Practical nursing training around Summit County has consolidated into three distinct pipelines: adult career centers, one community college, and a handful of proprietary schools, all feeding the same Ohio Board of Nursing licensure exam. Within a 30-mile radius of downtown Akron, finishing takes roughly 11 to 18 months, depending on whether you sit for days, evenings, or a hybrid track.
That radius pulls in Green, Barberton, Cuyahoga Falls, Canton, and Kent alongside Akron itself. Published costs across those campuses run from about $11,600 to the low $20,000s, and the spread tracks accreditation and schedule format far more closely than it tracks first-time NCLEX-PN performance.
Who Hires New LPNs Around Akron, and Where You'll Do Clinicals
Summa Health System, the Akron area's largest and most consistent employer of practical nurses, posts LPN wages between $24.93 and $29.92 an hour across its Akron campus, medical group offices, and SummaCare operations,1 with Summa Home Care running slightly higher (roughly $24.75 to $33.50) for candidates with at least a year of experience.2 Cleveland Clinic Akron General also recruits LPNs for ambulatory OB/GYN roles and periodic flu-clinic staffing, with pay in a similar $23 to $33 band.
Long-Term Care Hires the Most New Grads
Despite the visibility of hospital job postings, most brand-new LPNs in Northeast Ohio still land their first job in skilled nursing, long-term care, or home health rather than acute-care hospitals. Postings for Summit County skilled home health roles, Akron-based home care agencies like Amivie, and hybrid home health positions through providers such as Hometown Care appear regularly, alongside occasional listings from Portage County home health agencies serving the broader region.4 Schools with strong post-acute and home health clinical partnerships tend to prepare students for where hiring actually happens.
Clinical Placements Cap Class Size
Stark State College's practical nursing program, based in Akron, places students at healthcare facilities within a 75-mile radius, and available rotation slots at those sites, not classroom seats, are typically what limits how many students a cohort can admit each term. Expect a mix of hospital, long-term care, and outpatient settings during lpn clinicals, though specific facility assignments vary by term and instructor.
What LPNs Can Actually Do in Ohio
In Ohio, LPN duties may include administering medications and providing IV therapy, but only after completing board-approved training beyond the core curriculum, so ask any program directly how it builds that credential into (or alongside) coursework. Employer data here draws from a limited set of postings, so treat wage figures and hiring patterns as directional snapshots rather than fixed guarantees.
How Long It Really Takes: Day, Evening, Weekend and Hybrid Practical Nursing Schedules Near Akron
There is no 6-month LPN program in Akron; set that expectation aside early. Ohio Board of Nursing curriculum rules for LPN programs in Ohio require a set number of clock and credit hours that simply cannot be compressed into two academic quarters. In practice, realistic timelines for the Akron area run from about 11 to 18 months, depending on whether you enroll full-time or part-time.
Full-Time Day vs. Part-Time Evening and Weekend
Hondros College of Nursing's Akron-area diploma illustrates the tradeoff clearly. The full-time day track runs a two-week starter module followed by four eleven-week quarters, about 46 weeks total, covering 48 quarter credits and 670 clock hours. The part-time evening and weekend version covers the same credits and clinical hours but stretches to roughly 79 weeks because students carry fewer clock hours per week.
Stark State College's Akron site follows a similar split. Day cohorts meet Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with fall and spring start dates. The evening and weekend track, offered only in spring, meets two evenings a week from 4 to 9:30 p.m. plus Saturday clinicals from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Clinical placements can be anywhere within a 75-mile radius, so location flexibility matters as much as schedule.
Why Fully Online LPN Programs Don't Exist Here
Some theory coursework can be delivered online or through Hybrid LPN Programs, but skills labs, check-offs, and clinical rotations must happen in person under Board supervision. No program licenses graduates in Ohio through a fully remote track, regardless of what a school's marketing implies.
Check Approval Status Before You Apply
Ohio Board of Nursing status categories (full, conditional, probation, closed, or newly approved) change over time, and older roundups sometimes list programs that have since closed or shifted status. Confirm current standing directly with the Board before submitting an application, especially for smaller or newer programs.
