Compare tuition, NCLEX pass rates, and program length across Cincinnati's accredited LPN schools
TriHealth, UC Health, and Mercy Health anchor one of Ohio’s largest healthcare job markets, fueling steady demand for practical nurses across the Cincinnati metro. Seven accredited LPN programs serve the region, spanning community colleges, private career schools, and hospital-based tracks with widely different price tags, schedules, and graduate outcomes.
Net tuition costs after aid can differ by thousands of dollars between programs, and NCLEX pass rates are not uniform. These variations mean the right choice for a single parent working nights may be a poor fit for a recent high school graduate who can attend full-time.
New LPNs find jobs quickly in Cincinnati, but starting wage and shift flexibility depend on your licensure timing and NCLEX readiness.
Below are the top three LPN programs in the Cincinnati area, evaluated on key factors such as affordability, program structure, and student outcomes. Each entry includes essential details to help you compare your options.
| Rank | School | Location | Net price | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | ATA College-Cincinnati | Cincinnati, OH | $25,000 – $30,000/yr | Aspiring LPNs with no prerequisites | |
ATA College-Cincinnati offers a streamlined path to LPN licensure with a 15-month Practical Nursing diploma that blends online coursework, hands-on campus labs, and off-site clinical experience. The program stands out for its accessibility: no entrance exam or prerequisites are required, and there is typically no waiting list. The private institution reports an overall graduation rate of 63% and a tuition of approximately $14,250; the average net price for students receiving aid is about $27,055.
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| #2 | Cincinnati State Technical and Community College | Cincinnati, OH | $5,000/yr | Budget-conscious Ohio residents | |
Cincinnati State Technical and Community College is a public institution offering a selective, three-semester Practical Nursing Certificate. The program is Ohio Board of Nursing accredited and covers maternal, child, geriatric, and mental health nursing, with clinical practice in various settings. In-state tuition is about $5,517, and the average net price after aid is just $4,968, making it an extremely affordable option. The college-wide graduation rate is 16%, and median earnings for similar graduates exceed $53,000.
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| #3 | Beckfield College-Florence | Florence, KY | $25,000 – $30,000/yr | Students prioritizing NCLEX performance | |
Located just across the Ohio River in Florence, Kentucky, Beckfield College offers a 15-month Practical Nursing diploma with a strong track record of student success. The program boasts a 97.7% NCLEX pass rate in 2024 and an 86% job placement rate, supported by a Virtual-ATI NCLEX Review. The private college has a graduation rate of 32%, tuition of about $13,295, and an average net price of roughly $28,133.
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How do you separate a top LPN program that truly delivers value from one that just looks good on paper? We built our ranking around the numbers that most directly affect your wallet and your career.
We weighted four hard metrics drawn from the College Scorecard and IPEDS databases, all designed to cut through marketing claims and focus on outcomes.
Several factors that matter for your decision were intentionally left out of this ranking. NCLEX-PN pass rates, arguably the most direct measure of program quality, get their own dedicated section later. Subjective student reviews and admissions selectivity don’t appear here because they don’t reliably predict whether you’ll graduate, pass the exam, or land a good job. We encourage you to weigh pass rates alongside this ranking to find your best fit.
Net price, the actual cost after grants and scholarships, gives a clearer picture of affordability than sticker tuition. Across the seven programs in the Cincinnati area, net price ranges widely, reflecting differences in institutional aid and other factors. Keep in mind these are institution-wide averages; your individual aid package may differ.
A single year’s pass rate gives a quick benchmark, but multi-year patterns offer a truer picture of program quality.
According to the Ohio Board of Nursing’s 2024 report, Hondros College of Nursing’s West Chester/Cincinnati campus posted an 84.48% NCLEX-PN pass rate. For other Cincinnati-area programs, such as Fortis, Cincinnati State, and Great Oaks, program-specific 2024 data is not yet available from the state board.
Hondros’s 84.48% rate surpasses the Ohio statewide average of 82.54%, but it trails the 2024 national average of 88.38%. This places the program above the typical Ohio LPN program, yet below the national benchmark.
A single low pass rate doesn’t automatically signal a failing program. Small cohorts can magnify year-to-year swings, and a dip might reflect one challenging class rather than a curriculum problem. Persistent low rates, however, may point to gaps in preparation or student support. Before committing, examine multi-year pass rate trends, available through the Ohio Board of Nursing, to confirm consistency.
For aspiring LPNs, salary expectations and job availability are the practical counterbalance to tuition costs and program time commitment.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024)1, the Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville metropolitan area reports these annual wages for licensed practical nurses:
The metro median of $62,530 outpaces the Ohio statewide median of $60,990 by roughly $1,540, reflecting a small but noticeable premium for working in the Cincinnati area1. Top earners (90th percentile) reach $74,010, offering room for wage growth1.
A 2025 regional workforce report2 identified Mercy Health (79 job postings), LHC Group (54), Addus (41), and Southern Health Partners (41) as among the most active LPN hirers, joining established health systems such as TriHealth, UC Health, and Cincinnati Children’s.
Program-specific earnings data shortly after graduation are not yet published for LPN programs in Cincinnati, so the metro-wide BLS figures remain the most reliable benchmark for new graduates.
Which LPN program in Cincinnati will give you the best chance of passing the NCLEX-PN and landing a job quickly? The answer often lies in details that aren’t always published in one place, so you’ll need to do a little digging.
The most accurate way to learn about TEAS score minimums, GPA requirements, and lpn prerequisites is to visit each school’s official website. Fortis Institute, Cincinnati State, Hondros College, and Great Oaks Career Campuses all maintain admissions pages where these requirements are posted. Look for information about background check policies as well, since Ohio clinical sites often require them.
Cohort schedules can shift, and some programs fill up months in advance. Call the admissions office or submit an inquiry through the school's form to ask about seat availability for the next cohort, whether evening or weekend tracks exist, and if any hybrid formats are offered. This step also lets you gauge the responsiveness of the admissions staff.
The Ohio Board of Nursing sets clinical hour requirements for all approved practical nursing programs. Their website lists the mandated clinical experiences and can confirm that a program meets state standards. It’s also the best place to find a current list of approved LPN-to-RN bridge programs, so you can plan your career ladder from day one.
For broader context, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS.gov) provides national LPN job outlook data, but don’t stop there. The Ohio Nurses Association offers local networking, continuing education, and advocacy resources that can help you understand Cincinnati’s specific nursing landscape.
Prospective practical nursing students in Cincinnati often have questions about earnings, program length, and costs. Below, we address the most common inquiries to help you make an informed decision. For deeper data on any topic, explore the relevant sections of this guide.
