Best LPN Programs in Durham 2026
Discover Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) programs in Durham, North Carolina with details on schools, coursework, tuition, and clinical training. Review licensing requirements and nursing career opportunities in the Durham area.
2026 Best LPN Programs in Durham, NC
Vance-Granville Community College
Henderson, NC - Public 2-Year - vgcc.edu
Certificate/Diploma - Practical Nursing
Campus Based - Visit Website
Vance-Granville Community College's Practical Nursing diploma program equips students with essential skills to provide comprehensive patient care across all age groups under RN supervision. Emphasizing hands-on clinical training, it prepares graduates for the NCLEX-PN exam, leading to roles in hospitals, long-term care, clinics, and physician offices. With affordable tuition, this program offers an accessible entry into nursing without requiring entrance exams, focusing on real-world healthcare settings and diverse employment opportunities post-graduation.
- Diploma-level nursing program
- NCLEX-PN exam preparation
- Multiple healthcare employment settings
- Entry-level nursing career path
- Supervised clinical training
Piedmont Community College
Roxboro, NC - Public 2-Year - piedmontcc.edu
Certificate/Diploma - Practical Nursing
Campus Based - Visit Website
Piedmont Community College's Practical Nursing diploma program provides comprehensive training for aspiring LPNs in Durham, NC. Through evidence-based clinical practices, students learn to care for diverse populations across the lifespan in structured healthcare environments. The curriculum emphasizes hands-on experience, preparing graduates to pass the NCLEX-PN exam and enter the nursing field. Admission requires meeting specific criteria, and financial aid options are available for eligible candidates. This campus-based program focuses on developing essential skills for entry-level nursing roles, ensuring readiness for real-world healthcare challenges.
- Diploma program.
- Prepares for NCLEX-PN.
- Focus on evidence-based practice.
- Campus-based learning.
- Admissions requirements apply.
- Hands-on clinical experience.
- Structured healthcare settings.
- Financial aid available.
- Scholarships for eligible students.
- Program contacts provided.
Durham Technical Community College
Durham, NC - Public 2-Year - durhamtech.edu
Certificate/Diploma - Practical Nursing Diploma
Campus Based - Visit Website
Durham Technical Community College's Practical Nursing Diploma is an ACEN-accredited program delivered on campus over 12 months. With a tuition of approximately $3,997 for 44 credit hours, it prepares students for the NCLEX-PN exam through comprehensive training in holistic patient care and evidence-based practices. Graduates are equipped for diverse roles in hospitals, clinics, and rehabilitation facilities, with strong job prospects and starting salaries around $49,516. The curriculum emphasizes safety integration across healthcare settings, offering a direct path to licensure without requiring entrance exams like the ACT or SAT.
- ACEN Accredited Nursing Program
- 44 Total Credit Hours
- Main Campus Location
- 12-Month Diploma Program
- Estimated $3,997 Tuition
- NCLEX-PN Exam Preparation
- Holistic Patient Care Focus
- Multiple Healthcare Career Paths
Alamance Community College
Graham, NC - Public 2-Year - alamancecc.edu
Certificate/Diploma - Practical Nursing
Campus Based - Visit Website
Alamance Community College's three-semester Practical Nursing diploma prepares students for the NCLEX-PN exam and entry into healthcare roles with competitive salaries of $43-62K annually in North Carolina. The program emphasizes safe, individualized patient care through a blend of lectures, labs, and clinical experiences, starting each spring. Students gain skills applicable in hospitals, clinics, and other settings, with additional costs around $3,500. This campus-based pathway supports professional growth and potential advancement to registered nursing, offering a focused route to LPN licensure without requiring entrance exams.
- 3-semester diploma program
- Annual salary $43-62K
- NCLEX-PN exam preparation
- Multiple healthcare employment settings
- Total estimated additional costs $3,500
- Clinical and lecture training
- Spring semester start
- Weekly schedule: lectures, clinical, lab
Central Carolina Community College
Sanford, NC - Public 2-Year - cccc.edu
Certificate/Diploma - Practical Nursing
Campus Based - Visit Website
Central Carolina Community College's Practical Nursing diploma program at its Harnett campus spans three semesters and 45 credits, focusing on safety, quality care, and individualized patient attention. Emphasizing teamwork in healthcare settings, it prepares graduates for the NCLEX-PN exam and diverse employment opportunities. With cost-effective tuition and small class sizes for personalized learning, this accredited program by SACSCOC equips students with essential nursing skills without requiring entrance exams, making it an accessible path to a healthcare career.
- 3 Semesters length.
- 45 Credits to graduate.
- Available at Harnett campus.
- Prepares for NCLEX-PN exam.
- Focus on safety and quality care.
- Emphasizes individualized nursing care.
- Cost-effective tuition fees.
- Smaller class sizes for personalized attention.
- Employment in various healthcare settings.
- Accredited by SACSCOC.
Wake Technical Community College
Raleigh, NC - Public 2-Year - waketech.edu
Certificate/Diploma - Practical Nursing Diploma
Campus Based - Visit Website
Wake Technical Community College's Practical Nursing Diploma program, based at the Perry Health Sciences Campus, equips students for the NCLEX-PN exam through a 44-credit curriculum focused on evidence-based clinical practice. Emphasizing care across the lifespan in structured settings, the program trains students to work under registered nurses' supervision while adhering to North Carolina nursing laws. With day-only scheduling and on-campus courses, it promotes lifelong learning and competencies aligned with the National League of Nursing and National Academy of Medicine. Financial aid is available, making this military-friendly program accessible for aspiring practical nurses.
- Prepares for NCLEX-PN exam.
- 44 total credits required.
