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How long is LPN school?
Most LPN/LVN certificate programs take 11 months to 14 months; the middle of 294 programs reporting a length to IPEDS is 12 months. In clock hours, the middle program runs 1,350 hours (half run 1,296 to 1,500). On state WIOA training lists the middle LPN/LVN program lasts 48 weeks.
The legal minimum
Practical nursing graduates take the NCLEX-PN exam for a state license. State boards publish first-time pass rates by program; we show them as printed, with the board and period. (state boards of nursing)
How long LPN/LVN programs run
| Length | Programs |
|---|---|
| Under 3 months | 0 |
| 3 to 6 months | 0 |
| 7 to 12 months | 174 |
| Over 12 months | 120 |
Program length by state
| State | Programs reporting | Middle | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 45 | 15 months | 8 months to 29 months |
| Tennessee | 31 | 11 months | 11 months to 12 months |
| Florida | 30 | 13 months | 8 months to 18 months |
| Pennsylvania | 30 | 13 months | 12 months to 24 months |
| New York | 26 | 11 months | 9 months to 20 months |
| Ohio | 26 | 11 months | 10 months to 17 months |
| West Virginia | 16 | 12 months | 11 months to 13 months |
| Oklahoma | 14 | 13 months | 10 months to 19 months |
| Missouri | 12 | 12 months | 10 months to 15 months |
| Massachusetts | 9 | 10 months | 8 months to 18 months |
| New Jersey | 8 | 13 months | 10 months to 14 months |
| Texas | 8 | 13 months | 12 months to 20 months |
| Louisiana | 6 | 15 months | 15 months to 18 months |
| Utah | 4 | 11 months | 10 months to 12 months |
| Illinois | 4 | 15 months | 12 months to 16 months |
| New Mexico | 3 | 12 months | 11 months to 12 months |
| Kentucky | 3 | 12 months | 12 months to 14 months |
Source: IPEDS COST1 2024-25, the length and whole-program tuition that clock-hour schools report for their largest programs. States with at least 3 reporting programs. Community colleges charge by the year and are not in these figures.