CUNY community colleges charge under $6,000 for an LPN track; private vocational schools across the five boroughs charge three to five times that for a program that finishes in twelve to fifteen months. That gap defines nearly every decision an aspiring LPN in New York City has to make, including whether to pursue LPN to RN in New York.
Demand isn't the constraint. Hospitals, nursing homes, home health agencies, and outpatient clinics across the metro area are hiring practical nurses faster than many programs can graduate them. The constraint is fit: which schedule, price point, and campus location actually work for your life, and which schools have the accreditation and NCLEX pass rates to back up their marketing.
NYC's Healthcare Landscape for Practical Nurses
Where do LPNs actually work in New York City, and who is hiring? The short answer: almost every major health system in the country's largest healthcare market, plus a deep bench of nursing homes, home-health agencies, and clinics that quietly employ most of the city's practical nurses.
Major Employers Across the Five Boroughs
NYC Health + Hospitals runs the largest public health system in the United States, with eleven acute-care hospitals and dozens of clinics spread across the boroughs. On the private side, Northwell Health, NYU Langone, Mount Sinai, and NewYork-Presbyterian dominate the hospital landscape. LPNs also fill a large share of positions at long-term care facilities, rehabilitation centers, adult day programs, and visiting nurse services, a core part of LPNs in Community Health Settings, particularly in Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx, where aging populations and chronic staffing shortages have created steady demand.
What New York LPNs Are Allowed to Do
New York State's scope of practice for LPNs is broader than in some states. Under RN or physician supervision, LPNs here administer medications, perform wound care, and assist with IV therapy. That expanded role makes New York-licensed LPNs attractive to skilled nursing facilities and home-health agencies, which lean heavily on practical nurses to manage medication passes and complex chronic-care patients.
The 1199SEIU Factor
Anyone job-hunting in NYC healthcare will quickly encounter 1199SEIU, the union representing hundreds of thousands of healthcare workers across the region. Beyond wages and contracts, the union operates training funds that currently sponsor LPN education for eligible members, covering tuition assistance, counseling, and tutoring through the 2025-2026 cycle.1 Its employment center posts LPN openings, most of them in nursing homes but also in hospitals, and welcomes new graduates who hold a NYS license, a high school diploma or equivalent, and can work rotating shifts including every other weekend.2 Eligibility, City Fund coverage3, and the Career Pathways Training program are covered later.
How Long LPN Programs Take, and Whether Six Months Is Realistic in NYC
Finishing faster means starting work sooner, but New York State regulations put a floor under how quickly any LPN program can move you from orientation to graduation. Understanding that floor helps you evaluate every "fast track" claim you encounter.
The Standard Timeline
Most of the best LPN programs in New York are offered at CUNY-affiliated and public colleges and run two full semesters, which translates to roughly 10 to 12 months of full-time coursework and clinicals.1 Private vocational schools that are not classified as colleges must meet a separate NYSED minimum of at least nine months under §52.12.1 In practice, many private programs also land in the 10-to-12-month range once you factor in mandatory clinical rotations, which must include acute care for adult patients and supervised patient care experiences across the lifespan.1
Can You Really Finish in Six Months?
The short answer: not under current New York State Education Department rules. NYSED requires a minimum of nine months for non-college programs and two semesters for college programs.1 No NYC LPN program held NYSED approval for a six-month completion pathway as of the 2025-2026 academic year.2 If you see a school advertising a six-month timeline, it almost certainly runs year-round with no breaks between terms, and may still stretch past that mark once you account for orientation, testing, and clinical scheduling delays. Treat any sub-nine-month claim with healthy skepticism and verify the school's approval status directly with NYSED.
Fast-Track vs. Part-Time Formats
A compressed, or "accelerated," program packs the same required hours into a tighter calendar, often by eliminating summer and winter breaks , an approach profiled in the Fastest LPN/LVN Programs of 2026. You complete an identical curriculum; the calendar simply has fewer gaps. Part-time tracks do the opposite, spreading coursework across 18 to 24 months so students can maintain employment while enrolled.
