For students who wish to earn a Licensed Practical Nursing credential, they have the option of enrolling in a nursing diploma program or an associate-level nursing program, which generally requires approximately 30 to 60 semesters credits to reach its conclusion. Students enrolled in diploma LPN programs in Ohio will generally need one to 1.5 years to finish. In contrast, associate degree LPN programs in Ohio typically require 1.5 to 2 years, unless the ADN program is offered in an accelerated format.
To earn an LPN license in Ohio, nursing students must first complete a nursing education program from one of the many available LPN programs in Ohio that have received approval from the state’s Board of Nursing. Upon graduation, each nursing license applicant must pass a criminal background check and the NCLEX-PN exam.
Top 5 LPN Programs in Ohio
| Rank | School | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eastern Gateway Community College | Steubenville, Ohio |
| 2 | Lorain County Community College | Elyria, Ohio |
| 3 | Columbus State Community College | Columbus, Ohio |
| 4 | Southern State Community College | Hillsboro, Ohio |
| 5 | Owens Community College | Perrysburg, Ohio |
In Ohio, each LPN license is issued for a two-year period, after which it must be renewed – with a licensing period that begins on 9/1 of an even-numbered year and ends 8/31, two years later. LPNs in Ohio must complete 24 hours of continuing education requirements during each renewal period.
Each of the LPN programs in Ohio noted below are regionally accredited by COE, the ABHES, the ACCSC, the NCSBN, or the HLC. These LPN programs in Ohio also have specialized accreditation from either ACEN or CCNE, indicative of the fact that each has met the strict, high academic standards as set forth by each agency.
It is noted that the state of Ohio does not participate in the NLC – the Nurse Licensure Compact. As such, LPN’s who are licensed elsewhere can only become licensed by an endorsement, which offers out-of-state licensed LPN’s a non-renewable permit that expires after 180 days.
The Ohio Board of Nursing (OBON) is tasked with the responsibility of maintaining a database of all LPN programs in Ohio that have received OBON approval.
Best 15 LPN Programs in Ohio
Eastern Gateway Community College
Eastern Gateway Community College offers one of the certificate LPN programs in Ohio that is also one of the most affordable. Classes for this LPN certificate program include practical nursing fundamentals, general psychology, and introduction to practical nursing, to name a few.
School Overview
Lorain County Community College
Lorain County Community College offers one of the top one-year LPN programs in Ohio, according to practicalnursing.org. Graduates of LCCC’s 42-semester credit LPN certificate program are eligible for advanced placement within the school’s AAS nursing degree program. Classes for this LPN program include intro do medications, pediatric nursing, and psychology, to name a few.
School Overview
Columbus State Community College
Columbus State Community College offers two-time LPN programs in Ohio that offer students either evenings/weekends or days-only programs. This four-semester, 39-semester credit LPN certificate program includes classes in mental health concepts, human anatomy, and patient care skills, among others.
School Overview
Southern State Community College
Southern State Community College offers a 35-semester credit Practical Nursing Certificate program that is one of the most cost-effective LPN programs in Ohio. Classes for this LPN certificate program from SSCC include practical nursing concepts, allied health mathematics, and pathophysiology, to name a few.
School Overview
Owens Community College
Owens Community College offers one of the most affordable LPN programs in Ohio with its Practical Nursing Certificate program that is accredited by the Ohio Board of Nursing. The three-semester (43-44 semester credit) nursing certificate program includes classes in pharmacology, nursing fundamentals, basic nutrition, and a clinical practicum, to name a few.
Rhodes State College
Rhodes State College offers two of the most affordable certificate LPN programs in Ohio with Practical Nursing Certificate and its Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree programs. The AAS degree requires the completion of 65 credit units over two years, whereas the LPN certificate program requires only 39-semester credits.
School Overview
Washington State Community College
Washington State Community College offers one of the most cost-effective LPN programs in Ohio. This LPN certificate provides students with the requirements to sit for the NCLEX- PN national exam. The Practical Nursing Certificate program is a 12-month program designed for full-time students looking to accelerate their nursing education. Part-time students can complete this LPN certificate program in two years.
