Mississippi's rural hospitals and long-term care facilities are absorbing a wave of retiring LPNs faster than most counties can replace them, and fifteen approved practical nursing programs at fourteen community colleges now fill that gap. Tuition across those programs swings from under $3,000 to over $10,000 depending on campus and residency status, while formats range from daytime cohorts to evening and hybrid tracks built for working adults.
That spread creates a real decision point in LPN/LVN Program Admissions: a cheaper program isn't automatically the faster or better one, and a hybrid schedule that fits your job might mean a longer wait for clinical seats.
What follows breaks down where those tradeoffs actually show up, program by program.
Top LPN Programs in Mississippi: 2027 Rankings
Mississippi's practical nursing pipeline runs almost entirely through its community college system, where tuition stays low and clinical partners sit close to campus. The eight schools below range from four-campus networks with evening and weekend cohorts to single-site programs carrying national accreditation and unusually strong licensure results, and several are adding seats in 2026. Program-level earnings are not yet published for most of these LPN certificates, so where a college reports its own wage or placement figures, the card says so.
How we ranked these
- Median graduate debt weighted most heavily
- Net price and overall affordability
- Institutional graduation rates
- Graduate earnings after completion
- Program length and completion speed
- 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
Southwest Mississippi Community College
Southwest Mississippi Community College in Summit runs a practical nursing certificate that can be finished in three semesters, with clinical rotations spread across hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and home health agencies. The program holds full accreditation from the Mississippi Board of Nursing, awarded in 2026 for an eight-year term. It is a full-time, cohort-based path built on a 48-credit curriculum, and the college also offers an LPN-to-RN transition option for graduates who want to keep going without leaving southwest Mississippi.
Practical Nursing, Certificate or Diploma — On-Campus
Copiah-Lincoln Community College
Copiah-Lincoln Community College offers its practical nursing program at three Mississippi locations, Wesson, Natchez, and the Simpson County Center, making it one of the more geographically accessible options in the southwest and central part of the state. The three-semester career certificate blends classroom work with clinical rotations at nearby healthcare facilities. Admission is competitive and scored by rubric, and the college created a Division of Nursing and Allied Health in 2026 while adding a new LPN-to-RN accelerated track.
Practical Nursing, Certificate or Diploma — On-Campus
Itawamba Community College
Itawamba Community College admits practical nursing students twice a year at its Tupelo site, with August and January cohorts feeding a steady pipeline into northeast Mississippi hospitals, physician offices, and long-term care facilities. The three-semester certificate keeps classes small, with a 15-to-1 student-to-teacher ratio, and requires Anatomy and Physiology I and II before nursing courses begin. Advanced placement and challenge exam options let students move more efficiently into the college's registered nursing programs.
Practical Nursing, Certificate or Diploma — On-Campus
East Central Community College
East Central Community College in Decatur opened a dedicated practical nursing facility in 2026 with support from AccelerateMS, adding seats to a program that serves one of the state's more rural districts. Training covers the nursing process, evidence-based practice, and legal and ethical responsibilities, with clinical work in hospitals, clinics, and long-term care settings. The college also runs LPN-to-ADN and accelerated ADN options, so graduates can continue their education locally.
Practical Nursing (PN), Certificate or Diploma — On-Campus
Meridian Community College
Meridian Community College runs a one-year practical nursing certificate and is one of only two PN programs in Mississippi holding national accreditation from ACEN. Cohorts are small, and the college reports a 98% first-time NCLEX-PN pass rate along with full job placement for recent graduates. Admission is competitive but flexible on testing, accepting ACT or ACCUPLACER scores, and the curriculum covers IV therapy, maternal-child nursing, and mental health.
Practical Nursing, Certificate or Diploma — On-Campus
Jones County Junior College
Jones College in Ellisville delivers practical nursing on a full-time, three-semester schedule and a part-time evening track that runs five semesters, with a second site at the Jasper County Center in Bay Springs. Clinical rotations cover fundamentals, IV therapy, adult health, maternal-child nursing, and mental health. Selection is points-based, weighing ACT and ATI TEAS scores, GPA, and prior coursework, and readmission provisions exist for students transferring from other nursing programs.
