Arlington sits at the geographic center of the DFW healthcare corridor, surrounded by major hospital systems like Texas Health Resources, Medical City, and JPS Health Network, yet the city itself has only a handful of LVN certificate programs. That gap between local demand and local supply is the core challenge for prospective students here.
The good news: Fort Worth, Grand Prairie, Irving, and Dallas all fall within a 20- to 30-mile commute, and nearby LVN programs in Fort Worth and LVN programs in Dallas TX expand the realistic program pool to more than a dozen accredited options. Costs range from roughly $4,300 at a community college to over $30,000 at a private career school, while schedules span traditional daytime tracks, evening cohorts, and hybrid formats.
Below you can compare NCLEX pass rates, tuition, admissions prerequisites, and local salary benchmarks. Jump straight to the program list →
Why Arlington Is a Strong Place to Start an LVN Career
An LVN career in Arlington means practicing in one of the largest, most concentrated healthcare job markets in the country. The city sits inside the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan area, which the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported employed roughly 14,020 licensed practical and vocational nurses as of May 2023, the most recent metro-level figure published for the occupation. That volume translates into steady hiring across hospitals, long-term care, clinics, and home health.
A Deep Bench of Employers
Graduates in Arlington typically interview across a mix of large hospital systems and community providers:
- Hospital systems: Texas Health Resources and Medical City Arlington both operate multiple facilities within a short drive.
- Post-acute and long-term care: Kindred Healthcare sites, skilled nursing facilities, and rehab centers across Tarrant and Dallas counties are consistent LVN employers.
- Home health and hospice agencies: A large aging population across the metro keeps agency demand high.
Clinical rotations and job leads also extend into nearby Fort Worth, Grand Prairie, Mansfield, Irving, and Mesquite, giving students realistic commute options and broader placement networks than a single-city market would offer.
Texas Scope of Practice Is an Advantage
Texas is the largest employer of LVNs in the United States, and the scope of practice here is broader than in many states. With the appropriate certification, Texas LVNs can perform IV therapy, administer a wide range of medications, and take on delegated tasks that in other states are limited to RNs. That expanded scope is why getting your LPN/LVN degree can be a smart strategic move, making LVNs more useful to employers and more competitive on wages.
For context, the DFW metro reported a mean annual wage of $59,580 (about $28.55 per hour) for LVNs in May 2023, while the national median wage for the occupation rose to $64,400 by May 2025, signaling upward pressure on pay as demand climbs, according to LPN/LVN Salary data.
Online and Hybrid LVN Programs Available to Arlington Residents
Full-campus attendance versus a hybrid schedule is the real choice facing Arlington students, not online versus in-person. No LVN program in Texas (including the best LVN programs in Texas) is delivered entirely online, and that is not a marketing gap. It is a licensing requirement. The Texas Board of Nursing mandates supervised clinical hours that simply cannot happen through a screen, so any school claiming a fully virtual LVN credential should raise a red flag.
What hybrid actually looks like
Hybrid LVN programs split the workload: lecture-based coursework (pharmacology, anatomy, nursing fundamentals) is completed online at your own pace, while labs and clinical rotations happen in person at approved healthcare sites. North Central Texas College runs one of the clearest hybrid LPN programs available to DFW-area students, pairing online theory with a twelve-month path to completion. Students still report to campus or affiliated clinical sites for hands-on skills validation and patient care hours.
What remains campus-based
Most other Texas Board of Nursing-approved programs serving the Arlington region, including Concorde Career College in Dallas and Grand Prairie and Community College Nursing Programs such as Tarrant County College in Fort Worth and Collin College, deliver instruction in person rather than through a hybrid format. That does not make them less rigorous. It just means the flexibility trade-off works differently: less independent online study, but a more structured, cohort-based rhythm that some students prefer.
Why scheduling flexibility matters
For working adults, the real differentiator is not delivery format but clinical scheduling. Programs offering evening or weekend clinical rotations let students keep a day job or manage family obligations while completing hands-on requirements. Before enrolling, ask directly how clinical hours are scheduled and whether rotation sites are within reasonable driving distance of Arlington. That answer matters more than whether coursework happens online.
LVN Salary and Job Growth in the Arlington Metro
The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro area employed roughly 14,020 LVNs as of the most recent federal wage survey, with mean annual pay of $59,580, essentially matching the national median of $59,730. That puts DFW-area LVNs well ahead of the Texas statewide mean of $52,850. Exact metro-level percentiles are drawn from the same BLS release as the national figures below; because DFW-specific percentile breakouts were not fully published in the accessible tables, the national distribution is shown here as a reference point. Program-level earnings reported on federal scorecards may differ from these occupational wage figures because they capture graduates across all employment types, not solely LVN clinical roles.
