Ann Arbor employs thousands of health care workers through Michigan Medicine and St. Joseph Mercy, yet no campus inside city limits currently runs a state-approved practical nursing program. That gap is the first thing applicants need to plan around, not discover later. The nearest cohorts sit in Livonia, Monroe, Jackson, and the Detroit suburbs, typically 30 to 60 minutes out, running 12 to 18 months depending on schedule format.
Tuition swings from under $2,000 a year at some community colleges to well over $15,000 at private career schools offering faster start dates.
That cost and distance spread means picking a program by proximity alone often costs more in tuition or time than driving an extra 20 minutes for a better-run cohort.
LPN Schools in and Near Ann Arbor, Michigan
Below are the top practical nursing programs serving Ann Arbor students, ordered with the commuting student from the 48103 ZIP in mind: net price after aid, how many students finish, published debt, and whether the campus is a realistic drive or offers a hybrid format. Some of these schools sit a short run down I-94 or US-23 in neighboring counties, while others pull students into Detroit or down toward the Ohio line. Each entry below covers a practical nursing program that prepares graduates for the NCLEX-PN, with state approval status noted where it matters.
How we ranked these
- Median graduate debt load
- Institution-wide graduation rates
- Net price after student aid
- Program accreditation and state approval
- Delivery format and commuting distance
- 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
Schoolcraft Community College District
Schoolcraft College's Practical Nursing Certificate runs at the Livonia Main Campus, a straight shot east of Ann Arbor along I-94, with clinical sessions on day or afternoon shifts and two start terms a year. Coursework covers pharmacology, foundations of nursing, medical-surgical nursing, and maternal-child nursing, and graduates sit for the NCLEX-PN before moving into long-term care, hospital, medical office, or home health roles. For a commuter from 48103, the deciding number is cost: the average net price after aid at Schoolcraft is the lowest of any program on this list, and reported median graduate debt is among the lowest here. The program is approved by the Michigan Board of Nursing and accredited by ACEN.
- ACEN accredited and approved by the Michigan Board of Nursing
- Fall and winter start terms
- Clinical sessions on day or afternoon shifts
- Minimum grade of 80% required in nursing courses
- Prerequisite courses required before admission
- Criminal background check required for clinical placement
- Offered at the Livonia Main Campus
- Foundation for progression to registered nursing
Nursing: Practical Certificate (PN) — On-Campus
Monroe County Community College
The Practical Nursing Certificate at Monroe County Community College is a limited-enrollment, ACEN-accredited program with a single application cycle each year, mixing classroom instruction, lab practice, and clinical rotations in hospitals, nursing homes, and community settings. A PN to RN bridge lets graduates keep moving toward registered nursing without starting their education over, a real advantage for anyone who plans to advance past the LPN role. In-state tuition keeps the average net price after aid at about $4,600, and the program holds full approval from the Michigan Board of Nursing. The trade-off is a drive southeast of Ann Arbor rather than a campus inside the city.
- ACEN accredited, Michigan Board of Nursing approved
- One application cycle per year, limited enrollment
- Classroom, lab, and clinical training
- PN to RN bridge pathway available
- Prepares graduates for LPN roles in hospitals and nursing homes
- Holds initial ACEN accreditation
Nursing: Practical, Certificate — On-Campus
Athena Career Academy
Athena Career Academy in Toledo runs a Practical Nursing diploma in about one year of day classes, with a 16-month evening option for students who work. Tuition is bundled, covering books, uniforms, lab fees, and the on-site simulation lab, and there are four start dates a year with no entrance exam. The average net price after aid sits near $22,900, higher than the Michigan community college options here, and the program carries Ohio Board of Nursing approval rather than Michigan approval, so confirm how that lines up with your licensing plans.