Practical Nursing, Certificate or Diploma — On-Campus
East Mississippi Community College
East Mississippi Community College offers its one-year practical nursing certificate at the Scooba and Golden Triangle campuses, giving students in the eastern part of the state two entry points into the field. The curriculum combines classroom instruction, skills labs, and clinicals in anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, maternal-child nursing, mental health, and medical-surgical nursing. Enrollment is limited and competitive, and the college routes applicants through a general nursing application before a separate PN application.
Practical Nursing One-Year Certificate — On-Campus
Northwest Mississippi Community College
Northwest Mississippi Community College operates practical nursing at four sites, Senatobia, Ashland, DeSoto, and Oxford, with day and evening/weekend tracks that finish in 12 or 18 months. The program requires no prerequisite courses, which lowers the barrier for career changers, though admission is competitive and uses the HESI entrance exam. Graduates can step into the college's LPN-to-RN transition offerings without leaving northwest Mississippi.
Nursing - Practical (LPN), Certificate or Diploma — On-Campus
Most Affordable Top LPN Programs in Mississippi, 2027 Rankings
Mississippi's community colleges keep LPN tuition notably low, with several programs coming in well under $5,000 for in-state students. The five most affordable options from our ranked pool are listed below. Tuition figures reflect in-state rates reported to the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS, 2024).
| School | City | In-State Tuition | Program Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi Delta Community College | Moorhead | $3,540 | On campus, 3 semesters |
| Southwest Mississippi Community College | Summit | $4,080 | On campus, 3 semesters |
| Copiah-Lincoln Community College | Wesson | $4,200 | On campus, 3 semesters |
| East Mississippi Community College | Scooba | $4,095 | On campus, 1 year |
| Hinds Community College | Raymond | $4,250 | On campus, 3 semesters (full-time and part-time options) |
NCLEX-PN Pass Rates at Mississippi LPN Schools
The table below shows first-time NCLEX-PN pass rates for Mississippi's approved LPN programs, drawn from the Annual Report for Mississippi Nursing Degree Programs published by the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning. These figures reflect the 2024 testing year. A consistently high pass rate signals that a program's curriculum, faculty, and clinical training are doing their job: preparing graduates to pass the licensing exam on the first attempt. That said, pass rates should never be your only filter. Weigh them alongside tuition costs, program length, and clinical placement quality to get the fullest picture of what a school can actually deliver.
| School Name | NCLEX-PN First-Time Pass Rate | Testing Year |
|---|---|---|
| East Central Community College | 100% | 2024 |
| Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College | 100% | 2024 |
| Southwest Mississippi Community College | 100% | 2024 |
| Pearl River Community College | 96.77% | 2024 |
| Copiah-Lincoln Community College | 91.30% | 2024 |
| Mississippi Delta Community College | 90.24% | 2024 |
| Coahoma Community College | 88% | 2024 |
| Alcorn State University | 78.05% | 2024 |
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Accelerated and Short-Length LPN Programs in Mississippi
Most LPN certificate programs in Mississippi follow a standard 12-month timeline, but a handful of schools compress the curriculum into three semesters or roughly 9 to 10 months of instruction. Keep in mind that accelerated schedules typically require full-time, year-round enrollment with summer terms included, so plan for an intensive academic pace with limited breaks.
