The state of Illinois is home to approximately a dozen LPN exit option programs. This registered nursing pathway conducts the two-year curriculum in a “ladder” format, enabling students to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN) at the conclusion of year one. Since aspiring practical nurses must pass this examination before they may commence practice, student performance on the NCLEX-PN exam provides an excellent benchmark for comparing the relative quality of these LPN exit option programs.
We used an extensive database to calculate each program’s NCLEX-PN pass rate among first-time test-takers. This is the standard program assessment metric reported by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation’s Division of Professional Regulation, as well as by the test’s administrator, Pearson Vue. Whenever possible, we calculated this first-time NCLEX-PN pass rate over a lengthy period of time, typically the past decade of student performance. We then used this metric to rank all of Illinois’s LPN exit option programs accordingly.
#1: Spoon River College
98.7% first-time NCLEX pass rate23235 North County Highway 22
Canton, Illinois 61520
https://www.src.edu98.7% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Certificate in Practical Nursing (LPN Exit from RN Ladder Program)
Average of 16 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2012 through 2021
#2: Heartland Community College
98.5% first-time NCLEX pass rate1500 West Raab Road
Normal, Illinois 61761
https://www.heartland.edu98.5% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Certificate in Practical Nursing (LPN Exit from RN Ladder Program)
Average of 14 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2012 through 2021
#3: Joliet Junior College
98.4% first-time NCLEX pass rate1215 Houbolt Road
Joliet, Illinois 60431
https://www.jjc.edu98.4% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Certificate in Practical Nursing (LPN Exit from RN Ladder Program)
Average of 63 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2012 through 2021
#4: Rend Lake College
95.9% first-time NCLEX pass rate468 North Ken Gray Parkway
Ina, Illinois 62846
https://www.rlc.edu95.9% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Certificate in Practical Nursing (LPN Exit from RN Ladder Program)
Average of 25 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2012 through 2021
#5: Illinois Eastern Community Colleges
95.1% first-time NCLEX pass rate305 North West Street
Olney, Illinois 62450
https://www.iecc.edu95.1% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Certificate in Practical Nursing (LPN Exit from RN Ladder Program)
Average of 59 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2012 through 2021
#6: Danville Area Community College
94.8% first-time NCLEX pass rate2000 East Main Street
Danville, Illinois 61832
https://www.dacc.edu94.8% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Certificate in Practical Nursing (LPN Exit from RN Ladder Program)
Average of 31 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2012 through 2021
#7: John Wood Community College
94.5% first-time NCLEX pass rate1301 South 48th Street
Quincy, Illinois 62305
https://www.jwcc.edu94.5% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Certificate in Practical Nursing (LPN Exit from RN Ladder Program)
Average of 17 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2012 through 2021
#8: Oakton Community College
94.3% first-time NCLEX pass rate1600 East Golf Road
Des Plaines, Illinois 60016
https://www.oakton.edu94.3% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Certificate in Practical Nursing (LPN Exit from RN Ladder Program)
Average of 7 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2012 through 2021
#9: College of DuPage
93.2% first-time NCLEX pass rate425 Fawell Boulevard
Glen Ellyn, Illinois 60137
https://www.cod.edu93.2% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Certificate in Practical Nursing (LPN Exit from RN Ladder Program)
Average of 34 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2012 through 2021
#10: Moraine Valley Community College
89.1% first-time NCLEX pass rate9000 West College Parkway
Palos Hills, Illinois 60465
https://www.morainevalley.edu89.1% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Certificate in Practical Nursing (LPN Exit from RN Ladder Program)
Average of 6 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2012 through 2021