Practical nursing in Nashville has split into two pipelines this year: low-cost public TCAT daytime cohorts and private schools, some of which offer evening or hybrid formats for working adults. HCA Healthcare, headquartered here, anchors a metro market with stable LPN openings across Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Ascension Saint Thomas, TriStar Health, and hundreds of clinics and long-term care facilities. Tuition ranges from roughly $4,000 at public TCATs to more than $30,000 at some private schools, and NCLEX-PN first-time pass rates vary enough to shift a graduate's timeline. Tennessee requires a board-approved program before the NCLEX-PN, making school choice a licensing risk as much as a budget decision.
Why Nashville Is a Strong Market for New LPNs
HCA Healthcare, headquartered at One Park Plaza in Nashville, anchors a metro healthcare economy that also includes Vanderbilt Health, Ascension Saint Thomas, TriStar Health, and Community Health Systems.1 Together these systems run dozens of hospitals, outpatient clinics, and long-term care sites across Middle Tennessee, and graduates of the Best LPN Programs in Tennessee 2026 show up on staffing rosters in acute care units, home health teams, occupational health clinics, and procedural areas alike.
Employer Demand Signals
Recent postings from TriStar and HCA point to real hiring pressure rather than a shrinking role for LPNs. TriStar has advertised sign-on bonuses as high as $5,000 for Nashville-area LPN hires2, and its acute care postings still call the LPN role "vital" to unit staffing. Vanderbilt Health, which places most of its LPNs in outpatient and procedural settings rather than inpatient floors3, has been recruiting for both experienced and newly licensed candidates. Federal labor statistics for the Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin metro area show steady demand for practical nurses; exact projected openings shift from one reporting cycle to the next, so treat any figure as a snapshot.
Where Graduates Actually Work
Nashville-trained LPNs regularly find jobs beyond the city limits. Murfreesboro, Franklin, Clarksville, Gallatin, and Hendersonville all host hospitals, clinics, and skilled nursing facilities that draw from the same graduating classes, which widens the practical job search radius well past downtown Nashville.
A Portable License
Tennessee's participation in the Nurse Licensure Compact is a genuine advantage for LPNs trained here. A Nashville-issued LPN license carries recognition in more than 40 compact states, so graduates who marry into military families, relocate for a spouse's job, or simply want the flexibility that comes with Travel Nursing for LPNs don't have to restart the licensing process from scratch in most new states.
LPN Earnings and Job Growth in the Nashville Metro
Nashville area LPNs earn a competitive wage that reflects the region's booming healthcare sector. The table below presents wage data for LPNs in the Nashville metro alongside national benchmarks, drawn from Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. Nashville's median annual LPN wage of roughly $61,940 runs above the national median, which the BLS most recently placed near $59,730 (May 2023 national profile). With approximately 5,650 LPNs employed across the metro, demand is substantial, and the national outlook projects steady growth for the occupation through 2032. Top paying LPN settings in the Nashville area tend to include specialty outpatient clinics and home health agencies, where experienced nurses can push toward the upper wage percentiles.
| Wage Measure | Nashville Metro (Annual) | National (Annual) |
|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile | Not yet reported for metro | $45,670 |
| 25th Percentile | $54,080 | Not yet reported |
| Median | $61,940 | $59,730 |
| 75th Percentile | $67,450 | Not yet reported |
| 90th Percentile | Not yet reported for metro | $77,870 |
| Mean (Average) | $60,510 | Not yet reported |
| Total Employment | 5,650 | Not yet reported |
Evening, Weekend, and Hybrid LPN Schedules in Nashville
Does TCAT Nashville offer night or evening LPN classes? For the standard Practical Nursing program, no. TCAT Nashville's core LPN track runs Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., a daytime-only format that assumes students can commit to full weekday availability. The one exception is the CMA to Practical Nursing Bridge, a part-time evening and weekend option built specifically for graduates of Medical Assistant Programs who already hold that credential. That bridge meets Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 5 to 9:30 p.m., with alternating Friday and Saturday sessions from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. It's a meaningful option, but only for CMA graduates, not the general applicant pool.