Tuition and Total Cost Breakdown for Arlington-Area LVN Programs
LVN program costs in the Arlington metro vary widely depending on whether a school is public or private. Based on published tuition schedules and federal data, total out-of-pocket costs for the programs below range from roughly $4,300 to about $31,000 before financial aid. The statewide median tuition at private LVN schools in Texas sits near $34,500, which means every program on this list falls below that benchmark. Keep in mind that the "net price" you actually pay after grants and Pell funding can be significantly lower than the sticker price. No fully free LVN program currently exists in Arlington, but students who qualify for maximum Pell Grant awards and institutional aid at public colleges may see most or all tuition covered.
| School | Sector | Estimated Tuition and Fees | Books, Supplies, and Other Costs | Estimated Total Program Cost | Title IV (Federal Aid) Eligible | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tarrant County College (Fort Worth) | Public | $3,537 (in-district) to $8,370 (out-of-district) | Included in program estimate | Approximately $5,170 (in-district, per program listing) | Yes | Net price after aid averages roughly $4,337. Military benefits accepted. Selective admission. Pell Grant recipients may cover most costs. |
| Arlington Career Institute (Arlington) | Private | Approximately $20,632 | Approximately $2,700 to $2,750 (bundled books, supplies, fees) | Roughly $23,400 to $24,000 | Title IV eligibility indicated | 12-month, 1,380-hour day program. Sticker price is well below the Texas private-school median of about $34,500. Itemized breakdowns for uniforms and clinical equipment are not separately published. |
| Concorde Career College (Dallas) | Private | Not separately published | Not separately published | Net price approximately $25,299 after aid | Yes | 13-month program with 490 clinical hours. Scholarships available. NCLEX-PN review included in tuition. |
| Galen College of Nursing (Richardson) | Private | $17,048 | Not separately published | Net price approximately $30,998 after aid | Yes | 12-month program with four start dates per year. $0 application fee. Scholarships and grants available. |
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Admissions Prerequisites Compared Side by Side
Regardless of which school you choose, the Texas Board of Nursing sets baseline eligibility rules every applicant must meet: you need to be at least 17 years old, pass a criminal background check with electronic fingerprinting, and, if you have any prior criminal history, submit a Declaratory Order for review before the BON will clear you for clinical placement. Beyond those statewide requirements, individual programs layer on their own academic and health prerequisites. The table below compares four Arlington-area LVN programs across the criteria that matter most during the application process.
| Criterion | Arlington Career Institute | Tarrant County College | CTK Healthcare (Irving) | Collin College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entrance Exam | ATI TEAS, minimum 57% composite | HESI A2, minimum score of 83 | ATI TEAS, minimum 58.7% composite | Contact the program for current exam requirements |
| Minimum GPA | Not publicly specified; high school transcripts or GED required | 2.0 cumulative GPA on prior coursework | Not publicly specified; high school diploma or GED required | Not publicly specified; contact the nursing department |
| Background Check and Drug Screen | Criminal background clearance through the Texas BON; electronic fingerprinting via IdentoGo | Criminal background check, FBI fingerprinting, and drug screening required after acceptance | Criminal background check and drug screen required | Criminal background check required per Texas BON rules |
| Immunization Records | MMR, Varicella, Hepatitis B, TDaP, Meningitis, Influenza; two-step TB skin test or chest X-ray | Hepatitis A and B, TDaP, MMR, Varicella; TB skin test or chest X-ray plus TB questionnaire | MMR, Varicella, Hepatitis B, TB test | Standard immunization panel required; confirm specific list with the program |
| CPR Certification | AHA BLS for Healthcare Providers (school offers a CPR class if you do not already hold the card) | BLS Provider CPR certification required before classes begin | BLS for Healthcare Providers required | Current CPR certification required for the duration of the program |
| Additional Health Requirements | Completed physical form from a healthcare provider; proof of personal health insurance | Physical exam and health clearance documentation | Physical exam typically required; confirm current requirements with admissions | Personal medical insurance required throughout the program |
| Admissions Timeline | Cohort start dates with posted enrollment deadlines (confirm current dates with admissions) | Fixed cohort starts through a selective admissions cycle | Multiple start dates throughout the year; contact admissions for the next available cohort | Structured cohort schedule; check the college catalog for application windows |
Top LVN Programs for Arlington-Area Students
Below are the top LVN programs serving Arlington-area students, ranked in order of overall fit for readers of this guide. Each entry notes campus format, program cost, and the institution-wide outcomes the school reports. Program-level earnings for these LVN tracks are not yet published.
How we ranked these
- Median graduate debt
- Institution-wide graduation rates
- Texas Board of Nursing approval
- Program cost and credit hours
- Commuting distance and campus format
- 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
- Bureau of Economic Analysis cost-of-living index by state — bea.gov
Tarrant County College District
Tarrant County College's vocational nursing certificate is the lowest-cost option in this ranking, with program tuition listed at $5,170 for 45 credit hours. Classes meet at Trinity River Campus East in downtown Fort Worth, a metroplex commute from Arlington, and the college reports a 100% first-time NCLEX-PN pass rate in 2023. Admission is selective. Institution-wide, the college graduates 34% of its students and reports an average net price of $4,337, figures that cover the whole institution rather than nursing alone.
