Points of interest…
- Virginia Board of Nursing approval is mandatory for 2027 CNA exam eligibility.
- Virginia allows hybrid CNA training, never fully online.
- BLS May 2025 median metro CNA pay is $21.99 per hour.
Nursing homes and home health agencies across Northern Virginia keep hiring nurse aides, and the Washington metro median CNA wage was $21.99 an hour in May 2025. For a Manassas or Prince William County resident, the steps to become a CNA are short: a Board of Nursing-approved program, then the state exam.
The catch is that a low price or fast schedule means little if the program isn't approved, and tuition is rarely the full bill. Approval, all-in cost, free and hybrid options, and local pay decide which class is worth taking.
Where Manassas-Area CNAs Work
Long-term care and home health employers are the most reliable first stop for newly certified CNAs in the Manassas area after completing CNA programs in Virginia, and hospital roles tend to reward experience later.
Long-term care and home health lead hiring
Current 2026 postings cluster around facilities such as Birmingham Green on Centreville Road, Manassas Health & Rehab Center in the 20109 ZIP area, LivinRite Home Health, and Assisting Hands Home Care.2 Birmingham Green lists full-time CNA shifts from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., four days a week including every other weekend.1 Manassas Health & Rehab Center lists a $20.00 to $23.90 hourly range.2 A Manassas CNA can also commute to jobs in Gainesville, Woodbridge, Centreville, Fairfax, and Warrenton, which widens the pool. For nursing careers in hospital settings, the major local systems are UVA Health Prince William Medical Center in Manassas3, Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center in Woodbridge4, and Inova campuses reachable from Fairfax and Centreville, though current openings lean toward long-term care and home health.
What you will do on the job
Virginia CNAs take vitals, help residents or patients with activities of daily living such as bathing and dressing, assist with mobility and positioning, and report changes to the licensed nurse. Nursing and rehab centers are the most common first job and are often the source of employer-sponsored training; the free-training section below explains how that works.
Can You Take CNA Classes Online in Virginia?
Fully online versus hybrid: in Virginia, only one of those is a real path to certification. No Virginia nurse aide program can be completed entirely online, because hands-on skills and direct patient care have to happen in person. A hybrid format, where some lecture work is delivered online and the rest takes place in a lab and at a clinical site, is the best available option.
What Virginia Requires
State-approved nurse aide education programs must total at least 140 clock hours. Of those, at least 20 hours are devoted to supervised lab skills practice, and at least 40 hours must be direct client care at a long-term care or approved clinical site (observation time does not count).1 Students also have to complete at least 24 hours of instruction before any hands-on contact with patients.1 Virginia's rules do not expressly forbid delivering lecture content online, but the lab and clinical portions have to be done in person under supervision.2
Timelines and a Warning
Formats vary. A concentrated daytime program, such as Northern Virginia Community College's Nurse Aide Preparation, can run roughly six weeks, while part-time schedules stretch longer. Whatever the pace, the 140-hour minimum still applies.
Be cautious with online-only CNA programs marketed nationally. Without in-person clinical hours, they will not qualify you to sit for Virginia's nurse aide competency exam.
How to Confirm a Manassas CNA Program Is Board-Approved
Board approval in Virginia means the program appears on the Virginia Board of Nursing's list of approved Nurse Aide Education Programs. That list is the controlling record: if a school is not on it, its graduates cannot sit for the NNAAP.
How to check the state list
Start on the Board's Education Programs page and search by school name or city. Confirm that the listing says currently approved, and note the program's exact name and location. The Board directs prospective students to contact each program for admission, tuition, fees, and scheduling details, so use the list as a gatekeeper, not a detailed catalog.
Manassas-area programs to verify
- Excel Health Institute: located at 8647 Mathis Avenue in Manassas, this provider states its 140-hour Nurse Aide program has been Board-approved since 2014.1
- Unique Health School: lists a 120-hour Board-approved Nurse Aide Training Program, with graduates eligible for the Virginia NNAAP.2
- NOVA workforce CNA: verify the exact campus or division on the Board list before enrolling; current approval details are not consistently published online.
- A provider's appearance on the Case Decisions and Board Orders page does not confirm current approval. For example, Precious Care At Home Services in Fairfax appears there, but that alone does not establish active status.
Pass rates and red flags
Virginia publishes NNAAP pass-rate categories for written/oral and skills, but program-level percentages are not always published. Ask any school directly for its first-attempt pass rate. Before you pay, watch for three red flags: a program that cannot give you a Board approval number, clinical hours offered fully online, or a clinical site left vague until after enrollment.
What CNA Training Really Costs in Manassas
How much does a CNA class in Manassas actually cost once everything is added up? Tuition is only part of the answer. The figures below were checked in October 2026 and can change, so confirm them with each school before you enroll.
