Webb County clinics, Laredo Medical Center, and Doctors Hospital of Laredo employ most of the region's licensed vocational nurses, and demand for bilingual LVNs remains strong across this border-city healthcare hub. Laredo College is the primary local pipeline, but in-city program options are limited.
Prospective students can plan around current tuition, admissions requirements, NCLEX-PN pass rates, salary outlook, and advancement options for those who want to bridge to RN later. Students who need scheduling flexibility will also find online, hybrid, and nearby campus alternatives worth considering, including Best LVN Programs in San Antonio 2026.
LVN Job Outlook and Salaries in Laredo
The earnings conversation for practical and vocational nurses in South Texas has shifted away from relying on one posted number and toward checking the source data directly, and that habit serves students better in 2026. Exact Laredo and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission LPN/LVN Salary and growth figures are not included here, but you can find current numbers through a few public tools.
Look Up Wages Through BLS
Start with BLS.gov and its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) tool. Search for occupation code 29-2061, which covers licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses. The tool lets you filter by state and metropolitan area, so you can view median annual and hourly wages for the Laredo area, the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission area, and Texas statewide. Compare all three side by side because a metro-level median can look different from a state-level number and both matter when you are weighing a job offer.
Check Texas Workforce Projections
For regional growth context, use the Texas Workforce Commission's Labor Market Information site. Search by occupation code and region rather than by job title alone. The site includes Texas and South Texas LVN wage estimates and 10-year projected job growth. Look at both the projected percentage change and the projected number of openings, since percentage growth can look strong in a smaller market even when the raw number of new positions is modest.
Ask Program Advisors Directly
Individual school websites remain the most practical local source. Review the vocational nursing program pages for Laredo College and South Texas College, then contact program advisors for current salary, job placement, and local employer demand information. Advisors can usually describe which settings are hiring recent graduates for LPN & LVN Jobs in the Laredo area, such as long-term care, home health, clinics, and inpatient facilities, without relying on stale public summaries.
Cross-Check Licensing and Professional Sources
Finally, check the Texas Board of Nursing for licensing requirements and any workforce updates, and consult professional nursing associations for salary surveys and local networking. Compare multiple authoritative sources rather than treating one outdated or incomplete figure as the full picture. A wage number is only useful when the source, region, and year match your situation.
LVN Salary Snapshot: Laredo vs. Texas vs. U.S.
Laredo-area LVN salaries fall below state and national medians, but the lower cost of living in the region helps offset the gap. The local wage range also widens considerably with experience and specialization.
Online and Hybrid LVN Programs Accessible From Laredo
Full online versus fully in-person is a false choice for LVN training. Texas does not allow a purely online path to the license, so the real question for Laredo students is how much of the didactic coursework can be completed remotely while clinical hours stay local and hands-on.
What "Hybrid" Actually Means
No LVN program in Texas, Laredo included, is approved by the Texas Board of Nursing (TBON) as fully online. Vocational nursing requires direct patient contact hours that simply cannot be simulated through a screen. When a program advertises itself as a Hybrid LPN Program, it typically means lecture content, readings, and exams happen online, while skills labs and clinical rotations happen in person at an approved facility. Treat any claim of a 100% online LVN program as a red flag rather than a shortcut.
What's Actually Available Near Laredo
Based on current TBON approvals, Laredo College's Vocational Nursing Certificate II remains the clear, legitimate option physically based in Webb County, and it is not structured as a hybrid program: it is clinically intensive and delivered largely in person. Laredo College does offer an ADN Transition Track (its LVN to RN bridge) with an online and campus-based format, but that pathway is for licensed LVNs advancing to RN, not an entry point into vocational nursing itself. As of the 2025-2026 cycle, research did not surface a separate TBON-approved hybrid LVN entry program operating in or accepting students specifically from the Laredo area.
How Clinical Placement Works Remotely
When a program elsewhere in Texas offers online didactic coursework, students generally still need to arrange clinical placement at a TBON-approved facility near where they live, which means coordinating with the school's clinical coordinator well before enrollment to confirm Laredo-area hospitals or clinics will accept placements.
Verify Before You Enroll
Before committing to any out-of-area or online-heavy program, confirm its TBON approval status directly. A program without that approval cannot make you eligible to sit for the NCLEX-PN in Texas, regardless of what the marketing promises.
