Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Programs in New Mexico

A licensed practical nurse (LPN) provides medical care and service within a similar, but slightly smaller, scope of practice as a registered nurse.

For some people, earning a license to become an LPN is a step toward becoming a registered nurse (RN) or physician’s assistant. For other people, it’s a rewarding, long-term career on its own.

An aging population means New Mexico needs many medical professionals, and becoming an LPN can help you get your foot in the door of this fast-growing, well-paying medical career.

The following schools are all nonprofit, accredited institutions that offer state-approved practical nursing programs — including associate degree in nursing (ADN) programs with LPN exit options. The schools are unranked and listed alphabetically.

Compare details like program length, format, and cost to find the best LPN program for you.

Located on the border of Texas and New Mexico near Cannon Air Force Base, CCC provides career-ready degrees in many fields, including nursing. Its LPN program consists of the first two semesters of the full ADN degree and includes courses in anatomy, pathophysiology, and the principles of nursing practice. Students who complete this program and earn an LPN license can enter the third semester of CCC’s ADN program if they choose to return to school to complete the associate of applied science (AAS) in nursing.

Go to CCC’s LPN program

A satellite campus of New Mexico State University, DACC serves students from the southern part of the state. DACC’s LPN program consists of the first two semesters of the university’s ADN degree program and includes courses such as adult health, mental health nursing, and maternal child nursing. Students must pass an exit exam to graduate with their certificate.

Go to DACC’s LPN program

The first junior college in New Mexico, NMJC occupies 243 acres near Hobbs in the state’s southeast corner. Its LPN program consists of the first three semesters of the AAS in nursing degree plus an additional course covering professional issues in practical nursing. Students must earn at least 15 credits at NMJC to graduate.

Go to NMJC’s LPN program

NNMC operates two campuses, one in El Rito and the other in Española, one of the nation’s oldest Spanish settlements. Its LPN program consists of the first three semesters of its ADN degree, along with one additional course that examines the role of the vocational nurse in today’s healthcare industry. Students who complete an additional semester can sit for the NCLEX-RN and become registered nurses.

Go to NNMC’s LPN program

Established more than 40 years ago, SFCC now serves 13,000 students in credit, non-credit, and adult learning programs. The college offers the LPN certificate through two potential pathways. You can take the first three semesters of the ADN program or complete the LPN certification track, which requires nine additional credits. Both tracks prepare graduates for the NCLEX-PN.

Go to SFCC’s LPN program

Located in Carlsbad near Carlsbad Caverns National Park, SENMC offers non-credit courses and associate programs in many career-focused majors. The LPN certificate requires 10 courses totaling 41 credits, and students must complete 15 of those credits at SENMC. The college also requires a GPA of 2.75 or higher to graduate.

Go to SENMC’s LPN program

LPN programs need approval from the state board of nursing and accreditation from a national nursing education accrediting agency. Approval from the New Mexico Board of Nursing means you can take the NCLEX-PN — the standardized exam you must pass to receive your LPN license — after graduation.

The board requires a newly approved nursing program to receive programmatic accreditation within two years. The programmatic accrediting agency for LPN programs is the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). ACEN is a nonprofit, nongovernmental agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation as an accreditor of nursing education programs.

The college or university that offers the program must also hold institutional accreditation. The primary institutional accreditation agency for New Mexico is the Higher Learning Commission.

Many community colleges offer cheap LPN programs in New Mexico with the lowest tuition prices available to residents of nearby counties. In addition, schools may offer scholarships, work-study options, or other forms of financial aid for qualifying students.

If you do not already hold a bachelor’s degree, you may qualify for a Pell Grant. This federal financial aid program provides funds to help cover tuition, fees, and living costs while you are in school. To receive a Pell Grant, you must demonstrate financial need using your or your parents’ tax returns. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid to determine if you qualify.

Are you a member of the U.S. military or a veteran of any branch of service? If so, you may qualify for the Post-9/11 GI Bill®. And if you were medically discharged, you could secure vocational rehabilitation money.

Finally, the state of New Mexico offers many financial aid options, such as the Opportunity Scholarship and the New Mexico Lottery Scholarship.

Becoming an LPN in New Mexico requires having the right mix of education and experience, passing relevant background checks, and completing the appropriate forms for the state licensing board. Follow the steps below to become an LPN.

Not only do New Mexico’s LPNs make slightly more than the national median annual salary, but they also live in a state with a lower cost of living, making their income’s purchasing power even stronger.

Santa Fe and the eastern parts of the state tend to pay the highest median wages. The top 10% of LPNs in New Mexico earn an annual salary of over $73,680, and the top 25% of earners make over $64,500 per year.

Conversely, the lowest-paid LPNs in the state make under $40,000 per year. Many of these professionals may be early in their careers or work in lower-wage areas of New Mexico — places like Albuquerque and northern New Mexico.

New Mexico is projected to see strong job growth for LPNs over the next decade. The steep need for new LPNs reveals just how critical the nursing shortage is in the Land of Enchantment. Since 2020, the state legislature has invested millions of dollars to help close the nursing gap, but openings are still expected to outnumber available staff.

Although urban areas like Santa Fe and Albuquerque need nurses, the shortage is particularly acute in rural areas where nearly 800,000 residents live. With medical facilities throughout the state seeing staffing shortages, New Mexico is a great place to become an LPN and potentially advance to being an RN or an advanced practice professional.

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/.