Best LPN Programs in New Orleans 2026

Discover Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) programs in New Orleans, Louisiana with details on schools, curriculum, tuition, and clinical training. Review licensing requirements and nursing career opportunities in the New Orleans area.

Written by Jane Dewy and Edited by The PracticalNursing.org Editorial Team.

Expert Guide Verified updated on May 29th, 2025.

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2027 Best LPN Programs in New Orleans, LA

Discover the best LPN programs in New Orleans, LA with rankings from practicalnursing.org. We carefully evaluated each school to find the top training options for future nurses. Our list weighs factors like NCLEX pass rates, hands-on clinical experience, and program costs. We also looked at class sizes and support services. New Orleans has a growing healthcare industry, so earning an LPN here can open many doors. Whether you want to work in hospitals, clinics, or long-term care, these programs prepare you well. To understand how we ranked these schools, visit our methodology page at https://www.practicalnursing.org/rankings-methodology/

Nunez Community College

Chalmette, LA - Public 2-Year - nunez.edu

Certificate/Diploma - Practical Nursing

Campus Based - Visit Website

Nunez Community College's Practical Nursing diploma prepares students for the NCLEX-PN and LPN careers. The curriculum progresses from classroom and lab fundamentals to supervised clinicals, covering medical-surgical, pharmacology, mental health, maternal-newborn, pediatrics, and leadership. Emphasizing critical thinking, cultural sensitivity, and safety, graduates can work in hospitals, clinics, long-term care, schools, and community agencies. Admission is competitive, requiring prerequisite anatomy, physiology, and nutrition with a B or better and an ACT entrance exam. The 56-credit program offers spring/fall starts, plus immunization and CPR requirements. Accredited by the Louisiana State Board of Practical Nurse Examiners, the program provides a direct route to LPN licensure.

Louisiana State Board Practical Nursing Examiners (LSBPNE) accredited
Entrance exam required
Exams: ACT
56 total credit hours
Starts spring/fall
2.0 GPA minimum
Prerequisite courses required
Prepares for NCLEX-PN
Clinical learning with direct supervision
Careers in hospitals, nursing homes, clinics

*U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS 2025.

New Orleans LPN Program Overview

Licensed Practical Nurses are a vital part of New Orleans healthcare system, delivering hands-on care in hospitals, nursing homes, home health agencies, and community clinics. In the city’s major hospital networks and academic medical centers, LPNs support care teams by monitoring patients, administering medications as permitted, providing wound care, and coordinating with registered nurses and physicians to maintain safe, high-quality care.

The local healthcare landscape includes large systems such as Ochsner Health and LCMC Health, the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, Children’s Hospital New Orleans, and a wide network of long-term care and home health providers. These settings rely on LPNs for bedside care, post-acute and rehabilitative services, and chronic disease management. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for LPNs and LVNs is projected to grow about 5 percent from 2022 to 2032 nationally, reflecting steady demand that aligns with New Orleans needs in hospital and long-term care environments.

LPN programs in the New Orleans area are offered through accredited colleges and technical centers and are approved at the state level. Program length varies by school, but many full-time, daytime tracks can be completed in about 12 months. Part-time or evening and weekend options are available at some institutions and typically extend beyond one year. Curricula combine classroom instruction, skills lab practice, and clinical rotations in area hospitals, long-term care facilities, and community health settings to build readiness for entry-level practice.

Graduates of state-approved practical nursing programs are prepared to take the NCLEX-PN, the national licensure examination for practical nurses. In Louisiana, practical nursing education and licensure are overseen by the Louisiana State Board of Practical Nurse Examiners, which sets educational standards, approves programs, and outlines licensure requirements such as application, background checks, and examination eligibility. Prospective students should verify that any New Orleans program they are considering is currently approved by the state board and designed to prepare graduates for the NCLEX-PN.

Employment Opportunities for LPNs in New Orleans

New Orleans offers a robust and diverse healthcare employment landscape for Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), presenting various opportunities across multiple facility types. LPNs play a crucial role in delivering essential patient care throughout the city’s healthcare infrastructure.

