Utah's Department of Workforce Services projects LPN employment will grow 25% from 2022 to 2032, well above the national rate, and starting wages for new graduates now cluster in the $52,000 to $58,000 range across the Wasatch Front. Six state-approved practical nursing programs currently accept applications, with in-state tuition running from about $8,500 at Utah State University's regional campuses to just over $16,500 at Eagle Gate and Galen College of Nursing.
Utah is also a Nurse Licensure Compact state, so a multistate LPN license issued through DOPL lets graduates practice in 40+ other compact jurisdictions without reapplying. That portability matters in a state where healthcare employers in St. George, Logan, and Salt Lake City routinely recruit across the Idaho, Nevada, and Arizona borders.
Utah's Top-Ranked LPN Programs for 2027
Utah's LPN certificate landscape runs from public regional campuses in the southeast to private colleges clustered along the Wasatch Front. All six schools below hold Utah approval to prepare students for the NCLEX-PN, and each card notes what the program costs, how instruction is delivered, and how graduates fare. One caveat before you compare: graduation rates describe the whole institution, and net price figures are averages after financial aid, so your own numbers will differ.
How we ranked these
- Median graduate debt load
- Net price after financial aid
- Institutional graduation rates
- Graduate earnings ten years out
- Program-level completion outcomes
- College Scorecard graduate earnings — collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Internal program database
- Independent editorial research
- IPEDS institutional survey data from NCES covering graduation rates, retention rates and student-faculty ratios — nces.ed.gov
- Bureau of Economic Analysis cost-of-living index by state — bea.gov
Utah State University
Utah State University delivers its Practical Nursing certificate through the USU Eastern campuses in Blanding, Moab, and Price, a setup that keeps LPN training inside southeastern Utah. The ACEN-accredited one-year program mixes classroom theory with clinical rotations at area hospitals and skilled nursing facilities, and it feeds into an associate degree pathway for students who later want to become RNs. Institution-wide, the university reports a graduation rate near 59 percent, an average net price after aid of about $14,900, and median earnings of roughly $54,000 for former students ten years after entry.
- ACEN-accredited one-year certificate program
- Campus locations in Blanding, Moab, and Price
- Prepares graduates to take the NCLEX-PN exam
- Coursework in medical-surgical, mental health, and family health nursing
- Pathway to an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing for RN licensure
- Small classes with dedicated advisors at each campus
- Next ACEN accreditation review scheduled for Fall 2027
Licensed Practical or Vocational Nursing (LPN or LVN), Certificate or Diploma — On-Campus
Fortis College-Salt Lake City
Fortis College launched a new Practical Nursing program at its Salt Lake City campus in July 2026, giving the metro a private option built around daytime instruction and a hybrid mix of online and on-campus courses. The curriculum runs 82 quarter credits across roughly 60 instructional weeks, supported by clinical affiliation agreements with about 20 providers in the Salt Lake region. Institution-wide, the college reports a graduation rate near 60 percent, an average net price after aid of about $27,600, and median earnings of about $34,500 for former students ten years after entry.
- Prepares graduates to sit for the NCLEX-PN in Utah
- Small class sizes with hands-on clinical experience
- CNA and STNA transfer credit accepted
- 82 quarter credits and about 1,350 clock hours over 60 weeks
- Coursework in anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, and medical-surgical nursing
- Clinical affiliation agreements with about 20 Salt Lake area sites
- New Salt Lake City program launched in July 2026
Licensed Practical or Vocational Nursing (LPN or LVN), Certificate or Diploma — On-Campus
Nightingale College
Nightingale College offers Utah learners a blended-distance Practical Nurse diploma that pairs online didactic coursework with experiential learning arranged near the student's home region. Three start dates a year, a $150 application fee that is waived for veterans and partner-school applicants, and a $495 per-credit tuition rate give students flexible entry points. Institution-wide, the college reports an average net price after aid of about $27,100, a graduation rate near 21 percent, and median earnings of about $25,300 for former students ten years after entry.
- Prepares learners to apply for PN licensure and take the NCLEX-PN
- Three start dates each year: spring, summer, and fall
- Blended distance coursework with local experiential learning
- About 42 semester credits at $495 per credit
- Prelicensure nursing entrance exam required for admission
- Application fee waived for veterans and active-duty servicemembers
Licensed Practical or Vocational Nursing (LPN or LVN), Certificate or Diploma — Hybrid
Eagle Gate College-Murray
Eagle Gate College's Murray campus sits minutes from Salt Lake City and runs a 12-month practical nursing diploma that blends online coursework with on-campus skills labs, high-fidelity simulation, and VR-enhanced training. The program holds ACEN accreditation, builds NCLEX-PN review into the curriculum, and reports a 97 percent job placement rate for graduates. Institution-wide, the college reports a graduation rate near 48 percent, an average net price after aid of about $37,500, and median earnings of about $43,000 for former students ten years after entry.