What Practical Nursing Costs in the Akron Area, School by School
Published practical nursing prices within about 30 miles of Akron run from roughly $11,600 all in at Stark State College up to the low $20,000s at the proprietary and private schools, with the career centers clustered between about $17,600 and $20,100. Stark State's 2026-2027 practical nursing packet puts tuition at $219.60 per credit hour, or $7,905.60 for the 36 required credits, and estimates $11,592.60 once the $95 application fee, background check, per-semester security fee and licensure costs are added. The average net price column below is a different animal: it is a federally reported, institution-wide average of what students actually paid after grants and scholarships across every program at that school, not a quote for the practical nursing track, so use it as an affordability sanity check rather than a bill.
| School | City | Published Practical Nursing Program Cost | Reported Annual Tuition and Fees | Institution-Wide Average Net Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stark State College | North Canton | $11,592.60 estimated total (2026-2027) | $4,790 in-state, $7,886 out-of-state | $5,986 | Tuition is $219.60 per credit for 36 credits; estimate adds $95 processing, $70 background check, $35 per semester security and maintenance fee, and $305 in licensure and pin costs. |
| Central School of Practical Nursing | Independence | Not published in the sources reviewed | Not reported | $21,369 | 46-week full-time diploma program, four days a week. |
| Canton City Schools Adult Career and Technical Education | Canton | Not published in the sources reviewed | Not reported | $21,634 | Adult career-technical practical nurse program preparing graduates for the NCLEX-PN. |
| Portage Lakes Career Center | Uniontown | $18,495 total (2025-2026) | Not reported | $21,759 | "No Surprises Tuition" covers books, uniforms, graduation supplies, NCLEX-PN exam fees and test prep for eligible students. |
| Fortis College-Cuyahoga Falls | Cuyahoga Falls | Not published as a program total | $14,596 | $23,374 | For-profit campus; 16-month hybrid program with tuition reported on an annual basis. |
| Cuyahoga Valley Career Center | Brecksville | $17,589 total program tuition | Not reported | $26,966 | 10-month program listing includes the ATI test prep package and a $0 application fee. |
| Wayne County Schools Career Center | Smithville | $20,108 total program tuition | Not reported | $29,232 | 11-month day program; current STNA certification required and WorkKeys testing fee charged separately. |
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What's Inside the Sticker Price of an Akron LPN Program
Tuition is only part of what you pay. Stark State College's published practical nursing cost sheet itemizes the rest, and adding the current NCLEX-PN exam fee plus the Ohio license application fee shows what you owe from application through licensure. Figures below reflect the 2025-2026 program packet.
Akron-Area LPN Programs Ranked by Cost, Outcomes and Fit
Below are the top LPN programs serving Akron students, ranked by federal completion data, accreditation status, and program fit. What actually changes your life here is affordability after financial aid, whether students finish, what completers earn, and whether the schedule works around a job in Akron, not reputation or marketing claims. Before you apply anywhere, pair this list with the pass-rate table above, because licensure results say more about a program than any brochure does.
How we ranked these
- Median graduate debt load
- Graduation and completion rates
- Net price after financial aid
- Schedule fit for working adults
- Accreditation and board approval
- College Scorecard graduate earnings — collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Internal program database
- Independent editorial research
- IPEDS institutional survey data from NCES covering retention rates, student-faculty ratios and net price — nces.ed.gov
- Bureau of Economic Analysis cost-of-living index by state — bea.gov
Central School of Practical Nursing
Central School of Practical Nursing runs the oldest practical nursing program in Ohio, a 46-week course that meets in person four days a week from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. It suits students who can commit to a full-time daytime schedule and want a step-by-step curriculum with simulation labs and community clinical placements. The campus in Independence sits about 20 miles north of Akron along I-77, and the average net price after grants and scholarships is roughly $21,369.
- 46-week program split into four levels of 11, 12, 11, and 12 weeks
- Full-time daytime schedule, four days a week, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM
- Clinical practice through vSim, an on-site skills lab, and community sites
- First practical nursing program in Ohio
- Advanced placement credit for military training or prior college work
- Clinical partners include long-term care, outpatient clinics, and child care centers
Practical Nursing Program, Certificate or Diploma — On-Campus
Canton City Schools Adult Career and Technical Education
Canton City Schools Adult Career and Technical Education is a campus-based practical nursing program about 25 miles south of Akron, straight down I-77. Classes and clinicals prepare students for bedside care and medication administration, and first-try NCLEX-PN results are published every year, including a 95.8 percent pass rate in 2023. It fits career changers who want a transparent record of outcomes before they commit. Average net price after aid is about $21,634, and the large majority of students here qualify for Pell Grants.
