No NYSED-approved practical nursing program operates inside ZIP 11429 itself. Queens Village students commute to approved campuses in Jamaica, Flushing, Rego Park, or Long Island City, or cross the Nassau border into Hempstead and Garden City. That commute map, more than any school ranking, dictates which schedules and tuition tiers become realistic.
Full-time practical nursing programs in NYC typically run about a year, and cost splits sharply: publicly subsidized community college and adult-education seats sit at one end, private career schools at the other. Free-training routes appear sporadically through workforce grants and employer partnerships, and NCLEX-PN pass rates reveal which low-cost seats still lead to a New York license.
Where Queens Village LPNs Actually Work, and Where Students Train
The Employer Map Within a Short Bus Ride
Queens Village sits at the eastern edge of the borough, which puts graduates within reach of two distinct job markets: the long-term care and rehab corridor running through Hollis, Jamaica and Fresh Meadows, and the home care agencies that cover eastern Queens and western Nassau.
Hollis Park Manor, an 80-bed long-term care and short-term rehab facility in Hollis, is the closest nursing home to the neighborhood.1 Slightly farther out, postings in 2025 and 2026 have come from Highland Care Center in Jamaica, Meadow Park Rehabilitation in Fresh Meadows (around $38 an hour), Sapphire Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing of Central Queens in Flushing ($40 to $45)6, The Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing at Queens ($32 to $40), Beacon Rehab & Nursing ($32 to $33) and Cornerstone of Fresh Meadows ($30 to $33).2 MediSys Health Network runs a nursing home float team out of Jamaica paying roughly $33 to $37 an hour on part-time evening and night shifts, with geriatrics or long-term care experience preferred.3
Home care is the other major channel. MJHS Home Care in Queens hires fee-for-service LPNs at $48 per revisit and $55 on weekends and holidays, though it asks for at least a year of med/surg or long-term care experience first. NYU Langone's homecare division in Garden City accepts candidates with zero to one year of experience, making it one of the few documented openings genuinely friendly to new graduates.5
What This Means for Program Choice
Notice what is largely absent: hospital medical-surgical floor positions. Acute-care LPN roles in this submarket are not well documented in current listings. Plan your training around post-acute care, rehab, clinics, home health, school nurse roles, and correctional settings, and favor programs whose clinical hours reflect that reality.
Clinical Rotations and Scope of Practice
Most New York practical nursing programs place students directly rather than asking them to find their own sites, and clinical rotations typically split between a nursing home or rehab facility and a hospital or clinic setting. Confirm placement policy before you enroll, and expect to travel outside Queens Village. Site assignments shift year to year based on facility capacity.
Understand the role before paying tuition. In New York, LPNs practice under the direction of a registered nurse, physician, dentist or other authorized provider. You contribute to assessment rather than performing the independent nursing assessment, and IV therapy requires additional post-licensure certification.
Can You Take LPN Classes Online in Queens, NY?
New York requires every approved practical nursing program to run at least 9 months, and no NYSED-approved LPN programs in New York can be completed fully online. New York's licensing rules require in-person hands-on training, supervised labs, and clinical hours, so the online option is always partial. The credential is not a test-out or self-paced license; it is a regulated clinical education.
What "online" actually looks like at Queens-area schools
CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College's Practical Nursing Certificate is a useful example. BMCC lists online delivery for some nursing and non-nursing courses, using synchronous or asynchronous formats, a pattern common in hybrid LPN programs. But the practical nursing curriculum still includes in-person labs and clinical rotations. In practice, students may take general education and theory courses online, while skills practice and patient care happen on campus or at assigned clinical sites on fixed days.
Why out-of-state "online LPN" ads need extra checking
Out-of-state online LPN schools are not automatically usable in Queens. NYSED requires any out-of-state or online nursing program to be registered or approved by NYSED before it can place students in clinical rotations in New York, except for federal U.S. Armed Forces or Veterans Administration facilities. For New York licensure, out-of-state applicants still need license verification and completion of New York's infection control coursework. Foreign-educated applicants need independent credential verification. A program that markets itself as "fully online LPN, work in New York" can mislead if it lacks that approval. Always verify NYSED approval before enrolling.
