Compare costs, NCLEX pass rates, and outcomes for every NH LPN program side by side.
New Hampshire’s LPN programs training landscape is small and focused: four community colleges within the CCSNH system deliver the majority of programs, supplemented by one private provider. In-state tuition across the public campuses clusters tightly between $6,940 and $7,140, making direct lpn program cost comparisons unusually straightforward.
These schools also share a common entry requirement: a current LNA license, requiring applicants to gain hands-on clinical experience before they set foot in a nursing classroom. The resulting pipeline is modest yet deliberate, feeding graduates into a state where LPNs earn a median wage of roughly $62,000 and maintain steady demand across long-term care and hospital settings.
New Hampshire's community colleges offer practical, affordable pathways to licensed practical nursing careers with strong ties to local healthcare employers. The following schools stand out for their combination of low net price, supportive cohort models, and direct preparation for the NCLEX-PN exam.
| Rank | School | Location | Net price | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | White Mountains Community College | Berlin, NH | $7,000 – $15,000/yr | North Country residents needing a fast track | |
White Mountains Community College delivers an intensive one-year LPN certificate in Berlin, combining simulation labs with clinicals in the North Country. The program emphasizes fast workforce entry and maintains a clear pathway to RN advancement within the CCSNH system. A low 7:1 student-faculty ratio and strong financial aid access make it a focused, supportive option for rural learners.
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| #2 | Manchester Community College | Manchester, NH | ~$14,000/yr (est.) | Manchester-area students on a tight budget | |
Manchester Community College offers an affordable LPN program in New Hampshire’s largest city, giving students access to a wide variety of clinical sites. The curriculum blends patient care theory, medication administration, and teamwork skills, all designed to prepare graduates for the NCLEX-PN. With a net price near $14,000 and strong graduate earnings, it is a budget-conscious route into nursing.
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| #3 | River Valley Community College | Claremont, NH | $15,000/yr (net price) | Upper Valley career changers with LNA certification | |
River Valley Community College in Claremont provides an ACEN-accredited LPN program with a January start and a remarkable 100% job placement rate for recent graduates. The 36-credit curriculum includes a free Anatomy & Physiology prep course, and the program serves as a direct bridge to RVCC's associate degree RN. With a 6:1 student-faculty ratio, it offers personalized training in western New Hampshire.
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| #4 | Nashua Community College | Nashua, NH | $23,000/yr | ||
Nashua Community College extends River Valley’s established LPN curriculum to southern New Hampshire, offering a spring-start certificate near the Massachusetts border. The ACEN-accredited program combines classroom learning with clinicals in the Greater Nashua region, and its small cohorts benefit from dedicated faculty support. Graduates are prepared for the NCLEX-PN and enter a market with high LPN demand on both sides of the state line.
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What you pay for an LPN program depends on more than the sticker price. The chart below compares the average net price after financial aid across four New Hampshire community colleges, using the latest College Scorecard data. Remember that these figures are institution-wide averages, not LPN-specific quotes. CCSNH charges $230 per credit hour for in-state students in 2025-2026, and additional fees such as lab and comprehensive fees apply, so your actual cost will vary.
A program's NCLEX-PN pass rate signals how well it prepared students for the licensing exam, but not every New Hampshire LPN school publicly shares recent numbers. Some schools post results prominently, while others release data only to state regulators, leaving applicants to piece together what they can. Understand what's available, what's missing, and how to weigh pass rates in your school comparisons.
For the most recent reporting year, Harmony Health Care Institute reported an 86.67% NCLEX-PN pass rate for its 2024 graduates. Nationally, first-time NCLEX-PN pass rates for U.S.-educated candidates typically fall between 80% and 85%, so Harmony's result sits slightly above the common range. Without access to the size of the testing cohort or prior-year figures, a single data point can only tell you so much, but it does suggest solid exam preparation.
Pass rates for River Valley Community College, White Mountains Community College, Manchester Community College, and Nashua Community College are not publicly available for the 2023–2025 period examined here. The New Hampshire Board of Nursing collects annual outcomes from all approved programs, but program-level disclosure varies. If you are considering one of these schools, ask the admissions office directly for the most recent NCLEX-PN first-time pass rate and the number of test-takers. A program that hesitates to share those numbers may give you pause.
A consistently high pass rate means graduates are entering the exam with the knowledge expected of entry-level practical nurses. When a program's rate dips below the national range for multiple testing cycles, it can point to curriculum gaps, insufficient clinical hours, or weak remediation support. Keep in mind that very small graduating classes can produce volatile pass rates: a single fail can swing a rate by 10 points or more, so look for multi-year trends when possible.
