Six accredited programs accept Texas residents and lead to NCLEX-RN eligibility, which is the requirement for state licensure. They range from 15 months to two years and cost between $7,000 and $14,000 in tuition.
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Which RN programs should Texas students compare first?
Six Texas RN options cover associate, bachelor, and accelerated pathways into NCLEX-RN eligibility. The table below ranks them by total cost. Click a name to jump to the detailed write-up.
| Program | Length | Tuition | Credential |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin Community College — Professional Nursing AAS | 2 yr | $7,000–$14,000 | NCLEX-RN prep |
| Dallas College — Associate Degree Nursing | 2 yr | $7,000–$14,000 | NCLEX-RN prep |
| San Antonio College — Nursing AAS | 2 yr | $7,000–$14,000 | NCLEX-RN prep |
| Tarrant County College — Associate Degree Nursing | 2 yr | $7,000–$14,000 | NCLEX-RN prep |
| Lone Star College — Associate Degree Nursing Basic Track | 2 yr | $7,500–$14,000 | NCLEX-RN prep |
| Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston — Pacesetter BSN | 15 mo | $18,000–$32,000 | NCLEX-RN prep |
Austin Community College — Professional Nursing AAS
- Cost:
- $7,000–$14,000
- Length:
- 2 yr
- Format:
- Hybrid
- Accreditation:
- Texas Board of Nursing approved; ACEN accredited
- Credential prep:
- NCLEX-RN
- FAFSA eligible:
- Yes
ACC is the Austin-area community-college RN path, built around classroom, lab, simulation, and clinical training. It is the lower-cost comparison point before looking at Central Texas BSN programs.
View program at Austin Community College →Dallas College — Associate Degree Nursing
- Cost:
- $7,000–$14,000
- Length:
- 2 yr
- Format:
- Hybrid
- Accreditation:
- Texas Board of Nursing approved
- Credential prep:
- NCLEX-RN
- FAFSA eligible:
- Yes
Dallas College gives North Texas students an ADN route without leaving the metro area. It is the practical pick if you want local clinical rotations and a public-college price before a future RN-to-BSN.
View program at Dallas College →San Antonio College — Nursing AAS
- Cost:
- $7,000–$14,000
- Length:
- 2 yr
- Format:
- Hybrid
- Accreditation:
- Texas Board of Nursing approved
- Credential prep:
- NCLEX-RN
- FAFSA eligible:
- Yes
San Antonio College is the Alamo Colleges RN option for students who want to train in the San Antonio health care market. It is a better fit than a statewide online promise because RN clinicals still have to happen in person.
View program at San Antonio College →Tarrant County College — Associate Degree Nursing
- Cost:
- $7,000–$14,000
- Length:
- 2 yr
- Format:
- Hybrid
- Accreditation:
- Texas Board of Nursing approved
- Credential prep:
- NCLEX-RN
- FAFSA eligible:
- Yes
Tarrant County College is the Fort Worth-side ADN comparison point. It works best for students who want an affordable RN path in the DFW market and plan to add a BSN later.
View program at Tarrant County College →Lone Star College — Associate Degree Nursing Basic Track
- Cost:
- $7,500–$14,000
- Length:
- 2 yr
- Format:
- Hybrid
- Accreditation:
- Texas Board of Nursing approved; ACEN accredited
- Credential prep:
- NCLEX-RN
- FAFSA eligible:
- Yes
Lone Star is a large Houston-area ADN option with multiple campuses and a Texas BON-approved, ACEN-accredited track. It is a strong first comparison for students who want community-college tuition and Houston clinical access.
View program at Lone Star College →Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston — Pacesetter BSN
- Cost:
- $18,000–$32,000
- Length:
- 15 mo
- Format:
- Campus-based
- Accreditation:
- Texas Board of Nursing approved; CCNE-accredited nursing program
- Credential prep:
- NCLEX-RN
- FAFSA eligible:
- Yes
UTHealth Houston's Pacesetter BSN is the faster bachelor-level option in this Texas set. Compare it if you already have prerequisites done and want to enter Houston hospitals with a BSN rather than an ADN.
View program at Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston →Which RN credential path should you choose?
RN programs differ by award level, but every pre-licensure path has to prepare you for NCLEX-RN and state licensure.
| Credential | Issuing body | Exam cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| ADN Associate Degree in Nursing | Community college | Varies by college | Fastest lower-cost route to NCLEX-RN eligibility and entry-level RN work. |
| BSN Bachelor of Science in Nursing | University | Varies by university | Students targeting hospitals that prefer bachelor-prepared nurses or future graduate study. |
| ABSN Accelerated BSN | University | Varies by university | Career changers who already hold a bachelor degree and can handle an intensive schedule. |
| NCLEX-RN National Council Licensure Examination | NCSBN | $200 exam fee | Required licensure exam after graduation from a board-approved RN program. |
Credential and accreditation sources: NCSBN, AACN, and ACEN.
How much do RN programs cost in Texas?
RN program costs in this group range from $7,000 to $32,000 depending on whether the school is a community college or a university and whether the degree is an associate or a bachelor's.