- First-try NCLEX pass rates published every year
- 2023 first-try NCLEX pass rate: 95.8 percent
- 84 percent licensure pass rate reported
- Curriculum built around NCLEX preparation
- Classroom instruction paired with clinical practice in care settings
Practical Nurse Program, Certificate or Diploma — On-Campus
Wayne County Schools Career Center
Wayne County Schools Career Center completes its practical nursing diploma in 11 months with day classes Monday through Thursday, and total program tuition is $20,108 including books and fees. The school also runs a combined STNA and LPN track and keeps an LPN to RN to BSN pathway open for graduates. It suits working nurse aides who want a faster route to licensure alongside a route toward an RN. The campus in Smithville is roughly 35 miles south of Akron, so plan on a commute or a temporary move.
- 11-month program; day classes meet Monday through Thursday
- $20,108 total program tuition includes books and fees
- Combined STNA and LPN track available at a reduced rate
- LPN to RN to BSN pathway for graduates
- Articulation agreement with Stark State can shorten the path to an RN
- Current STNA certification required before entry
- Financial aid available for qualifying students
Practical Nursing, Certificate or Diploma — On-Campus
Portage Lakes Career Center
Portage Lakes Career Center, through the W. Howard Nicol School of Practical Nursing, is the most Akron-focused option on this list. Full-time students finish in nine months, part-time students in 15 months, and the $18,495 tuition covers books, uniforms, supplies, and NCLEX-PN fees. Clinicals run across Akron-Canton hospitals and care centers, graduates commonly land at Summa Health and Akron Children's Hospital, and the school holds an LPN to BSN bridge with the University of Akron. The campus in Uniontown is a short drive southeast of the city.
- $18,495 total program tuition, no hidden fees
- 9-month full-time track or 15-month part-time option
- Approved by the Ohio Board of Nursing
- Clinicals across Akron-Canton hospitals, rehab centers, and clinics
- Partnered with Akron Children's Hospital on private-duty home care training
- LPN to BSN bridge with the University of Akron
- About 30 credits transfer toward a University of Akron associate degree
- NCLEX-PN fees, books, uniforms, and supplies included in tuition
Practical Nursing, Certificate or Diploma — On-Campus
Cuyahoga Valley Career Center
Cuyahoga Valley Career Center offers a 10-month full-time diploma and a 21-month evening option, which suits students who need to keep working while they train. Tuition runs about $17,589 and includes the ATI Premier Package used for NCLEX-PN preparation, with IV certification earned before graduation. The Brecksville campus is roughly 20 miles north of Akron along I-77, a workable commute for students in northern Summit County.
- $17,589 total program tuition
- 10-month full-time program or 21-month evening option
- Graduates earn IV certification
- ATI Testing Premier Package included; faculty are ATI-certified
- Accredited by the Council on Occupational Education
- Full approval from the Ohio Board of Nursing
- Military benefits accepted; $0 application fee
- Credits transfer into RN programs
Practical Nursing, Certificate or Diploma — On-Campus
Fortis College-Cuyahoga Falls
Fortis College in Cuyahoga Falls delivers its practical nursing program in a hybrid format, with online coursework paired with on-campus labs and clinicals over about 16 months. It is built for working adults in the Akron area, and the school grants transfer credit to STNAs who have recent hands-on practice hours. The reported net price after aid is about $23,374. The campus is roughly seven miles north of downtown Akron.
- 16-month program combining online coursework with campus labs
- Transfer credit for STNAs with recent hands-on practice hours
- Prepares students for the NCLEX-PN exam
- Clinical placements in hospitals, clinics, offices, and nursing homes
- Career services support and financial aid available
Practical Nursing, Certificate or Diploma — On-Campus
Stark State College
Stark State College runs its practical nursing certificate at the Akron campus on Perkins Street, so city residents can train without leaving Akron. The college's published net price after aid is about $5,986, the lowest figure on this list, and day plus evening or weekend tracks make the schedule manageable for people who work. Admission requires the TEAS exam, cohorts hold 46 students, and clinical placements are arranged within 75 miles of campus.
- All classes and labs held at the Akron Perkins campus, off Route 8
- Day or evening and weekend tracks; 46 seats per cohort
- Two start dates per year, fall and spring
- TEAS entrance exam required for admission
- Clinical sites arranged within 75 miles of the Akron campus
- Lowest tuition in northeast Ohio
- Credits transfer into Stark State's ADN program
- Hands-on simulation lab training