Laredo College Vocational Nursing Program
Laredo College's vocational nursing program is the primary local route for students who want to become licensed vocational nurses without leaving the Laredo area. For the 2025-2026 cycle, the college lists the program as Vocational Nursing, Certificate II.1 The pathway is commonly cited as a 12-month certificate, roughly three semesters of full-time study2, although the official vocational nursing page excerpt we reviewed does not restate a specific duration. Completing the certificate makes students eligible for the NCLEX-PN and Texas LVN licensure.
Admissions Requirements
Laredo College screens applicants rather than using open enrollment. For 2025-2026 VN admission, the minimum ATI TEAS score is 58 percent, so prepare with the How to Prepare for Your LPN/LVN Program Entrance Exam.2 Do not confuse that with the 65 percent cutoff, which applies to the separate LVN-to-RN transition track.3 A minimum 2.5 GPA is required across prerequisites, institutional coursework, and overall GPA.2 Required prerequisites are PSYC 2314 and either MDCA 1409 or the BIOL 2301/2101 plus BIOL 2302/2102 sequence.2 All prerequisite courses must be completed with a C or better; a D is not passing.2 Applicants also need to be college ready or TSI complete in reading, writing, and math.2
Beyond academic screening, students should expect standard clinical clearance steps such as a background check and current immunizations. The published 2025-2026 VN materials do not spell out the clinical clearance checklist, so confirm those exact requirements with the nursing office before applying.2
Application Timeline
The VN application window opens the fourth Monday in January at 9:00 a.m. and closes the last Friday in February at 11:59 p.m.2 Cohort start dates and waitlist information are not stated in the official vocational nursing materials we reviewed.2 Contact the program directly after submitting to learn whether a waitlist applies and when the next cohort begins.
Clinical Rotations and Curriculum
Clinical rotations are a required part of the program , a Complete Guide to LPN/LVN Clinical Rotations can clarify expectations , but the official 2025-2026 materials reviewed do not name specific Laredo-area sites.2 Students should plan for rotations at local hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities and confirm the current clinical site list with the college. The curriculum integrates classroom instruction, skills lab practice, and supervised patient care. Topics typically include nursing fundamentals, pharmacology, and patient care, with clinical hours supervised by nursing faculty. As a concentrated certificate pathway, expect a full-time schedule that blends classroom time, lab work, and clinical shifts.
A Cost-Effective Local Option
Laredo College is a Hispanic-Serving Institution with a high share of Pell Grant recipients, which matters for practical nursing students. The college's lower tuition and financial aid access , key factors in the Most Affordable LPN/LVN Programs for 2026 , can keep LVN training costs within reach for local learners. Still, applicants should budget for costs beyond tuition, including TEAS fees, textbooks, uniforms, background checks, immunizations, and clinical supplies.
Laredo College LVN Admissions Checklist
Laredo College's Vocational Nursing program uses a competitive admissions process. Prospective students should prepare the following items well before the application deadline to strengthen their candidacy.
- Program ApplicationSubmit the completed Vocational Nursing program application by the posted deadline. Laredo College typically opens applications in the spring for fall-start cohorts, so confirm exact dates with the Health Sciences division each cycle.
- TEAS Entrance ExamAchieve the minimum required score on the ATI TEAS exam. The score is weighted in the admissions ranking, so preparing with official practice materials is strongly recommended.
- Prerequisite Coursework & GPAComplete all prerequisite courses, commonly Anatomy & Physiology and other general education requirements, with the minimum cumulative GPA specified by the program.
- CPR CertificationHold a current Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers certification from the American Heart Association or an equivalent approved provider.
- Criminal Background CheckClear a criminal background check through the Texas Board of Nursing–approved vendor. Certain offenses may affect eligibility for licensure, so address any concerns with the Board before applying.
- Immunizations & Health RecordsProvide documentation of required immunizations, including hepatitis B series, MMR, varicella, Tdap, and a current TB screening, along with a completed physical exam form.
- Drug ScreeningPass a drug screening as required by clinical partner facilities prior to beginning the clinical rotation portion of the program.
Tuition and Financial Aid for Laredo LVN Students
How much does it actually cost to earn your LVN certificate in Laredo after financial aid is factored in?
