Dallas County anchors one of the strongest nursing labor markets in Texas, with Baylor Scott & White, Parkland Health, UT Southwestern, and Methodist Health System all hiring entry-level LVNs across acute care, clinics, and long-term care.
Yet the metro's Board of Nursing-approved vocational nursing programs remain limited, so students must weigh campuses that are close enough to commute, such as LVN programs in Fort Worth or LVN programs in Irving, against accelerated and evening formats that fit existing work schedules. NCLEX-PN pass rates, tuition, and first-year earnings vary enough across those programs that the application decision should start with data, not distance.
Why Dallas Is a Strong Market for New LVNs
The Dallas-Fort Worth metro is home to more than a dozen major hospital systems and hundreds of outpatient sites, giving newly licensed LVNs one of the deepest employer pools in the country. That density is the practical reason Dallas graduates rarely wait long for a first offer.
Who's Hiring
The biggest names on job boards are consistent from month to month:
- Hospital systems: Parkland Health, Baylor Scott & White, Texas Health Resources, Methodist Health System, and Children's Health.
- Long-term and post-acute care: skilled nursing facilities and rehab centers across Dallas and Tarrant counties, where Tarrant County LVN programs are concentrated.
- Home health and hospice: a fast-growing segment for LVNs who want autonomy and daytime schedules.
- Ambulatory settings: urgent care networks, primary care clinics, dialysis centers, and specialty physician offices.
- Non-clinical employers: school districts, correctional facilities, and occupational health programs.
Texas Scope of Practice Works in Your Favor
Texas is one of the Top States for LPN/LVNs when it comes to LVN autonomy. Under Board of Nursing rules, LVNs administer medications and provide direct patient care under the direction of an RN, physician, or dentist. With a Board-approved IV therapy course, LVNs can also start peripheral IVs, administer IV fluids, and manage certain IV medications. Texas does not restrict LVNs to a narrow list of practice settings, which is why you'll see LVN roles in hospitals, schools, physician offices, home health, and correctional facilities alike.
The Metro Extends Well Past Dallas Proper
Job searches that stop at the Dallas city limit miss most of the market. Fort Worth, Arlington, Plano, McKinney, Frisco, and Irving each host their own healthcare hubs, and commutes across the metro are standard for new grads. Widening your radius to 30 miles from downtown typically triples the number of open LVN postings.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dallas LVN Training
Choosing an LVN program involves practical questions about timelines, schedules, and state requirements. Below are answers grounded in Texas Board of Nursing standards and current program details from schools in or near the Dallas area.
How long does it take to become an LVN in Texas?
Most Texas certificate programs run about 12 months of full-time study. The Texas Board of Nursing requires a minimum of 1,398 clock hours, split into 558 classroom hours and 840 clinical hours, though many schools exceed that minimum. Evening or part-time tracks stretch the timeline significantly. For example, one Texas vocational nursing program included in the Best LVN Programs in Texas 2026 rankings lists 48 weeks for its day cohort but 74 weeks for its evening cohort.1
Are there evening or weekend LVN programs near Dallas?
Some Texas schools do offer evening vocational nursing cohorts, and a smaller number include weekend clinical rotations.2 However, confirmed evening or weekend LVN schedules specifically in the Dallas metro are not well documented in publicly available 2026 program catalogs at this time. Prospective students should contact individual schools directly and verify current cohort schedules, because availability can change each enrollment cycle.
How much does an LVN program cost in Dallas, TX?
Tuition varies widely depending on whether you attend a community college, a private vocational school, or a hospital-based program. Public institutions such as community colleges in the Dallas area tend to be more affordable, while private schools may charge higher tuition but sometimes offer more flexible scheduling; the Cost of LPN Programs & Schools guide offers a detailed breakdown. Contact the admissions office of each school you are considering and ask for an itemized cost breakdown that includes fees, supplies, and testing expenses.
What are the requirements for Dallas College's LVN program?
Dallas College's vocational nursing program typically requires a high school diploma or GED, completion of prerequisite courses, a passing score on an entrance exam, and a background check. Specific prerequisite courses and GPA thresholds can shift between application cycles, so review the most current application packet on Dallas College's website or contact the nursing department directly for the latest criteria.
Accelerated, Part-Time, and Evening LVN Options Near Dallas
Can you actually finish LVN school in six months while working full-time? Not in Texas. The Board of Nursing sets minimum clinical and didactic hour requirements that no program can shortcut, so genuine "6-month" LVN tracks don't exist here. Instead, condensed 10-to-12-month programs, like the Fastest LPN/LVN Programs of 2026, compress the same hours into tighter terms, and evening, weekend, and hybrid formats are built for people who can't walk away from a paycheck.