Competitor analyses have flagged multi-year NCLEX-PN trends as a top content gap for New Hampshire LPN programs. Without published rates for each campus across 2023, 2024, and 2025, it's impossible to plot a reliable trend line. As more schools make their data public, future comparisons will become sharper. Until then, use whatever numbers you can obtain alongside other quality signals, like accreditation status, clinical site variety, and graduate employment rates, to make a fully informed choice.
Public community colleges and private vocational schools take markedly different approaches to admission. New Hampshire’s CCSNH campuses use a selective process built around ATI TEAS cutoffs and a firm LNA prerequisite, while private institutions like Harmony Health Care Institute often set their own, sometimes more flexible, benchmarks. Knowing which path fits your profile starts with understanding what each gate actually requires.
For the 2024-2025 application cycle, every CCSNH LPN campus set uniform ATI TEAS minimum scores: Reading 69.0%, Math 63.3%, Science 43.8%, and English 56.6%. Meeting these thresholds does not guarantee a seat, programs remain competitive and seats are limited. Applicants who score above the minimums but still fall below the accepted student average may be waitlisted. Private programs, including Harmony, may not require the TEAS at all or may use it as a placement tool instead of a gatekeeping metric. That difference alone can reshape an application strategy.
Nearly all New Hampshire LPN programs require applicants to hold active LNA licensure before the program start date. At CCSNH campuses, proof of New Hampshire LNA licensure is a non-negotiable component of the application, though a waiver may be granted for applicants who can document equivalent allied health employment experience. Private schools often maintain the same expectation, classroom and clinical instruction builds directly on basic patient-care competencies developed during LNA training. If you do not yet hold LNA certification, factor in the time and cost of a separate training course before your LPN application timeline.
Prospective students frequently ask which LPN program is easiest to get into. Public CCSNH programs are structured with fixed annual deadlines, selective TEAS cutoffs, and limited cohort slots; they attract many applicants from across the state. Private institutions like Harmony Health Care Institute frequently enroll smaller cohorts but may offer a less rigid admissions process, no TEAS requirement, rolling deadlines, or a more holistic review. While this can make private programs comparatively easier to enter, it does not translate to an easier path to licensure. Employers and the NCLEX-PN care about skills, not selectivity, so weigh fit against flexibility.
Across all programs, public and private, certain infrastructure checks are universal. Applicants must complete a criminal background check, drug screening, and provide proof of current CPR certification for healthcare providers. Immunization records are scrutinized: CCSNH specifically lists COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations as required, and other programs follow similar guidelines. Many campuses also mandate medical insurance coverage, attendance at an information session, submission of official high school and any college transcripts, and a separate college application in addition to the nursing program application. Budget time and money for these items early.
Timing is rigid for CCSNH: the application deadline for the LPN program falls on September 30, 2024 for the cohort starting in January 2025. Admission decisions are released by October 31, giving accepted students about two months to arrange finances and logistics. Missing that deadline means waiting a full year for the next cycle. Private programs may admit multiple times per year, some with spring, summer, and fall starts, which can fast-track your entry if you’re ready now. Always verify current dates directly with the program, as cohort sizes and start schedules can shift with institutional expansion.
The path to LPN licensure in New Hampshire begins with meeting prerequisites like a Licensed Nursing Assistant (LNA) certificate and preparing for the TEAS exam. Once admitted, most full-time students complete their practical nursing program in about 12 months. After graduating, you sit for the NCLEX-PN and apply to the New Hampshire Board of Nursing for state licensure.
A fully online LPN program does not exist in New Hampshire, the 36-credit, 12-month curriculum at River Valley Community College’s LPN track illustrates why: clinical hours require hands-on attendance in hospitals, nursing homes, and community settings. However, select didactic coursework is available online or in a hybrid format at some community college campuses, and one private school offers online general education prerequisites. Understanding these options helps you plan a schedule that fits your life while meeting state licensing requirements.
River Valley Community College (RVCC) delivers its LPN program primarily in-person, but it does offer hybrid or online didactic instruction for selected courses. This blend allows you to complete some theory work remotely while reserving campus visits for labs, simulations, and exams. The main RVCC sites in Claremont, Keene, and Lebanon all follow this model, though the exact mix of online content may vary by term and instructor.
At the Manchester campus (RVCC at MCC), the program is also largely face-to-face, but general education courses, such as college math or psychology, can be taken online. This creates pockets of flexibility without compromising the in-person clinical training that employers expect. The Nashua site (RVCC at NCC) currently emphasizes classroom learning with simulation lab activities; online didactic options are not a standard feature there.
