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 Shelton State Community College asks for, taken from its own admissions page.
What you'll need
- Transcripts
- Background check
- Drug screen
- Prerequisite courses
Stand-alone PN evening option, 12 months (3 semesters, 45 hours). Two application windows: Sept 1 to Oct 1 for spring (Martin campus) and June 5 to July 5 for fall (Bibb Medical Center campus); the Oct 1, 2026 window has passed so the next is July 5, 2027. Minimum 18 ACT composite (no superscores), 2.5 GPA in required academic courses, 2.5 HS GPA if no college work, mandatory Health Services information session within one year of applying. Tuition and fees $13,590 including books; total estimated program cost about $17,140 including ATI/NCLEX fees, CastleBranch drug and background screening, uniforms.
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.
People
Acceptees whose paths lead to this program, and how they got in.
Find your next step.
Getting in starts with a path. Pick one, then follow the people who already did it.