Where Working Adults Have More Flexibility
Private institutions in the Nashville area, including Fortis College, tend to build more flexibility into their delivery models. Fortis offers hybrid LPN programs with online coursework scheduled in evening blocks (roughly 5:30 to 10:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, based on recent catalog terms), which can flex term to term. Herzing University Nashville also lists Practical Nursing among its programs. General education coursework is typically online and self-paced, but evening or night availability for core nursing courses varies, so confirm directly with admissions. South College's daytime PN schedule is well documented, while its hybrid and online formats are currently tied to BSN tracks rather than the practical nursing certificate itself.
Online Coursework vs. In-Person Clinicals
No LPN program in Tennessee, including any of the Nashville-area schools above, is fully online. What varies is how much lecture and general education content moves online versus how much seat time is required on campus. Clinical rotations remain mandatory and in-person everywhere, and at schools like Fortis they can be scheduled across days, evenings, nights, weekends, and even holidays depending on facility placement. That unpredictability is worth planning around if you're also holding down a job.
Weighing Flexibility Against Cost
The trade-off is straightforward: TCAT's daytime format is far less expensive but rigid, while private schools like Fortis, Herzing, and South College may offer more scheduling accommodation at a noticeably higher tuition. If evening or hybrid access is non-negotiable for your situation, confirm current term offerings directly with each school, since formats and hours shift by cohort.
Related Articles
From Application to NCLEX: How to Become an LPN in Tennessee
Tennessee has a clearly defined path from prospective student to licensed practical nurse, but every step must go through a program approved by the Tennessee Board of Nursing. Cutting corners here, such as enrolling in an unapproved school, means you will not qualify to sit for the NCLEX-PN. Here is the typical five-step sequence Nashville-area applicants follow.
NCLEX-PN Pass Rates at Nashville Nursing Schools
Your NCLEX-PN first-time pass rate is one of the most telling indicators of a program's instructional quality. A high pass rate means graduates are well prepared to earn their license on the first attempt, avoiding costly retakes and delays in starting work. The Tennessee Board of Nursing publishes these figures annually and monitors programs that fall below minimum thresholds. Schools that consistently underperform may face probationary status or enrollment restrictions, so this metric deserves serious attention during your search. The table below draws from the Board's most recent annual reports (covering 2024 and 2025 testing years). South College Nashville's decline from 96% to 87% is worth watching; while the program still meets the Board's minimum threshold, the downward trend puts it closer to the national average than its Nashville peers. Meanwhile, Herzing University Nashville posted a perfect 100% first-time pass rate in 2025, though that result reflects a smaller cohort of 15 candidates. Fortis Institute Nashville is not included because publicly available Board of Nursing pass rate data for that campus was not sufficient across both reporting years.
| School | 2024 Pass Rate | 2025 Pass Rate | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| TCAT Nashville | 98% | N/A | Steadily increasing over five years, reaching 98% in the latest reported year |
| South College Nashville | 96% | 87% | Declining between the two most recent reporting years |
| Herzing University Nashville | N/A | 100% | Perfect first-time pass rate in 2025 (15 candidates tested) |
| Tennessee State Average | 92% | 98.89% | Rising from 92% in 2024 to roughly 99% in 2025, consistently above the national rate |
| National Average (U.S.) | 88.38% | 86.6% | Slight decline from 88.38% in 2024 to 86.6% in 2025 |
Nashville LPN Programs Ranked by Value and Outcomes
Below are the top LPN programs serving Nashville students, ranked by net price, graduate earnings and completion data. Four public Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology sit within commuting distance of the city, and each one keeps total practical nursing tuition under $8,000, a fraction of what private nursing schools charge for the same diploma.