- Approved by the Ohio Board of Nursing
- One-year day program or 16-month evening option
- Four start dates per year
- No entrance exam required
- All-inclusive tuition covers books, uniforms, and lab fees
- On-site simulation lab plus clinical practicum
- Coursework includes pharmacology, obstetrics, pediatrics, geriatrics, IV therapy
- Prepares graduates for the NCLEX-PN
Practical Nursing (LPN), Certificate or Diploma — On-Campus
Abcott Institute
Abcott Institute's Practical Nurse program in Southfield is a 67-credit, roughly 12-month certificate taught by Michigan-licensed RNs who hold at least a BSN. Students train in on-site nursing labs that mimic clinical settings and complete supervised rotations at off-campus facilities, then sit for the NCLEX-PN. The program is approved by the Michigan Board of Nursing and accredited by the Council on Occupational Education, and it requires the TEAS entrance exam. Textbooks, uniforms, and the licensing exam fee are built into the cost, though the average net price after aid is higher than the community college options here.
- Council on Occupational Education accredited
- Approved by the Michigan Board of Nursing
- About 12 months, 67 credit hours across 16 courses
- TEAS entrance exam required
- Hands-on nursing labs plus off-campus clinical rotations
- Faculty are Michigan licensed RNs with at least a BSN
- Textbooks, uniforms, and licensing exam fee included
- Job placement assistance and tutoring available
Practical Nurse Program, Certificate or Diploma — On-Campus
Dorsey College
Dorsey College runs an ACEN-accredited Practical Nurse certificate at five Michigan campuses, including Madison Heights, Roseville, Saginaw, Wayne, and Woodhaven, each covering about a year of classroom and clinical training. The curriculum spans medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, medical math, mental health concepts, and medical-surgical, maternal, newborn, pediatric, and geriatric nursing. Tuition is consistent across the Michigan campuses, and career services are available to completers. Madison Heights is the longest haul of the three Dorsey locations in this list, so students on Ann Arbor's west side may want to compare the Wayne and Woodhaven sites before committing.
- ACEN accredited one-year certificate
- Campus options include Madison Heights, Roseville, Saginaw, Wayne, Woodhaven
- Coursework in pharmacology, medical math, and mental health concepts
- Clinical training in medical-surgical, maternal, pediatric, and geriatric care
- NCLEX-PN preparation included
- Financial aid available for those who qualify
- Career services assistance for completers
Practical Nurse Certificate — On-Campus
Detroit Business Institute-Downriver
The Practical Nurse certificate at Detroit Business Institute-Downriver compresses 61.5 quarter credits and about 1,155 hours of classroom, lab, and supervised clinical training into roughly a year, with clinical time in hospitals, long-term care settings, and clinics. Admission requires an ATI TEAS assessment, a criminal background check, and current AHA BLS certification. The school states that Michigan Board of Nursing approval is still pending, with a tentative start in late fall 2026, so confirm the current approval status before you plan your life around a start date.
- 61.5 quarter credits completed in about one year
- 1,155 total hours of classroom, laboratory, and clinical training
- Clinical training in long-term care, hospitals, and clinics
- ATI TEAS entrance assessment required
- Criminal background check and AHA BLS certification required
- Michigan Board of Nursing approval pending, tentative start late fall 2026
- Prepares graduates for the NCLEX-PN
Practical Nurse, Certificate or Diploma — On-Campus
Professional Skills Institute
Professional Skills Institute in Maumee, Ohio, delivers its Practical Nurse diploma in 48 weeks using a hybrid format: lectures online, labs on campus, and 270 hours of clinical work in area medical facilities, plus a required capstone. Class sizes are small, instructors are registered nurses, and the program builds in simulation practice, open lab time, and day or evening sections. It is ACEN accredited and approved by the Ohio Board of Nursing. The average net price after aid is around $20,700, and reported median graduate debt is the highest among the programs listed here, so total cost deserves a close look.
- ACEN accredited and approved by the Ohio Board of Nursing
- 48-week diploma finished in under a year
- Hybrid delivery with online lectures and on-campus labs
- 270 clinical hours plus a required capstone
- Simulation training with manikins and open lab time
- Day and evening classes with small cohorts
- Instructors are registered nurses
- Continues to RN and BSN programs
Practical Nurse Diploma — On-Campus
Dorsey College-Woodhaven
Dorsey College's Woodhaven campus offers the same ACEN-accredited Practical Nurse certificate as the rest of the chain, about one year of classroom instruction plus hands-on clinical training with diverse patient populations. Coursework covers medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, practical nursing fundamentals, medical math, pharmacology, mental health concepts, and medical, surgical, maternal, newborn, pediatric, and geriatric nursing. The campus sits south of Detroit in Woodhaven, an easy run down I-275 and I-75 from Ann Arbor, and career services are offered to completers even though job placement is not guaranteed. The average net price after aid is among the highest reported in this list.