Who hybrid works for
Hybrid formats fit self-directed students who can complete online theory on their own schedule and have reliable daytime availability for scheduled labs and clinicals. They are not a shortcut to the license, and they are a poor fit for students who need structured classroom time, frequent in-person accountability, or cannot commit to fixed clinical days. If you have a job with rigid hours, a fully on-ground program may be the safer route.
NYSED-Approved LPN Programs Within Commuting Distance of ZIP 11429
Queens Village sits at a useful crossroads for nursing students: the Q1, Q36 and Q77 buses feed into Jamaica Center, where the E, F and J trains carry you west toward Rego Park, Long Island City and Manhattan, while the LIRR Queens Village station puts Penn Station and the Nassau border stops within a single ride. Drivers heading east on Hempstead Turnpike or the Grand Central Parkway reach Hempstead, Garden City and Uniondale in roughly half an hour off-peak. The programs below are the practical nursing programs confirmed as registered with the New York State Education Department in the Queens Village commuting radius; because approval status and campus addresses change, confirm both with NYSED before you apply, and treat any provider not on the state's current list as unapproved until proven otherwise.
| Program / Institution | Campus Location | Approx. Commute from Queens Village (11429) | Institution Type | Delivery Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Paul's School of Nursing, Queens Campus | 97-77 Queens Blvd, Rego Park, NY 11374 | Roughly 45 to 60 minutes: Q1/Q36 to Jamaica Center, then E or F train to 63rd Drive-Rego Park; about 25 to 35 minutes driving | Private postsecondary nursing school | On-campus classroom and lab with clinical rotations |
| Clara Barton High School for Health Professions, P.N. Program | 901 Classon Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11225 | Roughly 70 to 85 minutes by subway via Jamaica and downtown Brooklyn; about 35 to 45 minutes driving off-peak | Public secondary school | On-campus classroom and lab with clinical rotations |
| Borough of Manhattan Community College Practical Nursing Program | 199 Chambers Street, New York, NY 10007 | Roughly 60 to 75 minutes: LIRR to Penn Station or E train to Chambers Street/World Trade Center | Public community college | On-campus classroom and lab with clinical rotations |
| City College of New York Practical Nursing Program | Continuing and Professional Studies, 160 Convent Avenue, New York, NY 10031 | Roughly 75 to 90 minutes: E train to Manhattan, then uptown connection to 137th Street-City College | Public senior college | On-campus continuing education format with clinical rotations |
| Hostos Community College Practical Nursing Program | 560 Exterior Street, Bronx, NY 10451 | Roughly 80 to 95 minutes by subway via Manhattan transfer; about 40 to 50 minutes driving via the Whitestone or Triborough crossings | Public community college | On-campus classroom and lab with clinical rotations |
| Bronx Educational Opportunity Center Practical Nursing Program | 2467 Jerome Avenue, Bronx, NY 10468 | Roughly 90 to 105 minutes by subway; about 45 to 55 minutes driving via the Cross Bronx Expressway | Educational opportunity center (state-supported adult education) | On-campus classroom and lab with clinical rotations |
What an LPN Program Costs in Queens, and Who Pays Less
Practical nursing tuition around Queens Village splits into three tiers: publicly subsidized CUNY and adult-education programs, which post the lowest sticker prices in the metro; hospital- or union-affiliated routes that offset cost through employment benefits; and private career schools, where published tuition runs several times higher. The net price column below is an institution-wide average across all aid recipients at that college, not a personal estimate for a practical nursing certificate, so treat it as a directional signal rather than a quote. Pell share tells you how many students at each school qualify for need-based federal aid, and median graduate debt shows what completers typically finance. Budget past tuition too: uniforms, textbooks, a stethoscope, immunizations and a physical, a criminal background check, plus NCLEX-PN and New York State Education Department licensure fees. On the free and low-cost side, New York City's Accelerated Licensed Practical Nurse Training Program covered tuition, books, uniforms and clinical-day lunch for 40 funded students, and NYC Adult Learning Centers offer free adult education and job prep to residents over 21, though these are not LPN-specific. The 1199SEIU City Fund provides tuition assistance at CUNY, select SUNY schools, Monroe College and Touro for members with at least one year of continuous bargaining-unit employment at NYC Health + Hospitals or a mayoral agency, at 100 percent for full-time study and up to 60 percent part-time, plus up to $750 a year for continuing education. New York's Tuition Assistance Program awarded up to $5,665 in 2025-26 and can apply to approved certificate programs. ACCES-VR sponsorship and workforce development funding exist in New York State but are not guaranteed for any given applicant. In practice, "free" almost always means eligibility screening, limited seats or waitlists, or a work commitment, not simply signing up.