Where the Accelerated and Evening Formats Actually Are
Dallas College El Centro runs an Accelerated Nights and Weekends option that uses 5-week hybrid terms: one in-person session per week combined with online coursework, meeting nights or Saturdays.2 Tuition runs $99 per credit hour, with the total program cost landing around $5,9401, making it one of the more affordable structured options in the metro.
Concorde Career College offers Vocational Nursing with a straightforward Daytime or Evening/Weekend choice3 at two nearby campuses: its Dallas location on Greenville Avenue4 and its Grand Prairie campus on West Interstate 206 (roughly within the 30-mile radius of downtown Dallas). Grand Prairie's evening/weekend track runs part-time over about 20 months6, a real tradeoff for students who need daytime hours free for work or family, versus the faster daytime path some campuses describe as achievable in as few as 13 months full-time3.
Public Waitlists vs. Private Rolling Admissions
Dallas College's accelerated cohort operates on the college's academic calendar, which typically means seat limits and waitlist pressure during peak enrollment windows. Concorde, as a private career college, runs closer to rolling admissions with multiple start dates scheduled throughout the year5, which suits students who can't wait a full semester for the next opening.
Looking Beyond Dallas Proper
Working adults willing to commute have more format options once they widen the search to Best LVN Programs in Fort Worth 2026, Arlington, Best LVN Programs in Plano 2026, and Garland, where additional evening, hybrid, and part-time vocational nursing tracks exist alongside the Dallas and Grand Prairie campuses already covered here.
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Dallas College LVN Program: Requirements and Application Timeline
Dallas College offers its Vocational Nursing Certificate through the School of Health Sciences. Admission is competitive, and the program ranks applicants using a mix of academic performance, entrance exam scores, and healthcare experience. Below is a checklist based on the most recent admissions packet; confirm all details directly with Dallas College, as requirements may shift for the 2026 cycle.
- Attend a mandatory information sessionDallas College requires prospective vocational nursing students to attend an information session before applying. Sessions cover program expectations, clinical requirements, and application procedures.
- Complete prerequisite courseworkYou must finish at least 10 semester credit hours across three Texas Board of Nursing–required subjects: Biology, English, and Psychology. A minimum 2.5 GPA in these prerequisites is required, along with a 2.0 cumulative GPA across all college coursework.
- Take the TEAS entrance examThe most recent admissions packet requires the ATI TEAS, with a minimum score of 55 percent in each required section: Reading, Mathematics, Science, and English and Language Usage. Scores are a significant factor in competitive ranking.
- Obtain BLS Provider CPR certificationCurrent BLS Provider CPR with AED certification must be on file at the time of application. Make sure your card will remain valid through the start of the cohort.
- Prepare health documentationApplicants need a completed physical exam, up-to-date immunizations, and TB screening. Specific vaccine requirements should be verified with the program, as clinical site mandates can change.
- Submit your application during the filing windowBased on recent cycles, the primary filing period for the fall cohort runs from January 1 through May 31, with a late filing window from June 1 to July 15 used only when space remains. A spring cohort has not been consistently offered, so check directly with admissions for 2026 availability.
- Background check and drug screeningBoth are required after you receive an offer of admission. These are conducted through clinical partner facilities in the DFW area and must be completed before you begin any clinical rotations.
- Gather required application materialsYour complete packet should include the formal application, a signed Statement of Responsibility, official transcripts, TEAS score reports, and all health documentation. Incomplete packets are not reviewed.
- Cohort start and notificationThe fall cohort typically begins in late August. Notification timelines vary, but applicants for the spring cycle have historically been notified by December 1. Fall notification dates have not been explicitly published, so plan to follow up with the admissions office after the filing window closes.