- ACEN accredited one-year certificate at the Woodhaven campus
- Covers medical terminology, anatomy, pharmacology, and medical math
- Includes maternal, newborn, pediatric, and geriatric nursing
- Hands-on clinical training with diverse patient populations
- NCLEX-PN exam preparation included
- Career services offered, job placement not guaranteed
Practical Nurse Certificate — On-Campus
Dorsey College-Wayne
Dorsey College's Wayne campus teaches the same ACEN-accredited Practical Nurse certificate as the other Michigan locations, blending classroom instruction with clinical training over about a year. Students cover medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, medical math, and nursing fundamentals, then move into medical, surgical, maternal, newborn, pediatric, and geriatric care, with emphasis on critical thinking and patient education. This is one of the closest Dorsey sites to Ann Arbor, and completers get career services support for roles in hospitals, nursing homes, and home health. Reported median graduate debt is around $13,000.
- ACEN accredited one-year certificate at the Wayne campus
- Classroom instruction plus hands-on clinical training
- Coursework in pharmacology, medication delivery, and medical math
- Covers medical, surgical, maternal, newborn, pediatric, geriatric nursing
- Emphasis on critical thinking, patient education, and team nursing
- Career services for completers seeking hospital, nursing home, or home health roles
Practical Nurse Certificate — On-Campus
Wayne County Community College District
Wayne County Community College District's Practical Nursing Program is a 12-month certificate that pairs prerequisite coursework with anatomy, fundamentals, pharmacology, medical-surgical nursing, mental health, and maternal-infant and pediatric care. Students practice in a simulation lab with high-fidelity manikins and complete clinical rotations in long-term care, hospitals, and community settings, with HESI entrance and exit exams tracking progress. Tuition and fees at the district are low, putting the average net price after aid second lowest on this list, which offsets the longer drive into Detroit from Washtenaw County.
- ACEN accredited 12-month certificate
- 40 total credit hours plus prerequisite courses
- HESI entrance and exit exams used to track progress
- Simulation lab with high-fidelity manikins
- Clinical rotations in long-term care, hospitals, and community settings
- Multi-Learning Lab tutoring and early academic intervention
- Graduation pinning ceremony and honors recognition
Practical Nursing Program, Certificate or Diploma — On-Campus
What Ann Arbor Itself Offers vs. What's a Short Drive Away
Staying in Ann Arbor versus driving to another county is the real fork in the road for practical nursing applicants. Ann Arbor has strong nursing education, but not every option leads to initial LPN licensure.
What Ann Arbor has and does not have
Washtenaw Community College does not currently run an entry-level practical nursing program for new students. Its current nursing offerings are a Nursing Assistant Skills Training certificate, a generic Registered Nurse AAS, and a Licensed Practical Nurse to Registered Nurse bridge AAS. The LPN to RN in Michigan bridge is a full-time program for people who already hold an active Michigan LPN license, requires about 60 credits, admits roughly eight students per year, and starts in Spring or Summer. That makes WCC a strong option for working LPNs moving toward RN, not for someone seeking initial LPN training.
Ross Medical Education Center's Ann Arbor campus on Washtenaw Avenue does not list practical nursing among its current Ann Arbor programs. Ross's Practical Nursing Program is assigned to specific Ohio campuses, including Canton, Cincinnati, Dayton, Elyria, Niles, and Sylvania. Ann Arbor students should treat the campus as an allied health option, not an LPN program unless the school formally adds the program there.
The University of Michigan School of Nursing is also not an LPN pathway. U of M nursing starts at the bachelor's level and above, so aspiring LPNs should not plan on Ann Arbor's flagship university for initial practical nursing.