| School | City | Published In-State Tuition & Fees | Published Out-of-State | Average Institutional Net Price | Pell Recipients | Median Graduate Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CUNY Bronx Community College | Bronx, NY | $5,206 | $8,086 | $4,462 | 95% | $8,384 |
| CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College | New York, NY | $5,170 | $8,050 | $4,976 | 95% | $7,574 |
| CUNY Hostos Community College | Bronx, NY | $5,254 | $8,134 | $5,297 | 96% | $8,442 |
| CUNY Medgar Evers College | Brooklyn, NY | $7,352 | $15,302 | $5,718 | 91% | $10,988 |
| CUNY LaGuardia Community College | Long Island City, NY | $5,218 | $8,098 | $6,120 | 96% | $7,407 |
| Hudson County Community College | Jersey City, NJ | $5,384 | $9,248 | $7,307 | 93% | $10,500 |
| Monroe College | Bronx, NY | $18,464 | $18,464 | $14,522 | 88% | $18,818 |
| Hunter Business School | Levittown, NY | N/A | N/A | $23,738 | 79% | $7,937 |
| Mildred Elley-New York Campus | New York, NY | $17,926 | $17,926 | $25,431 | 89% | $19,000 |
| Berkeley College-Woodland Park | Woodland Park, NJ | $29,800 | $29,800 | $27,100 | 83% | $23,251 |
Related Articles
Program Length, Evening Classes and the "6-Month LPN Program" Question
Program length is how long it takes to move from your first class to being eligible to take the NCLEX-PN, and in New York that clock is set by state-mandated instruction and clinical hours, not marketing copy. Those hour minimums are why no NYSED-approved practical nursing program in New York finishes in six months. If you see a "6 month LPN program NYC" ad, it is either not an approved program, or it is describing something other than full LPN licensure preparation.
What the fastest real options actually run
The shortest credible full-time tracks among the Best LPN Programs in New York City land at roughly 10 to 11 months. LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City runs its practical nursing certificate as a full-time day program of about 10 months. The NYC Department of Education's accelerated LPN program is structured as an 11-month, 1,152-hour sequence with a cohort of around 40 students. Regional BOCES LPN Programs in New York follow a similar pattern, with full-time tracks designed to run roughly 10 to 12 months; Western Suffolk BOCES' practical nursing program runs about 11 months. Across New York more broadly, most approved programs sit in the 12-to-18-month range.
Part-time, evening and weekend tracks
Flexibility costs time. One BOCES practical nurse program that runs 10 months full-time (Monday through Friday, roughly 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.) stretches to about 20 months part-time, meeting one full day plus three half days per week. Evening and weekend cohorts offered by some community colleges and BOCES centers commonly run 18 to 24 months, and part-time day tracks generally fall in the 12-to-18-month-plus band. Bronx Community College, for example, delivers its 45-credit certificate on an evening and weekend schedule.
The clinical scheduling catch
Even in an evening cohort, clinical rotations are often scheduled during weekday daytime shifts, because that is when hospital and long-term care units can precept students. Students holding full-time jobs frequently have to reduce hours or shift to nights during clinical terms. Ask before you enroll, not after.
When you call each program, get three things in writing: upcoming cohort start dates, total clock or credit hours required, and whether prerequisites such as anatomy or math are completed before admission or built into the published timeline. That last detail is where a "10-month" program quietly becomes 14.
Admission Requirements for LPN Programs in Queens
Requirements differ by campus, and published details are uneven, some programs post exact cut scores while others list only general expectations. Use this as a planning checklist, then confirm every item with the specific program before you apply.
- High school diploma or equivalencyEvery practical nursing route in the area expects a diploma or high school equivalency; adult-education programs such as OU BOCES also set a minimum age of 17. Tip: request an official transcript or equivalency record early, since third-party verification can take weeks.
- Minimum GPAWhere a number is published, it tends to sit in the mid-2s, Hostos lists 2.75 for eligibility, Bronx Community College 2.7 cumulative, and LaGuardia 2.5 in pre-clinical coursework. Tip: treat these as eligibility floors, not competitive scores, because seats are limited.
