Side-by-side rankings of Manassas-area practical nursing programs with NCLEX pass rates, tuition, and career data.
Licensed practical nurses fill critical roles in Northern Virginia’s skilled nursing facilities, outpatient clinics, and home health agencies, where demand for bedside care continues to rise. The Manassas area draws students to programs that range from 12-month certificates to 18-month part-time tracks, with net prices spanning from under $6,000 at public community colleges to over $22,000 at private institutions. Hybrid, campus, and evening options give working adults the flexibility to start without putting life on hold. Across the seven ranked schools, NCLEX-PN pass rates and LPN-to-RN bridge opportunities reveal which programs deliver reliable paths into the workforce and toward career advancement.
Our ranking highlights accredited LPN programs within a 65-mile radius of Manassas, Virginia, spanning Northern Virginia, Washington DC, and nearby Maryland communities. Each school was evaluated on affordability, program structure, and student success metrics. The list below helps you compare options based on what matters most for your nursing career.
| Rank | School | Location | Net price | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Standard Healthcare Services-College of Nursing | Falls Church, VA | $36,000/yr | Northern Virginia commuters needing hybrid flexibility | |
Standard College offers a hybrid Practical Nursing diploma in Vienna, VA with full-time (14-month) and part-time (18-month) tracks. The program blends online lectures, on-campus skills labs, and 400 clinical hours across diverse settings. Graduates are prepared for the NCLEX-PN with a target 80% pass and job placement rate.
| |||||
| #2 | Saint Michael College of Allied Health | Washington, DC | $39,000/yr | DC-area students needing day or evening classes | |
Saint Michael College of Allied Health in Washington, DC provides a campus-based Practical Nursing certificate with 1,604 training hours. Students choose between a 14-month day or 18-month evening schedule. Admission requires an entrance exam and a $75 fee.
| |||||
| #3 | Carroll Community College | Westminster, MD | $3,000/yr | Students planning to transition into RN programs | |
Carroll Community College's 60-credit Practical Nursing certificate combines pre-clinical and clinical coursework. Selective admission requires a minimum 2.5 GPA and concurrent enrollment in the college's RN program, creating a seamless LPN-to-RN pathway. The program is approved by the Maryland Board of Nursing.
| |||||
| #4 | Laurel Ridge Community College | Middletown, VA | ~$6,000/yr (est.) | ||
Laurel Ridge Community College in Middletown, VA offers a one-year, full-time Practical Nursing certificate. The program is Virginia Board of Nursing approved and eligible for G3 tuition funding. Applicants must pass the HESI A2 entrance exam and submit a computer competency form.
| |||||
| #5 | Hagerstown Community College | Hagerstown, MD | $5,000 – $10,000/yr | ||
Hagerstown Community College's 16-month Practical Nursing certificate prepares students for the NCLEX-PN with a curriculum combining classroom instruction and hands-on clinical practice. College Scorecard data shows median earnings of $48,000 for graduates, and the occupation is projected to grow 6%.
| |||||
| #6 | College of Southern Maryland | La Plata, MD | $5,000 – $10,000/yr | ||
College of Southern Maryland has trained LPNs for over 40 years at its state-of-the-art Center for Health Sciences in Hughesville. The ACEN-accredited program offers a 3-semester curriculum with full- and part-time options, and recent cohorts achieved a 100% first-time NCLEX-PN pass rate.
| |||||
| #7 | Anne Arundel Community College | Arnold, MD | $4,000 – $12,000/yr | ||
Anne Arundel Community College's 41-credit Practical Nursing certificate can be completed in one year through evening and weekend classes. The Maryland Board of Nursing approved program includes clinical rotations in multiple specialties and costs approximately $6,500 in total tuition.
| |||||
Our ranking is built around the numbers that matter most to practical nursing students: what you pay, what you earn, and whether you graduate. Instead of one single score, we look at a few straightforward data points that influence your return on investment.
We start with each school's average net price, that's the published tuition and fees minus any grant or scholarship aid the institution awards. For community colleges, this number is often substantially lower than the sticker price, especially if you qualify for state or federal support. Where program-level costs are available, we give those priority, but for LPN certificates the integrated price estimate at the institutional level is usually the most reliable figure.
We check program-level median earnings for completers who enter the workforce. In Virginia, these numbers come from state-collected wage records matched to graduates. When data is thin, as it sometimes is for smaller LPN cohorts, we broaden to look at all practical nursing graduates from that school to get a meaningful picture. The goal is to show you where alumni end up, not just whether they pass the NCLEX.
Two other metrics round out the picture. Institution-wide graduation rates tell you how well a school supports students all the way to completion, though they reflect the full student body, not only LPN candidates. Median graduate debt captures the typical amount borrowed by students who finished a program; we use it as a reality check on whether the net price actually translates into manageable loans.
You won't find NCLEX-PN pass rates baked into this list. Those figures come from the Virginia Board of Nursing’s reporting cycle, which doesn't always align with the federal datasets we use for cost and earnings. Pass rates are important, and we cover them in a separate table, but mixing data sources would muddy the comparison.
All ranked programs are approved by the Virginia Board of Nursing and sit within a 75-mile radius of Manassas. If your zip code is outside that circle, you may find additional options on our LPN programs in Virginia page.
Net price shows the amount students pay after grants and scholarships, and it varies widely across Manassas-area LPN programs. Community college options typically fall below $6,000, while private institutions exceed $20,000. These are institution-wide averages; your individual cost will depend on enrollment status and aid eligibility. Many schools report that a large share of students receive Pell Grants, signaling that aid is accessible.
Admission timelines among Manassas-area LPN programs fall into two camps: some schools accept applications year-round, while others open only once or twice a year. Knowing which path a school follows can shape your entire preparation schedule.
Nearly every program shares these baseline requirements:
One notable extra step comes from Northern Virginia Community College’s workforce LPN track: applicants must already hold a Virginia CNA license, which itself involves a state-approved training course and exam.
Testing policies reveal the first major split among local options.
If you plan to apply to multiple schools, you may need to take the TEAS for one and skip it for another, so map out your testing timeline early.
Deadline structures vary considerably.
Many schools also strongly encourage, or require, completion of high school or college-level anatomy and physiology and basic math courses before entering the nursing sequence. If you haven’t taken these, factor in a semester of preparatory coursework before applying.
Because clinical spots are limited, early application is the safest strategy across all programs. Visit each school’s website or contact admissions directly to confirm the most current requirements for the 2026 cycle.
LPN programs in the Manassas area offer distinct schedule formats so you can balance coursework with work, family, or other responsibilities. Whether you learn best during the day, need a full-time evening routine, or require a hybrid weekend structure, local schools structure their practical nursing programs around the reality that every student’s calendar is different.
Some Manassas-area programs also offer weekend or hybrid formats that blend online coursework with on-campus labs. Ultimate Health School, for example, lists a weekend option alongside its day and evening tracks.1 Specific schedules vary, so ask admissions about current hybrid or weekend start dates.
Every LPN track requires 1,344 total clock hours2, covering theory, skills lab, and supervised clinical experiences. Clinical rotations are typically scheduled on the same track you enroll in. That means a day student completes clinical hours during daytime blocks, while an evening student does them in evening settings, keeping your routine consistent.
As healthcare demands shift, LPN-to-RN bridge programs in Northern Virginia have expanded to include more online and hybrid options, making it easier for working nurses to advance. To find the right path, start with these steps.
Prospective LPN students in Manassas often have questions about program length, costs, financial aid, and job prospects. Below are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions to help you make an informed decision.