Evening and Weekend Cohorts
Several NYC schools offer evening or weekend schedules specifically designed for working adults. These cohorts typically follow the part-time timeline but concentrate contact hours on nights and Saturdays, letting students hold daytime jobs. If you are currently employed, ask admissions offices whether their evening cohort runs clinicals on weekday mornings, because some do, and that scheduling detail can make or break your ability to keep working.
What It Costs to Become an LPN in New York City
Tuition is one of the most important factors when choosing an LPN program, and the range across the New York City metro area is dramatic. CUNY community colleges offer in-state tuition well below $6,000, while private vocational schools can charge three to five times that amount. The net price column below reflects an institution-wide average after financial aid, drawn from U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard, 2024). Because this figure covers all programs at a given school, actual out-of-pocket costs for the LPN track may differ, but it remains the best apples-to-apples comparison available. The Pell Grant recipient share gives you a sense of how financially accessible each school is: the higher the percentage, the larger the proportion of students receiving need-based federal aid.
| School | Sector | Listed In-State Tuition | Net Price (Institution Avg.) | Pell Grant Recipients |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CUNY Bronx Community College | Public (CUNY) | $5,206 | $4,462 | 95.3% |
| CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College | Public (CUNY) | $5,170 | $4,976 | 95.5% |
| CUNY Hostos Community College | Public (CUNY) | $5,254 | $5,297 | 95.9% |
| CUNY Medgar Evers College | Public (CUNY) | $7,352 | $5,718 | 91.1% |
| CUNY LaGuardia Community College | Public (CUNY) | $5,218 | $6,120 | 95.6% |
| Hudson County Community College | Public (NJ) | $5,384 | $7,307 | 93.5% |
| UCNJ Union College of Union County, NJ | Public (NJ) | $5,280 | $8,257 | 85.5% |
| Mildred Elley, New York Campus | Private | $17,926 | $25,431 | 89.4% |
| Berkeley College, Woodland Park | Private | $29,800 | $27,100 | 83.3% |
| Jersey College | Private | N/A | $52,558 | 78.1% |
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Getting In: Prerequisites and Application Deadlines for NYC LPN Programs
No accredited LPN program in New York City admits students off the street. Every school on this list gates entry with some mix of entrance exam, prerequisite coursework, background check, immunization records, and CPR certification, even the ones marketed as fast-track. The "no prerequisites" query circulating online is misleading: what varies is whether a program requires college-level prereqs or just a high school diploma plus an entrance test.
What Every NYC Program Expects
Across the board, expect to produce a high school diploma or HSE equivalent, clear a criminal background check, submit up-to-date immunization records, and hold current BLS/CPR certification before clinicals. Entrance exams are near-universal but the specific test differs by school.
CUNY LPN Programs
Three CUNY community colleges run practical nursing certificates: BMCC in Manhattan, LaGuardia in Long Island City, and Hostos in the South Bronx. Their requirements diverge more than most applicants realize.
- BMCC: HESI A2 required, and it must be taken at BMCC (outside scores are not accepted). Prerequisites include BIO 111, HED 110, ENG 101, MAT 104, and PSY 100, each passed with a C or better. Admission is competitive on a combined HESI plus prerequisite GPA basis. F-1 visa holders are not eligible.
- Hostos: ATI TEAS required, with a 2.75 GPA needed just to sit for the exam. Prerequisites span ENG 110, MAT 120 (B minus or higher in both), plus PSY 101, PSY 110, SOC 101 or BLS 150, and BIO 230/240/310.
- LaGuardia: Prerequisites include SCB 203, SSY 101, HSF 90, and SCB 204, alongside ENG 101.
Private Program Requirements
Mildred Elley's NYC campus uses the TEAS VII with a minimum score of 60 under its current catalog, requires a 3.5 GPA for the practical nursing program, and sets a minimum age of 17. Saint Paul's School of Nursing uses the Wonderlic SLE, with a minimum score of 18 for the nursing program.
Deadlines and Start Dates
2026-2027 application deadlines and cohort start dates are not yet posted by these programs. Contact admissions directly for current cycle timing before committing to a target term.
From Graduation to License: The NCLEX-PN Process in New York
New York's path from LPN program completion to an active license involves several state-specific steps. The process is managed by the New York State Education Department (NYSED), and candidates should budget time for transcript verification, fingerprinting, and exam scheduling. Here is the sequence you will follow.
