Rhode Island approves exactly three LPN programs statewide, a fact that changes the calculus for anyone comparing options across state lines. In a state you can drive across in under an hour, geographic flexibility barely matters, but program fit does: a public diploma track, a private accelerated certificate, and a technical institute diploma each pull students toward a different tradeoff between tuition, schedule, and pace to the NCLEX-PN.
That scarcity means waitlists and seasonal start dates carry real weight here. Rhode Island's small applicant pool doesn't dilute demand for LPNs, it concentrates competition for seats, so timing an application around a single annual intake can matter as much as the sticker price attached to it.
Top LPN Programs in Rhode Island, 2027 Rankings
Three schools in Rhode Island currently offer an approved practical nursing pathway to the NCLEX-PN, and they could hardly be more different in price, pace and setting. The graduation rates shown on each card describe the institution as a whole rather than the nursing program alone, and program-level earnings are not yet published for these practical nursing programs, so treat those figures as context rather than a verdict on any single cohort.
How we ranked these
- Median debt carried by graduates
- Net price after grant aid
- Earnings reported to the Scorecard
- Institution-wide graduation rates
- Program length and completion pace
- 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
Community College of Rhode Island
Rhode Island's only public practical nursing program, taught at the Knight campus in Warwick and closely tied to state workforce efforts that ladder nursing assistants into LPN roles. The three-semester diploma runs daytime classes on a demanding weekly schedule and articulates into CCRI's associate degree nursing program for graduates who want to keep going toward RN licensure. Admission hinges on the HESI entrance exam plus prerequisite coursework in biology, English and psychology.
Practical Nursing - Diploma — On-Campus
New England Institute of Technology
A private technical institute in East Greenwich whose ACEN-accredited LPN certificate is built around a 50,000 square foot simulation lab modeled on a hospital wing. Cohorts stay small, typically 20 to 25 students, and roughly 900 clinical hours are logged at partner facilities across the region. The school charges one tuition rate whether you live in Rhode Island or not, and the certificate articulates into an associate of science in nursing.
Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Certificate — On-Campus
Lincoln Technical Institute-Lincoln
A Lincoln, Rhode Island campus offering practical nursing diplomas on both day and evening schedules, which gives working students a route that fits around a job. The ACEN-accredited curriculum pairs classroom instruction with five supervised clinical rotations at local healthcare facilities and is built to Rhode Island Board of Nursing standards. Day students finish in about a year, while evening students take closer to two.
Practical Nursing, Certificate or Diploma — On-Campus
What Does an LPN Program in Rhode Island Actually Cost?
Rhode Island has only three institutions offering LPN programs, and the cost gap between the public and private options is significant. CCRI, the state's only public practical nursing program, posts a total program cost roughly one quarter of what private schools charge at sticker price. However, financial aid can narrow that gap considerably. The figures below reflect the best available published and reported data; note that NEIT individualizes costs through enrollment agreements, so your actual total may differ from estimates shown here.
| School | Sector | Published Tuition | Estimated Books and Supplies | Total Program Cost (Sticker Price) | Average Net Price After Aid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) | Public | ~$5,550 (in-state) | Included in total | ~$8,651 | ~$6,513 |
| Lincoln Technical Institute, Lincoln | Private, for-profit | ~$30,495 | ~$2,515 | ~$34,843 | ~$27,578 |
| New England Institute of Technology (NEIT) | Private, nonprofit | ~$18,540/yr (tuition only) | Not separately published | Varies by enrollment agreement | ~$36,483 |
Fastest LPN Programs in Rhode Island
Completion time is one of the biggest factors for aspiring LPNs weighing their options in Rhode Island. The three programs currently operating in the state range from roughly one year to nearly two years depending on the schedule format you choose. Clinical hour requirements also shape the calendar: programs with higher clinical loads build more hands-on time into each semester, which can extend the weekly commitment even when the overall program length stays compact.