- Prerequisite courseworkBronx CC names English composition, psychology, pharmacology math and biology with minimum grades of C (C+ in biology); Queens College's practical nursing listing references biology, health education, English, math and psychology. Tip: check grade minimums before retaking a course you already passed.
- Entrance examThe ATI TEAS appears most often (Hostos, OU BOCES), Bronx CC uses TEAS V, and Queens College materials reference the HESI A2. No Queens-area program in our review used the Wonderlic. Tip: ask which version and whether scores from another school transfer, Bronx CC requires the test be taken through its own testing office.
- Exam scores and retakesPublished cut scores are rare. Bronx CC is an exception, requiring roughly 50% overall and about 41.3% in each of the four sections, with one retake allowed inside a two-year window and scores under two years old. Tip: if no score is posted, assume the exam is used competitively and study accordingly.
- Background check and drug screenLaGuardia requires a background check through its screening vendor plus a 10-panel drug test. Tip: disclose anything on your record to the program before applying, clinical sites, not the school, make the final placement call.
- Immunizations and health clearanceLaGuardia lists MMR, hepatitis B, tetanus, influenza and COVID-19 coverage, with titers accepted; Bronx CC requires health services clearance, basic life support certification and malpractice insurance. Tip: hepatitis B is a multi-dose series, start it months before your clinical start date.
- Application timingDeadlines were not published for several Queens-area programs, and community college cohorts often admit once or twice a year while BOCES programs run information sessions and interviews on their own schedule. Tip: contact admissions directly for the next cohort date and ask whether a waitlist exists.
NCLEX-PN Pass Rates at Queens-Area Practical Nursing Programs
A convenient campus with a weak pass rate costs more in the long run than a longer commute to a program whose graduates pass the first time. The NCLEX-PN is the gate between finishing school and actually working as an LPN, so first-time pass rate deserves as much weight in your decision as tuition or class schedule.
What the reported numbers show
New York State publishes annual first-time NCLEX-PN results by program through the Office of the Professions, and NCSBN publishes state and national totals. The figures below are the ones we can attribute directly to those sources. Where a Queens-area school's row was not retrievable, we have left it out rather than estimate.
- AMG School of Licensed Practical Nursing (2025): 85 percent first-time pass rate, 60 candidates tested.
- New York statewide, practical nursing (2022): 74.4 percent first-time pass rate across 2,094 candidates.
- National, practical nursing (2025): 85.9 percent first-time pass rate.1
Note the mismatched reporting years. The statewide figure available here is older than the school and national figures, so treat it as context, not a same-year benchmark. Verify any program you are seriously considering against the current NYSED results page before you sign an enrollment agreement.
How to read a pass rate honestly
A low first-time rate can mean several different things. Sometimes it reflects thin test preparation or a curriculum that never builds toward NCLEX-style clinical judgment questions. Sometimes it reflects a program that admits broadly and lets weaker students sit the exam rather than counseling them out, which is arguably more honest than a program that inflates its rate by failing people out before graduation.
Cohort size matters just as much. At a program testing 12 candidates, two failures drop the rate to 83 percent; at a program testing 60, two failures barely move it. Never look at a percentage without asking how many people it represents.
Questions to ask admissions
Ask directly, in writing, and expect specific answers:
- What was your first-time NCLEX-PN pass rate for the most recent reporting year, and how many candidates tested?
- How many students started that cohort versus how many graduated?
- What NCLEX preparation is built into the curriculum, and is there an exit exam students must pass to graduate?
A program confident in its outcomes will hand you those numbers without hesitation.
What LPNs Earn Across the New York Metro
The bar below shows the national wage spread for licensed practical and vocational nurses from the federal wage survey (May 2023 figures, the most recent full percentile set published for this occupation). The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish the same 10th-through-90th percentile breakdown for the New York-Newark-Jersey City metro, so treat this band as the shape of the range rather than a Queens-specific figure. What the agency does report locally is telling: roughly 32,460 LPNs worked in the metro area, earning a mean of $68,520 a year ($31.88 an hour), well above the $59,730 national median. That local premium is real, but Queens rents and commuting costs absorb a good share of it. The spread itself is wide for concrete reasons: a unionized hospital or city facility pays differently than a skilled nursing home or a home health agency, night and weekend differentials can add several dollars an hour, and nurses with a decade of charge-nurse or long-term care experience sit near the top of the band while new graduates start near the bottom.
