Side-by-side rankings with NCLEX pass rates, tuition, program length, and career outcomes for every Indiana LPN school.
Indiana’s LPNs earn a median $63,690 (well above the national median), giving the one-year practical nursing credential a clear financial upside. But earning that wage depends heavily on program choice. Ivy Tech Community College charges $5,154 in-state tuition and leaves graduates with $10,727 in median debt; their median earnings reach $37,186. Vincennes University costs $7,126 in-state and graduates carry $12,000 in debt, yet they earn a median $41,110. NCLEX pass rates from the Indiana Board of Nursing, earnings data from the College Scorecard, and current tuition figures all reinforce the trade-off: the lowest upfront cost does not always lead to the best long-term return.
Our rankings for 2026 highlight Indiana LPN programs that combine affordability, strong graduate outcomes, and solid preparation for the NCLEX-PN. Data on net price, median debt, and median earnings are drawn from federal sources, while program details reflect the latest available information.
| Rank | School | Location | Net price | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Ivy Tech Community College | Indianapolis, IN | $7,000/yr | Indiana residents seeking affordable, stackable pathway | |
Ivy Tech Community College, Indiana's statewide system, offers a Practical Nursing Technical Certificate at multiple campuses including Indianapolis. The program benefits from a unified curriculum, high NCLEX-PN pass rates (some campuses reporting 95-99% over a decade), and is stackable into the ASN for a seamless transition to RN education. Eligible students may attend tuition-free through Indiana's Next Level Jobs initiative, making it one of the most affordable paths to LPN licensure in the state.
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| #2 | Vincennes University | Vincennes, IN | ~$11,000/yr (est.) | Southwestern Indiana students valuing small classes | |
Vincennes University, a public institution, delivers its Practical Nursing program at the Vincennes and Jasper campuses, serving southwestern Indiana. The program emphasizes small class sizes and personalized academic support, helping students build practical skills for hospitals and nursing homes. With a 90.9% first-time NCLEX-PN pass rate over a decade and affordable in-state tuition, it offers a steady, low-debt route into the nursing profession.
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The price of an LPN education in Indiana varies widely depending on the type of institution and the financial aid you receive. While published tuition gives you a starting point, the total cost includes several other required expenses you need to plan for.
Beyond per-credit tuition, your budget should account for a complete set of mandatory costs. Typical LPN program expenses in Indiana cover:
When you add these together, the all-in cost for an LPN certificate at a public institution typically lands between $7,000 and $12,000, while private for-profit schools can be substantially higher.
Indiana’s public community colleges and state universities offer the most affordable pathways. For example, Ivy Tech Community College charges $178.38 per credit hour for in-state students, with tuition frozen through the 2026-2027 academic year. Its annual in-state tuition and fees are $5,154, and the LPN technical certificate can be completed in about 12 months. Vincennes University lists its in-state tuition at $7,126 per year for the Practical Nursing certificate. At both schools, the institution-wide net price, the amount students actually pay after grants and scholarships, averages $7,258 at Ivy Tech and $11,225 at Vincennes. Remember, these net price figures reflect all students, not just nursing majors, but they give a realistic sense of out-of-pocket expense.
Private for-profit colleges, such as Hondros College of Nursing, market a faster, streamlined path but at a higher price point. While exact program totals change year to year, private LPN programs in the Midwest often range from $20,000 to $30,000. Always request a detailed cost breakdown from any private school before enrolling.
Several state-specific programs can dramatically reduce your costs:
If you’re planning to attend a public LPN program in Indiana, a realistic range for all program-related expenses (excluding room and board) is $7,500 to $11,500. At the low end, you might complete the certificate for under $7,000 if you qualify for the Workforce Ready Grant and live at home. Even without grant aid, Ivy Tech’s total estimated cost of attendance, including housing, food, transportation, and personal expenses, is about $23,288 for one academic year, but your direct program costs will be much lower.
Always confirm final numbers with the school’s financial aid office, as tuition and fees are set annually. Use the net price calculator on each school’s website to get a personalized estimate based on your financial situation.
These figures come from the College Scorecard, so they reflect actual earnings of former students who received federal aid, not salary data for the LPN occupation overall. The comparison highlights the relationship between educational debt and long-term earning potential for each school's practical nursing graduates. Lower relative debt means graduates can pay off their training faster and start building financial stability.
The growing demand for quick entry into healthcare careers has pushed Indiana LPN programs toward compact timelines, with many schools now offering diploma or certificate paths that can be completed in about a year. However, the total time investment depends not just on credit requirements but also on state-mandated clinical hours and whether you choose a full-time, part-time, or accelerated track. Here’s what to expect when planning your LPN education in Indiana.
