Des Plaines has exactly two state-approved practical nursing options: Aquarius Institute's private standalone certificate and Oakton College's LPN milestone inside its ADN ladder, an LPN to RN in Illinois pathway. The 30-mile radius around 60016 adds Chicago , home to Best LPN Programs in Chicago , plus Palatine, Palos Hills, Glen Ellyn, Hoffman Estates, Oak Brook, and Park Ridge programs.
The two local paths answer different timelines. Aquarius admits directly into a 15-month certificate; Oakton's LPN credential is only available to students already enrolled in the college's associate degree nursing track. That single rule changes prerequisites, commuting patterns, and how much risk you take on.
NCLEX-PN pass rates and all-in costs, not just tuition, separate nearby options.
Where Des Plaines LPNs Work, and Where You'll Do Clinicals
Across Illinois, the LPN role has drifted away from acute-care hospital floors and settled into post-acute, long-term care, and community settings, and that shift shapes almost everything about how you should evaluate a program.
The northwest suburban employer map
Des Plaines sits inside a dense corridor of healthcare employers. Large systems such as Endeavor Health and Advocate Aurora Health operate throughout the area, and Holy Family Medical Center in Des Plaines is a familiar name on local job boards. But the steadier LPN demand tends to come from skilled nursing and residential care: Avantara Park Ridge at 1601 North Western Avenue, Golfview Developmental Center in Des Plaines, and senior living operators including Lutheran Life Communities. Staffing groups like Zinnova Healthcare Group also recruit LPNs for agency shifts, often at higher hourly rates with less predictable scheduling.
Practically, that means new LPNs here are more likely to land in skilled nursing, rehab, outpatient clinics, home health, correctional health, or school nursing than on a hospital med-surg unit. Pick from LPN programs in Illinois that prepare you for that reality rather than one you assume is a hospital pipeline.
What the clinical requirement actually looks like
Aquarius Institute's 879 clock hour program devotes 400 hours to clinical, including Fundamentals of Nursing (180 hours), Adult Health Nursing (130 hours), and Family Health Nursing (42 hours), with the remainder in theory and skills lab. Oakton College's 39 credit Practical Nursing certificate does not publish a separate LPN clinical hours breakdown in its catalog, so ask admissions directly.
Neither school publicly names its clinical affiliation sites. The employers above are hiring examples, not confirmed placement partners, and you should not assume a rotation at any specific facility. Ask during your interview which sites the current cohort is using and how far out placements extend.
Plan for the commute and the schedule
Placements in the Chicago area frequently sit outside the immediate suburb, sometimes in the city or in outlying towns, and students rarely choose their own site. Rotations also tend to run in daytime blocks, which is the single hardest constraint for anyone holding a day job. Confirm the clinical calendar before you sign anything.
Are There Online LPN Programs for Des Plaines Students?
No LPN program, anywhere in Illinois, can be completed entirely online. State licensing rules require supervised clinical hours and in-person skills lab checkoffs before a graduate can take the NCLEX-PN, so hands-on time in a lab or facility is non-negotiable no matter how a school markets its online LPN programs.
What "Hybrid" Actually Means
Among programs serving the Des Plaines area, most list a straightforward campus format: Oakton College, Harper College, Moraine Valley, College of DuPage, and Malcolm X College all deliver lectures, labs, and clinicals on-site. A couple of area-adjacent options, Verve College and Americare Technical School, offer hybrid LPN programs instead. In practice, that means theory coursework moves online or into evening lecture blocks, but skills labs and clinical rotations still meet in person at a campus or partner facility. It's a scheduling convenience, not a substitute for supervised practice.
Watch Out for Out-of-State "Online LPN" Marketing
Some national ad campaigns promise a fully remote LPN credential. If you're licensed to work in Illinois, that program must hold Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation approval, regardless of how much of it happens on a screen. An unapproved program, even a cheap or fast one, won't qualify you to take the NCLEX-PN here. Always confirm IDFPR approval before enrolling anywhere claiming an online shortcut.
Real Flexibility Comes From Scheduling, Not Delivery
For working students, the practical lever isn't online learning, it's schedule format. Several area programs offer evening, weekend, or part-time tracks built around existing work or caregiving commitments. That's the flexibility worth chasing, not a marketing claim about studying nursing from your couch.
