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 Carl Sandburg College asks for, taken from its own admissions page.
What you'll need
- Background check
One-year, 60-credit certificate; applications accepted October 1 through March 24 for fall enrollment, decisions about two weeks after the deadline. Requires a TEAS score or a valid SAT or ACT score (minimums not listed); conditionally admitted and alternate students must attend orientation; criminal background check applies at licensure. Estimated total program cost $12,799.77 (tuition $11,944.77); NCLEX-PN 93% (2024), 91% (2023), 86% (2025).
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.