LPNs in New Orleans are commonly employed in a broad spectrum of settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, private practices, rehabilitation centers, senior living facilities, and home health agencies.

Hospitals:Major hospital systems and individual hospitals frequently seek LPNs for various direct patient care roles within medical-surgical units, specialty clinics, and behavioral health. Prominent employers include Ochsner Health System, Tulane University Hospital and Clinic, University Medical Center New Orleans, Touro Infirmary, New Orleans East Hospital, and the VA Medical Center in New Orleans. Other acute and specialty hospitals like PAM Health Rehabilitation Hospital of New Orleans, PAM Health Specialty Hospital of New Orleans, and Oceans Behavioral Hospital Greater New Orleans also provide positions.
Nursing Homes and Skilled Nursing Facilities:These facilities are significant employers for LPNs, who provide long-term care, rehabilitation, and skilled nursing services. An example includes Bernard Nursing and Rehabilitation, which is part of Volare Health.
Private Practices and Clinics:LPNs are sought after for roles in various clinics and private practices, including specialty areas like allergy and asthma, dermatology, ENT, nephrology, urology, and pediatric primary care. EXCELth INCORPORATED is one such employer.
Rehabilitation Centers:Facilities focused on patient recovery from illness, injury, or surgery, such as Cobalt Rehabilitation Hospital New Orleans, Ochsner Rehabilitation Hospital, and Avenues Recovery Center, hire LPNs to assist with medication administration, wound care, mobility support, and monitoring patient progress.
Senior Living Facilities:Assisted living and memory care communities, including Laketown Village Residential Care and Memory Care and The Laurel Senior Living, regularly seek LPNs to provide care for senior residents. Willow Wood at Woldenberg Village also represents this sector.
Home Health Agencies:Home healthcare is a prominent sector for LPN employment in New Orleans, offering flexibility and opportunities for building nurse-patient relationships. Key employers include Amedisys, Aveanna Healthcare, Ochsner Home Health (a part of LHC Group), Nurses Direct, Interim HealthCare, and STAT Home Health.
Other Opportunities:LPNs can also find roles in behavioral health, hospice care, and even correctional facilities.

Major healthcare employers and networks actively hiring LPNs in New Orleans include:

Ochsner Health System: A significant employer, Ochsner hires LPNs for various roles across its hospitals and clinics in New Orleans, including Ochsner Medical Center and Ochsner Baptist. Positions span clinic float pools, specialty clinics like allergy and asthma, endoscopy, primary care, nephrology, dermatology, ENT, urology, pediatric primary care, and pain management, with some supervisory opportunities and dedicated programs like their LPN Weekend Program.
Amedisys: This large home health and hospice company frequently hires LPNs/LVNs for home care and hospice services in New Orleans, offering comprehensive benefits packages.
Aveanna Healthcare: As one of the largest private duty nursing companies nationally, Aveanna Healthcare has openings for LPNs/LVNs in the New Orleans area, particularly for private duty and home health nursing, including high-acuity day shifts.
LHC Group (Ochsner Home Health): As part of the LHC Group family of providers, Ochsner Home Health hires LPNs for home healthcare services, emphasizing flexibility and career growth opportunities.
LSU Healthcare Network: This non-profit, academic, multi-specialty system provides nursing opportunities, including for LPNs, across its various locations in and around New Orleans.
Staffing Agencies: Agencies like Advantage Medical Professionalsand Nursa serve as intermediaries for LPNs seeking travel, local, or per diem contracts across a wide network of healthcare facilities. KARE also connects LPNs with per diem shifts in skilled nursing and assisted living facilities.

Smaller facilities and networks also play an important role in LPN employment, including Laketown Village Residential Care and Memory Care, The Laurel Senior Living, Avenues Recovery Center, EXCELth INCORPORATED, Odyssey House Louisiana, Inc., Clover NOLA, Inc., Kingsley House, and Delricht Research.