A vocational, career, or community college is a two-year higher education institution that usually offers technical degrees. Due to the relatively short period of study, these schools offer a rapid path to nursing employment. Licensed practical nursing (LPN) programs usually require 12-18 months of fulltime study, while registered nursing (RN) programs take two to three years of enrollment. Below are some of the largest Rhode Island community colleges and vocational schools with nursing programs.
Community College of Rhode Island
This is the largest community college in all of New England. Community College of Rhode Island offers both an associate’s degree in nursing (ADN) and an LPN certificate program at each of its four campuses in Warwick, Lincoln, Providence, and Newport. To apply competitively for either program, students should maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.7 or higher until enrollment in the first nursing course. Graduates of CCRI’s certificate program will join Rhode Island’s 1,050 licensed LPNs, who earn an average of $53,000 per year. ADN graduates will join the 11,000+ RNs in Rhode Island, who earn about $74,000 annually.
St Joseph School of Nursing at Our Lady of Fatima Hospital
St Joseph promotes a healing ministry and has a mission to carry on this ministry through service to others. The school offers Rhode Island’s only accredited hospital diploma program, with an annual tuition of approximately $17,000 before financial aid.
Below we provide additional information on Rhode Island’s vocational, career, and community colleges for nursing.