Overview
Career outlook
Employers hire licensed practical nurses to provide basic patient care such as monitoring vital signs, administering medications, and assisting with daily needs under the supervision of registered nurses and physicians.
Getting in
What Arkansas State University-Newport asks for, taken from its own admissions page.
What you'll need
- Transcripts
- Prerequisite courses
Requires an NLN NEX exam score of at least 130 and a transcript showing prerequisites (Composition I, Intro to Nutrition, Math for Health Professions, A&P I and II with lab or Body Structure and Function) with C or better. Deadlines July 10 for fall and October 15 for spring (spring 2027 extended to December 13); acceptance emailed 4 weeks after the deadline. 11 months at Newport, Jonesboro and Marked Tree campuses.
Checked Oct 2026 on the school's site. Requirements change each cycle, so confirm before you apply.
Paths
Routes into LPN. The first step is where you enroll today.
Medication Aide to LPN
Your medication administration experience counts. Bridge from certified medication aide into practical nursing and full LPN licensure.
CNA to LPN
Step up from nursing assistant to licensed practical nurse. The fastest license upgrade in nursing, and the standard bridge toward RN.
Find your next step.
Getting in starts with a path. Pick one, then follow the people who already did it.