- ACEN accredited practical nursing diploma
- 12-month program with online coursework and campus labs
- High-fidelity simulation and VR-enhanced clinical training
- NCLEX-PN preparation integrated into the curriculum
- Supervised clinical rotations in hospitals and long-term care
- Coursework in pharmacology, maternal-newborn, pediatrics, and mental health
- Reported 82 percent NCLEX-PN pass rate and 97 percent job placement
Licensed Practical or Vocational Nursing (LPN or LVN), Certificate or Diploma — Hybrid
Eagle Gate College-Layton
The Layton campus of Eagle Gate College serves northern Utah with the same 12-month hybrid practical nursing diploma offered in Murray, combining online coursework, on-campus labs, and supervised clinical rotations. The program began ACEN candidacy in April 2024 and reports a 95 percent NCLEX-PN pass rate along with a 97 percent placement rate. Institution-wide, the college reports a graduation rate near 38 percent, an average net price after aid of about $37,500, and median earnings of about $43,000 for former students ten years after entry.
- 12-month hybrid practical nursing diploma
- Online coursework plus on-campus labs and simulation
- Supervised rotations in hospitals, long-term care, and rehab settings
- Began ACEN candidacy in April 2024
- Caritas Principles guide patient-centered care training
- High-fidelity manikins for skills practice
- Tutoring and academic support available
- Reported 95 percent NCLEX-PN pass rate and 97 percent placement
Licensed Practical or Vocational Nursing (LPN or LVN), Certificate or Diploma — Hybrid
Galen Health Institutes-Salt Lake City
Galen Health Institutes, also known as Galen College of Nursing, runs its practical/vocational nursing program at a Draper campus in the Salt Lake City area, with four start dates each year. The campus is tied to HCA Healthcare's MountainStar network, which shapes clinical placements and job networking across the region, and students get learning labs, advisors, and on-demand tutoring. Institution-wide, net price after aid averages about $28,300 and median earnings for former students ten years after entry are reported at about $61,500; a graduation rate is not published in the federal data.
- 12-month practical/vocational nursing program
- Four start times each year
- Free application with no essays required
- Entrance assessment and proof of high school graduation required
- Clinical learning labs with modern equipment
- On-demand tutoring and academic advisor support
- Clinical placements tied to the HCA Healthcare MountainStar network
Licensed Practical or Vocational Nursing (LPN or LVN), Certificate or Diploma — On-Campus
Utah's Most Affordable LPN Certificate Programs
Net price reflects the average cost after grants and scholarships have been applied, based on federal reporting data. Students who qualify for Pell grants, state workforce awards, or employer tuition reimbursement may pay significantly less than the figures shown here. All cost figures are drawn from U.S. Department of Education data (2024 reporting year) and are listed in ascending order by net price.
| School | City | Net Price (Avg.) | In-State Tuition | Out-of-State Tuition | Pell Grant Recipients |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utah State University | Logan | $14,936 | $8,560 | $24,993 | 66% |
| Eagle Gate College, Layton | Layton | $25,873 | N/A | N/A | 82% |
| Eagle Gate College, Murray | Murray | $27,345 | $16,548 | $16,548 | 82% |
| Fortis College, Salt Lake City | Salt Lake City | $27,586 | $13,474 | $13,474 | 85% |
| Galen College of Nursing | Draper | $28,324 | $16,364 | $16,364 | 66% |
Fastest LPN Programs in Utah
If you searched for a 12 week LPN program near me after seeing the Fastest LPN/LVN Programs of 2026 list, here's the honest answer: nothing that short exists in Utah, and you should be wary of any program claiming otherwise. Practical nursing requires enough clinical hours to be eligible for the NCLEX-PN, and no accredited Utah school compresses that into three months. The realistic floor is closer to nine months.
The Shortest Real Options
Mountainland Technical College's program runs two semesters, about 900 clock hours1, and its Fall 2026 cohort is calendared from August 10, 2026 to May 21, 2027, roughly nine months start to finish. Salt Lake Community College and Ogden-Weber Technical College (OTECH) also run two-semester sequences, though their published materials don't spell out exact week-by-week calendars, so treat any month count for those two as a close estimate rather than a fixed number. On the private side, Eagle Gate College's Murray and Layton campuses market straightforward 12-month tracks, as does Galen College of Nursing near Draper, which also offers four start dates a year, useful if your own timeline doesn't line up with a single annual cohort.
