Home / LPN Programs / California / San Francisco area
LVN Programs in the San Francisco area
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area
Programs
7
2 within 10 miles
Median pay here
$94,310
licensed practical and vocational nurses, BLS May 2025
Lowest listed cost
$38,903
of 3 with a cost, IPEDS
LVN Programs in the San Francisco area at a glance
- Open to the public
- 7 programs: 7 at colleges and schools (IPEDS)
- Distance from San Francisco
- 2 within 10 miles; nearest 3.4 miles, farthest 22.8 miles
- Listed program cost
- 3 of 7 list one: $38,903 each (IPEDS)
- Program length
- 3 colleges list a length: 17 months to 20 months (IPEDS)
- Length on the WIOA list
- 1 listed program gives weeks: 52 weeks full time
- Completions, 2023-24
- 1,425 LVN awards at the 6 colleges that reported any (IPEDS)
- On the WIOA list
- 1 of 7 on California's eligible training list (DOL file, June 30, 2025)
- Licence
- Licensed vocational nurse (LVN), issued by the California Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians; the exam is the NCLEX-PN
- Exam and licence fees
- BVNPT application for licensure by examination (California program graduate, exam fee not included) $300; BVNPT initial license fee $300; NCLEX-PN registration (until January 31, 2027) $200; NCLEX-PN registration (on or after February 1, 2027) $350 (read October 10, 2026)
- Pay here
- $94,310 median for licensed practical and vocational nurses ($45.34 an hour); 10th to 90th percentile $75,900 to $109,120; 8,800 employed in the metro area; California median $79,750 (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
LVN programs, nearest to San Francisco first
| Program | Where | Type | Program cost | Length | Completions | Miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merritt College | Oakland | Certificate | Not reported | Not reported | 0 | 3.4 |
| Unitek College | Hayward | Certificate | $38,903 | 17 months | 130 | 6.9 |
| City College of San Francisco | San Francisco | Certificate | Not reported | Not reported | 21 | 18.4 |
| Unitek College | Fremont | Certificate | $38,903 | 17 months | 1,107 | 19.3 |
| Unitek College | South San Francisco | Certificate | $38,903 | 20 months | 123 | 19.9 |
| Los Medanos College | Pittsburg | Certificate | Not reported | Not reported | 20 | 22.0 |
| Contra Costa Medical Career CollegeWIOA list | Antioch | Certificate | Not reported | Not reported | 24 | 22.8 |
- College programs, cost and completions: IPEDS complete data files, 2024-25 collection, read October 8, 2026.
- WIOA list: DOL TrainingProviderResults.gov program file (ETA-9171), read October 8, 2026.
- Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA, read October 8, 2026.
- Fees: BVNPT fee schedule, implemented September 21, 2022, read October 10, 2026.
- Fees: NCSBN, NCLEX Fees & Payment, read October 20, 2026.
Paying for training
- WIOA in California: 4,171 programs are on the state's list in the U.S. DOL file, 28 of them LVN.
- Pell Grants for short programs
- Workforce Pell
- GI Bill
Other California metro areas
- Los Angeles area38 programs
- Riverside area12 programs
- San Diego area5 programs
- Bakersfield area4 programs
- San Jose area4 programs
- Fresno area3 programs
- Sacramento area3 programs
- Santa Maria area3 programs