Aquarius Institute Vs. Oakton College: Certificate or Nursing Ladder?
Des Plaines is unusual in that both of its practical nursing options sit inside the same zip code, and they answer two completely different questions. Aquarius Institute runs a standalone private practical nursing certificate built to move you from enrollment to the NCLEX-PN and into a job. Oakton College's practical nursing certificate is structured as a milestone inside its associate degree nursing pathway, so the credits you earn are college credits that keep moving toward RN licensure rather than ending at the LPN. That structural difference drives the eligibility mechanics, and this is the part prospective students most often miss. Oakton's practical nursing certificate is tied to admission into the college's nursing program; the available program material does not establish a separate, stand-alone application route into the LPN certificate on its own. In practice that means you compete for a seat in the nursing program on the college's application cycle, with prerequisite coursework completed by the posted deadlines, not simply enroll in an LPN track. Students who want a nursing-adjacent entry point without that competitive step often start with Oakton's Basic Nurse Assistant Training program, which is a separate 8-credit, one-semester certificate with its own admission, GPA, and background-check requirements. Aquarius, by contrast, admits directly into the practical nursing program itself. One caveat on published costs: Aquarius's itemized figures come from its 2023-2024 catalog and older material lists a different program length, so confirm current pricing and start dates with the school before you budget. Oakton's per-credit rates are the college's standard residency-based rates, and no LPN-specific rate is published. Pick Aquarius if you need the most direct route to sitting for the NCLEX-PN and going to work, and you can absorb a roughly $20,000 all-in private-school price tag. Pick Oakton if you live in-district, can complete prerequisites, and want your practical nursing credits to count toward an associate degree and eventual RN licensure, accepting that you must clear nursing program admission first and that seats are not guaranteed.
| What You're Comparing | Aquarius Institute (Des Plaines) | Oakton College (Des Plaines) |
|---|---|---|
| Program type | Standalone private practical nursing certificate | Practical nursing certificate embedded in the college's nursing/ADN pathway |
| Length | 15 months per current program material (older catalog listed 18 months; no 12-month option is documented) | Not published as a fixed stand-alone term; sequenced within the nursing program |
| Credits | Clock-hour style certificate; no semester credit total published | 39 semester credit hours |
| Schedule format | Day/evening options are not established in the school's current published material, verify directly | College semester schedule tied to the nursing program sequence |
| Published tuition and fees | $20,000 total (2023-2024): $18,000 tuition, $150 registration, $1,220 textbooks, $310 materials and supplies, $100 exam fee, $220 Pearson VUE fee | Standard per-credit rates: $136.25 in-district, $367.00 Illinois out-of-district, $439.00 out-of-state. At 39 credits that is roughly $5,314 in-district and about $14,313 out-of-district in tuition alone, before fees, books, and uniforms |
| Entrance exam | No entrance exam score is confirmed in the school's currently available material, ask admissions what testing is required for your cohort | Admission testing follows the college's nursing program requirements rather than an LPN-only exam |
| How you get in | Apply directly to the practical nursing program | Tied to admission into the college's nursing program; no separate stand-alone LPN certificate entry route is established |
| Application timeline | Rolling; confirm current start dates with the school | Nursing application windows Oct 1 - Feb 14 for fall and Mar 1 - Jul 31 for spring, applied online or through the applicant dashboard; prerequisites due Feb 28 for fall entry and Aug 31 for spring entry |
| Approval and accreditation | Approved by the Illinois Board of Nursing and listed on the state's approved programs list, which allows graduates to sit for the NCLEX-PN; the school is not accredited by a U.S. Department of Education-recognized accrediting agency | Regionally accredited community college; nursing programs operate under state approval |
| Alternate entry point | Not applicable | Basic Nurse Assistant Training: 8 credit hours, one semester, 2.0 minimum GPA, background check required |
| After you finish | Sit for the NCLEX-PN and go directly to work as an LPN | Credits are college credit that continue toward the associate degree and RN licensure |
NCLEX-PN Pass Rates for Des Plaines-Area Programs
The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, through the Illinois Board of Nursing and the Illinois Nursing Workforce Center, publishes first-time NCLEX-PN pass rates for every approved practical nursing program in the state. The figures below reflect the 2024 reporting year, with the prior year shown where it has been published. Read the candidate counts alongside the percentages: a high rate on a handful of test-takers tells you far less than a comparable rate across forty candidates, and both Des Plaines-area programs test cohorts large enough to be meaningful.
