LPN vs RN
A typical approved LPN program takes 50 weeks; an RN program, mostly a two-year degree, takes 75. RN graduates earned about $58,600 a year, against about $39,100 for LPN graduates.
These are the 1,024 LPN and 1,252 RN programs that states approved for public workforce funding (WIOA) in program year 2024, so funding can pay for any of them if you qualify. Most two-year RN degrees cost $7,476 to $18,411 and most LPN programs $5,926 to $15,946 if you pay yourself.
How do LPN and RN programs compare?
Every program the states approved for workforce funding in each, side by side. The figures are the typical program's, as on the two fields' pages.
| LPN | RN | |
|---|---|---|
| Programs | 1,024 at 880 schools | 1,252 at 953 schools |
| Most cost, if you pay yourself | Certificates and short courses$5,938 to $15,938Two-year degrees$4,017 to $15,999 | Two-year degrees$7,476 to $18,411Bachelor's degrees$20,274 to $71,360Other RN programs$2,000 to $13,624 |
| Length | 44 to 59 weeks | 60 to 104 weeks |
| Finished the program | 71% | 73% |
| Working 6 months later | 85% | 84% |
| Earned a year, estimated | about $39,100 | about $58,600 |
| Trained with WIOA funding | at least 12,257 people | at least 14,107 people |
Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024. Earnings are the second quarter after leaving the program, times four.
What does an LPN do, and what does an RN do?
Licensed practical and vocational nurses (LPNs and LVNs) give basic medical care to patients who are ill, injured or recovering. Most finish a state-approved certificate or diploma program that takes about a year, then pass an exam to become licensed.1
Registered nurses provide and coordinate patient care and teach patients and their families about health conditions. To work as one, you graduate from an approved nursing program (a bachelor's or associate degree in nursing, or a hospital diploma) and pass a licensing exam for your state nursing license.2
NCLEX-PN or NCLEX-RN: which license exam do you take?
LPN graduates take the NCLEX-PN and RN graduates the NCLEX-RN. Both come from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, and the nursing boards of every state, DC and four US territories use them in deciding who gets a license.3
Can an LPN become an RN?
Yes, through a bridge program for working LPNs. 170 of the 1,252 approved RN programs are LPN-to-RN bridges leading to a two-year degree, in 25 states. Most cost $6,314 to $15,833. Each state's RN page lists its bridges under "LPN to RN bridge".
Will WIOA pay for an LPN or RN program?
It can pay for any program on these lists, in full or in part, if you qualify.4 For a degree, which is most RN programs, the job center first looks at grants such as a federal Pell Grant, and WIOA pays toward what they don't cover. Your local area may also limit how much it pays.5 In program year 2024 WIOA paid toward the training of at least 12,257 people at LPN programs and 14,107 at RN programs. Who qualifies and how to apply: Does WIOA pay for job training?
LPN and RN programs by state
Approved programs in each place and what most of them cost. Each state's two pages compare LPN and RN side by side with that state's figures.
| Place | LPN programs | Most LPN programs cost | RN programs | Most two-year RN degrees cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 19 | $7,380 to $8,860 | 23 | $10,401 to $13,722 |
| Alaska | None approved | 1 | Not enough data | |
| Arizona | 7 | $6,172 to $12,005 | 15 | $10,390 to $59,626 |
| Arkansas | 31 | $7,980 to $12,890 | 38 | $10,172 to $14,651 |
| California | 43 | $2,857 to $33,400 | 31 | $1,852 to $4,528 |
| Colorado | 4 | Not enough data | 17 | Not enough data |
| Connecticut | 1 | Not enough data | None approved | |
| Delaware | 2 | Not enough data | 5 | Not enough data |
| Florida | 79 | $3,942 to $16,150 | 89 | $8,172 to $42,250 |
| Georgia | 24 | $5,863 to $8,165 | 34 | $7,174 to $10,218 |
| Hawaii | None approved | 2 | Not enough data | |
| Idaho | 3 | Not enough data | 1 | Not enough data |
| Illinois | 47 | Not enough data | 72 | Not enough data |
| Indiana | 50 | $6,730 to $7,367 | 23 | $9,461 to $48,096 |
| Iowa | 14 | $8,375 to $10,231 | 22 | $15,143 to $18,416 |
| Kansas | 14 | $6,262 to $11,656 | 10 | $9,227 to $25,377 |
| Kentucky | 25 | Not enough data | 35 | Not enough data |
| Louisiana | 23 | $9,402 to $20,400 | 35 | $10,854 to $23,030 |
| Maine | 3 | Not enough data | 9 | Not enough data |
| Maryland | 8 | $3,014 to $6,484 | 5 | $4,944 to $12,630 |
| Massachusetts | 13 | $9,706 to $14,500 | None approved | |
| Michigan | 22 | $10,053 to $30,084 | 35 | $14,797 to $21,670 |
| Minnesota | 32 | $6,547 to $7,308 | 63 | $10,592 to $12,716 |
| Mississippi | 34 | $5,904 to $9,125 | 40 | $7,424 to $10,192 |
| Missouri | 51 | $9,818 to $18,000 | 62 | $8,910 to $22,715 |
| Montana | 2 | Not enough data | 2 | Not enough data |
| Nebraska | 7 | $4,923 to $8,205 | 11 | $7,238 to $9,072 |
| Nevada | 1 | Not enough data | 5 | Not enough data |
| New Hampshire | 4 | Not enough data | 4 | Not enough data |
| New Jersey | 12 | $6,763 to $13,473 | 2 | Not enough data |
| New Mexico | 5 | $3,519 to $27,101 | 16 | $6,064 to $8,355 |
| New York | 22 | $11,806 to $17,025 | 12 | $8,205 to $17,114 |
| North Carolina | 34 | $3,324 to $4,566 | 71 | $5,200 to $6,807 |
| North Dakota | 5 | $7,842 to $14,542 | 11 | $11,338 to $13,092 |
| Ohio | 80 | $11,733 to $19,265 | 118 | $11,327 to $38,189 |
| Oklahoma | 43 | $5,706 to $7,472 | 17 | $5,421 to $17,070 |
| Oregon | 4 | Not enough data | 6 | $12,021 to $20,822 |
| Pennsylvania | 42 | $16,812 to $22,114 | 25 | $14,707 to $28,075 |
| Puerto Rico | 8 | $10,598 to $12,327 | 12 | $14,888 to $23,065 |
| South Carolina | 4 | Not enough data | 5 | $13,000 to $14,548 |
| South Dakota | 7 | $11,220 to $13,284 | 5 | Not enough data |
| Tennessee | 33 | $4,419 to $5,584 | 36 | $10,609 to $14,675 |
| Texas | 86 | $5,724 to $12,997 | 109 | $5,448 to $11,461 |
| US Virgin Islands | 1 | Not enough data | None approved | |
| Utah | 10 | $2,771 to $6,292 | 8 | $14,912 to $22,025 |
| Virginia | 35 | $4,016 to $12,281 | 20 | $10,591 to $38,085 |
| Washington | 9 | $6,031 to $9,066 | 44 | $7,178 to $15,034 |
| West Virginia | 12 | $4,096 to $17,400 | 14 | $13,173 to $37,600 |
| Wisconsin | 9 | $4,576 to $6,602 | 20 | $10,106 to $12,736 |
| Wyoming | None approved | 12 | $4,854 to $11,548 |
Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024. A typical price needs five programs with a price. How these figures are made
Sources for LPN vs RN
Show the 6 sourcesHide the sources
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Registered Nurses
- National Council of State Boards of Nursing: U.S. Members
- US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
- 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)
- 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