Chesapeake sits inside a compact Hampton Roads healthcare cluster. Chesapeake Regional Medical Center, Sentara, and Bon Secours operate acute-care, skilled nursing, and outpatient sites across Chesapeake, Norfolk, and Virginia Beach, and their LPN postings set the local demand floor.
The catch is in-city supply. Chesapeake has few approved LPN programs of its own, but accredited LPN programs in Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Portsmouth put multiple state-approved certificates within a 30-minute commute. Prospective students weigh distance, cost, and NCLEX-PN record more than waiting for a new local campus.
NCLEX-PN pass rates, program cost, and schedule fit remain the deciding factors for 2026. The ranked list below orders nearby programs on those outcomes. Jump straight to the program list →
Why Chesapeake Is a Strong Market for New LPNs
The question for anyone eyeing this field isn't whether Chesapeake needs LPNs; it's whether the Best LPN Programs in Virginia can keep pace with the need. Job postings across the region suggest steady, real-time hiring4, even as some program capacity and waitlist details for the 2026-2027 cycle remain unconfirmed by the schools themselves.
Who's Hiring
Chesapeake Regional Medical Center anchors local acute-care hiring, while Sentara Healthcare, one of Hampton Roads' largest employers, has posted multiple open LPN roles in Virginia Beach as recently as August 2026.12 Bon Secours Mercy Health and the Hampton VA Medical Center round out the major systems recruiting LPNs across the metro. Beyond hospitals, demand shows up heavily in skilled nursing facilities, urgent-care clinics, home health agencies, and physician offices, settings where LPNs often handle a larger share of direct patient care than in hospital units.
Scope of Practice Matters
Virginia allows IV-certified LPNs to administer IV fluids and certain medications under RN supervision. That certification meaningfully widens where a new grad can work, including transitional care hospitals, some acute-care floors, and home health roles that require IV therapy competency. Programs that build IV certification into the curriculum, a form of Specialty Certification for LPNs, or make it easy to add afterward, give graduates a real edge in this market.
A Shared Regional Labor Pool
Chesapeake doesn't hire in isolation. Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Suffolk, Portsmouth, and Newport News all sit within about 30 miles, and employers routinely post the same LPN openings across several of these cities at once.3 That means a Chesapeake-trained LPN isn't limited to Chesapeake employers, and a graduate willing to commute has access to a noticeably larger job pool than the city limits alone would suggest. Treat any single employer's posted opening count as a snapshot, not a guarantee, since hiring volume shifts week to week.
LPN Salary and Hiring Outlook in the Virginia Beach Metro
How much can a newly licensed LPN realistically expect to earn in Hampton Roads, and is local hiring strong enough to support a Licensed Practical Nurse career? The most recent metro-level Bureau of Labor Statistics figures, from May 2023, put median hourly pay at $27.58 for licensed practical nurses in the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk area. That works out to about $57,400 a year for a standard full-time schedule before overtime or shift differentials. The same release counted 3,810 LPNs employed in the metro.
Where the Metro Median Lands
The $27.58 hourly median sits slightly below the national median for LPNs, roughly $59,730 annually in the same period. Virginia statewide pay data is not published alongside the metro numbers, so the most direct comparison is metro to national.
What the Full Earnings Range Looks Like
Virginia Beach-specific percentile splits are not published at the metro level. As a national reference for the same period, LPN/LVN Salary ranged from a 10th percentile of $45,670 and a 25th percentile of $50,640 to a median of $59,730, a 75th percentile of $67,140, and a 90th percentile of $77,870. Treat those as broad context, not a local guarantee: early-career pay typically tracks below the metro median until experience or certifications build.
Facility Mix and Hiring Outlook
Metro-level BLS data does not separate LPN wages by industry. In general, hospitals and outpatient clinics often pay at or above the median, while skilled nursing and home health employers may pay at or below it depending on shift and census. On the demand side, the metro's LPN location quotient of 1.25 means LPN & LVN Jobs are about 25 percent more concentrated here than the national average. Metro-specific growth projections are not published in the same release, so treat that concentration as a demand signal rather than a projected growth rate.
What LPN School Costs in Chesapeake and What Graduates Earn
The cost gap between public community colleges and private career schools in the Hampton Roads area is significant. Net price shown below is the institution-wide average after financial aid, so your actual out-of-pocket cost will vary based on your aid package, residency status, and enrollment intensity. Program-level median earnings one year after completion are not yet published for these programs in federal data, but institution-level median earnings at the ten-year mark provide a useful long-range benchmark. For programs where median debt figures are available, graduates typically owe between $6,880 and $20,000, translating to estimated monthly payments of roughly $80 to $230 over a standard ten-year repayment plan.
