How We Ranked the Best LPN/LVN Programs in Your State and City for 2024?

Well, to begin with, there is no such definition of a good LPN/LVN program. Each program has pros and cons, and this makes compiling a ranking list quite cumbersome. Nevertheless, our approach to ranking LPN/LVN programs is a simple one. Firstly, we get our data from reliable and unbiased sources. We then assess programs based on various factors, which we believe are crucial to a successful educational experience. Furthermore, to add an external perspective to our rankings, we also consider rankings, ratings, and reviews from other major publications.

What Are The Minimum Requirements To Be Eligible For Our Rankings?

• The LPN/LVN program must be approved by the respective state nursing board.

What Factors Were Considered For Our Rankings?

After filtering out the list, eligible LPN/LVN programs were ranked based on 4 important factors including the LPN/LVN program's academic quality, NCLEX-PN first-time pass rates over the past four years, affordability, and our editorial team ratings. The table below lists all 4 factors that form the base of our ranking methodology along with the weightage assigned to each one of them.

Factor		Weightage
Academic Quality		30%
Enrollment Rate	40%
Graduation Rate	40%
Student-to-Faculty Ratio	20%
NCLEX-PN First Time Pass Rates (Past Four Years)		30%
Affordability		20%
Our Editorial Team Ratings		20%

Why Were The Above Factors Considered For Our Rankings?

Each of the above 4 factors is clearly explained below to help you understand why we considered them for our ranking methodology.

1. Academic Quality (30%)

The academic quality of a program is one of the most important factors to gauge its success, and seemingly so, it constitutes 30% of our total ranking score. This factor is based on three components, including Enrollment Rate, Graduation Rate, and Student-to-Faculty Ratio.

Enrollment Rate:

The enrollment rate is the percentage of students choosing to enroll in a college after their application has been accepted. Higher enrollment points towards the college being a preferred choice among LPN/LVN students for the positive learning experience it offers.

Graduation Rate:

The graduation rate signifies the number of students completing the LPN/LVN program within the stipulated time frame. A school with a high graduation rate indicates a supportive learning environment and an effective teaching pedagogy.

Student-to-Faculty Ratio:

The student-to-faculty ratio indicates the number of students per instructor. A lower ratio is better as students are more likely to benefit from individualized attention and achieve a positive academic outcome.

2. NCLEX-PN First Time Pass Rates - Past Four Years (30%)

The NCLEX-PN first-time pass rates of a school over the past four years constitute 30% of our ranking score. This factor is a clear indicator of an LPN/LVN program's success, as passing the licensure exam is crucial to your career as a practical nurse. Schools with consistently high pass rates on the first attempt indicate the excellent quality of teaching and a conducive learning environment that helps students reach their academic goals.

3. Affordability (20%)

Affordability is an important factor when considering an LPN/LVN program and constitutes 20% of our ranking score. Affordable education can help you graduate with lesser debt, and to decipher this factor, we have considered the school’s net price. The net price is the cost you are going to incur to complete the LPN/LVN program. A school with a high net price can put a great deal of financial burden on you, whereas a school with a lower net price makes your education more affordable.

4. Our Editorial Team Rating (20%)

Our editorial team rating accounts for 20% of our total score and is based on both internal as well as external pointers. While internal pointers considered include the school’s infrastructure, faculty credentials, student services, use of technology, awards, recognition, and industry partnerships. The external pointers considered include college rankings, ratings, and student reviews from respected online publications such as US News, Niche, Grad Reports, and Rate My Professors.

Where Did We Gather The Data From?

To create a firm base for our ranking methodology, we have extracted accurate and updated information from various reliable and unbiased sources:

• The complete list of approved LPN/LVN programs in each state and city was collected from their respective State Boards.
• NCLEX-PN First time Pass Rates for each school were collected from the respective State Boards.
• The National Center for Education Statistics was our source for information on enrollment rates, graduation rates, student-to-faculty ratio, and net price.
• College rankings, ratings and student reviews were sourced from U.S. News, Niche, Grad Reports, and Rate My Professors.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What Is The Main Purpose Behind Our Rankings?

The main purpose behind our rankings is to help you in your search to find the right LPN/LVN program. The ranking list can serve as a great starting point and saves you from spending long hours going through scores of college sites.

2. What Is The Guarantee Our Rankings Are Fair And Unbiased?

Our rankings are completely unbiased and fair as we are a neutral third party who has no direct association with any of the colleges; neither do we have anything to gain from the ranking order of colleges. Our rankings are solely based on data collected from reliable and unbiased sources. To maintain transparency, we clearly publish the factors that our rankings are based on.

Disclaimer

At nursingprocess.org, we understand that our rankings can influence a student's decision in making a choice for the right LPN/LVN program. We do not promote the LPN/LVN programs that have made it to our ranking list; neither do we disregard schools that haven't made it to our list.

Although we have tried our best to bring you a list of the best LPN/LVN programs that can simplify your search, please note there is no one perfect ranking tool or formula to devise a list of the best schools.

Our rankings are fair and unbiased, and we are in no way associated with any educational institution and thus have nothing to gain out of the ranking order. To maintain transparency, we have clearly mentioned the factors considered for our rankings for everyone to see.

How To Interpret Our Rankings?

Students:

As a student, you are advised to take the rankings as a starting point in your search and make a final decision about your education only after extensive research.

Schools:

We understand that the education domain is a complex one, and the reputation of a school cannot be reduced to a ranking. We believe that the academic outcome of any program depends on a student's talent and hard work as much as it depends on the college. Rankings of any nature must not be construed as a barometer of a college or program's success. Also, at times some schools may have not made it to our list simply because we could not source accurate data to derive a conclusive ranking score.