| School | Credential | Approximate Duration | Credits | Total Program Hours | Clinical Hours | Schedule Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) | Practical Nursing Diploma | 3 semesters (approximately 12 months) | 46 | N/A | Not published as a standalone total | Day only |
| New England Institute of Technology (NEIT) | Practical Nursing Certificate | Approximately 15 months | 79 | 1,500 | 900 (clinical, simulation, and skills combined) | Day and evening clinical rotations reported; distinct cohort tracks not confirmed |
| Lincoln Tech, Lincoln | Practical Nursing Diploma | 52 weeks day / 90 weeks evening | 50 | 1,425 | Not broken out separately from total instructional hours | Day and evening cohorts |
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Steps to Earning Your LPN License in Rhode Island
Rhode Island offers a clear, structured path from classroom to clinical practice. The Rhode Island Department of Health oversees LPN licensure, and because the state rejoined the Nurse Licensure Compact in 2024, eligible graduates now hold a multistate license that lets them practice across all compact states.
NCLEX-PN Pass Rates for Rhode Island LPN Programs
Rhode Island publishes first-time NCLEX-PN pass rates for each approved practical nursing program, and the 2025 reporting year is the most recent full-year data available. The state defines the rate as the share of graduates who passed on their first attempt.
2025 First-Time Pass Rates by Program
- Community College of Rhode Island: 90.00%
- Lincoln Technical Institute: 85.00%
- New England Institute of Technology: 100%
For context, the national first-time pass rate for US-educated NCLEX-PN candidates in 2025 was 86.6%. That places CCRI above the national average, Lincoln Tech just under it, and NEIT well above it, though NEIT's 100% rate often reflects a smaller graduating cohort than the other two programs. The 2024 figures show CCRI at 91.84%, Lincoln Tech at 81.34%, and NEIT at 100%, so CCRI and NEIT have remained stable while Lincoln Tech improved slightly in 2025.
What Pass Rates Signal
A pass rate that consistently sits at or above the national average suggests faculty are aligning coursework, skills labs, and clinical experiences with the NCLEX-PN test plan. It also hints at strong admission screening and exit readiness. A lower rate may signal underprepared students, gaps in curriculum, or limited remediation support. One year below average is not a red flag by itself, but a multi-year trend is worth a conversation with program faculty.
These figures come from the Rhode Island Department of Health, whose pass rate table for practical nursing covers 2021 through 2025. Readers can verify them by requesting the most recent NCLEX-PN program report from the Rhode Island Board of Nurse Registration and Education or checking NCSBN's exam statistics page for national comparisons.
LPN Pay in Rhode Island: Statewide and Metro Breakdown
Rhode Island LPNs earn well above the national median, which hovered near $59,730 in recent federal data. According to the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics figures, the statewide median annual wage for LPNs in Rhode Island sits at roughly $80,090, placing the state among the higher-paying markets in the Northeast. The table below breaks down Rhode Island LPN compensation across key percentiles alongside comparison points for registered nurses and nursing instructors in the state. Note that metro-level wage detail for the Providence-Warwick area has not yet been published in the latest release, so statewide figures are shown.
| Occupation | Total Employment (RI) | 25th Percentile Annual Wage | Median Annual Wage | 75th Percentile Annual Wage | Mean Annual Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) | 1,290 | $77,890 | $80,090 | $81,170 | $80,120 |
| Registered Nurses (RNs) | 10,090 | $81,840 | $100,640 | $107,100 | $101,260 |
| Nursing Instructors (Postsecondary) | 260 | $64,120 | $78,340 | $99,590 | $81,060 |
Financial Aid and Workforce Grants for RI LPN Students
Money should never be the reason an aspiring LPN in Rhode Island abandons the plan, and between federal aid, state workforce funding, and institutional support, most students looking for the Most Affordable LPN/LVN Programs for 2026 have real options.
Pell Grants Cover a Large Share of Students
Federal Pell Grants remain the backbone of financial aid for LPN training in the state. At Community College of Rhode Island, roughly 82% of students receive Pell funding, the highest share among ranked programs. New England Institute of Technology reports about 65%. Lincoln Technical Institute does not publish a comparable figure, so prospective students should ask directly about Pell eligibility during enrollment counseling.