The cheapest program on paper isn't always the cheapest path to a license: a lower tuition with a weak NCLEX-PN pass rate can cost more in retakes, lost wages, and delayed careers.
Top LPN Programs Serving Queens Village Students
Below are the top practical nursing programs serving Queens Village students, ranked by completion data, accreditation status, and program fit. The list runs from hospital-based diploma schools to public college certificates, so the right choice depends on how far you can travel and how much you can pay. Every program below prepares graduates to sit for the NCLEX-PN and apply for New York or New Jersey licensure.
How we ranked these
- Median graduate debt
- Institution-wide graduation rates
- Published tuition and fees
- Accreditation and state approval
- Program fit for commuting students
- 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
Holy Name Medical Center-Sister Claire Tynan School of Nursing
Holy Name Medical Center's Sister Claire Tynan School of Nursing runs a 60-week practical nursing diploma on one campus in Englewood Cliffs, pairing nursing theory with skills lab sessions and clinical rotations in long-term and acute care. The program is ACEN accredited, awards 17 transferable college credits through Saint Peter's University, and follows a QSEN competency framework. Published tuition and fees total $23,914, and about 58 percent of the student body receives Pell grants; the institution reports a 100 percent graduation rate and a 9-to-1 student-faculty ratio. It is the only option on this list that requires a Hudson River crossing, which puts Queens Village students in a different commuting pattern than the Queens and Long Island schools.
- 60-week, campus-based diploma program
- ACEN accredited and approved by the New Jersey Board of Nursing
- 17 transferable college credits through Saint Peter's University
- Clinicals split between long-term care and acute care settings
- Curriculum built on QSEN competencies, including informatics
- Prepares graduates for LPN licensure and hospital or outpatient roles
Practical Nursing Diploma (LPN) — On-Campus
Hunter Business School
Hunter Business School delivers its practical nursing program in about 13 months from a Levittown campus, with day and evening tracks designed for adults who work while they study. The 2026-2027 catalog lists 1,332 program hours, and the school reports a state-approved curriculum that prepares graduates for the NCLEX-PN. Institution-wide, Hunter reports an 85 percent graduation rate, a 16-to-1 student-faculty ratio, and a Pell share of about 79 percent; program tuition is quoted by the school directly rather than published in federal data. Its Nassau County location puts it just past the city line, an eastbound run down the Long Island Expressway from Queens Village.
- About 13 months to complete
- Day and evening formats for working students
- 1,332 program hours listed in the 2026-2027 catalog
- Approved by the New York State Education Department
- Campuses in Levittown and Medford
- Prepares students to sit for the NCLEX-PN
Practical Nursing Program (LPN), Certificate or Diploma — On-Campus
Western Suffolk BOCES
Western Suffolk BOCES runs a 1,350-hour practical nursing program with more than 15 clinical placement sites across Long Island health systems, a TEAS entrance exam, and both day and evening sessions. Day students finish in about 13 months and evening students in about 18 months, at a published total program tuition of $26,250, with financial aid and military benefits accepted. The institution reports an 84 percent graduation rate, an 11-to-1 student-faculty ratio, and a Pell share of about 65 percent. Northport sits on the north shore, so Queens Village students should plan on a longer trip than the Queens campuses or western Nassau schools require.
- $26,250 total program tuition
- 1,350 total program hours
- Day track finishes in 13 months; evening track in about 18 months
- Clinical placements at more than 15 Long Island sites
- TEAS entrance exam required
- Military benefits and financial aid accepted
- Transfer pathways to RN programs at Molloy, Adelphi, and SUNY Farmingdale
- Northwell employee program partner with a full ATI partnership
Practical Nursing (LPN), Certificate or Diploma — On-Campus
AMG School of Nursing
AMG School of Nursing offers a 53-credit LPN program in Brooklyn that spreads liberal arts and science coursework across roughly two years and finishes with a capstone. The curriculum covers pharmacology, medical-surgical, maternity, pediatrics, mental health, and geriatrics, with simulation training in New York City, and credits transfer for graduates who continue into AMG's RN program. Institution-wide, AMG reports a 79 percent graduation rate, an 82 percent retention rate, and a Pell share of about 79 percent. Brooklyn is one borough over from Queens Village, reachable by the Belt Parkway or by subway without a bridge crossing.
