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CNA classes by state

1,749 CNA (certified nursing assistant) programs in all 50 states and 3 territories, with costs, results and funding that can make them free

Which schools offer WIOA-approved CNA classes?

1,433 schools offer these programs, and each state on this page approved its programs for workforce funding. Pick a state on the map or compare them belowCompare the states below, then open one to see each program with its price and how past students did.

What does a CNA do, and how do you become one?

Nursing assistants give basic care and help patients with everyday tasks. To work as one, you usually finish a state-approved program and pass your state's competency exam, which puts you on the state registry.1 Federal rules require state-approved nurse aide programs for nursing homes to run at least 75 hours, including at least 16 hours of supervised hands-on practice. If a nursing home employs you or has offered you a job when you start, it can't charge you for the program.2

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Approved programsup to 1112 to 2223 to 37more than 37

How much do CNA classes cost?

Most CNA programs approved for WIOA funding cost $701 to $1,750 if you pay yourself. Prices also differ by state: most cost $200 to $525 in North Carolina and $2,009 to $3,972 in New Jersey.

That is the price of the whole program as the school reports it. If you qualify, WIOA funding can pay part or all of it, depending on local limits (who qualifies). The figures cover only programs approved for WIOA funding; other schools and programs may cost more or less.

Compare CNA classes by state: cost, pay and results

CNA classes by state
StateProgramsMost costEarned a year, estimatedWorking 6 months laterFinished
Alabama28$754 to $1,548about $18,400Left out94%
Alaska5$2,400 to $2,700Not enough dataNot enough data88%
Arizona31$1,754 to $2,268about $30,00075%88%
Arkansas29$862 to $1,532about $22,30068%85%
California122$759 to $1,900about $34,90083%93%
Colorado21$790 to $1,136about $39,10060%80%
Connecticut28$1,164 to $1,745about $27,60078%95%
Delaware10$2,595 to $2,791about $30,20077%94%
Florida34$499 to $1,265about $25,20074%91%
Georgia48$912 to $1,827about $24,30079%87%
Guam1Too few figures to show
Hawaii7$1,362 to $1,764about $30,10067%70%
Idaho8$1,790 to $2,168Not reportedLeft out83%
Illinois86Left outabout $28,60079%Left out
Indiana133$837 to $1,221about $24,40080%82%
Iowa22$625 to $750about $22,20083%69%
Kansas19$515 to $835about $24,40087%100%
Kentucky19$586 to $925Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
Louisiana21$1,100 to $2,000Not enough dataLeft outLeft out
Maine37$875 to $1,450about $39,90088%96%
Maryland30$1,119 to $2,138about $27,90074%92%
Massachusetts37$1,189 to $1,720Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
Michigan99$1,080 to $1,800about $27,30077%100%
Minnesota34$515 to $816about $17,40078%95%
Mississippi11$381 to $1,204Not enough dataNot enough dataLeft out
Missouri50$915 to $2,526Not enough dataNot enough data73%
Montana5Too few figures to show
Nebraska11$404 to $510about $16,60077%89%
Nevada19$894 to $2,383about $26,600Left out89%
New Hampshire11$1,489 to $2,388about $27,400Left out98%
New Jersey16$2,009 to $3,972Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
New Mexico12$671 to $1,581about $18,50050%Left out
New York27$1,628 to $2,372Not enough data60%86%
North Carolina113$200 to $525about $25,20079%80%
North Dakota5$850 to $1,000Not enough dataNot enough data95%
Northern Mariana Islands1Too few figures to show
Ohio119$630 to $1,052about $22,90086%86%
Oklahoma41$646 to $1,016about $27,900Left out95%
Oregon10$1,112 to $1,568Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
Pennsylvania30$1,461 to $1,950about $25,500Left out98%
Rhode Island6$1,225 to $2,116Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
South Carolina11$988 to $2,278about $26,00067%83%
South Dakota2Not enough dataNot enough dataLeft outNot enough data
Tennessee28$600 to $1,399about $24,00083%87%
Texas89$874 to $3,022about $22,00071%93%
US Virgin Islands4Too few figures to show
Utah15$435 to $1,233about $21,600Left out91%
Vermont3Too few figures to show
Virginia66$898 to $1,772about $26,70075%91%
Washington78$716 to $1,245about $34,70080%90%
West Virginia4Not enough dataNot enough dataLeft outNot enough data
Wisconsin36$468 to $2,025about $19,20074%86%
Wyoming17$648 to $873Not enough dataLeft outNot enough data

Each figure is the middle program in that state. Yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. Only programs approved for workforce funding are counted; other schools may offer CNA classes too. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025).How these figures are made

CNA school and classes: what the 1,749 programs are

By kind, the 1,749 programs approved for WIOA funding are nursing assistant (CNA, 1,679 programs), advanced nursing assistant (level II, 38 programs), refresher or continuing education (19 programs) and bridge course (13 programs).

Across the US, 912 of the 1,749 programs take students without a high school diploma, 623 ask for a diploma or equivalent, 213 ask for earlier courses first and 1 asks for a bachelor's degree.

Are there free CNA classes in the US?

Does WIOA pay for job training? Who qualifies and how to apply

Other training by state

Approved programs per field across every state. Each opens that field's comparison by state.

Where the nursing assistant program numbers by state come from

Which nursing assistant programs are counted?

Programs each state approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), from the US Department of Labor's file for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025), covering programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).7 Schools that never applied for approval are missing.

What the figures for each state mean

Each figure is the middle program among those that report it: half did better, half did worse. Prices are what most programs cost if you pay yourself (the middle half). Earnings are for the second quarter after students left, times four. Where a figure is missing, the table says why: "Not reported", "Left out" or "Not enough data" (what each means).

Sources for the facts about CNA classes

Show the 7 sourcesHide the sources
  1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Nursing Assistants and Orderlies
  2. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations: 42 CFR 483.152, Requirements for approval of a nurse aide training and competency evaluation program
  3. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
  4. US Department of Labor: WIOA Adult Program
  5. Code of Federal Regulations, title 20, part 680, sections 680.220, 680.230 and 680.310: career services before training, other grants such as Pell Grants first, and limits on Individual Training Accounts (GovInfo, 2024 edition)
  6. US Department of Labor: American Job Centers
  7. US Department of Labor, Training and Employment Guidance Letter 8-19, Attachment I: Requirements for Training Providers, Program Eligibility, and the State Eligible Training Provider (ETP) List