The answer depends on residency, aid eligibility, and how aggressively you pursue scholarships, but the starting numbers are encouraging. Laredo College lists approximately $5,300 in total program tuition and fees for its Vocational Nursing Certificate II, with in-district tuition around $4,500 and out-of-state tuition near $5,748. Books and additional fees are extra. Those figures make Laredo College one of the more affordable Community College Nursing Programs in South Texas, though the sticker price is only half the story.
Sticker Price vs. Net Price
The amount you pay out of pocket often looks very different from the published tuition once grants and scholarships are applied. The institution-wide net price at Laredo College, a rough benchmark that reflects what students typically pay after all grant aid, sits at roughly $5,798. For students who qualify for a Federal Pell Grant, that net figure can drop substantially. Filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the essential first step, and Laredo College processes financial aid on a first-come, first-served basis, so submitting early matters.
Aid Options Worth Exploring
- Federal Pell Grant: Available to students who demonstrate financial need; does not require repayment.
- THECB Vocational Nursing Scholarship: The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board offers $500 to $1,000 awards three times per year for Texas residents enrolled at least half-time in an LVN-licensure program with demonstrated financial need.
- Texas Nursing Students Scholarship Program (FY 2026): A separate state program covering professional and vocational nursing students who meet residency, academic progress, and Selective Service requirements.
- WIOA Workforce Training Funds: Workforce Solutions for South Texas (1406 Jacaman Road, Suite A, Laredo; 956-794-6500) administers federally funded training programs for qualifying adults and dislocated workers. Vocational training like LVN coursework may be covered, though approved program lists and funding caps vary by year.
- Institutional Scholarships and Emergency Aid: Laredo College's Financial Aid Center occasionally offers Health Sciences scholarships. Contact the office directly for current availability.
Return on Investment
With a net cost in the $5,000 to $6,000 range and the program taking roughly 12 months to complete, the payback window is short. Laredo College reports median earnings of around $52,850 for its vocational nursing graduates, meaning the program cost represents only a fraction of a single year's salary. Even students who borrow modestly can expect to recoup their investment quickly once licensed and working.
Start with the FAFSA, then visit Laredo College's Financial Aid Center to ask about institutional awards and emergency funds before classes begin.
NCLEX-PN Pass Rates and Student Outcomes
The NCLEX-PN is the national licensing exam every vocational nursing graduate must pass before working as an LVN in Texas. Pass rates reveal how well a program prepares students for this critical milestone and signal the overall quality of instruction and clinical training.
Laredo College Pass Rate Performance
Laredo College's LVN program has maintained strong NCLEX-PN results over multiple years. In 2022, the program achieved an 89.61% first-time pass rate, with 69 of 77 candidates passing on their initial attempt. Looking at a broader window, the program averaged 91.98% from 2019 through 2022. Since 2023, the college reports that first-time pass rates have remained above 90%, demonstrating consistent preparation quality.
These figures compare favorably to both state and national benchmarks. The Texas statewide first-time pass rate stood at 87.38% in 2022, while the national average came in at 79.93% that same year. Laredo College outperformed both measures, placing it in solid standing among Texas LVN programs.
Why Pass Rates Matter for Your Enrollment Decision
The Texas Board of Nursing closely monitors NCLEX-PN outcomes for every approved program. When a school's pass rate falls below acceptable thresholds, the Board can place it on probation or conditional approval status. Students enrolled in a struggling program may face disruptions, including potential difficulty transferring credits or uncertainty about program continuation.
Choosing a program with a track record above 85% provides reasonable assurance that the curriculum aligns with exam content and that clinical experiences prepare graduates for real-world practice. Laredo College's sustained performance above 90% suggests stable instructional quality and effective exam preparation support, which is why getting your LPN/LVN degree can be a smart strategic move.
Data Sources and Timing
The pass rate figures cited here come from Texas Board of Nursing annual reports, with the most recent complete data from 2022. The Board publishes these statistics each calendar year, covering all accredited LPN and RN programs statewide. National averages derive from NCSBN (National Council of State Boards of Nursing) annual exam statistics.
Program-level employment and earnings outcomes specific to Laredo College's vocational nursing certificate are not yet published in federal datasets. However, the college's consistent exam performance and institutional track record, including 100% pass rates for its ADN program in 2022 and 2023, indicate strong overall nursing education outcomes across both credential levels.