- 53-credit program taken over about two years
- Capstone course required before graduation
- Credits transfer to other colleges
- Graduates may continue into AMG's RN program
- Coursework spans pharmacology, medical-surgical, maternity, pediatrics, and mental health
- Simulation training in New York City
LPN Program, Certificate or Diploma — On-Campus
Veeb Nassau County School of Practical Nursing
The Veeb Nassau County School of Practical Nursing, known as VEEB, compresses training into an accelerated 11-month program that blends classroom instruction with supervised clinical experience across hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, and home care. Tuition is $19,500 plus about $730 in fees, and the program is licensed by the New York State Department of Education and accredited by the New York State Board of Regents, with articulation agreements for graduates who later pursue an RN. Institution-wide graduation data is not published for VEEB, but the school reports a 78 percent retention rate and a Pell share of about 75 percent. Hicksville is the closest Nassau County campus to Queens Village, a short trip over the city line.
- Accelerated 11-month program
- $19,500 tuition plus about $730 in fees
- Licensed by the New York State Department of Education
- Accredited by the New York State Board of Regents
- Articulation agreements create a pathway to RN programs
- More than 60 years preparing healthcare professionals
- Financial aid available for eligible students
Practical Nursing Program, Certificate or Diploma — On-Campus
Monroe College
Monroe College structures nursing as a progressive option that moves from a practical nursing certificate to an associate degree leading to RN licensure and then a BS in Nursing, spread across nine semesters over three academic years. The full-time program is campus based, includes clinical placements in New York, Pennsylvania, and Haiti, and admits through holistic review with a fall start and a June 13, 2026 application deadline. Institution-wide, Monroe reports a 57 percent graduation rate, an 88 percent Pell share, and tuition and fees of $18,464. The Bronx campus is reachable from Queens Village by way of the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge or by subway through Manhattan.
- Certificate in Practical Nursing, then an associate degree, then a BS in Nursing
- Nine semesters across three academic years, full time on campus
- Fall start with an application deadline of June 13, 2026
- LPNs may enter directly at the associate level
- Clinical experiences in New York, Pennsylvania, and Haiti
- Background check and physical exam required
- Holistic admission review; seats are limited
Practical Nursing Certificate (Progressive Nursing Option) — On-Campus
Best Care College
Best Care College runs a 52-week licensed practical nursing program with 1,500 academic and clinical hours on a trimester calendar, and caps classes at 40 students with a 1-to-10 instructor ratio in clinicals. Admission requires a TABE assessment, a criminal background check, and a medical exam, and the school publishes a total program cost between roughly $26,000 and $29,000, along with an 85 percent licensure pass rate. Institution-wide, Best Care reports a 64 percent graduation rate, a 70 percent retention rate, and a 30-to-1 student-faculty ratio. East Orange is in New Jersey, so Queens Village students would be looking at a cross-state commute rather than a borough trip.
- 52-week program with 1,500 academic and clinical hours
- Trimester schedule with class sizes capped at 40 students
- 1-to-10 instructor ratio in clinicals
- TABE assessment and criminal background check required
- Prepares students for the NCLEX-PN exam
- IV certification and mental health certification courses offered
- $50 application fee; 80 percent GPA needed to graduate
Licensed Practical Nursing Program, Certificate or Diploma — On-Campus
CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College
The Borough of Manhattan Community College practical nursing certificate covers 46 credits across five semesters, with clinical experience starting in the first semester and coursework in parent-child, medical-surgical, mental health, and gerontology nursing. Admission is competitive and requires prerequisite courses plus the HESI A2 exam, and the program is designed as a foundation for students who later pursue registered nursing. Tuition and fees are $5,170 for New York residents and $8,050 for out-of-state students; the Pell share is about 95 percent, and the 25 percent graduation rate the institution reports covers its whole student body, not just nursing students. Manhattan is a direct subway or Long Island Rail Road trip from Queens Village.