- Day-only scheduling options.
- On-campus course format.
- Financial aid available.
- Focus on evidence-based practice.
- Training under registered nurses.
- Adheres to NC nursing laws.
- Emphasizes lifelong learning.
- Competencies by NLN and NAM.
Durham LPN Program Overview
Licensed Practical Nurses play a vital role in Durham’s healthcare system by providing direct, hands-on care under the supervision of registered nurses and physicians. LPNs help with medication administration, wound care, patient monitoring, and care coordination, which supports patient safety and access to services across hospitals, long-term care, home health, and outpatient clinics. Durham’s clinical ecosystem includes major centers such as Duke University Hospital, Duke Regional Hospital, and the Durham VA Health Care System, alongside numerous primary care and specialty clinics, assisted living and skilled nursing facilities, and home health agencies. This breadth of care settings creates steady opportunities for practical nurses across acute, post-acute, and community-based care.
North Carolina’s healthcare needs are driven by an aging population and ongoing demand for long-term and chronic disease management. Consistent with national analyses from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, LPN roles remain essential in nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities, and outpatient practices, as well as in hospital-based units that employ practical nurses for team-based care. In Durham, the concentration of academic medicine, veterans’ services, and community providers sustains hiring for LPNs in both entry-level and experienced roles.
LPN programs serving Durham typically follow an accelerated, full-time diploma pathway of about 12 months that includes classroom instruction, skills lab and simulation, and supervised clinical rotations in local hospitals, long-term care facilities, and community clinics. Some colleges may offer extended or part-time options that can span 18 to 24 months to accommodate working adults. Curricula commonly cover fundamentals of nursing, pharmacology, adult health, geriatrics, maternal-child nursing, mental health, and transition-to-practice coursework.
Graduates become eligible to take the NCLEX-PN, the national licensing exam for practical nurses. In North Carolina, practical nursing programs are approved and regulated by the North Carolina Board of Nursing, which sets education standards and oversees licensure. Approved programs integrate NCLEX-PN preparation through standardized assessments, clinical competency evaluations, and end-of-program reviews to help students meet state licensure requirements.
Employment Opportunities for LPNs in Durham
The healthcare sector in Durham, North Carolina, presents a robust and expanding landscape of employment opportunities for Licensed Practical Nurses. Statewide projections from NCWorks for 2020-2030 indicate an annual average demand of approximately 1,630 new LPNs. As of May 2023, the mean hourly pay for an LPN in the Durham-Chapel Hill metropolitan area is $29.28, with wages typically ranging from $24.77 to $33.64 per hour. Annually, the mean salary for LPNs in this area is $60,900. Durham’s cost of living index is 100.9, meaning it is slightly higher than the national average of 100. Statewide, 23,285 LPNs were licensed in North Carolina as of June 30, 2023, with 17,460 actively employed in nursing.
Durham serves as a prominent healthcare hub, with major institutions driving much of the employment. Duke Health stands as the largest employer in Durham and one of the largest private employers in North Carolina, encompassing more than 23,000 employees within its extensive health system. UNC Health also represents a significant employer in the region, contributing to the diverse range of LPN roles available.
LPNs in Durham can find employment across various types of healthcare facilities:
- Hospitals:Major hospital systems, including Duke Health and UNC Health, frequently have openings for LPNs. At Duke, LPNs provide direct patient care under the supervision of registered nurses or physicians across facilities like Duke University Hospital, Duke Regional Hospital, and numerous Duke Primary Care and specialty clinics, such as the Sickle Cell Clinic and Morreene Road Neurology Clinic. UNC Health also offers LPN positions at facilities like The UNC Family Medicine Center at Durham.
- Nursing Homes and Skilled Nursing Facilities:A variety of facilities in Durham actively employ LPNs for direct patient care, sometimes offering sign-on bonuses. These include PruittHealth-Durham, Durham Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, Concordia Transitional Care & Rehab-Rose Manor, Carver Living Center, and Southpoint Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center.
- Private Practices and Clinics:LPNs are integral to both primary care and specialized outpatient clinics. These may be affiliated with larger systems like Duke Health and UNC Health, or function as independent private practices throughout the city.
- Rehabilitation Centers:Facilities dedicated to patient recovery from illness, injury, or surgery, such as Pettigrew Rehabilitation Center, Treyburn Rehabilitation Center, and Southpoint Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center, hire LPNs to support their patient care teams.
- Senior Living Facilities:Communities designed for older adults, including Croasdaile Village and Brookdale Senior Living, Inc., offer LPN positions. Erickson Senior Living also employs LPNs for onsite medical centers, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing, and home settings within North Carolina.
- Home Health Agencies:This is a growing sector for LPN employment in Durham. Agencies like Amedisys, PruittHealth @ Home, Aveanna Healthcare, and BAYADA Home Health Care seek LPNs to provide one-on-one care to clients in their homes, with some offering competitive benefits and sign-on bonuses.
- Other Settings:LPNs can also pursue opportunities as school nurses, providing healthcare services within educational environments. Additionally, staffing agencies such as Jackson Nurse Professionals, Supplemental Health Care, Core Medical Group, and American Medical Staffing place LPNs in various short-term or temporary assignments across a spectrum of healthcare environments.
List of LPN Programs in Durham, NC
Durham, NC
Durham Technical Community College
- Certificate/Diploma - Practical Nursing Diploma
Campus Based - Website
- ACEN Accredited Nursing Program
- 44 Total Credit Hours
- Main Campus Location
- 12-Month Diploma Program
- Estimated $3,997 Tuition
- NCLEX-PN Exam Preparation
- Holistic Patient Care Focus
- Multiple Healthcare Career Paths
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