School Overview
Central Ohio Technical College
Central Ohio Technical College offers two of the best LPN programs in Ohio with its Practical Nursing Certificate and its AAS in Nursing degree programs that both prepare graduates to sit for the national NCLEX-PN exam. COTC’s practical nursing certificate requires the completion of 37.50-semester credits, while the AAS degree requires students to complete 60-semester credits to graduate.
North Central State College
North Central State College offers a limited number of openings in its available LPN programs in Ohio that begin each fall. Classes for NCSC’s 30-credit hour Practical Nurse Certificate program include nutrition, basic anatomy, microbiology, and pharmacology, to name a few.
Collins Career Technical Center
Collins Career Technical Center offers a number of LPN programs in Ohio that are all available on the school’s Chesapeake or Coal Grove rural campuses, with a maximum of 40 students per class. Two of the available LPN programs begin in August, with the remainder of LPN programs in Ohio starting in January. Students complete 1,300 hours of LPN training over the course of twelve months.
School Overview
Columbiana County Career & Technical Center
Columbiana County Career & Technical Center offers one of the LPN programs in Ohio that can be completed in only four quarters, which covers 1,230 hours of nurse training. Classes for this LPN program include pharmacology, maternal and pediatrics, and nursing fundamentals, plus a practicum, to name a few.
School Overview
Tri-Rivers Career Center’s School of Nursing
Tri-Rivers School of Nursing offers one of the ten-month-day LPN programs in Ohio or an evening LPN program that is completed in only 20 months. All LPN programs offered by Tri-Rivers School of Nursing in central Ohio begin each August. TCC also offers an LPN to RN transition program for interested students.
Ohio Valley College of Technology
Ohio Valley College of Technology offers an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program that can be completed in only two years. Students enrolled in OVCT’s LPN programs in Ohio will participate in clinical rotations and practicums in the Akron Children’s Hospital, Trinity East Hospital, or East Liverpool City Hospital, among others.
School Overview
Knox Technical Center
Knox Technical Center, located in Mount Vernon, Ohio, provides educational programs for students to obtain entry-level employment as well as workforce development and career advancement. Knox Technical Center offers an 18-month program with classes scheduled three days a week designed to give students the knowledge and skills needed to excel in the healthcare field. This 1,340-hour program begins every six months. The Practical Nursing program offered by Knox Technical Center is ranked ninth among the best LPN programs in Ohio.
School Overview
ETI Technical College
ETI Technical College offers several LPN programs in Ohio that offer students different time commitments regarding their nursing studies. ETI’s practical nursing diploma program requires candidates to complete 48.5-semester credits to graduate. Classes begin in January, May, and September of each year and are available daytime in January and September, nights for May.
School Overview
The Ranking Methodology
In developing the analysis used by BestValueSchools.org, we evaluated fifteen of the LPN Programs in Ohio available across the state. These LPN Programs in Ohio were ranked with the most affordable total program fees, listed first.
The total program costs that were used in our analysis represent the fees for the most current available school year (2020/2021 or 2019/2020) as noted on the Federal Government’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the USDE’s College Scorecard or the school’s program/catalog websites.
In addition to the tuition costs, the above analysis includes the NCLEX – PN (Practical Nurse) pass rate success statistics. To help potential students evaluate the program that best fits their academic needs and budgetary constraints, it is valuable to know these broader NCLEX-PN statistics provided by the Ohio Board of Nursing –
- The 2019 NCLEX – PN pass rate for the state of Ohio is 84.16%.
- The 2019 NCLEX – PN pass rate for the United States is 85.63%.
NCLEX- PN pass rate statistics represent a student’s success after completing an LPN program. The greater the success on the NCLEX- PN, the greater likelihood that a potential student will also pass this national nursing entry-level exam for that particular program.
Would you like to update the data for this LPN Programs in Ohio?
Please contact BestValueSchools.org if you would like us to update the information used in the above-noted analysis.
