completions in this CIP — a single-school dominance. The remaining 59 completions are split across PITC Institute (33), Caribbean University-Bayamon (11), and five other small programs. This concentration matters: the catchall code’s national wage figure largely reflects Unitek’s LPN cohort. For-profit nursing programs often have variable NCLEX-PN pass rates, so check your state board’s published pass-rate data for any specific program before enrolling — this is the single most useful pre-enrollment check.