- Texas Board of Nursing approved
- $5,170 total program tuition
- 45 total credit hours
- 100% first-time NCLEX-PN pass rate in 2023
- Level 2 certificate with selective admission
- Taught at Trinity River Campus East in Fort Worth
- Military and VA education benefits accepted
- Credits transfer toward a bachelor's degree
Licensed Practical or Vocational Nursing (LPN or LVN), Certificate or Diploma — On-Campus
Galen Health Institutes-Dallas
Galen College of Nursing's Dallas-area campus in Richardson runs a practical nursing program built for students with no prior nursing background, and it can be completed in as little as 12 months with four start dates a year. Admission requires an entrance exam, with TEAS scores accepted, and the application is free with no essays. Instruction is delivered on campus with labs and Dallas-area clinical placements. Institution-wide, Galen reports a $30,998 average net price and $24,166 in median graduate debt, though graduation rates are not reported for the college as a whole and those cost figures span all of its programs.
- 12-month program with four start dates per year
- Entrance exam required, with TEAS scores accepted
- Free application with no essays
- On-campus classes plus clinical learning labs
- Assigned academic advisor and professional tutors
- Financial aid, scholarships, and grants available
- Transfer credit review may shorten the program
- Prepares graduates to sit for the NCLEX-PN
Practical/Vocational Nursing, Certificate or Diploma — On-Campus
Concorde Career College-Dallas
Concorde Career College's Dallas campus on Greenville Avenue offers a 13-month, full-time vocational nursing diploma with 52 credit hours and 490 clinical hours, and the program holds full approval from the Texas Board of Nursing under Texas Workforce Commission oversight. Instruction and clinical rotations happen in person around the metroplex. The campus keeps extended weekday and Saturday hours, which suits commuters handling admissions and financial aid around a work schedule. Institution-wide, Concorde graduates about 60% of its students and reports an average net price of $25,299 with median graduate debt of $9,500, figures that cover every program at the school.
- 13-month daytime diploma with 52 credit hours
- 490 hours of supervised clinical experience
- Full approval from the Texas Board of Nursing
- NCLEX-PN review included in the curriculum
- Off-site clinical rotations at Dallas-area sites
- Financial aid and scholarships available
- Texas articulation partnerships for further study
- Coursework covers med-surg, mental health, and pharmacology
Vocational Nursing Diploma Program — On-Campus
Common Questions About LVN Programs in Arlington
Prospective LVN students in the Arlington area often have similar questions about cost, accreditation, and program length. The answers below point you toward the most reliable sources so you can compare options with confidence.
How much does an LVN program cost in Arlington, TX?
Tuition varies widely depending on whether a program is offered through a community college, a career institute, or a private school. Rather than relying on published estimates that may be outdated, review Cost of LPN Programs & Schools and contact each program's admissions or financial aid office to request the current tuition and fee schedule. Be sure to ask about total program costs, including books, uniforms, liability insurance, background checks, drug screening, and NCLEX-PN exam fees. These extras can add a meaningful amount on top of base tuition.
Are there accredited LVN programs in Arlington, TX?
To verify accreditation, search the Texas Board of Nursing's list of approved vocational nursing education programs. You can also check the U.S. Department of Education's database of accredited postsecondary institutions and programs. Accreditation matters for two reasons: graduates must have it to sit for the NCLEX-PN and qualify for licensure, and it typically controls eligibility for federal financial aid, scholarships, and employer tuition reimbursement.
How long does it take to complete an LVN program near Arlington?
Most full-time LVN programs run roughly 12 to 16 months, but part-time or evening tracks can stretch longer. For shorter timelines, review Fastest LPN/LVN Programs of 2026, and check individual school websites and catalogs for details on full-time versus part-time scheduling, prerequisite requirements, and total clinical hour commitments. Contact admissions offices directly to ask about current cohort start dates and anticipated completion timelines, since these can shift from one enrollment cycle to the next.
What are the requirements to get into an LVN program in Texas?
Common prerequisites include a high school diploma or GED, a passing score on an entrance exam such as the TEAS or HESI, CPR certification, immunization records, and a clear background check. Some programs also require prerequisite coursework in anatomy, physiology, or medical terminology. Requirements differ by school, so review each program's admissions page carefully and speak with an admissions advisor about any prerequisite you may need to complete before applying.
Where can I find reliable salary and job outlook data for LVNs in the Arlington area?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook page for Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses (BLS.gov) provides national and state wage and employment projections. For regional data specific to the Dallas, Fort Worth, and Arlington metro area, check the Texas Workforce Commission website or your local workforce development board. When evaluating programs, ask each school about its most recent NCLEX-PN pass rates and job placement outcomes, and compare those figures across multiple programs before making a decision.
