We've organized a comprehensive list of Texas nursing schools. Below you'll find information on specific nursing programs such as LVN certificates and ADN, BSN, and MSN degrees. You'll also find a profile of nursing education and careers in each major Texas city.
Texas is home to more than 600 hospitals, more than 350,000 licensed nurses, and over 200 approved nursing education programs. If you’re interested in joining Texas’s booming healthcare industry as a nurse, successful completion of a state-approved program is the first step. The Texas Board of Nursing also requires successful passing of the relevant licensure or certification exam, plus continuing education on a biennial basis for all licensed nurses.
Licensed vocational nurses provide frontline patient care under the supervision of surgeons, physicians, and registered nurses. They collect samples for testing, monitor medical equipment, measure vital signs, dress wounds, provide injections, and gather medical information from patients. Some LVNs even help to deliver, care for, and feed infants. Experienced LVNs may supervise certified nursing assistants and aides (CNAs).
San Antonio is the second-largest city in Texas, and it is home to more nurses than almost any other city in the state. The broader San Antonio metropolitan area has over 16,500 registered nurses (RNs), more than 6,700 licensed vocational nurses (LVNs), and almost 6,200 certified nursing assistants (CNAs). Salaries are high as well. San Antonio’s RNs earn an average of $66,170 per year. The city's LVNs earn $42,490 annually, and its CNAs take home $23,390 per year.
Texas is home to 190,000 registered nurses (RNs), 72,000 licensed vocational nurses (LVNs), and 86,000 certified nursing assistants (CNAs). While these professionals work in every city across the state, the Greater Houston metropolitan area contains the largest population of nurses, including 44,450 RNs, 12,920 LVNs, and 16,610 CNAs. Houston offers some of the best nursing career opportunities and salaries in all of Texas. The city’s RNs earn a median annual salary of $75,830, while its LVNs earn $45,360 annually and its CNAs earn $24,510 per year.
The Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex is home to a noteworthy 54,170 registered nurses (RNs), 21,990 certified nursing assistants (CNAs), and 16,840 licensed vocational nurses (LVNs). While opportunities for nursing professionals are thus plentiful in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, the area’s top employers are quite selective. This means you’ll need the right type of education, training, experience, and licensure in order to land a position.
For our 2024 rankings of prelicensure BSN programs, the research team at Nursing Schools Almanac compiled an extensive database of student performance on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Aspiring registered nurses in the United States must pass this examination before they may commence practice. Thus, student performance on the NCLEX-RN exam provides an excellent benchmark for comparing the relative quality of bachelor’s degree programs.
One of the fastest paths to licensure as a registered nurse is an associate’s degree in nursing, or ADN, program. Associate’s degree options vary by school and may include an associate of science (AS) and/or an associate of applied science (AAS) track. These programs take approximately two years of fulltime study to complete, and they prepare graduates to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).
Licensed vocational nurses provide frontline patient care under the supervision of surgeons, physicians, and registered nurses. They collect samples for testing, monitor medical equipment, measure vital signs, dress wounds, provide injections, and gather medical information from patients. Some LVNs even help to deliver, care for, and feed infants. Experienced LVNs may supervise certified nursing assistants and aides (CNAs).
Texas is home to more than 600 hospitals, more than 350,000 licensed nurses, and over 200 approved nursing education programs. If you’re interested in joining Texas’s booming healthcare industry as a nurse, successful completion of a state-approved program is the first step. The Texas Board of Nursing also requires successful passing of the relevant licensure or certification exam, plus continuing education on a biennial basis for all licensed nurses.
Longview is a city in northeast Texas that sits just 30 miles from the Louisiana border. The metro area is home to over 218,000 people, and it is listed as one of the country’s best small places for business and careers by Forbes. Even better, healthcare is the area’s top industry, employing more than 4,000 nursing professionals alone. Nurses here work in a variety of roles, including nurse practitioner (NP), registered nurse (RN), licensed vocational nurse (LVN), and certified nursing assistant (CNA).
Healthcare is one of the most active industries in Texas. There are more than 600 hospitals in the state with over 80,000 licensed beds. The state is also home to more than 360,000 nurses working in roles from entry-level to advanced. Some of the most common roles are registered nurse (RN), licensed vocational nurse (LVN), and certified nursing assistant (CNA).
Healthcare is one of the largest employment sectors in Texas. There are 630 hospitals in the state, with 83,000 licensed beds. Grand Prairie, Texas, is part of Dallas County, which has the second-highest number of hospitals in the state. Although the healthcare sector here offers many opportunities for aspiring nurses, local hospitals and healthcare centers are very selective. This means that aspiring nurses need the right education to compete.