| Program | Reporting Year | First-Time NCLEX-PN Pass Rate | Prior-Year Rate | First-Time Candidates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakton College (Oakton Community College) Practical Nursing | 2024 | 91% | N/A | 40 |
| Aquarius Institute Practical Nursing | 2024 | 89% | 75% (2023) | 38 |
| Aquarius Institute Practical Nursing | 2023 | 75% | 67% | N/A |
| Illinois statewide (first-time, U.S.-educated candidates) | 2024 | 90.6% | N/A | 1,456 |
| United States national (first-time, U.S.-educated candidates) | 2023 | 84.17% | N/A | N/A |
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Admission Requirements and Application Timeline
The two Des Plaines options gate applicants very differently. Aquarius Institute admits directly into a 15-month practical nursing program; Oakton College's LPN certificate is only open to students already enrolled in its ADN program, so you clear the associate degree nursing bar first.
- High school diploma or GEDBoth programs require it, and Aquarius also sets a minimum age of 18 with official transcripts on file.
- Entrance examAquarius uses the HESI A2 taken within the past year, with 70% functioning as the working cut score; Oakton requires the HESI Admission Exam from within two years at a cumulative 75, plus 80 English composite, 75 math, and 80 science composite, retakeable every six months.
- Prerequisite courseworkAquarius expects high school algebra at a C or better and a 2.0 GPA on any college transcripts; Oakton requires BIO 231 and CHM 105 within five years, EGL 101 placement or completion, MAT 070 within two years, and a 2.5 overall GPA.
- CNA credentialRequired at Oakton, Basic Nurse Assistant Training plus the Illinois CNA exam, which Oakton itself offers in 9- or 16-week formats. Aquarius does not list a CNA requirement.
- Background check and drug screenAquarius requires both before clinicals; Oakton's nursing pages don't spell out its policy, so ask the health careers office directly.
- Immunizations, physical, and CPRExpect a physical exam and current CPR or BLS certification at both schools. Aquarius clinical policy specifies an American Heart Association BLS provider card plus MMR and varicella immunity, two-step TB testing with QuantiFERON, and strongly recommends hepatitis B.
- Illinois Health Care Worker Background Check ActCertain convictions are a hard disqualifier for clinical placement and licensure in Illinois, not just a flag. If you have a record, start the state waiver process well before you apply, it takes months.
- Cohort starts and deadlinesNeither school publishes confirmed 2026 start dates or application cutoffs. Seats at both are capped by clinical site capacity, so contact admissions at least six to nine months ahead and plan on completing your CNA, prerequisites, and HESI before that window.
Beyond Tuition: The All-In Price of Becoming an LPN Here
Tuition is only part of what leaves your bank account. The figures below combine Oakton College's published 2026-2027 cost estimates for a full-time student with the two fees every Illinois candidate pays at the finish line: the $200 NCLEX-PN registration paid to Pearson VUE and the $98 Illinois license-by-examination application paid to IDFPR. Tuition, fees, and books are billed through the school; the exam and license fees are paid directly by you. Area practical nursing programs do not publish itemized figures for uniforms, a stethoscope, background checks, drug screens, immunizations, or CPR certification, so budget for those separately on top of this total.
Illinois Practical Nurse Licensing at a Glance
LPN Pay in the Chicago Metro Area
The most recent federal wage detail we can confirm for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2023 release. Nationally, the median LPN earned $59,730 a year, with the bottom tenth near $45,670 and the top tenth above $77,870, so the spread across the field runs roughly $32,000 wide. For the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro, BLS publishes an average (mean) annual wage of $67,670 across about 12,980 LPNs, but it does not expose metro-level percentile figures, and a statewide Illinois median for LPNs is not something we can verify from the published tables. Treat the metro number as an average rather than a midpoint, and expect updated figures when newer OEWS releases post.
| Area | Median Annual Wage | 10th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States (all LPNs/LVNs) | $59,730 | $45,670 | $77,870 |
| United States, 25th and 75th percentile reference | $50,640 (25th) / $67,140 (75th) | N/A | N/A |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI metro | Not published; mean annual wage $67,670 | N/A | N/A |
What Top Earners in the Metro Actually Make
The top 10 percent of licensed practical nurses in the Chicago metro earn about $96,530 a year.