NCLEX-PN Pass Rates for Programs Near Chesapeake
The Virginia Board of Nursing publishes annual nursing education program reports that include first-time NCLEX-PN pass rates broken down by program and academic year. The table below draws from the 2024 to 2025 academic year report. Because some programs closer to Chesapeake have not yet appeared in the published data, readers should visit the Virginia Board of Nursing website (look under the Reports or Education section) to download the latest file and confirm whether additional Hampton Roads programs have been added. Cross-check each school's own website for accreditation or approval status, and contact admissions offices directly to request current cohort pass rates and candidate counts. For broader LPN/LVN employment projections and wage data, consult BLS.gov's Occupational Outlook Handbook and resources from the NCSBN and the Virginia Nurses Association.
| Program Name | City | Year | Candidates | First-Time Pass Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southside College of Health Sciences Practical Nursing Program | Petersburg | 2024-2025 | 11 | 100.00% |
| Rappahannock Community College Practical Nursing Program | Warsaw | 2024-2025 | 18 | 94.44% |
| Eastern Shore Community College Practical Nursing Program | Melfa | 2024-2025 | 7 | 85.71% |
| Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing Practical Nursing Program | Richmond | 2024-2025 | 19 | 84.21% |
Evening, Weekend, and Accelerated LPN Schedules in Hampton Roads
For lpn programs in hampton roads, flexible LPN scheduling is thinner than demand, and for 2026-2027 only one nearby program has a clearly documented evening/weekend cohort on the books.
Riverside's Evening/Weekend Track
Riverside College of Health Careers in Newport News, roughly 40 miles from Chesapeake, runs the region's most fully described non-daytime option. The evening/weekend format meets Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., with clinicals on alternating Saturdays and Sundays from 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Occasional weekday daytime hours are also required, so this is not a pure after-hours program. Total published length runs about 15 months (roughly 69 weeks) for the current cycle, compared with the day division's ~40-week track. Older Riverside materials still reference a two-year evening/weekend option, so confirm the current calendar directly with admissions before planning around it.
Accelerated and Daytime Options Nearby
There is no widely advertised fast-track LPN cohort inside the Chesapeake radius that compresses the standard 12-month timeline into anything shorter. Tidewater Community College's Practical Nursing Education Program in Virginia Beach continues to operate on a traditional academic calendar; a Fall 2026 course section, for example, meets Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., starting September 10, 2026. TCC has not published a dedicated evening-only or weekend-only LPN cohort for 2026-2027. Chesapeake School of Practical Nursing runs a daytime format tied to the public-school calendar, and its 2026-2027 schedule details should be verified against the current program description.
How to Confirm What's Actually Running
Schedule formats shift year to year based on enrollment and faculty availability. Before you commit, call each program's LPN/LVN Program Admissions office and ask three questions: which cohorts are enrolling for 2026-2027, what the weekly class and clinical hours look like, and whether any daytime attendance is required inside an evening/weekend track.
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How to Apply: Admissions Requirements for Chesapeake-Area LPN Programs
Admissions steps vary by school, but most Chesapeake-area LPN programs share a common core of requirements. Because specific 2026–2027 admissions criteria have not been fully published for every local program, start by contacting your top-choice school early, deadlines and exam policies can shift from year to year. The general process below will keep you on track.
- Earn a high school diploma or GEDEvery program in the area requires proof of high school completion. Riverside School of Health Careers, for example, asks for graduation from an accredited U.S. high school with at least a 2.0 GPA, or a GED equivalent. A college GPA of 2.5 or higher is generally recommended to stay competitive, though minimum thresholds differ by school.
- Take the ATI TEAS entrance examMost programs in Hampton Roads use the ATI TEAS as their standardized admissions exam. Riverside's most recent admissions cycle required a minimum score of 50 percent, with a suggested target of 58.4 percent or above; the average score among accepted students was roughly 68 percent. Applicants who score between 50 and 70 percent at Riverside must complete an academic-readiness module before entering core coursework. Tidewater Community College lists a Practical Nursing certificate in its 2026–2027 catalog, but specific TEAS or alternate-exam requirements for that program have not been published at the time of writing. The Chesapeake School of Practical Nursing, operated by Chesapeake Public Schools, also has not posted entrance-exam details for its current cycle, contact the program directly for the latest policy.
- Complete any prerequisite courseworkSome programs require or strongly recommend anatomy, basic math, or other foundational courses before enrollment. Prerequisites specific to each Chesapeake-area LPN program are not consistently published online, so check the most current catalog or speak with an admissions advisor to confirm what you need.