Tuition at Local Providers
- Excel Health Institute: $1,099 for the CNA program.1
- Unique Health School: $1,175 for its 120-hour, Virginia Board of Nursing-approved program.1 The same source also lists $1,300 and says that figure includes materials and lab supplies, so ask which applies.1
- NOVA Nurse Aide Preparation: $3,489 at the regular rate.2 Eligible Virginia residents may pay $1,163 through FastForward, and some eligible students pay $0 with FastForward plus G3.2
- First Nursing Academy and AEA: No current tuition could be verified, so request a written fee sheet.
Extras That Add Up
NOVA charges $450 for materials and $75 for a background check and drug screening.2 Scrubs, immunizations, and a watch with a second hand are extra. At other schools, expect possible charges for a textbook, uniform, background check, TB test, immunizations, CPR/BLS card, and the state exam fee. Published figures for these were not available, and it was not clear which schools bundle them.
A Realistic All-In Budget
As a rough estimate, private-school students should plan for about $1,300 to $2,000 total, and standard-rate NOVA students for about $3,800 to $4,300. Treat those as planning numbers, not quotes. Ask each school whether tuition covers the exam fee and supplies, and whether it offers a payment plan. For no-cost routes, see free CNA training programs.
Related Articles
CNA Pay in the Washington Metro Area
BLS May 2025 estimates put 25,520 nursing assistants in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro. The median hourly wage is $21.99, with most CNAs in the metro earning between $17.34 and $26.63 per hour. These are occupational wages for working CNAs, not program-completer earnings, and they do not include shift differentials, overtime, or bonuses that can raise take-home pay.
| Measure | Nursing assistants, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV (May 2025) |
|---|---|
| Estimated employment | 25,520 |
| 10th percentile hourly wage | $17.34 |
| 10th percentile annual wage | $36,060 |
| 25th percentile hourly wage | $18.76 |
| Median hourly wage | $21.99 |
| 75th percentile hourly wage | $23.55 |
| 90th percentile hourly wage | $26.63 |
| 90th percentile annual wage | $55,390 |
Your Path to Virginia CNA Certification
To become a certified nurse aide in Virginia, complete a board-approved program, pass the state exam, and get listed on the registry. Credentia administers the Virginia NNAAP exam; in 2026, the written and oral exams each cost $45 and the skills exam costs $95.
Questions to Ask Yourself
Do you need an evening or weekend schedule, and how far are the program's clinical sites from Manassas?
Clinical hours usually happen in nursing homes or hospitals during set shifts, so a convenient classroom can still mean long drives. Confirm clinical locations and times before committing if you work or rely on Route 28 or I-66 traffic.
Could you qualify for WIOA or FastForward funding, or would an employer-sponsored program suit you better?
Workforce grants can sharply reduce or eliminate tuition, but they require eligibility screening first. Employer-sponsored training is often free, though it typically asks you to work for that facility for a set period after certification.
Does the quoted price include the state exam fee, uniform, and background check?
A low tuition figure can hide extra costs for scrubs, supplies, criminal background checks, and the Virginia competency exam. Ask for an itemized total so you can compare programs on the full out-of-pocket amount.
Will the school share its first-attempt exam pass rate?
A strong first-attempt pass rate signals solid skills preparation and saves you retake fees and delays. A school that won't share this figure gives you less evidence that its graduates are ready for the state exam.
Top CNA Programs Serving Manassas Students
Below are the top CNA programs serving Manassas students, ranked using IPEDS completion data, accreditation status, and program fit. These Virginia Board of Nursing-approved options include accelerated campus and hybrid formats across the state, with costs and clinical requirements summarized for each school.
Factors considered
- First-year retention
- Student-to-faculty ratio
- Accreditation and board approval
- Program fit and format
- Adjusted tuition cost
Data sources
- BEA state price parities, used to adjust tuition — bea.gov
- College Scorecard post-completion earnings data — collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Program-level records maintained in house
- Original research on individual programs
- National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS) — nces.ed.gov
| Rank | School | Location | Net price | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Centra College | Lynchburg, VA | ~$13,000/yr (est.) | Hybrid learners needing hospital-based clinicals | |
Centra College in Lynchburg offers an 8-week hybrid Nurse Aide program that combines classroom learning with clinical experiences at Centra facilities. The program is Virginia Board of Nursing approved and qualifies graduates for the NNAAP exam. In-state tuition is approximately $8,640 plus fees, with application and financial aid support available. The college reports an institution-wide graduation rate of 100%. ACEN accredited
| |||||
| #2 | Riverside College of Health Careers | Newport News, VA | $20,000 – $25,000/yr (est.) | Cost-conscious students wanting six-week training | |
Riverside College of Health Careers in Newport News offers a six-week campus-based Nurse Aide program with approximately $700 total tuition and no additional fees after enrollment. The program includes 72 academic hours, 42 lab hours, and 50 clinical hours, plus an Earn-and-Learn option that can make tuition free. It is Virginia Board of Nursing approved, and the college reports an institution-wide graduation rate around 60%. ACEN accredited
| |||||
| #3 | New River Community College | Dublin, VA | ~$6,000/yr (est.) | Working adults needing flexible session choices | |
New River Community College in Dublin offers both a Career Studies Certificate and non-credit workforce Nurse Aide training, both Virginia Board of Nursing approved. The campus-based program prepares students for the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program exam, with multiple session options through the Office of Workforce Development. In-state tuition is approximately $4,900, and the college's overall graduation rate is about 50%.