How we ranked these
- Median debt of program graduates
- Institution graduation and completion rates
- Net price after grant aid
- Program cost, format and duration
- IPEDS institutional survey data from NCES covering graduation rates, retention rates and student-faculty ratios — nces.ed.gov
- College Scorecard graduate earnings — collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Internal program database
- Independent editorial research
Tennessee College of Applied Technology Nashville
TCAT Nashville is the lone campus inside the city limits, and its full-time daytime cohort completes 1,296 clock hours over 12 months, finishing eligible for the NCLEX-PN. Total tuition and fees are $4,461, textbooks run about $3,257, and the required prerequisite coursework is now offered at the college's Portland campus north of the city. The institution's graduation rate is 70%. Clinical placements span hospitals, clinics and home health agencies, and the program is approved by the Tennessee Board of Nursing.
- Total tuition and fees $4,461; textbooks and supplies about $3,257
- 12-month program totaling 1,296 clock hours
- Prerequisite courses offered at the Portland campus
- Mandatory information session before enrollment
- Clinicals in hospitals, clinics and home health settings
- Approved by the Tennessee Board of Nursing
- Covers medical-surgical nursing, pharmacology, mental health, maternity, pediatrics
- Prepares graduates for NCLEX-PN licensure
Licensed Practical or Vocational Nursing (LPN or LVN), Certificate or Diploma — On-Campus
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Dickson
TCAT Dickson keeps practical nursing affordable at $4,781 in total program fees and has expanded the program across Middle Tennessee, adding a Franklin site at Columbia State Community College in 2024 alongside Dickson, Clarksville and Erin. A formal articulation with Austin Peay State University lets eligible graduates carry prior-learning credit into an LPN-to-BSN track. The institution's graduation rate is 74%. Admission is competitive and decided by HESI A2 scores, and military benefits are accepted.
- Total program tuition and fees $4,781; books and supplies about $2,565
- 12-month full-time program, 1,296 clock hours, day classes weekdays
- Admission ranked by competitive HESI A2 scores
- Nurse Aide certificate earned after the first trimester
- Military benefits accepted
- Additional sites in Clarksville and Erin plus a Franklin campus added in 2024
- Austin Peay articulation grants 27 prior-learning credits toward LPN-to-BSN
- Curriculum covers fundamentals, anatomy, pharmacology and mental health
Licensed Practical or Vocational Nursing (LPN or LVN), Certificate or Diploma — On-Campus
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Murfreesboro
TCAT Murfreesboro runs a 12-month practical nursing diploma in Rutherford County with both day and night class options, the most schedule flexibility among the public colleges in this group. Coursework and supervised clinicals cover medical-surgical, obstetric, pediatric, geriatric and mental health nursing, and total tuition is $7,941. The institution's graduation rate is 76%. Applicants need prerequisite coursework in anatomy and physiology and medical math, the HESI assessment and three letters of reference.
- 12-month diploma program totaling 1,296 clock hours
- Day and night class options
- Total program tuition $7,941
- Prerequisites include Anatomy and Physiology and Medical Math
- HESI assessment plus three letters of reference required
- Clinicals cover medical-surgical, obstetric, pediatric, geriatric and mental health nursing
- Approved by the Tennessee Board of Nursing
- Prepares graduates for the NCLEX-PN
Licensed Practical or Vocational Nursing (LPN or LVN), Certificate or Diploma — On-Campus
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Hartsville
TCAT Hartsville runs a full-time day program across two campuses, Hartsville and Lebanon, and is the furthest of this group from Nashville. It carries the lowest total tuition here at $4,419, plus about $1,900 in books and supplies, and students earn a Nursing Assistant certificate after the first trimester. The institution's graduation rate is 82%. Admission requires a passing HESI entrance exam, and cohorts start twice a year in fall and winter.
- Tennessee Board of Nursing approved program
- 12-month full-time day program, 1,296 clock hours
- Total tuition and fees $4,419; books and supplies about $1,900
- Nursing Assistant certificate earned after the first trimester
- HESI entrance exam required for admission
- Two campus locations: Hartsville and Lebanon
- Curriculum covers obstetrics, pediatrics and medical-surgical nursing
- Two start dates per year, fall and winter cohorts
Licensed Practical or Vocational Nursing (LPN or LVN), Certificate or Diploma — On-Campus
Nashville's real advantage for LPN students is the combination: training costs that stay manageable and hospital hiring that stays steady, even when other sectors slow down.
Strong Returns on a Short Program