Ranked LPN Programs Serving New York City Students
Below are the top LPN programs serving New York City students, ranked by IPEDS completion data, graduate debt, accreditation status, and program fit. The list covers Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx along with New Jersey campuses inside the metropolitan commuting radius, so it reflects the schools a typical NYC applicant can realistically attend. Tuition, institution-wide graduation rate, net price after aid, and program format are noted for each entry.
How we ranked these
- Median graduate debt levels
- Institution-wide graduation rates
- Accreditation and program approvals
- Net price after financial aid
- Program format and flexibility
- IPEDS institutional survey data from NCES covering graduation rates, retention rates and student-faculty ratios — nces.ed.gov
- College Scorecard graduate earnings — collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Internal program database
- Independent editorial research
CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College
BMCC brings practical nursing training to Lower Manhattan, making it one of the most commute-friendly options in the city. The certificate mixes hybrid and fully online coursework with on-campus skills labs and clinical placements around the New York City area, and city residents pay a lower per-credit rate than non-residents. Admission is competitive, pairing five prerequisite courses with the HESI A2 exam and separate fall and spring application windows.
- 46-credit certificate across five semesters
- HESI A2 entrance exam required
- Five prerequisite courses required for admission
- Hybrid and fully online course formats available
- On-campus skills labs plus clinical placements across the NYC area
- Lower per-credit tuition for New York City residents
- Clinical experience begins in the first semester
- Prepares students for the NCLEX-PN
Practical Nursing Certificate — On-Campus
CUNY LaGuardia Community College
LaGuardia sits in Long Island City, minutes from Midtown by subway and reachable from most of Queens and Manhattan. Its practical nursing certificate is a 10-month cohort program built around adult learners, many changing careers or returning to school after time away. The New York State Education Department approves the curriculum, which covers health teaching, counseling, and restorative care alongside supervised clinical practice.
- 10-month, 48-credit certificate
- One fall start per year
- Approved by the New York State Education Department
- Cohort-based format built for adult learners
- Coursework in health teaching, counseling, and restorative care
- Prepares students for the NCLEX-PN
Practical Nursing Certificate — On-Campus
CUNY Medgar Evers College
Medgar Evers delivers its Certificate in Practical Nursing from a Brooklyn campus, and the New York State Education Department lists it as an approved LPN program in the metropolitan region. The 18-month, 39-credit sequence is heavy on lab and clinical practice, with concentrated work in medical-surgical, maternal-child, and psychosocial nursing plus state board review. The college treats the certificate as an upward mobility step inside its own nursing ladder, letting graduates continue from LPN to associate degree RN to RN-to-BS without leaving CUNY.
- 18-month, 39-credit certificate
- NLN pre-entrance exam required
- Minimum 2.7 GPA for admission
- Science courses must be current within five years
- Intensive lab and clinical practice
- Maternal-Child Health and Psychosocial Nursing rotations
- Financial aid available
- Prepares students for the NCLEX-PN
Certificate in Practical Nursing — On-Campus
CUNY Hostos Community College
Hostos offers a compact two-semester practical nursing certificate that can be finished inside a calendar year. Approved by the New York State Education Department, the program pairs nursing coursework with English and social science classes and places students in supervised clinical practice with patients of all ages. Day and evening tracks both exist, but both are full-time and require weekday availability, and science prerequisites older than five years are not accepted.
- One-year, two-semester certificate
- ATI TEAS entrance exam required
- Approved by the New York State Education Department
- Day and evening tracks available
- Full-time enrollment required, five days a week
- Liberal arts coursework alongside nursing courses
- Prepares students for the NCLEX-PN
Licensed Practical Nursing Certificate — On-Campus
Holy Name Medical Center-Sister Claire Tynan School of Nursing
Holy Name's Sister Claire Tynan School of Nursing sits in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, just across the Hudson from upper Manhattan, and its practical nursing diploma is ACEN accredited. The 60-week campus program pairs theory and skills lab work with clinical placements in long-term and acute care, and graduates earn 17 transferable college credits through Saint Peter's University. The hospital system holds a cooperative academic partnership with Mount Sinai Health System and is adding a Rowan University dual-enrollment pathway beginning in fall 2026.