Where Ann Arbor applicants actually commute
The more realistic entry-level LPN programs in Michigan sit in surrounding counties. Practical nursing programs in Livonia, Monroe, Jackson, and the Wayne/Detroit metro suburbs are all within roughly a 35- to 55-minute drive from Ann Arbor depending on traffic. Livonia sits about 35 to 40 minutes east, Monroe roughly 45 to 55 minutes south, Jackson about 45 to 55 minutes west, and the Wayne/Detroit suburbs around 35 to 45 minutes east.
The decision rule
If staying in Washtenaw County is the priority, expect a CNA-then-ADN route through Washtenaw Community College's nursing assistant and registered nursing offerings, not an initial LPN. If the LPN credential specifically is the goal, plan on commuting.
Quick Answers for Ann Arbor LPN Applicants
Three questions come up in almost every advising conversation with prospective practical nursing students in Washtenaw County. Here are direct answers based on what area programs and the Michigan Board of Nursing actually require.
Does Washtenaw Community College offer an LPN program?
No. Washtenaw Community College does not enroll new pre-licensure practical nursing students. Its nursing offering for LPNs is an LPN to RN bridge program (Associate in Applied Science), which prepares graduates for the NCLEX-RN and admits only currently licensed LPNs with at least 2,080 hours of recent LPN employment. If you are starting from scratch, you will need to apply to a practical nursing program elsewhere in the region, such as the best LPN programs in Detroit, and commute.
How long does it take to become an LPN in the Ann Arbor area?
Full-time practical nursing programs in Michigan generally run about 10 to 18 months of coursework and clinicals, with most falling in the 12-month range. Part-time and evening tracks typically take 18 to 24 months. After graduation you still must pass the NCLEX-PN and receive your license from the Michigan Board of Nursing, which pushes the part-time total timeline closer to 20 to 26 months.
Can I keep working while I'm in practical nursing school?
Part-time and evening cohorts are built for working adults and usually ask for 20 to 25 hours per week of class, lab, and study time, and many students hold CNA or other healthcare support jobs throughout. The catch is clinical rotations, which are often scheduled during weekday day shifts regardless of cohort format, so expect to trade shifts. Full-time programs rarely leave room for more than limited part-time hours.
Program Length, Schedule Format, and Upcoming Start Dates Compared
Practical nursing cohorts around Washtenaw County do not run on a shared calendar, and that matters more than most applicants expect. Monroe County Community College and Jackson College both admit once a year for a January start, but their application deadlines sit four months apart, so missing one does not automatically mean missing the other. Schoolcraft and the Dorsey campuses publish less detail publicly, which means a direct call to the nursing office is the only reliable way to pin down a seat.
| Program / School | Location & Approx. Drive from Ann Arbor | Program Length | Schedule Formats Offered | Next Cohort Start / Application Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schoolcraft College Practical Nursing Certificate (PN) | Livonia Main Campus, Livonia, MI. Roughly 35 to 40 minutes by car from 48103. | PN certificate is earned after the first year plus a summer course within the Nursing Career Ladder Curriculum. | Campus-based coursework with clinical sessions scheduled on day or afternoon shifts. | A September 2026 start is listed for the related nursing track; a specific 2026 practical nursing application deadline is not published. Confirm directly with the nursing office. |
| Monroe County Community College Practical Nursing (PN) Program | Monroe, MI. Roughly 45 to 55 minutes by car from 48103. | One calendar year, running January through December from the first practical nursing course. | Admits up to 24 students each year in January. Day, evening, or weekend track options are not described in college materials. | Completed application and all supporting requirements are due by the second Monday in June each year. Accepted students begin practical nursing coursework in the winter (January) semester. |
| Jackson College Practical Nursing Certificate (PN-C) | Jackson, MI. Roughly 45 to 55 minutes by car from 48103. | Begins in January each year and concludes in May of the following year. | Certificate program. Full-time versus part-time and evening or weekend tracks are not specified by the college. | Application and transcripts must be received by October 1. The program starts in January (spring semester) each year. |