- Gather supporting documentsPrepare official high school and any college transcripts, proof of immunizations (typically including Hepatitis B, MMR, varicella, and an annual TB screening), a current CPR certification (American Heart Association BLS for Healthcare Providers is the most widely accepted), and a valid government-issued ID. Most programs also require a criminal background check and, in some cases, a drug screening before clinical placement.
- Submit your application before the deadlineSome programs admit students in fixed cohorts with firm cutoff dates, while others may use rolling admissions until seats fill. Riverside publishes specific transcript and TEAS submission deadlines tied to each cohort; exact dates for the 2026–2027 cycle were not available at the time of research. TCC and the Chesapeake School of Practical Nursing should be contacted directly for their current application windows, applying early is always the safest strategy.
- Complete any post-acceptance requirementsOnce accepted, expect orientation sessions, additional health screenings, uniform and supply purchases, and possible placement testing. If your TEAS score falls within a conditional range, you may need to finish an academic-readiness program before starting clinical courses. Confirm all post-acceptance steps with your school's nursing-program coordinator so nothing delays your start date.
Chesapeake-Area LPN Programs Ranked by Outcomes
Below are the top LPN programs serving Chesapeake students, ranked by completion data, accreditation status, and program fit for local learners. Program-level earnings are not yet published for these certificates, so each entry leans on completion, cost, and debt measures instead. Every school listed sits within driving distance of central Chesapeake and enrolls students from across Hampton Roads.
How we ranked these
- Median graduate debt after completion
- Institution-wide graduation rates
- Accreditation and state board approval
- Completions in practical nursing
- Schedule and commute fit for Chesapeake
- 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
ECPI University
ECPI University runs an accelerated 15-month practical nursing diploma on its Virginia Beach campus, with hands-on labs, clinical rotations, and NCLEX-PN preparation built into the curriculum. The school's overall graduation rate is 42%, and graduates carry a median of about $20,000 in student debt. Admission is TEAS-based, which keeps the door open for applicants with provisional scores. Recent graduates have moved into LPN roles at Chesapeake Regional Healthcare.
Practical Nursing, Certificate or Diploma — On-Campus
Paul D Camp Community College
Paul D. Camp Community College in Franklin offers a three-semester practical nursing certificate through a selective admissions process separate from its open-enrollment college programs. The school's overall graduation rate is 36%, and median graduate debt sits near $6,900, among the lowest in this group. Cohorts are small, roughly 30 seats a year, and applicants must hand-deliver a complete packet along with TEAS scores and proof of a mandatory advising session. For Virginia residents willing to make the drive west, in-state pricing keeps total cost well below the private options.
Certificate in Practical Nursing — On-Campus
Tidewater Community College
Tidewater Community College delivers its practical nursing certificate at the Virginia Beach Campus through the Beazley School of Nursing, a three-semester, 45-credit sequence that begins each spring. The school's overall graduation rate is 32%, and median graduate debt is around $10,000. The program holds Virginia Board of Nursing approval, and TEAS testing is offered at all four TCC campuses, which shortens the trip for Chesapeake applicants. Admission requires a mandatory information session and a hand-delivered packet by the fall deadline.
Practical Nursing Education Certificate Program — On-Campus
College of the Albemarle
College of the Albemarle in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, offers a practical nursing diploma that combines classroom instruction with clinical rotations across several campuses. The school's overall graduation rate is 35%, and it reports relatively low median graduate debt. Admission requires the ATI TEAS, and graduates can ladder into the LPN to ADN pathway. It is an out-of-state option for Chesapeake students, so tuition, travel, and licensure planning deserve a careful look first.
Practical Nursing, Certificate or Diploma — On-Campus
Fortis College-Norfolk
Fortis College in Norfolk runs a hybrid practical nursing program that blends online theory with on-campus labs and clinical placements in area hospitals and care agencies. The school's overall graduation rate is 30%, and median graduate debt is about $9,500. Certified nursing assistants with recent clinical experience may be able to transfer credit into the program, and career services staff support the job search after graduation.
Practical Nursing, Certificate or Diploma — Hybrid
Bryant & Stratton College-Virginia Beach
Bryant & Stratton College in Virginia Beach offers a 12-month, 41-credit practical nursing diploma with ACEN accreditation and Virginia Board of Nursing approval. The school's overall graduation rate is 24%, and median graduate debt is about $21,500. Coursework covers pharmacology, intravenous therapy, and maternal and child nursing, and there is no application fee. Credits transfer into the college's associate degree RN program for graduates who want to keep advancing.