| School | City | Program Length | Format | In-State Tuition | Key Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Itawamba Community College | Fulton | 3 semesters (approx. 12 months) | Campus | $3,420 | Two start dates per year (fall and spring); entrance exam required |
| Meridian Community College | Meridian | 1 year (46 credit hours) | Campus | $4,078 | ACEN accredited; 98% licensure pass rate reported; TEAS exam required |
| East Mississippi Community College | Scooba | 1 year | Campus | $4,095 | Fall start only (August); minimum ACT composite of 16 required |
Hybrid and Online LPN Options in Mississippi
Fully online versus hybrid delivery is one of the most common comparisons prospective LPN students make when evaluating Hybrid LPN Programs, yet in Mississippi the choice is straightforward: no community college in the state offers a fully online practical nursing program, and that is unlikely to change anytime soon. The Mississippi Board of Nursing requires in-person skills labs, simulation sessions, and supervised LPN/LVN Clinical Rotations, which means every LPN student will spend significant time on campus or at a clinical site regardless of how theory courses are delivered.
Holmes Community College: The Clearest Hybrid Option
Holmes Community College stands out as the only Mississippi LPN program that explicitly markets a hybrid track. All lecture coursework is delivered online, while labs and clinical rotations take place on campus and at local healthcare facilities. The trade-off for that flexibility is pace: the Holmes hybrid track runs five semesters and admits a new cohort every other fall, so timing your application matters. Students still complete the same clinical hours as any traditional cohort; the hybrid label applies only to the didactic portion of the curriculum.
Hinds Community College: Selective Online Coursework
Hinds Community College makes select theory courses available online, though its program is not formally structured as a hybrid curriculum. The bulk of instruction, including all clinical and skills-lab work, remains face-to-face. Hinds does open its Health Sciences Complex in fall 2026, which may expand simulation capacity, but the college has not announced any shift toward a broader hybrid format.
What About Other Schools?
Across the remaining Community College Nursing Programs in the state, including Copiah-Lincoln, Itawamba, Pearl River, Mississippi Gulf Coast, and others, LPN programs are delivered on campus with no documented online or hybrid component. Some institutions offer online courses at the college level for general education, but those do not extend to the nursing curriculum.
Setting Realistic Expectations
If your schedule demands maximum flexibility, Holmes is currently the strongest fit in Mississippi. Beyond that, look for programs with evening, weekend, or part-time clinical scheduling, such as those at Northwest Mississippi or Pearl River, which can reduce daytime campus commitments even when all instruction is in person.
Steps to Earning Your LPN License in Mississippi
Mississippi's path from classroom to clinical practice follows a clear, board-regulated sequence. Budget roughly $335 in state and testing fees on top of tuition, and plan for a criminal background check before you can sit for the exam.
Mississippi LPN Licensure: NCLEX-PN, Compact Status, and Renewal
How many questions are on the NCLEX-PN, and what happens if Mississippi changes its renewal deadlines again? Here is what graduates need to know before they sit for boards.
Passing the NCLEX-PN
The NCLEX-PN is a computer adaptive test, meaning the difficulty of each question shifts based on how you answer the one before it. The exam length varies by candidate, typically running between 85 and 150 scored items within a five-hour testing window. There is no fixed percentage score to pass. Instead, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing determines whether your ability level, calculated in real time as you test, lands above or below the current passing standard. Once you pass, the Mississippi Board of Nursing issues your license, which can serve as a foundation for LPN to RN programs in Mississippi.
Multistate Practice Under the Compact
Mississippi participates in the Nurse Licensure Compact, which allows an LPN holding a Mississippi license to practice in other compact member states under LPN/LVN Reciprocity without applying for a separate license in each one, provided your primary residence is in Mississippi and you meet each state's practice requirements. This matters if you plan to work near a state line or take travel assignments, but scope of practice still follows the rules of whatever state you are physically working in.
Renewal, CE, and Fees
Mississippi LPN licenses run on a two-year cycle, expiring December 31 of odd-numbered years, with renewal opening September 1 that same year. Most actively practicing LPNs owe no continuing education for routine renewal. If you have been out of practice for five years or more, the Board requires 20 contact hours completed in the two years immediately before you apply, or an alternative such as three semester hours of nursing coursework. Renewal is completed online through the Board's licensing portal, and late renewal triggers an administrative penalty on top of the standard fee.