Most Indiana LPN programs are designed as 12-month certificates for full-time students. Ivy Tech Community College, for example, structures its Practical Nursing Technical Certificate as a 45-credit curriculum that takes 12 months to complete when attending daytime classes. This timeline reflects a traditional semester-based schedule with classroom instruction and supervised clinical rotations. Other schools, like Vincennes University and Hondros College, also offer LPN programs, though their exact lengths and schedules may vary. Check each school’s website directly under the nursing program catalog or admissions section for the most current duration.
Beyond credit hours, the Indiana Board of Nursing sets minimum clinical experience standards that every program must include. These requirements can influence how quickly you can finish, especially if you need to fit clinical rotations around work or family obligations. The board does not publish a single fixed number of hours online; requirements are subject to periodic updates. To confirm the current minimums, contact the Indiana Board of Nursing directly through their official website or phone. Knowing the clinical hour baseline helps you compare program structures more accurately.
While Ivy Tech’s LPN program is currently full-time and day only, other Indiana schools may offer evening, weekend, or part-time LPN tracks to accommodate working students. Accelerated formats are less common at the LPN level but may exist at private colleges or through hybrid online–in-person models. The Indiana State Nurses Association and the National Association of Licensed Practical Nurses can sometimes point you toward programs with non-traditional scheduling. Additionally, reaching out to admissions offices at Vincennes and Hondros will clarify whether part-time or hybrid attendance is possible.
Because program specifics change often, never rely solely on overview websites. Visit the school’s official catalog or curriculum page: look for the LPN program section, and note the total credits or credit hours and the stated length. Ivy Tech, for instance, publishes its curriculum sheet (2025-2026 catalog) that lists the 45-credit, 12-month structure. For the most up-to-date picture, call the nursing department or attend an information session. The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook provides general context on LPN training timelines nationwide, but it cannot substitute for school-specific details. Remember that your personal pace matters: if you plan to work while studying, even a 12-month program may need to be stretched to 18 months or more via part-time enrollment.
In 2025, first-time NCLEX-PN test takers educated in the United States achieved an 86.6% pass rate.1 School-level pass rates from the most recent Indiana State Board of Nursing report are not yet publicly available for this cycle, but understanding how to read and compare these numbers helps you choose a program that sets you up for licensure success.
The NCLEX-PN is the licensing exam required to become a practical nurse, and a school's first-time pass rate is one of the strongest indicators of program quality. A high pass rate suggests the curriculum aligns well with what the exam covers, instructors are effective, and students graduate ready to practice safely. When a program consistently beats the national average, especially rates above 90%, it signals strong test preparation and rigorous clinical training.
When evaluating LPN programs, focus on first-time pass rates rather than overall rates because repeat test takers can inflate a school's numbers. Also check how many graduates took the exam: a program with only a handful of test takers may have an artificially high or low rate. Pair pass rates with cohort size for a clearer picture. For context, the 2025 national first-time pass rate of 86.6% serves as a benchmark, though Indiana's state average has historically run close to this figure.
A consistently high NCLEX-PN pass rate often reflects a strong student support system, comprehensive clinical placements, and an investment in exam preparation resources like practice tests and review courses. Schools that maintain rates well above the national average are typically those with selective admissions and rigorous coursework. If you are comparing two programs with similar costs and scheduling, let pass rates be the tiebreaker. Programs in urban centers like Indianapolis and Fort Wayne have traditionally reported rates at or above the 90% threshold, making them worth a closer look when current data becomes available.
The Indiana State Board of Nursing releases annual NCLEX-PN pass rate reports for approved programs. You can request the most recent report directly from the board or check with individual schools about their latest rates during campus visits or information sessions. Many programs publish their rates on their websites even if the state aggregate report lags. When reviewing, always ask for data from the most recent testing cycle and confirm that the school shares first-time pass rates for all graduates, not just a selective subset of students.
Indianapolis is home to multiple Board-approved LPN programs that make it possible to complete training while balancing work or family obligations. The concentration of healthcare employers in the city also creates strong clinical placement opportunities and a steady demand for new graduates.
The Indiana Board of Nursing maintains the official list of all state-approved LPN programs. You can search by city or ZIP code to see every active program in the Indianapolis metropolitan area. This gives you a verified starting point and helps you avoid programs that lack proper approval. Schools that typically appear in search results for Indianapolis include Ivy Tech Community College, Lincoln College of Technology, and a handful of private, for-profit institutions with diploma tracks.
The BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) provides detailed employment and wage estimates for LPNs in the Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson metropolitan statistical area. You can access this data by searching “Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses” on the BLS website and selecting the Indianapolis metro area from the geographic options. At the time of writing, the metro area employed a large concentration of LPNs, and median wages were competitive with similar healthcare support roles regionally. Checking OEWS directly gives you the most current numbers, as they are updated annually.
