Compare costs, NCLEX pass rates, and admissions for board-approved practical nursing programs near St. Cloud.
St. Cloud anchors a central Minnesota practical nursing corridor where a one-year diploma yields a median hourly wage of $28.38. Programs in the region offer campus and hybrid formats, with net prices after aid ranging from about $7,400 to $18,000. That spread masks a deeper trade-off: admission barriers like TEAS exams and CNA prerequisites, along with scheduling demands, force a choice between lower net cost and the flexibility of faster hybrid tracks. As area employers sustain demand for LPNs, the right program often depends on whether up-front tuition savings outweigh the schedule constraints of traditional on-campus training.
St. Cloud and the surrounding area offer several excellent LPN programs, with options ranging from accelerated hybrid formats to traditional on-campus training. Our ranking evaluates schools based on cost, graduation rates, and graduate earnings to help you find the best fit.
| Rank | School | Location | Net price | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Rasmussen University-Minnesota | St. Cloud, MN | $18,000/yr | Fast-track hybrid learners | |
Rasmussen University–Minnesota operates a St. Cloud campus offering a hybrid Practical Nursing Diploma that can be completed in as little as 12 months with no prerequisites. The program boasts a 100% NCLEX-PN pass rate at the St. Cloud location and features an LPN Care Grant to reduce tuition. With eight start dates per year and accelerated pacing, it's a strong choice for career changers needing flexibility.
| |||||
| #2 | Northwest Technical College | Bemidji, MN | $11,000/yr | Stackable credential seekers | |
Northwest Technical College in Bemidji offers a practical nursing diploma with a hybrid delivery model and a strong emphasis on hands-on simulation labs. The ACEN-accredited program allows students to stack credentials and seamlessly transfer credits toward a BSN at Bemidji State University. Its focus on multiple entry points and career advancement makes it a versatile option.
| |||||
| #3 | Pine Technical & Community College | Pine City, MN | $13,000/yr (net price) | High-placement campus learners | |
Pine Technical & Community College delivers a campus-based practical nursing diploma with an exceptional track record: 100% NCLEX-PN pass and job placement rates. Ranked 4th in Minnesota by practicalnursing.org, the program offers full-time and part-time tracks and a clear pathway to an RN completion program. Admission requires a TEAS exam and Nursing Assistant Registry certification.
| |||||
| #4 | Alexandria Technical & Community College | Alexandria, MN | $14,000/yr (net price) | ||
Alexandria Technical & Community College offers a practical nursing diploma that can be finished in 2-3 semesters, preparing students with high NCLEX pass rates and a 100% job placement rate. The NLN CNEA-accredited program requires CNA certification and a TEAS score of 50 or above, ensuring a cohort ready for rigorous training. Graduates report strong starting wages in a growing Minnesota market.
| |||||
| #5 | Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College | Cloquet, MN | $13,000/yr (net price) | ||
Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College provides a campus-based practical nursing diploma focused on foundational skills and rapid entry into the field. As a tribal college, it offers a supportive learning environment and financial aid options to a diverse student body. The short program meets state requirements and prepares students for the NCLEX-PN licensure exam.
| |||||
| #6 | Minnesota West Community and Technical College | Granite Falls, MN | $11,000/yr | ||
Minnesota West Community and Technical College's hybrid practical nursing program is ACEN-accredited and features above-average NCLEX pass rates. The three-semester diploma includes hands-on clinical experiences in southwest Minnesota facilities and ladders directly into an Associate Nursing Degree. Students can also pursue a BSN through a partnership with Southwest Minnesota State University.
| |||||
| #7 | Riverland Community College | Austin, MN | $7,000/yr (net price) | ||
Riverland Community College's practical nursing program offers flexible full-time and part-time tracks with a hybrid format, completing in as few as two semesters. ACEN-accredited, the program places students in clinical rotations across southern Minnesota and boasts high employability. Scholarship support and affordable tuition make it a cost-effective pathway to licensure.
| |||||
We looked at several publicly available data points to give you a well-rounded view of LPN programs, while being clear about what the numbers can and cannot tell you. Our goal is to help you compare practical elements like cost, student success, and program flexibility, not to assign a single perfect score.
The College Scorecard does not include licensing exam results. To fill this gap, we gathered NCLEX-PN pass rates from the Minnesota Board of Nursing’s public reports. These rates offer a direct, program-specific quality signal and are an essential piece of your research.
All numbers come with context. An institution-wide graduation rate mixes nursing students with those in other majors. Median earnings reflect a broad pool of graduates and may not predict your salary as an LPN in St. Cloud. Similarly, net price is an average; your individual circumstances will shape the final bill. Use these metrics as starting points, not absolute verdicts, and always confirm specifics directly with the school.
Sticker price tells only part of the story. The chart below compares published in-state tuition against the institution-wide average net price, what students actually pay after grants and scholarships. The spread between the most and least expensive programs exceeds $7,400 in up-front tuition and $10,500 in net cost, so comparing both figures is essential.
Minnesota’s growing demand for licensed practical nurses is fueling a wave of financial support that goes well beyond federal loans, today’s LPN students can stack employer incentives, state workforce grants, and profession-specific scholarships to slash their education costs.
While Rasmussen University’s LPN Care Grant provides up to $2,000 for its St. Cloud students, several other Minnesota-specific awards await LPN candidates. The Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) Foundation awards multiple scholarships annually, with amounts ranging from $500 to $7,500 for the 2026‑2027 academic year. Member‑specific awards, like the $7,500 MNA Member Scholarship and the $2,000 Associate Member Scholarship, require MNA affiliation, while the Legacy and 40 & 8 Veterans scholarships each offer $2,000 to family of members or veterans. Applications are due June 1, 2026. Another local resource is the Oak Hills Living Center Healthcare Scholarship, which awards $5,000 to nursing students, including those pursuing an LPN.