Top LPN Programs Serving Des Plaines Students
Below are the top practical nursing programs serving Des Plaines students, ranked by completion data, accreditation, and fit for local commuters. Only one sits inside the city limits; the rest are within commuting range, with drive times noted for each entry.
How we ranked these
- Median graduate debt loads
- Institution graduation rates
- Net price after aid
- Completions and accreditation
- Commute times from Des Plaines
- College Scorecard graduate earnings — collegescorecard.ed.gov
- IPEDS institutional survey data from NCES covering graduation rates, retention rates and student-faculty ratios — nces.ed.gov
- Internal program database
- Independent editorial research
Oakton College
The only LPN pathway inside Des Plaines itself, on Oakton's Golf Road campus. The 39-credit certificate is open only to students already admitted to the ADN track, so it works as an LPN milestone on the way to RN rather than a stand-alone credential. Average net price after aid is about $5,183, and median graduate debt is roughly $5,250.
Practical Nursing (LPN) Certificate — On-Campus
William Rainey Harper College
Harper runs an ACEN-accredited, 38-credit Practical Nursing certificate with fall and spring starts, roughly 12 miles northwest of Des Plaines in Palatine. The certificate stacks into the Nursing AAS degree, and admission requires CNA completion plus prerequisites. Average net price after aid is about $11,607, with median graduate debt near $10,184.
Practical Nursing (PN) Certificate — On-Campus
Moraine Valley Community College
Moraine Valley's Licensed Practical Nursing certificate is built to meet Illinois licensure requirements and runs on the Palos Hills campus, roughly 35 miles southwest of Des Plaines. It is an NC-SARA participant, which matters if you later take online coursework or move out of state. Average net price after aid is about $2,829.
Licensed Practical Nursing, Certificate or Diploma — On-Campus
College of DuPage
College of DuPage offers a 35-credit Practical Nursing certificate in Glen Ellyn, about 20 miles southwest of Des Plaines. It is reserved for students admitted to the Associate Degree Nursing program, so it is a ladder credential rather than a free-standing LPN track. Average net price after aid is about $7,401.
Practical Nursing (PN), Certificate — On-Campus
City Colleges of Chicago-Malcolm X College
Malcolm X College's 49-credit Advanced Certificate in Practical Nursing sits on Chicago's Near West Side, roughly 17 miles southeast of Des Plaines. Admission is selective, with a 2.5 GPA minimum, prerequisites, and a TEAS score of at least 60 percent. Credits transfer into higher nursing degrees. Average net price after aid is about $7,220.
Practical Nursing, Advanced Certificate — On-Campus
Ambria College of Nursing
Ambria College of Nursing in Hoffman Estates runs a 12-month LPN program with day and evening classes, roughly 15 miles northwest of Des Plaines. It is approved by the Illinois Board of Higher Education and offers an LPN-to-RN bridge for later advancement. Median earnings for graduates ten years after entry are reported at about $67,290.
LPN Program, Certificate or Diploma — On-Campus
Verve College
Verve College in Oak Brook blends classroom work, on-campus PN labs, and hospital externships in a 12 to 14 month program, about 20 miles south of Des Plaines. Day, evening, and weekend schedules plus rolling start dates suit career changers. Published program tuition is $24,995, and one NCLEX-PN attempt is included.
Practical Nurse (PN) program, Certificate or Diploma — Hybrid
Americare Technical School
Americare Technical School sits in Park Ridge, about 5 miles southeast of Des Plaines, the closest campus to the city. Its hybrid Practical Nursing program covers pediatrics, obstetrics, and geriatrics with morning, evening, or weekend classes. Published tuition and fees total $20,500, and financial aid is available for those who qualify.