Waitlists Change the Real Timeline
A program's calendar length is only half the story. SLCC and OTECH are competitive enough that a technically short program can still mean a long wait to actually start. SLCC's own admissions cycle shows application windows opening months before a term begins (June 15 through September 15, 2026 for the Spring 2027 cohort, for example), and popular technical college programs routinely fill before their deadlines. If you're counting on a fast path, apply as early as the window allows, not at the deadline.
2026-2027 Start Dates to Watch
MTECH opens two cohorts: Fall 2026 (August 10) and Spring 2027 (January 5), with application windows tied to those start dates in October-November and May-June respectively.2 OTECH's next cohort targets January 2027, with applications generally due between July 15 and September 15, 2026.3 SLCC's Spring 2027 cohort follows a similar summer application window.
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Selecting the Right Utah LPN Program for Your Schedule and Goals
Utah's LPN training landscape is shifting toward more flexible scheduling, but evening and weekend seats remain concentrated at a small number of technical colleges. For working adults, schedule fit often matters as much as tuition or location, so the first step is identifying which programs actually match your calendar.
Evening and Weekend Options
For 2026, Uintah Basin Technical College is the clearest confirmed nontraditional choice. The Licensed Professional Nursing program runs two tracks, and the evening track meets Monday through Friday from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., starting in spring and lasting 41 weeks. That makes it a realistic option for students who work day shifts. Eagle Gate College in Murray is another school to check for nontraditional scheduling, but its 2026 evening and weekend details were not clearly published in the sources reviewed, so contact the campus directly. Most other programs, including Salt Lake Community College, Ogden-Weber Technical College, and Mountainland Technical College, are typically described as full-time daytime and in-person. Weekend-only tracks were not confirmed for 2026.
Online, Hybrid, and Clinical Reality
LPN training in Utah is not fully online. Every program requires hands-on clinical hours, and the clinical component is always in person. Some schools may offer online or hybrid lecture delivery, but current sources do not specify which Utah LPN programs offer that format in 2026. Treat online coursework as a possible supplement, not a substitute for lab and clinical time. For clinical rotations, students commonly train in facilities tied to Intermountain Health, University of Utah Health, and community clinics, but the exact sites vary by school, term, and current agreements. Public program pages do not guarantee named hospital partners for most Utah LPN programs, so request a current rotation list before committing.
Accreditation and State Approval
Start with state approval. A program approved by the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing meets the baseline for NCLEX-PN eligibility and employer recognition. ACEN accreditation is a separate, voluntary quality review. It is not required for licensure, but it adds external quality assurance and can make it easier to transfer credit if you later enroll in Utah LPN to RN bridge programs. Many technical college LPN programs carry state approval without ACEN accreditation, so confirm both statuses with the program.
Questions to Ask Before You Commit
- Schedule fit: Does the evening or part-time track use the same instructors and clinical sites as the day track?
- Clinical sites: Which hospitals and clinics are currently in the rotation network?
- Accreditation: Is the program ACEN accredited, state approved, or both?
- Online component: Are any lectures online, and what is the required on-campus schedule?
NCLEX-PN Pass Rates at Utah LPN Schools
A program's NCLEX-PN first-time pass rate is one of the clearest indicators of how well it prepares graduates for licensure. Utah's Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) requires every approved nursing program to maintain at least an 80% pass rate over two consecutive calendar years. Nationally, the NCLEX-PN first-time pass rate has hovered around 80% to 87% in recent years, so any Utah program scoring above that range is performing at or above the national benchmark. The chart below compares the most recent pass rates reported by DOPL for Utah programs with published PN data. Note that several programs, including SLCC and OTECH, were not listed on the DOPL PN pass-rate page at the time of reporting, so their results are not included here.
Utah LPN Licensure: NCLEX-PN, DOPL Application, and Compact Status
Utah's Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) charges a $60 application fee for a new LPN license, a figure that has held steady into 2026. Once you add mandatory background check costs2, most applicants report paying somewhere around $100 out of pocket before a license is issued1, though the exact bundling of fingerprint and records-check fees has shifted in recent years, so budget a little cushion above the base $60.
The Licensure Sequence
The path runs in a fixed order:
- Finish an approved program: Graduate from one of Utah's state-approved Accredited LPN and RN Programs (SLCC, OTECH, Davis Tech, and similar schools all qualify).
- Apply through DOPL: LPN and RN applicants share the same "RN or LPN" application on DOPL's eGov portal1. Submit this before scheduling fingerprinting, since DOPL ties your fingerprint appointment to the pending application.
- Clear the background check: Expect separate state (BCI) and federal (FBI) fingerprint-based checks2. These are standard for every applicant and add processing time on top of DOPL's own review.
- Pass the NCLEX-PN: Register for and pass the exam1; DOPL will not issue an active license until your passing score is confirmed.