How to Become an LVN in Texas
Earning your Licensed Vocational Nurse credential in Texas follows a clearly defined sequence overseen by the Texas Board of Nursing (TBON). For Laredo residents, Laredo College offers the local TBON-approved vocational nursing pathway. Note that TBON requires fingerprinting and a criminal background check as part of the application process, so plan accordingly.
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Ranked LVN Programs Near Laredo
Below are the top LVN programs serving Laredo students, ranked on completion data, state approval, and fit for the region. Laredo College holds the only state-approved vocational nursing program inside the city, and it sets the standard for cost, clinical depth, and local career pathways in 2026. For readers comparing options across South Texas, including San Antonio, Eagle Pass, McAllen, Corpus Christi, and Del Rio, it is the one program anchored inside the Laredo metro.
How we ranked these
- Median graduate debt levels
- Institution-wide graduation rates
- Texas Board of Nursing approval
- Program cost and length
- Local accessibility for Laredo students
- College Scorecard graduate earnings — collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Internal program database
- Independent editorial research
- IPEDS institutional survey data from NCES covering graduation rates, student-faculty ratios and net price — nces.ed.gov
Laredo College
Laredo College is the public institution that anchors practical nursing education in the Laredo metro, with vocational nursing instruction and clinical coordination housed at the South Campus College of Health Sciences Building on South Zapata Highway. The college is a Hispanic-Serving Institution, and its nursing ladder lets students stay in the city from the one-year vocational nursing certificate through an LVN-to-RN transition track and an RN-to-BSN completion option. In-state tuition and fees run about $3,300 a year, out-of-state students pay roughly $5,748, and the average net price after aid is near $5,798. School-wide, the college reports a graduation rate of about 30%, and its vocational nursing program is approved by the Texas Board of Nursing.
- One-year, 38-credit certificate completed in 12 months
- $5,300 total program tuition, plus books and fees
- 95% licensure pass rate; program prepares students for NCLEX-PN
- Clinicals cover fundamentals, medical/surgical, maternity/pediatric, and psychiatric
- Approved by the Texas Board of Nursing
- Competitive admission: 2.5 GPA minimum plus ATI TEAS entrance exam
- Prerequisites: PSYC 2314 and MDCA 1409; $10 application fee
- Fall start; applications close February 27, 2026
Vocational Nursing Certificate II — On-Campus
LVN-to-RN Bridge Pathways From Laredo
Two LPN to RN bridge programs dominate for Laredo LVNs: the LVN-to-ADN and the LVN-to-BSN. The associate route is usually the shortest path, often one full calendar year after prerequisites, and it leads directly to RN licensure. The bachelor's route takes longer but adds the degree many Texas hospitals now prefer, with online or hybrid formats that fit a working LVN schedule.
Local and Commutable Bridge Options
Laredo College is the closest place to start. Its Associate Degree Nursing pathway gives current LVNs a clear local route to RN licensure, but the college does not guarantee an LVN transition cohort every admission cycle, so ask the nursing department how your VN coursework can be evaluated for credit or challenge exams. For structured bridge cohorts, San Antonio College offers an LVN-to-ADN transition, and Galen College of Nursing in San Antonio runs LVN-to-ADN bridge options within commuting distance. If you prefer a BSN, several Texas universities advertise partially online LVN-to-BSN tracks, but confirm that the program is specifically for licensed vocational nurses, not the more common RN-to-BSN format.
Experience and Admission Requirements
Most bridge programs expect six to twelve months of recent LVN work experience before you apply. Plan to submit proof of an active, unencumbered Texas LVN license, official transcripts, prerequisite grades, and a TEAS or HESI score. Some programs also require a reference from your nurse manager. Before you commit, consult Choosing the Right LPN/LVN Bridge Program and verify whether the program is approved by the Texas Board of Nursing.
Salary Shift and Next Steps
The payoff is substantial. Texas LVNs often earn in the low-to-mid $50,000s, while registered nurses in the state commonly earn above $80,000, so the transition can roughly double your earning power. That gap widens in hospital, specialty, and leadership roles that only hire RNs. For a full approved-program list and application walkthrough, see the PracticalNursing.org Texas LVN-to-RN guide.