Two factors drive most of the price gap: degree level and institution type. Community colleges charge far less than universities, and a BSN costs roughly twice an AAS.
| Tier | Tuition range | What you get | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas public community college AAS | $7,000–$14,000 | Tuition covers NCLEX-RN prep, Texas Board of Nursing approval, and FAFSA eligibility at an ACEN- or state-approved two-year program. | Austin Community College |
| Urban Texas community college AAS | $7,000–$14,000 | Tuition covers NCLEX-RN prep, Texas Board of Nursing approval, and FAFSA eligibility in a metro-area cohort program. | Dallas College |
| Regional Texas community college AAS | $7,500–$14,000 | Tuition covers NCLEX-RN prep, FAFSA eligibility, and ACEN accreditation at a multicampus community college system. | Lone Star College |
| CCNE-accredited university BSN | $18,000–$32,000 | Tuition covers a full bachelor's degree, CCNE accreditation, NCLEX-RN prep, FAFSA eligibility, and access to a major academic health system. | Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston |
How do you become a registered nurse in Texas?
- 1
Choose ADN, BSN, or accelerated BSN
education2-4 weeks · $0 (research only)
Texas offers three main entry paths: a 2-year Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), a 4-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), or an accelerated BSN if you already hold a non-nursing bachelor's degree. Spend a few weeks comparing the 6 Texas Board of Nursing-approved programs available to you, weighing cost, campus location, and whether the program's NCLEX pass rates meet or exceed the state average.
- 2
Complete a board-approved nursing program
training licensing16 mo to 4 yr · Varies by program
Enroll in and complete your chosen board-approved nursing program, which includes classroom instruction, lab work, and supervised clinical rotations in real health care settings. An ADN typically takes around 16 to 24 months, while a traditional BSN runs closer to 4 years, so your timeline and budget will largely depend on the path you chose in the previous phase.
- 3
Pass NCLEX-RN and apply for state licensure
career1-3 months · $200+ state fees
After graduating, register for the NCLEX-RN through Pearson VUE and submit your licensure application to the Texas Board of Nursing, budgeting at least $200 for combined fees. Most candidates receive their results within a few days of testing, and once your license is issued you are legally cleared to practice as a registered nurse in Texas.
Do you need a license to work as a registered nurse in Texas?
To work as a registered nurse in Texas, you need a state license issued by the Texas Board of Nursing. The board requires graduation from a board-approved pre-licensure program before you can sit for the licensing exam or submit a state application. That exam is the NCLEX-RN, and passing it is the step that converts your education into a credential employers can verify. The job postings below show exactly how Texas hiring managers list that requirement alongside the other qualifications they screen for.
What is the Texas job market like for registered nurses?
We pulled the most recent registered nurse postings open to Texas residents from Indeed, employer career sites, and relevant professional job boards. The numbers below summarize roughly 21,400 postings from the last 90 days; the three sample postings further down are representative examples we analyzed to figure out what employers actually require.
Top-level findings: median posted pay is $89,060, 3% of roles are remote or remote-eligible, and the largest employers hiring right now include HCA Healthcare, Texas Health Resources, Baylor Scott & White Health.
Sources: posting count from Indeed; median salary from BLS OEWS 29-1141.
Sample postings analyzed below
All three postings require an active Texas RN license (or a compact state license that covers Texas), plus American Heart Association BLS at minimum. The ICU-focused posting at Texas Health Resources adds ACLS and documented critical-care experience on top of that baseline. None of the three list a required GPA or graduation year, but every one of them names clinical competencies explicitly: assessment, planning, intervention, and evaluation appear across all three.
Texas Health's ICU posting gives the clearest picture of what "critical-care experience" actually means in practice: "titrating medications within protocol, managing ventilated patients, communicating changes in condition, and documenting care in the electronic medical record." Houston Methodist frames the bar slightly differently, asking for "clinical competence, patient safety, professional practice, patient education, and collaboration with the interprofessional healthcare team." Both descriptions assume you already know how to function in a fast-moving unit, not that you'll learn on the job.
All three postings are onsite. That matches the broader market: only about 3% of the 21,400 Texas RN postings in the past 90 days are remote-friendly. Two of the three postings come from large hospital systems in major metros (Austin, DFW, Houston), and the median pay across the full Texas RN market sits at $89,060. The ICU role is the only one that raises the credential floor, but even the general med-surg language at HCA and Houston Methodist points toward nurses who can hit the ground running rather than candidates who need extended orientation.
Pick a nursing program that puts you in clinical rotations early and ensures you graduate eligible to sit for NCLEX in Texas, since licensure is the non-negotiable first gate for every one of these roles.
FAQ
Can I work full-time while enrolled in any of these programs?
None of these programs are listed as part-time or self-paced, and nursing clinicals typically require daytime availability. Most students find full-time work incompatible with a 2-year ADN or an accelerated 15-month BSN schedule.
Do these programs accept FAFSA?
Yes, all six programs accept FAFSA, including the accelerated Pacesetter BSN at UTHealth Houston.
Will an out-of-state program count for Texas employers?
All six programs listed are Texas-based institutions, so this question does not apply to any of them. If you completed a program in another state, you would need to apply for Texas licensure through the Texas Board of Nursing.
How long until I can sit for the NCLEX-RN exam?
Graduates of the five ADN programs can sit for the NCLEX-RN after 2 years. Graduates of the Pacesetter BSN at UTHealth Houston can sit in as little as 15 months.