- Receive your license: Once NCLEX-PN results and the background check clear, DOPL activates the license.
Working Across State Lines
As of early 2026, Utah is a Nurse Licensure Compact state and the compact remains legally active for multistate practice. That means an LPN with a Utah compact license can generally practice in other compact member states without applying for a separate license in each one, a meaningful advantage for nurses near state borders or those considering relocation.
Renewal and Continuing Competency
Utah LPN licenses require renewal every two years; the current fee is $684. Rather than a flat continuing-education mandate, state rule gives LPNs three ways to demonstrate competency before renewal: 400 hours of practice, 200 hours of practice plus 15 approved continuing-education contact hours, or 30 approved continuing-education contact hours alone4. Approved options for LPN Continuing Education Units include nationally recognized CE providers, accredited coursework, and DOPL-sponsored training.
What LPNs Earn in Utah: Statewide and Metro Salary Breakdown
LPN wages in Utah shift from year to year and differ significantly by metro area, experience level, and employer type. Rather than rely on a static snapshot, verify current figures at the source before negotiating pay or choosing a program. The step-by-step checklist below maps out exactly where to look and what each resource provides.
| Step | Action | Source or URL | What You Will Find |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Search BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics for SOC 29-2061 | bls.gov (OEWS, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics) | Statewide and metro median, mean, and 10th/25th/50th/75th/90th percentile wages for Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses. The May reference period means data typically lags by about one year; some smaller metros (e.g., St. George, Provo-Orem) may show suppressed or delayed estimates. |
| 2 | Select Utah, then drill into a specific metro area (Salt Lake City, Ogden-Clearfield, Provo-Orem, or St. George) | bls.gov OEWS metro and nonmetro tables | Metro-level wage breakdowns. Read the median (50th percentile) as the midpoint; the 10th percentile approximates entry-level pay and the 90th percentile reflects experienced or specialized LPN pay. |
| 3 | Check the Utah Department of Workforce Services wage and projection tools | jobs.utah.gov (Occupation Wages, Economic Data Viewer) | State-specific wage estimates and long-term occupational projections for LPNs. Reporting periods vary, so note the reference year listed on each table. |
| 4 | Cross-check with O*NET OnLine and CareerOneStop | onetonline.org, careeronestop.org | National and local wage ranges, plus skills, outlook, and related occupations for SOC 29-2061. |
| 5 | Review program pages at Utah LPN schools | Salt Lake Community College, Utah Valley University, Davis Technical College (program websites) | Tuition, program length, and any reported graduate starting pay or placement rates. |
| 6 | Scan current job postings if metro-level OEWS data is missing or outdated | Indeed, LinkedIn, or hospital career sites filtered to your city | Real-time advertised hourly and annual pay ranges for LPN openings in your area. |
| 7 | Consult professional and licensure organizations | NCSBN, Utah Nursing organizations, DOPL | Licensure requirements, compact-state status, and career resources that can affect earning potential. |
LPN Job Growth Projections and Employer Demand in Utah
Utah's demand for LPNs far outpaces the national average, making an LPN certificate one of the strongest short-term investments in the state's healthcare workforce. With supply currently meeting only about 45% of demand, graduates entering long-term care, physician offices, and home health agencies face an unusually favorable hiring landscape. Completing an accredited program positions you to capitalize on that gap quickly.
LPN Certificate vs. Associate Degree: Which Path Makes Sense in Utah?
Nearly every LPN program in Utah, from OTECH to Salt Lake Community College, awards a certificate rather than an associate degree. Both credential types, where they exist, prepare graduates for the same NCLEX-PN exam and the same scope of practice once licensed. The choice isn't really about which credential "counts" more to the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing (DOPL); it counts the same. It's about time, cost, and what comes next.
Time and Cost Tradeoffs
Certificate programs typically run 9 to 18 months and cost significantly less than a two-year associate track, since they strip out general-education coursework and focus almost entirely on clinical and pharmacology content. That leaner curriculum gets students into the workforce faster, which matters if you're supporting a family or transitioning careers. Utah's technical college completion data suggests these compressed programs graduate students at strong rates, though that figure comes from a broader audit of career and technical programs rather than LPN tracks specifically, so treat it as directional rather than exact.1
Weighing Future Mobility
Where an associate degree earns its keep is downstream. If you already know you want to pursue RN licensure eventually, an associate-level foundation can shave time off a future LPN/LVN bridge program, since some general-education credits may transfer. Statewide wage data shows a meaningful gap between LPN and RN earnings in Utah, a key difference between LPN and RN programs worth factoring in if bridging is part of your long-term plan.
For most students, though, the certificate route remains the practical starting point: faster, cheaper, and just as valid a launchpad into licensed practice.
