Cost of LVN school in California

jacksonvillelpn · Nov 14, 2010

I can't in good conscious recommend that program...that's just highway robbery. You can buy a house for that (a cheap fixer-uper,granted). I will end up paying less than $5K at the community college here in Florida, so I would advise you to wait it out, and save a ton.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

BlkQueen8 · Nov 15, 2010

It's an individual decision But I'm in a private LVN program. The wait list is extended to 2012 IF you are already done with all the pre-reqs and the TEAs test. In my experience there was a waitlist for some of the pre-reqs. It took over a yr and a half to get one class I needed. I figure the money I can make as a LVN and than move right into a LVN to RN program via comunity college without the long wait, wil make up for the extra cost I spent for school. BTW, Here in southern California you can't buy a house for that. That would be a downpayment on a house.

BlkQueen8 · Nov 15, 2010

BTW my program cost 32K but they have an excellent pass rate.

HeartsOpenWide, RN · Nov 15, 2010

What is that curse word that deals with hockey sticks....yeah that one with a big NO behind it.

California JC: "Tuition" : $1742

Books, supplies and materials fees cost approximately $1,200.

ATI books – for three semesters approximately $320

Students are required to have uni forms, white shoes, and a watch with second hand. For speci fics, see dress code in student handbook. Cost is approximately $100-$150.

Immunizations = $220.

CPR certi ficat ion costs about $50.

School pin (optional ) for graduation costs approximately $60-$130.

Licensure application costs about $300.

MAX= $4,112

Yeah, 4,112 VS. 34,000.....do you want to pay $29,888 more? No one is going to pay you more for going to a more expensive school, and in California, more than likely you are going to be working in a nursing home making in the high teens to low twentys an hour depending on the area.

Not being on a wait list is not worth that cost difference.

agldragonRN · Nov 15, 2010

that tuition is pretty steep for lpn. my whole lpn tuition was $3500. have you researched other lpn programs in your area and see if the tuition is more reasonable?

here is the link for all approved lpn programs in cali:

bvnpt - california accredited schools

good luck.

agldragonRN · Nov 15, 2010

btw my program cost 32k but they have an excellent pass rate.

my lpn program had 100% nclex pass rate during my time there and i only paid $3500 for the whole tuition.

angelicious05 · Nov 15, 2010

my lpn program had 100% nclex pass rate during my time there and i only paid $3500 for the whole tuition.

same here. i live in ca and the program i am entering will total about $2000-$2500 for everything, their pass rates for the past few classes are 100%. their pass rates are consantly in the 90's. the high 90's!

it is at a local "adult school" have you looked into adult schools and rop programs? i dont know about san diego but when i was considering moving to los angeles i looked into schools and found a ton of adult schools with the lvn program and a few rop's.

it is up to you if you want to pay that kind of money to become an lvn but with the job market the way it is you dont know if you'll find a job in a month or in a year. if it takes a while to find employment, have you considered how will you make payments on your loan(s)?

allnurses Guide · Nov 15, 2010

I went to a private "for profit" school in California. Everybody loves to bash them but they aren't all alike, and they aren't all run by scam artists. I've got a friend who's daughter went to one of them, and she is doing well, too. When I decided to go into nursing I didn't want to wait, and after you wait, the CC programs take longer.

OP if you've done your research about the school and feel it has a good reputation and costs comparable to other schools in your area for the same program, and you realize that the job market is tough in California and tougher for LVNs and still want to do it, I'll just say I did it and never regretted it. The school had an office that hooked me up with all available grants and scholarships. The rest was a low interest student loan payable starting 9 mo after graduation.

A caution - when I did it a job was pretty much a sure thing right away, and now it isn't. Loans that kick in months later didn't seem too risky then, but lots of new grads from all programs and schools are facing their loan payments due with no job!!

On the plus side, it's much easier to bridge to your RN now than it was - so you aren't quite as locked in as you used to be if you find the jobs available to you as an LVN are not enough or not what you like doing. Best wishes whatever you decide!

BlkQueen8 · Dec 1, 2010

my lpn program had 100% nclex pass rate during my time there and i only paid $3500 for the whole tuition.

clearly you missed the point of my post. you said lpn, well that means you are not in my state. the cost of living here is different and i wasn't saying that since i paid more that my program was better, i'm just saying that just because it's a vocational school does not mean it's bad school. a lot of the rop programs in my area do not have good pass rates. although the community colleges in my area have wonderful programs, i'm not in the position were i can continue to wait to get in. btw, my school has a nclex pass rate of over 99% and it's a fairly new school. meaning most of the students who didn't pass per a quarter is usually 1 and most of the time none.

each person's circumstances and therefore decisions are their own. i'm not willing to wait any longer to get into a program, but i'm willing to pay big bucks for my lvn and start working and while i finish my rn (by doing a lvn-rn bridge) right after. after that hopefully i'm able to either finish my bsn through a state college or an online program like wgu.

either way, the decision is up to each individuals and there is no reason to hate on those who make different decisions from you. i left a career to pursue the nursing route, i don't have a husband or family that can fully support me yet i have bills that need to be paid. the faster i can get in to a healthcare field (cna or ma won't pay my bills) the better. the career i left (working 45-60 hrs a week) did not allow me to go to school at the same time.

cookiemonster84 · Dec 2, 2010

hey :) I don't think anyone was trying to hate on you :) just offering suggestions. :)

I live in the bay area, here we have a bunch of private lvn programs that range from 16k to 34k. We also have a rop program that is about 3k.

my local community college offers an lvn program, which is the cheapest route. It's set up for the working student and you only attend class 2 days a wk, and it takes 2 years to complete.

you said you can't pay your bills as a cna.

would you be able to pay your bills as well as a loan for 400 dollars a month? you might take up to a year to find a job.

my former coworker took about a year to find a job, and we have alot of places for lvns to work in my area. (the va system, prison, napa state hosp, hospice, dialysis as well as a ton of snfs.)

she kept paying her 400 a month loan while looking for work and living with her parents. She makes less than 3,000 a month. I make at least that as a private caregiver doing hospice.

good luck to you!!! at least you'll be able to work on your bsn or rn. :) or maybe stay an lvn. the world is yours :)

not trying to hate---just saying what I know. :)

Elvienm · Dec 2, 2010

@ Cookiemonster84,

Hey you mind telling me where at is your community college? I been looking for one that offers LVN course, in your message you mention that's the cheapest. Where is this at? you can email me at, [email protected]

Thanks!