NCLEX-PN Results: How Dallas-Area LVN Schools Stack Up
The first-time NCLEX-PN pass rate is one of the clearest indicators of program quality. For 2024, the Texas statewide average for vocational nursing programs was 93.25 percent, comfortably above the national average of 88.4 percent. Programs that fall below 80 percent deserve extra scrutiny before you commit tuition dollars and a year or more of your time. The table below draws from the Texas Board of Nursing's most recent annual report. Note that Dallas College publishes NCLEX-RN outcomes on its website but does not list program-level NCLEX-PN pass rates in its publicly accessible data, and Concorde Career College Dallas results could not be reliably confirmed from the available report. If you are considering either school, contact the program directly and ask for its most recent NCLEX-PN first-time pass rate before enrolling.
| School | City | First-Time Pass Rate | Test-Takers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arlington Career Institute | Grand Prairie | 73.33% | 30 |
| Grayson College | Denison | 92.59% | 27 |
| Hill College | Hillsboro | 100.00% | 14 |
LVN Pay in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metro
Understanding what LVNs earn in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro area helps you weigh program costs against long-term return. The figures below draw on the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics available for this region. Because detailed DFW percentile breakdowns have not yet been published for the latest survey year, we present confirmed metro figures alongside national percentile benchmarks so you can estimate where local pay likely falls. With many community college LVN programs in the area carrying net prices roughly in the $5,000 to $15,000 range, even entry-level LVN wages can recoup your investment within the first year of full-time work.
| Wage Measure | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Texas (Statewide) | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Mean Wage | $66,110 | Not yet published | Not yet published |
| Median Hourly Wage | $24.65 (May 2021) | Not yet published | $26.26 (May 2022) |
| 10th Percentile (Annual) | Not yet published | Not yet published | $40,490 (May 2022) |
| 25th Percentile (Hourly) | Not yet published | Not yet published | $22.98 (May 2022) |
| Median (Annual, estimated from hourly) | $64,370 | Not yet published | Approx. $54,620 (May 2022) |
| 75th Percentile (Annual) | $72,130 | Not yet published | Approx. $62,110 (May 2022) |
| 90th Percentile (Annual) | Not yet published | Not yet published | $72,650 (May 2022) |
| Total Employment in Metro | 12,590 | N/A | N/A |
How to Get Your Texas LVN License After Graduation
Once you complete a Board of Nursing-approved vocational nursing program in Texas, the path to your active LVN license follows a clear sequence. Most graduates can hold a license in hand within four to eight weeks after passing the NCLEX-PN, though timelines vary depending on background-check processing and any additional documents the Board requests.
Top LVN Programs for Dallas Students
Below are the top LVN programs serving Dallas students, ranked by net price, institutional graduation rates, and program-level outcomes from federal data. Both entries sit within a short drive of downtown Dallas and are structured to move graduates into NCLEX-PN testing within about a year.
How we ranked these
- Median graduate debt
- Institutional graduation rates
- Net price for students
- Program-level earnings where published
- Clinical hours and program format
- 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
Galen Health Institutes-Dallas
Galen Health Institutes-Dallas in Richardson delivers an on-campus practical nursing program built around quick entry into the workforce, with four start dates a year and a curriculum that leads directly to the NCLEX-PN. The full-time option finishes in 12 months, and a part-time pathway lets Dallas-area students keep working while they train. The application is free, requires no essays, and accepts the TEAS along with other entrance assessments, with transfer credit review available for adult learners bringing prior college coursework. Net price for students receiving federal aid is about $30,998, median federal debt among graduates is roughly $24,166, and median earnings for former students ten years after entry are about $61,480; program-level earnings for this nursing certificate are not yet published, and an institutional graduation rate is not reported for this campus.
- 12-month full-time track plus a part-time pathway for working students
- Four start dates per year
- Free application with no essays required
- TEAS accepted for entrance among multiple assessments
- Transfer credit review may shorten the program
- NCLEX-PN preparation included
- Hands-on clinical learning labs on campus
- Financial aid, scholarships, and grants available
Licensed Practical or Vocational Nursing (LPN or LVN), Certificate or Diploma — On-Campus
Concorde Career College-Dallas
Concorde Career College-Dallas runs a 13-month daytime vocational nursing diploma on its Dallas campus, backed by 490 hours of clinical experience in real healthcare settings and full approval from the Texas Board of Nursing. The school reports a graduation rate of about 60% and a net price near $25,299 for federal-aid recipients, with median federal debt among graduates of roughly $9,500. Former students earn a median of about $42,456 ten years after entry at the institution level, while program-level earnings for the vocational nursing diploma are not yet published. Scheduled 2026 start dates give local applicants several entry points across the year.
- 13-month daytime diploma track, 52 total credit hours
- 490 clinical hours in real healthcare settings
- NCLEX-PN review included in the curriculum
- Approved by the Texas Board of Nursing
- Applicants must be 18 by the start of clinical training
- Criminal background check required
- 2026 start dates: February 16, April 27, July 13, September 21
- Off-site clinical rotations on a daytime schedule