- 46-credit certificate completed over five semesters
- Clinical experience begins in the first semester
- HESI A2 entrance exam and prerequisite courses required
- Covers parent-child, medical-surgical, mental health, and gerontology nursing
- Prepares students for the NCLEX-PN
- Many graduates continue into registered nursing study
Practical Nursing Certificate — On-Campus
CUNY LaGuardia Community College
CUNY LaGuardia Community College offers a 48-credit practical nursing certificate that finishes in 10 months, with a single fall start each year and a curriculum approved by the New York State Education Department. For the 2026 cycle, candidates apply through an internal process and must submit an ATI TEAS score from a remotely proctored sitting. Tuition and fees run $5,218 for New York residents and $8,098 for others; about 96 percent of students receive Pell grants, and the institution-wide graduation rate is near 24 percent. LaGuardia is the only campus on this list located in Queens, making it the borough-internal option for Queens Village students.
- 48-credit certificate completed in 10 months
- One start date per year, in the fall
- ATI TEAS required; the exam must be remotely proctored
- Applications handled through an internal candidacy process
- Approved by the New York State Education Department
- Prepares graduates for the NCLEX-PN and acute or chronic care roles
Practical Nursing Certificate — On-Campus
Hudson County Community College
Hudson County Community College's 15-month practical nursing certificate combines a foundations sequence with maternal child health and complex care coursework, capped by a practical capstone. The program is accredited by the New Jersey Board of Nursing, requires prerequisite courses and the TEAS entrance exam, and reports an 82 percent licensure pass rate and a 90 percent job placement rate. Tuition and fees are $5,384 for in-state students and $9,248 otherwise, with a Pell share of about 93 percent and an institution-wide graduation rate near 26 percent. Jersey City sits across the Hudson, so this is a cross-state option for Queens Village students rather than a local one.
- 15-month practical nursing certificate
- Capstone course required
- TEAS entrance exam and prerequisite courses required
- Accredited by the New Jersey Board of Nursing
- Reports an 82 percent licensure pass rate
- Eligible graduates can apply to HCCC's RN program
- Small classes with clinical work in nursing homes and ambulatory care
Practical Nursing Certificate — On-Campus
The Pay Gap That Drives the LPN-to-RN Decision
For most Queens Village LPNs, the bridge decision comes down to one number.
LPN-to-RN and LPN-to-BSN Bridge Options Near Queens Village
Which LPN to RN bridge programs can a licensed LPN in Queens Village actually reach without moving? The realistic list is short, but it covers both LPN to ADN programs and bachelor's routes.
The Programs Within Reach
- LaGuardia Community College (Long Island City): A campus-based LPN-to-RN bridge listed at roughly 18 months. Applicants need a current LPN license, a 2.75 GPA, proficient TEAS scores, and completed anatomy and physiology, microbiology, and psychology. Only 25 students per semester are admitted, ranked by GPA.
- Kingsborough Community College (Brooklyn): The LPN to RN Bridge Course requires admission to the program plus ENG 1200, PSY 1100, BIO 1100 and SCI 2500. Admitted LPNs with an active license who finished those courses with at least a C can receive 17 advanced-standing credits, followed by a three-semester nursing sequence.
- St. Paul's School of Nursing (Queens): A hybrid LPN-to-RN associate degree running about 24 to 36 months depending on pace and transferable credits, with graduates eligible to take the NCLEX-RN.
- Molloy University (Nassau County): The LPN to BS Mobility track is the clearest bachelor's completion option east of the city line and requires current New York LPN registration alongside standard college admission criteria.
How Advanced Placement Actually Works
Bridges shorten the path in two ways. Some schools award block credit for the license itself, as Kingsborough does with its 17 credits and as some private programs do more aggressively (AMG grants up to 35 advanced-standing credits). Others simply let licensed LPNs skip the first nursing semester and enter the sequence directly. Either way, the general education and science prerequisites are not waived. They are where most applicants lose time.
Sequencing From Zero
Seats are scarce and GPA-ranked, so a marginal grade in microbiology can cost a full semester. For LPN to RN in New York, full-time bridges typically run 12 to 18 months, part-time 18 to 24, and LPN-to-BSN routes 18 to 30.
For a Queens Village reader starting today: enroll in a NYSED-approved practical nursing program, pass the NCLEX-PN, then take a first LPN job at an employer offering tuition assistance (hospitals and larger long-term care systems most often do). Chip away at prerequisites part-time while working, then apply to a bridge with the grades already banked.