White Mountains Community College in Littleton runs its LPN program through in-person theory and simulation labs, with no online component for nursing core credits. Clinical placements in the North Country are tightly integrated with onsite instruction, so you should plan for a fully in-person schedule at this campus.
Harmony Health Care Institute, a private option, provides an avenue to lighten your load before or during an LPN program: it offers general education courses online. These include Anatomy & Physiology I & II, English Composition, College Math, Psychology, and Human Growth & Development. Earning these credits online can reduce the number of subjects you juggle once you enter a full-time LPN track, but Harmony itself does not offer a complete LPN program. It is best understood as a supplement, not a standalone pathway to licensure.
Even in hybrid programs, clinical rotations remain strictly in-person. RVCC’s Claremont students typically train at facilities like Valley Regional Hospital or Dartmouth-Hitchcock affiliated sites for acute medical-surgical care, along with nursing homes in Sullivan County for long-term care. Keene students gain experience at Cheshire County area hospitals and local long-term care centers. In Lebanon, rotations often involve Dartmouth Health affiliated hospitals and regional assisted living or long-term care facilities.
WMCC Littleton partners with Littleton Regional Healthcare and Androscoggin Valley Hospital for acute care, plus area long-term care facilities. The Nashua program places students at healthcare organizations across the Greater Nashua Region, though specific facility names are not published. Manchester’s clinical sites generally cover major hospital systems in the Manchester metro area, long-term care facilities in Manchester, Bedford, and Hooksett, and may include community health experiences.
Some students searching for “online LPN programs New Hampshire” encounter out-of-state schools promising entirely remote training. Be wary: these programs may not satisfy the New Hampshire Board of Nursing’s clinical hour requirements. Even if the didactic portion is delivered online, the Board mandates specific supervised clinical experiences in approved New Hampshire facilities. Enrolling in a program without a clear plan for in-state clinical placements can delay or derail your license eligibility. Always confirm that any program, online or hybrid, has Board approval and a documented clinical partnership in New Hampshire before you commit.
Based on the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the table below shows wages and employment for Licensed Practical Nurses in New Hampshire. For additional context, figures for registered nurses and nursing instructors are also shown. These figures reflect annual wages at the state level; metro-area breakouts are not provided in the available data.
| Occupation | Employment (Total) | Mean Annual Wage | 25th Percentile | Median Annual Wage | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | 2,130 | $73,850 | $64,270 | $74,660 | $79,880 |
| Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary | 530 | $80,760 | $65,850 | $81,260 | $83,790 |
| Registered Nurses | 16,580 | $94,620 | $79,720 | $96,830 | $105,500 |
The BLS reports a median annual wage of about $62,000 for LPNs in New Hampshire, but this number covers workers at all career stages. New graduates typically earn less, yet early-career earnings data for NH program completers is not yet published. Without that context, comparing school outcomes is difficult, so ask programs directly about their graduates’ starting salaries.
More LPNs in New Hampshire are using bridge programs to move into registered nursing, and the state’s community college system now makes that transition faster and less costly than returning to a full-length ADN program.
The Community College System of New Hampshire (CCSNH) hosts LPN-to-RN bridge options at three campuses, each with its own timeline and entry requirements.
All three are ACEN-accredited and lead to an ADN, which is the standard RN entry credential in the state.
Within CCSNH, LPN graduates who have completed an approved LPN program typically receive credit for introductory nursing courses. The bridge programs build on that foundation through advanced nursing content, clinical rotations, and NCLEX-RN preparation. Students should verify exactly how many credits transfer by speaking with an academic advisor at the target campus. Generally, coursework completed with a grade of C or better is eligible for transfer, but nursing program directors make the final determination.
No New Hampshire college offers a direct LPN-to-BSN track. The most common route is the stepwise LPN → ADN → RN-to-BSN pathway. After earning an RN license through a bridge program, graduates can enroll in a fully online RN-to-BSN program offered by several universities, including those with regional or national online presence. Many of these programs accept an unencumbered RN license and an ADN from an accredited school, often granting a block of transfer credits.
If you are considering RN advancement down the road, the CCSNH campus you choose for your LPN program matters. A student who attends a CCSNH LPN program that is ACEN-accredited and shares curriculum alignment with the system’s bridge options will often find the transition smoother and may avoid repeat coursework. Check whether the LPN program is accredited, whether its graduates are eligible for bridge admission, and how many credits articulate into the ADN. Starting with the end in mind can save both time and money.
Still have questions about becoming a licensed practical nurse in the Granite State? Below we answer the most common questions from aspiring nurses, drawing on admissions data, cost breakdowns, and NCLEX pass rates covered throughout this guide.