Background Checks
Initial licensure and reinstatement both require a criminal background check, including fingerprinting, submitted through the Board's approved vendor before your application is considered complete.
What LPNs Earn Across Mississippi's Metro Areas
Mississippi's statewide median annual wage for LPNs sits around $50,220, based on the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data available. That trails the national median by roughly $4,000 to $5,000, which is consistent with the state's lower overall cost of living. Among individual metro areas, Hattiesburg stands out for an unusually high concentration of LPN jobs (a location quotient of 2.48), reflecting strong demand from regional hospitals and long-term care facilities. Detailed metro-level wage breakdowns for Jackson, Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, and other Mississippi metros have not yet been published in an accessible format for the most recent reporting period, so the table below includes statewide figures alongside the Hattiesburg data that is available.
| Area | Total Employment | 25th Percentile (Annual) | Median Annual Wage | 75th Percentile (Annual) | Mean Annual Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi (Statewide) | 9,850 | $46,790 | $50,220 | $58,030 | $51,450 |
| Hattiesburg, MS | 640 | Not yet reported | $46,240 | Not yet reported | $45,210 |
| Jackson, MS | Not yet reported | Not yet reported | Not yet reported | Not yet reported | Not yet reported |
| Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS | Not yet reported | Not yet reported | Not yet reported | Not yet reported | Not yet reported |
LPN Certificate vs. Associate Degree: Choosing the Right Credential
The real choice isn't certificate versus degree so much as speed now versus ceiling later. A practical nursing certificate gets you working in about 12 months, while an associate-level nursing pathway takes roughly twice as long but opens the door to registered nurse scope of practice and higher long-term earning potential , a gap driven by the differences between LPN and RN programs.
Most Mississippi community colleges award a certificate for their LPN track, not an associate degree. That distinction matters for transfer planning and for how future employers or bridge programs will read your transcript , a key factor when choosing the right LPN/LVN bridge program.
Cost, Time, and Scope Tradeoffs
- Time to completion: LPN certificate programs run about 12 months; ADN programs typically span two years or more.
- Cost: Certificate programs generally cost less upfront since they involve fewer general education credits.
- Scope of practice: LPNs work under RN or physician supervision, handling bedside care, medication administration, and monitoring. RNs take on assessment, care planning, and supervisory duties.
- Career ceiling: An ADN or BSN opens management, specialty, and higher-paying roles that most LPN certificates don't reach on their own.
Bridging From LPN to RN
If you start with a certificate, Mississippi offers a genuine path upward through LPN to ADN programs. East Central Community College runs an LPN to ADN Transition Program requiring a current unencumbered license, a year of clinical experience, a 2.00 GPA, and prerequisite coursework in anatomy, microbiology, and composition. Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College offers a hybrid LPN-to-RN option combining face-to-face and distance coursework. Pearl River Community College provides day and evening/weekend LPN-to-ADN formats for licensed LPNs. Holmes Community College has an accelerated pathway for LPNs and paramedics that can move toward an ADN in as little as 12 months under one option. Southwest Mississippi Community College grants advanced placement into the second year of its ADN program after a six-credit transition course, with fall and spring admission. East Mississippi and Northwest Mississippi Community Colleges also list LPN-to-RN transition tracks worth investigating directly.
Starting as an LPN doesn't lock you out of becoming an RN, it just changes the order of operations.
More LPN Schools in Mississippi Worth Considering
The programs ranked above are not the only route into practical nursing in Mississippi. The schools below are presented as a directory rather than a ranking, so you can weigh geography, schedule, and cost against your own situation. All of them lead to the NCLEX-PN and sit within the same state licensure framework.
Central Mississippi
- Practical Nursing
- Practical Nursing
Mississippi Delta
- Practical Nursing
South Mississippi
- Practical Nursing
- Practical Nursing
- Medical Assistant to LPN
Northeast Mississippi
- Practical Nursing Education
