LPN

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)

Offered by Kirkwood Community College Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Overview

Tuition $5,980

Licensure pass rate (2025) 98.15%

Duration 12 months

A practical nursing program that prepares graduates for NCLEX-PN licensure to provide basic nursing care under the direction of RNs and physicians, supporting health promotion, disease prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation.

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 Kirkwood Community College asks for, taken from its own admissions page.

Apply through School application

What you'll need

Prerequisite courses

One-year LPN program. Page lists program requirements only: apply to Kirkwood, take placement exams before New Student Orientation, attend orientation, attend a Program Conference during the first semester, and obtain a Certified Nursing Assistant certificate; scrubs and a laptop required. No entrance exam, GPA or deadline is stated on the page.

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

CMA LPN

Your medication administration experience counts. Bridge from certified medication aide into practical nursing and full LPN licensure.

Time: 1 year
State: All states

Southwestern College

View path

CNA to LPN

CNA LPN

Step up from nursing assistant to licensed practical nurse. The fastest license upgrade in nursing, and the standard bridge toward RN.

Time: 1 year
State: All states

East Arkansas Community College

View path

Find your next step.

Getting in starts with a path. Pick one, then follow the people who already did it.

Start My Path People