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| #4 | Laurel Ridge Community College | Middletown, VA | ~$6,000/yr (est.) | ||
Laurel Ridge Community College in Middletown offers the Nurse Aide Program (NUR 27) at its Middletown, Fauquier, and Luray-Page County campuses. The one-year Career Studies Certificate prepares students for the Virginia CNA exam, is eligible for the G3 Scholarship, and includes stackable Patient Care Technician credentials. In-state tuition is about $4,900, and the college reports an overall graduation rate near 45%.
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| #5 | Brightpoint Community College | Chester, VA | $5,000 – $12,000/yr (est.) | ||
Brightpoint Community College in Chester offers a Career Studies Certificate in Nurse Aide/Medication Aide with campus and hybrid options. The program covers anatomy, physiology, safety, infection control, and documentation, plus an internship, and it is G3 tuition-assistance eligible. In-state tuition is roughly $4,900, and the college's overall graduation rate is about 38%.
| |||||
| #6 | Germanna Community College | Locust Grove, VA | $5,000 – $12,000/yr (est.) | ||
Germanna Community College in Locust Grove offers a seven-week Certified Nurse Aide program with hands-on clinical experience at local facilities. The Virginia Board of Nursing-approved training covers patient care and medication administration, while textbooks, uniforms, and health requirements are separate expenses. In-state tuition is about $5,000, and the institution's overall graduation rate is around 46%.
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| #7 | J Sargeant Reynolds Community College | Richmond, VA | ~$5,000/yr (est.) | ||
J Sargeant Reynolds Community College in Richmond offers a Certified Nurse Aide program through its Community College Workforce Alliance partnership. Training focuses on long-term care, vital signs, and personal care, with tuition assistance that can make the program low-cost or free for Virginia residents. In-state tuition is approximately $5,000, and the college reports an overall graduation rate near 32%.
| |||||
| #8 | Paul D Camp Community College | Franklin, VA | $5,000 – $11,000/yr (est.) | ||
Paul D Camp Community College in Franklin offers a one-year Career Studies Certificate in Nurse Aide that meets Virginia Board of Nursing requirements and prepares students for the NNAAP exam. The curriculum includes therapeutic communication, HIPAA compliance, and culturally sensitive care planning, with an emphasis on immediate workforce entry. In-state tuition is about $4,900, and the college reports an overall graduation rate near 36%.
| |||||
| #9 | Danville Community College | Danville, VA | $5,000 – $10,000/yr (est.) | ||
Danville Community College in Danville offers a five-week Certified Nurse Aide program with classroom lectures, hands-on labs, and clinical experience, plus a separate Nurse Aide Extended Care option. The short program costs approximately $3,495 and includes CPR and First Aid certification, with financial aid often covering the full amount. The college reports an overall graduation rate around 39%.
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| #10 | Virginia Western Community College | Roanoke, VA | $5,000 – $12,000/yr (est.) | ||
Virginia Western Community College in Roanoke offers a 28-day Certified Nurse Aide program combining four weeks of classroom instruction with a 40-hour clinical externship. The estimated cost is $3,495, with FastForward and G3 assistance potentially reducing out-of-pocket costs to zero. The institution's overall graduation rate is about 40%, and the program includes textbook, workbook, and exam voucher.
| |||||
Manassas CNA Training FAQ
Program length varies by school and schedule, and some students choose fast track CNA programs. After finishing an approved Virginia training program, you must take and pass both exam portions within two years, so your total timeline depends on program pace and exam scheduling.1
Virginia-approved programs must total at least 140 clock hours, including at least 40 hours of supervised clinical practice at an approved site.2 Individual programs may exceed that, so confirm exact hours with nursing schools in Manassas VA.
If you hold active CNA registration in another state, use the certification by endorsement application.3 Submit verification from every state where you are registered, proof you completed a state-approved program and competency evaluation, and a background check.2 The clinical competency evaluation may be waived.4
You have up to three attempts to pass the written and skills portions within two years of finishing your approved program. After three failed attempts, you must complete another approved training program before reapplying. No waiting period is required between attempts.1
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