- ACEN accredited diploma program
- 60-week campus-based curriculum
- 17 transferable college credits through Saint Peter's University
- Approved by the New Jersey Board of Nursing
- Clinical placements in long-term care and acute care settings
- QSEN competency-based curriculum
- Graduates eligible to sit for LPN licensure
Practical Nursing Diploma (LPN) — On-Campus
Hudson County Community College
Hudson County Community College delivers its 15-month practical nursing certificate from the School of Nursing and Health Professions in Jersey City, connected to Manhattan by PATH and bus service. The program holds New Jersey Board of Nursing accreditation and reports an 82 percent licensure pass rate with 90 percent job placement. Day, evening, and weekend cohorts give working students real scheduling choices, though students arrange their own transportation and should budget for tolls and parking.
- 15-month certificate program
- TEAS entrance exam required
- Capstone required before completion
- Accredited by the New Jersey Board of Nursing
- 82% licensure pass rate
- 90% job placement rate
- Transfer route into HCCC's registered nursing program
Practical Nursing Certificate — On-Campus
Jersey College
Jersey College's Teterboro campus sits roughly 35 minutes to an hour from Manhattan and the Bronx by transit, and about an hour from Jamaica, Queens, so the school markets its LPN diploma directly to the New York metro area. The 12- to 18-month program runs day and evening cohorts, blends classroom theory with clinical training at partner sites, and holds New Jersey Board of Nursing accreditation. Graduates can continue through the campus LPN-to-RN Bridge option rather than starting over elsewhere.
- 12- to 18-month diploma program
- Day and evening class options
- Accredited by the New Jersey Board of Nursing
- Entrance exam required
- Scholarships and financial aid available
- LPN to RN Bridge option at the same campus
- Clinical training with offsite partner facilities
LPN Program, Certificate or Diploma — On-Campus
UCNJ Union College of Union County, NJ
UCNJ Union College of Union County runs a four-semester practical nursing certificate from its Cranford, New Jersey campus, about a mile from the Cranford station on NJ Transit's Raritan Valley Line. The program holds continued New Jersey Board of Nursing accreditation along with NLN CNEA accreditation, and clinical rotations run across day, evening, and weekend shifts. That scheduling range is the main draw for working adults commuting from New York City, though the trip is longer than anything inside the five boroughs.
- Four-semester certificate program
- Clinical rotations scheduled day, evening, or weekend
- Continued accreditation from the New Jersey Board of Nursing
- Accredited by NLN CNEA
- Prepares students for the NCLEX-PN
- CPR certification and criminal background check required
Practical Nursing Certificate — On-Campus
Best Care College
Best Care College is a small for-profit institution in East Orange, New Jersey, part of the wider New York City metro area and reachable from Manhattan by regional transit. Its licensed practical nursing program runs 52 weeks and about 1,500 hours across classroom and clinical coursework, with small cohorts and a 1:10 instructor-to-student ratio in clinicals. Tuition runs higher than the CUNY options, around $26,000 for the full program, and admission requires a TABE assessment and a criminal background check.
- 52-week campus-based program
- 1,500 total program hours
- Total program cost of approximately $26,346
- TABE assessment and criminal background check required
- Maximum class size of 40 students
- 1:10 instructor-to-student ratio in clinicals
- Financial aid available
- Prepares students for the NCLEX-PN
Licensed Practical Nursing Program, Certificate or Diploma — On-Campus
CUNY Bronx Community College
Bronx Community College built its licensed practical nursing certificate around working adults, with evening and weekend classes and a Nurse Aide Certification students can earn after the first semester. The 45-credit curriculum leads to the NCLEX-PN and to entry-level roles in hospitals, clinics, and long-term care. The critical caveat for 2026 is that the college has suspended the program because of faculty shortages and is not accepting new students, so confirm reactivation status before planning around it.
- 45-credit certificate
- Evening and weekend classes for working adults
- Nurse Aide Certification available after the first semester
- Prepares students for the NCLEX-PN
- Financial aid available
- Program currently suspended due to faculty shortages
Licensed Practical Nursing Certificate — On-Campus
Common Questions About NYC LPN Programs
NYC LPN salaries reflect the city's high cost of living and strong demand for bedside nursing care.