After identifying approved schools from the Board list, visit each school’s website for program-specific information: - Cohort start dates: Ivy Tech campuses around Indianapolis offer multiple start dates per year, often in fall, spring, and summer, while some private schools may have more frequent starts. - Evening and weekend options: Several programs offer part-time or evening tracks. For example, Lincoln Tech’s Indianapolis campus advertises flexible scheduling for working adults. Check directly with schools for the most current evening or weekend availability. - Clinical site affiliations: Clinical rotations are a core part of any LPN program. Indianapolis-based students often train at major hospital networks, long-term care facilities, and outpatient clinics throughout Marion County. This broad exposure helps build a professional network before graduation.
For insights beyond the classroom, reach out to the Indiana State Nurses Association (ISNA) or local workforce development boards. These organizations can share regional employment trends, typical hiring timelines, and information about employer-sponsored training pathways. The Indianapolis-area workforce board, EmployIndy, sometimes partners with healthcare employers to fund LPN education for eligible residents, so it pays to ask about active opportunities.
The shift toward digital learning has transformed nursing education, but one reality holds firm: no fully online LPN program is approved in Indiana. Every approved practical nursing curriculum in the state includes mandatory hands-on skills labs and supervised clinical hours that cannot be completed remotely. This is not a temporary restriction: the Indiana State Board of Nursing requires direct, in-person competency demonstrations for all LPN candidates.1
When a school labels its LPN track as "hybrid," it typically breaks the program into two components. Didactic coursework, lectures, readings, assignments, may be delivered entirely online or through a mix of virtual and in-person sessions. Skills labs and clinical rotations, however, remain firmly on campus or at approved healthcare facilities. For students, this means you can tackle much of the theory from home, but you must still travel to a physical site for the hands-on training that employers and the NCLEX-PN exam require.
As of 2026, only a handful of Indiana LPN programs describe themselves as hybrid. Ivy Tech Community College structures its LPN curriculum so that at least 50% of contact hours occur in real time: either on campus or via live webcast, allowing the remaining coursework to be completed online.2 Vincennes University offers a hybrid path as well, though most nursing classes and all labs take place on campus; a few prerequisites and select non-clinical courses can be taken online. Other schools, such as Hondros College of Nursing, deliver their LPN programs entirely in person.1
If you need maximum flexibility, finishing all nursing education remotely isn't currently possible in Indiana. One practical workaround: enroll in an online general education program at a community college to satisfy prerequisites like anatomy, physiology, or psychology before applying to a campus-based LPN program. Some institutions will accept transfer credits, which can shorten your time on campus once you begin the nursing core. Looking across state lines for a fully hybrid program is another option, but verify that any out-of-state program meets Indiana's licensure requirements and includes sufficient in-person clinical placements.
Admission criteria for Practical Nursing programs in Indiana vary by school, particularly around GPA cutoffs and entrance exams. Ivy Tech Community College requires a TEAS score and a higher cumulative GPA, whereas Vincennes University does not mandate an entrance exam and sets a lower prerequisite GPA threshold. Other clinical clearance steps like background checks and immunizations are largely consistent.
| Requirement | Ivy Tech Community College | Vincennes University |
|---|---|---|
| Entrance Exam | Array | |
| Minimum GPA | Array | |
| Prerequisite Courses | Array | |
| Background Check | Array | |
| Drug Screening | Array | |
| Immunizations | Array | |
| CPR Certification | Array |
Indiana licensed practical nurses earn a median annual wage of $63,690, with the middle 50% of earners falling between $59,110 and $70,050, according to recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data. For context, the national median LPN wage stands at $59,730, so Indiana LPNs tend to earn above the national benchmark. Actual pay varies by employer and location, skilled nursing facilities, hospitals, and home health agencies are among the largest employers of LPNs in the state. LPNs looking to increase their earnings often pursue LPN-to-RN bridge programs, and Indiana offers multiple accredited pathways. Ivy Tech Community College runs an LPN-to-ASN Transition Track requiring 69–71 credits and holding ACEN accreditation. The University of Saint Francis offers an LPN-to-ADN program that can be finished in as few as three semesters. Vincennes University has a hybrid LPN-to-BSN Completion Program spanning 36 months. Indiana State University provides an online LPN/LVN-to-BSN track completed in about three years, and Ball State University features a hybrid LPN-to-BSN concentration. Job prospects for LPNs in Indiana remain steady, driven by an aging population and consistent demand in long-term care and outpatient settings. While state-specific growth projections fluctuate, the national outlook projects 5% job growth for LPNs over the decade, and Indiana’s healthcare sector reflects similar trends.
| Percentile | Indiana | National (for comparison) |
|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile | N/A | N/A |
| 25th Percentile | $59,110 | N/A |
| Median | $63,690 | $59,730 |
| 75th Percentile | $70,050 | N/A |
| 90th Percentile | N/A | N/A |
Choosing an LPN program raises plenty of questions, from timelines and costs to career outcomes. Below are straightforward answers to the most common queries prospective students have about practical nursing education in Indiana.