Two state‑level programs often fill gaps that federal aid leaves behind. The need‑based Minnesota State Grant is automatically considered when you file the FAFSA and can significantly cut out‑of‑pocket costs for qualifying students. For those who still face a shortfall, the SELF Loan offers a credit‑based private education loan that requires a co‑signer but does not carry a need‑based requirement, making it an option even for middle‑income families. Meanwhile, federal Pell Grants blanket LPN programs across the region: at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College, 83% of students receive Pell aid; at Rasmussen University‑Minnesota the share is 73%; and at Pine Technical & Community College it’s 80%. This heavy Pell reliance underscores how attainable LPN training becomes when students combine federal, state, and institutional sources.
Admission to St. Cloud LPN programs is not a single set of requirements, each school sets its own academic, testing, and compliance thresholds, and missing a prerequisite can delay your start by a full intake cycle.
St. Cloud Technical and Community College (SCTCC) maintains a detailed application process for its Practical Nursing Diploma. The program requires a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5, an ATI TEAS composite score of at least 52 (valid for three years), and a current status as a Nursing Assistant on the Minnesota Nurse Aide Registry. The CNA mandate means completing a 75-hour state-approved course, a step some applicants overlook, making early planning essential.
While SCTCC uses the TEAS, other LPN programs in the area may rely on the HESI A2 or no entrance exam at all. A TEAS score of 52 falls near the national mean for practical nursing candidates, but competitive cohorts often see higher averages, so exceeding the minimum strengthens an application. GPA requirements also vary; some private colleges accept a 2.0 for conditional admission, but SCTCC’s 2.5 threshold applies to all applicants without exception.
SCTCC lists five prerequisite courses that must be completed before application: Medical Terminology (HLTH 1440), Human Biology (BLGY 1321), Lifespan Developmental Psychology (PSYC 1340), Written Communications, and a math readiness course. Additionally, candidates must complete the HCCC series. This front-loaded curriculum is heavier than many LPN programs, which often require only anatomy and a math survey. The CNA registry component effectively serves as an extra prerequisite, so prospective students should factor in the time to earn or renew their Nurse Assistant certification.
All St. Cloud LPN programs require a criminal background check, and SCTCC mandates one upon acceptance. Immunization records, including MMR, Varicella, Hepatitis B, Tdap, TB screening, and annual Influenza, are standard; COVID-19 vaccination may be required by clinical sites. A current BLS for Healthcare Providers CPR card is also compulsory, and students must maintain it throughout the program. These compliance steps are identical across most accredited schools, but deadlines differ, so verifying each school’s timeline avoids last-minute scrambling.
The national first-time NCLEX-PN pass rate for U.S.-educated graduates was 88% in 2024, according to the NCSBN. That figure sets a baseline, but local programs may perform above or below the national average. Understanding how St. Cloud schools compare requires checking multiple sources, because not all data is publicly posted.
The NCSBN provides an interactive dashboard with annual pass rates for individual states. This tool allows you to pull Minnesota’s aggregate first-time pass rate and compare it to the national figure. The Minnesota Board of Nursing does not publish PN-specific pass rates on its public website, its publicly available annual reports focus on RN programs. However, the board encourages interested applicants to reach out directly to practical nursing programs for their most current NCLEX-PN results.
St. Cloud Technical & Community College (SCTCC) references NCLEX preparation on its admissions page, but the school’s actual pass rates are not posted online. Rasmussen University’s St. Cloud campus similarly does not disclose PN pass rates publicly. For both schools, the program office can supply recent graduation outcomes, employment statistics, and accreditation data. Calling or emailing the nursing department is the most reliable way to get the numbers that matter when evaluating a program’s track record.
Not all states require PN programs to report detailed pass rates to a central board, which can leave gaps in public data. By contacting the school, you may also learn about licensure exam preparation resources, first-time test-taker support, and the percentage of graduates who find employment shortly after passing the NCLEX-PN.
The median hourly wage for LPNs in the St. Cloud metropolitan statistical area is $28.38, which works out to approximately $59,030 per year based on full-time work. That sits slightly below the Minnesota statewide median of $29.68 per hour (around $61,730 annually).
While metro-specific percentile data is not published, statewide figures from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development illustrate the full earning range:
New graduates and less experienced LPNs tend to fall closer to the 10th and 25th percentiles, with pay progressing steadily as they gain experience and additional certifications.
The St. Cloud metro area employs about 960 LPNs, part of a statewide total of 12,740. This concentration underscores the importance of practical nursing in the region's healthcare delivery network. Minnesota projects a 3.5% increase in LPN jobs through 2032, slightly outpacing the national projection of 3% for 2024 to 2034. Aging demographics and growing demand for long-term and outpatient care keep the job outlook steady for LPNs in central Minnesota.
What LPN-to-RN bridge options are available for practical nurses in the St. Cloud area? Several colleges offer clear advancement paths, often allowing you to earn an associate degree in nursing (ADN) in one year or less.
Statewide articulation agreements through the Minnesota State system connect the Practical Nursing diploma directly to an ASN, making transfer seamless. For a full overview of program options, the Minnesota LPN directory at topnursing.org/lpn-programs/minnesota/ lists approved schools. Many St. Cloud LPNs finish their ADN within two to three years, then continue to a BSN online. St. Cloud State University’s RN to BSN, for example, is fully online for working nurses.
Before applying, get clear answers to the most common questions about LPN training in St. Cloud. From program costs and timelines to online options and job prospects, these quick facts can help you compare schools with confidence.