| Dorsey College Practical Nurse Program, Wayne Campus | 35005 Michigan Avenue, Wayne, MI 48184. Roughly 35 to 45 minutes by car from 48103. | Program length in months or semesters is not stated in available program documentation. | Approved by the Michigan Board of Nursing. Specific full-time, part-time, evening, or weekend formats are not published. | Application deadlines and cohort start dates are not published. Contact the campus for current enrollment windows. |
| Dorsey College Practical Nurse Program, Woodhaven Campus | 19870 West Road, Woodhaven, MI 48183. Roughly 35 to 45 minutes by car from 48103. | Program length in months or semesters is not stated in available program documentation. | Approved by the Michigan Board of Nursing. Specific full-time, part-time, evening, or weekend formats are not published. | Application deadlines and cohort start dates are not published. Contact the campus for current enrollment windows. |
What LPN Training Costs Near Ann Arbor
After grant and scholarship aid, Macomb Community College reports an institution-wide average net price of about $1,618 a year. Schoolcraft College sits near $2,260, Monroe County Community College near $4,586, Jackson College near $7,761, and Wayne County Community College District near $7,656. Owens Community College, across the Ohio line, averages about $10,369. Think of these as campus-wide averages after aid, not exact LPN program quotes, but they frame the public community college range before program fees and supplies.
Why the community college and private career college numbers look different
Public community colleges near Ann Arbor generally price by credit hour and residency status, so a Washtenaw County resident may see one rate at Washtenaw Community College and a different out-of-district rate at Schoolcraft, Monroe, or Jackson. Private career college options in the region more often sell a bundled total program price that includes labs, uniforms, advising, and some fees. Compare total cost, not per-credit cost, when a private option quotes a single number next to a public program's per-credit figure. Even among public schools, marketing can quote a bundle: Macomb highlights a $12,000 total program tuition, Owens highlights $7,200, while net price after aid is far lower for many students.
What you will actually owe
At the school level, median debt at completion ranges from about $6,000 at Macomb to about $16,700 at Owens. Monroe, Wayne County, and Jackson fall between roughly $12,100 and $13,900. Program-specific 10-year monthly payment figures are not yet reported for these LPN programs, but a $12,000 loan balance is a real monthly line item after graduation, especially if you add childcare or lost income during a full-time clinical term.
Costs tuition never includes
- Uniforms and clinical shoes
- Stethoscope
- Background check and drug screen
- Immunizations and titers
- Textbooks and online access codes
- Liability insurance
Michigan residents at public colleges should compare in-district and out-of-district rates. Washtenaw County residents are typically out-of-district at Schoolcraft, Monroe, and Jackson, which can add hundreds or thousands of dollars to the same credential. Confirm residency status before assuming the lowest published rate applies.
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Admission Requirements at Area Practical Nursing Programs
No two practical nursing programs near Ann Arbor screen applicants the same way, and the differences matter more than most applicants expect. Community college programs tend to front-load college-level science prerequisites, while private career colleges build that content into the curriculum. Requirements also shift between catalog years, so confirm every item directly with the school before you pay for an exam or a transcript evaluation.
- High school diploma or GEDEvery program in the area requires a diploma or equivalency, and Dorsey College, which admits without college prerequisites, has historically looked for a GED score around 660 with no subcategory below 165.
- Minimum GPAMonroe County Community College's 2026 checklist sets a 2.7 cumulative GPA, Schoolcraft College's nursing application materials point to a 2.5, and Jackson College lists a 2.0 overall but expects at least a 2.5 in the prerequisite biology course.
- Prerequisite courseworkSchoolcraft expects human anatomy and physiology (B or better), a 100-level math, and introductory psychology; Monroe requires Anatomy and Physiology I with a C or higher plus English and math placement; Jackson requires its anatomy and physiology sequence; Dorsey embeds this content in the certificate instead.
- Entrance examSchoolcraft, Monroe, and Dorsey all use the ATI TEAS, Monroe publishes an overall 50 on Version 7, Dorsey a 42 taken at its own testing site within the past year, and Schoolcraft's published section benchmarks have varied by document, generally clustering in the 50s to upper 60s, while Jackson College's current practical nursing page lists the Kaplan Admissions Test with a 52% composite, replacing an earlier HESI A2 requirement.