State Workforce Funding Is Employer-Driven
Real Jobs Rhode Island, administered by the Governor's Workforce Board, funds sector partnerships that can make training free with added wraparound supports1, but access typically runs through an employer or healthcare facility rather than direct individual application. Existing agreements are only confirmed through the end of 2025, so students should verify current availability before counting on this route.4 Separately, the Nursing Facility Training Grant allows licensed facilities to seek up to $30,000 annually (capped near $5,000 per trainee) to cover training costs, provided wage and retention conditions are met.2 Incumbent Worker Training Grants offer employers reimbursement as well, though terms have shifted in recent guidance and should be confirmed with DLT directly.3
Institutional Aid and Payment Plans
CCRI, NEIT, and Lincoln Tech each reference financial aid access, and NEIT specifically notes grants, scholarships, work-study, loans, and payment plans for LPN certificate students. Exact award names, amounts, and eligibility criteria aren't consistently published, so treat published net price figures in the Cost of LPN Programs & Schools as averages, not guarantees. Individual aid packages vary by need, enrollment status, and timing.
Online and Hybrid LPN Study Options in Rhode Island
Fully remote versus partly remote is the real choice here, not online versus campus. No Rhode Island LPN track lets you finish entirely from home. State boards require a set number of supervised clinical hours in real patient-care settings, and no amount of video lecture substitutes for that hands-on time.
Where Hybrid Actually Exists
Of the programs students typically compare, Lincoln Tech's Practical Nursing Diploma in Lincoln, RI is the one clearly built around a blended structure, offering residential, blended, and online components depending on the course. Didactic material, simulations, case studies, and multimedia assessments happen online or in flexible sessions, while clinical rotations still require in-person attendance. Lincoln Tech does not publish a detailed list of its current clinical site partners, so for LPN/LVN Program Admissions details, ask the admissions team directly which facilities and shifts are active for your cohort before enrolling.
CCRI and NEIT, by contrast, do not currently advertise a hybrid or partially online format for their LPN pathways. Their published nursing pages describe standard in-person coursework, so if flexible scheduling is a priority, Lincoln Tech is worth a closer look first.
Searching for Hybrid LPN Programs Near You
Working adults searching "hybrid lpn programs near me" should confirm three things before applying: which portions of coursework are actually remote, whether clinical shifts run days, evenings, or weekends, and how far you will need to commute for placements.
LPN to RN Bridge Programs and Career Advancement in Rhode Island
An LPN to RN bridge program compresses a traditional nursing education by awarding credit for clinical skills you already possess, letting licensed practical nurses earn an Associate Degree in Nursing in roughly 12 to 18 months instead of two full years.
Bridge Pathways in Rhode Island
The Community College of Rhode Island, featured among the Best Rhode Island LPN to RN/BSN Programs 2026, offers the primary LPN to ADN track in the state. Applicants must hold an active, unencumbered LPN license and complete prerequisite courses before entering the nursing sequence. Once enrolled, students typically finish in three semesters of full-time study. Rhode Island College accepts ADN graduates into its RN to BSN completion program, adding another 12 to 18 months for those who want a bachelor's degree.
CNA to LPN Acceleration
No Rhode Island program currently markets a formal CNA to LPN bridge with shortened coursework. However, certified nursing assistants often find that anatomy, medical terminology, and patient care exposure, core factors in any CNA vs LPN vs RN comparison, speed their progress through standard LPN curricula, and admissions committees view CNA experience favorably.
The Salary Case for Advancement
BLS data for Rhode Island shows LPNs earning a median annual wage of $80,090, while registered nurses reach $100,640. That roughly $20,500 jump, achievable within 18 months of bridge study, makes the LPN credential a practical launchpad rather than a ceiling. From there, a BSN can lead to supervisory, specialty, and graduate-level roles.
Rhode Island's LPNs earn well above the national average.