- Background check and drug screenSchoolcraft, Jackson, and Dorsey all document criminal background checks and/or negative urine drug screens, and marijuana remains disqualifying at clinical sites even though it is legal in Michigan; assume both apply everywhere, since clinical partners, not the colleges, set the rule.
- Health clearancesMonroe requires an initial two-step negative tuberculin skin test with annual follow-up, and all area programs require a physical exam and a full immunization record before clinical placement, though the exact vaccine lists are not published in full.
- CPR certificationCurrent provider-level CPR with hands-on skills verification is standard, Dorsey specifies American Heart Association BLS, and Monroe requires certification that includes in-person skills check-off.
- Application timing and selectionJackson College lists an October 1 application deadline, Dorsey charges a $200 application fee, and seats at the community college programs are limited enough that qualifying is not the same as being admitted, apply as early in the cycle as your prerequisites allow.
Michigan Board of Nursing Approval and Why It Matters More Than Rankings
State approval, not a national accreditation logo, is what actually lets you sit for the NCLEX-PN in Michigan. Every other credential a school advertises is secondary to that single question: is this specific program on the Michigan Board of Nursing's approved list right now?
Approval vs. Accreditation
These are two different things, and only one gates your license. The Michigan Board of Nursing (through LARA) approves practical nursing programs as the entry point on the LPN career path. Michigan LPN graduates must complete a Board-approved program (or an out-of-state equivalent) within three years of graduation to be eligible for the NCLEX-PN. If a program is not Board-approved, its graduates cannot test in Michigan, full stop.
National accreditation, such as ACEN or NLN CNEA, is voluntary. It signals a program has passed an external quality review, but it does not by itself grant NCLEX-PN eligibility. In the local landscape, Monroe County Community College's practical nursing certificate carries ACEN accreditation, while Jackson College holds NLN CNEA accreditation. Most other Board-approved programs in southeast Michigan carry state approval without a stated national accreditor, which is common and does not make them illegitimate.
Verify Before You Pay
The Board publishes its approved programs as periodic PDF lists (there were multiple 2026 updates), so a school approved last year is not automatically approved this year. Before you put down a deposit:
- Ask the school for its exact program name as it appears on the current Board list.
- Confirm a private, proprietary school is licensed as a Michigan proprietary school in addition to the program being Board-approved. Both boxes matter.
- Check institutional accreditation separately. It affects federal financial aid eligibility and whether your credits transfer into an LPN to RN bridge (ADN or BSN) later.
The Red Flag to Watch
Be wary of any school that advertises itself as "accredited" without naming the accreditor or stating its Michigan Board approval status. Vague accreditation language is the single most common way applicants get burned. A legitimate program will tell you exactly who approves it and who, if anyone, accredits it, and will not flinch when you ask to see current documentation. Rankings and glossy marketing mean nothing if your program cannot get you to the exam.
NCLEX-PN Pass Rates at Practical Nursing Programs Near Ann Arbor
Verified first-time NCLEX-PN pass rates for the individual programs within commuting distance of Ann Arbor (Schoolcraft, Dorsey, Monroe County Community College, Jackson College) are not something we can publish here with confidence: current school-level figures were not available from the state's annual practical nursing reports at the time of writing, and we would rather say that plainly than print a number we cannot stand behind. Ask each program directly for its most recent first-time pass rate and the reporting year attached to it, then measure that against the national benchmark below. Keep cohort size in mind when you do: many practical nursing classes graduate 15 to 30 students, so two or three failures can move a program's rate by ten points, and a single soft year is not automatically a warning sign. A multi-year pattern of below-average results is.
How Much of an LPN Program Can You Actually Do Online?
Flexibility and licensure pull in opposite directions here. The more of a practical nursing program that moves to a screen, the less of it counts toward what Michigan actually requires for you to sit for the NCLEX-PN. No practical nursing program in or near Ann Arbor is fully online, and any that advertises itself that way deserves a hard second look.
What genuinely moves online
The classroom half of an LPN program adapts well to remote delivery. Programs commonly deliver these components online or in a recorded format:
- Theory coursework: fundamentals of nursing, medical-surgical concepts, growth and development, and nutrition.
- Pharmacology and dosage calculation: lecture content plus practice problem sets, often with proctored online exams.
- Documentation and charting modules: electronic health record simulations and care plan assignments.
- General education prerequisites: anatomy and physiology lecture, psychology, and English composition, frequently completed at Washtenaw Community College before you ever apply.
What cannot be done remotely
Skills lab is in person, period. You have to demonstrate sterile technique, injections, catheter insertion, and wound care on a manikin in front of an instructor who signs off. Simulation days are on campus. And clinical rotations, which run several hundred hours across long-term care, medical-surgical, and often maternal or pediatric settings, happen inside real facilities on assigned shifts.
The hybrid model a commuter should target
If you are driving in from Ypsilanti, Brighton, or Livonia, ask each program a specific question: how many days per week do I physically need to be here? The workable pattern is a hybrid LPN program with online theory paired with one or two on-campus lab days, plus clinical shifts clustered into consecutive days rather than scattered across the week. That structure lets you hold a part-time job. Scattered single clinical days at rotating sites will not.
Watch the out-of-state ads
Search "online LPN schools" and you will get paid placements from schools that are not approved by the Michigan Board of Nursing. Completing one may leave you unable to test for a Michigan license. Before you send any money, confirm the program appears on the state's approved practical nursing list.
Who Hires LPNs Around Washtenaw County
If your mental picture of LPN work starts on a hospital med-surg floor, Ann Arbor will require a shift. The metro's LPN hiring is concentrated in skilled nursing, home health, outpatient clinics, and smaller supervised settings, while the large academic hospital systems lean on RNs for most inpatient bedside roles.
Where LPN openings actually cluster
University of Michigan Health is a major Washtenaw employer and posts LPN openings across its Ann Arbor-area facilities, but much of that activity sits in ambulatory or specialty clinic roles rather than general inpatient units, reflecting the LPN in the Inpatient vs. Outpatient Setting. Trinity Health Ann Arbor Hospital and Trinity Health IHA Medical Group also appear in Washtenaw listings. Select Specialty Hospital and Forest Health Medical Center surface in post-acute and specialty care searches.
Long-term care, home health, and staffing
Skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities generate a steadier volume of LPN openings in long term care nursing. Cherry Hill Nursing and Rehab, Regency, A Villa Center, and The Orchards Michigan show up in job aggregator results, though some of these facilities are outside Washtenaw County proper. Home health agencies add another large tranche. Maxim Healthcare Services posted an Ann Arbor LPN position for pediatric and adult patients in their own homes, and Aveanna Healthcare shows 34 Michigan jobs, signaling active statewide home health hiring. Staffing firm AdvisaCare also lists an Ann Arbor LPN opening.
Michigan LPN scope shapes the options
Under Michigan's nurse practice act, an LPN works under the direction or supervision of a licensed physician, dentist, podiatrist, optometrist, or registered nurse. You do not practice independently. In practice, licensed practical nurse duties include observations, basic interventions, documenting care, and reporting changes in a patient's condition, while the supervising RN or other licensed provider retains responsibility for higher-level assessment, care planning, and independent clinical decisions. This is why LPNs are used heavily in skilled nursing and medication administration lines: the tasks fit a supervised, protocol-driven model. It also explains why a large academic medical center may hire fewer LPNs for complex inpatient units, where continuous RN-level assessment is the default.
For an Ann Arbor job search, treat the big health system career pages as one part of the search, not the whole. Pair them with direct applications to skilled nursing facilities, home health agencies, and staffing firms. School and correctional health roles exist but appear less often in current job-board snapshots. LPN demand in Washtenaw County is real, but it is distributed across settings where supervision and task-based nursing care align with the role.
What LPNs Earn in the Ann Arbor Metro
Ann Arbor-area LPN wages sit at or above the state norm, and the spread between entry-level and experienced pay is wide enough to matter when you plan your first few years on the job.
