Top LPN to RN Programs in Philadelphia: Online & Campus
Discover the best LPN to RN programs in Philadelphia, what they have to offer, and how your career (and wallet) will benefit after earning your degree.
Are you an LPN at the beginning of your career wondering where you can go from here? Are you an experienced LPN interested in gaining the skills to do more for patients? Do you want to focus on a more specialized type of patient care but lack the training to do so?
No matter what your motivation is, LPN to RN programs in Philadelphia are a great way to take the next step in your nursing career. In an LPN to RN program, you’ll build on your current knowledge and skills, learn to provide additional services to patients, and qualify for more opportunities. Various job boards show that top medical facilities in Philadelphia including Main Line Health, Penn Medicine, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia are actively look for registered nurses to fill open positions.
We’ve compiled information on the best LPN-RN bridge programs in Philadelphia, their admission requirements, cost, and prerequisites to help you get the ball rolling. We’ll also walk you through what to expect after graduation in terms of job availability and salary potential. To learn more about how enrolling in an LPN to RN program in Philadelphia can help you advance in your career, keep reading.
A Look at Top LPN-RN Bridge Programs in Philadelphia
If you enroll in an LPN to RN program in Philadelphia, you want to be sure that you’re getting the best education possible, so you’re prepared for the rigors of registered nursing. That’s why we’ve curated the following list of some of the top LPN-RN bridge programs in the city. We chose these schools based not only on the quality of their curriculum, but also their affordability and flexibility. Find out what these schools have to offer below.
Community College of Philadelphia
The Advanced Placement Nursing program offered by the Community College of Philadelphia is designed to prepare you for staff positions in long-term, acute, and community-based care facilities. The school has been named a Center of Excellence in Nursing Education, a distinction provided by the National League for Nursing (NLN) to schools that demonstrate quality and innovation in their nursing education. The Community College of Philadelphia is among only 95 schools to receive this prestigious designation.
And it’s no wonder it was chosen by the NLN: The Advanced Placement Nursing program boasts a 95.65% NCLEX-RN pass rate, so you can enroll with the confidence that you’ll receive the education you need to earn your RN license. The school offers a robust curriculum that builds on your existing nursing knowledge and experience. The curriculum includes both nursing and general education courses to make your learning more well-rounded.
Achieve Test Prep
The LPN to RN Bridge program offered by Achieve Test Prep is a unique route to getting the education you need to become a registered nurse. This is because it gives you the opportunity to really leverage your LPN education and experience through the school’s credit-by-exam model. Instead of taking many of the prerequisite classes that are required for nursing programs, you can earn credit for these courses by taking exams. To account for LPNs’ unique backgrounds, the school offers a personalized curriculum plan to help students earn as many credits as possible based on their past experience. Through this process of testing out of qualifying courses, students can save significant time and money on their degree.
After you’ve received credit for and placed into your classes, you’ll go on to participate in live online coursework. This way, you can take advantage of virtual learning while still interacting with instructors in real time. Although classes are offered live, there are different timeslots available so you can choose the one that works best for your schedule.
Jersey College
Jersey College offers an LPN to RN Bridge Track in its Professional Nursing program, which culminates in an associate degree. The program boasts an impressive 20 years of experience in providing quality nursing education, so you can rest assured you’ll get the training you need to successfully transition into more complex job duties. By the time you finish your studies, you’ll be prepared to administer intravenous medications, perform physical assessments, and create and execute care plans for patients.
Jersey College’s curriculum focuses on pharmacological principles, health assessments, and the foundations of registered nursing. You’ll also take classes on how to treat patients with specific challenges. This includes coursework in psychiatric, medical-surgical, and women’s health nursing.
What You’ll Learn in LPN to RN Programs in Philadelphia
Quality patient care could not happen without the contributions of LPNs like you, however there are still certain tasks you’re not currently able to perform. Philadelphia LPN to RN program coursework is designed to build on the skills you have and develop the ones you don’t. By the end of the program, you’ll be able to perform more advanced tasks like providing medication to patients, performing assessments, and educating people about illness prevention.
LPN to RN programs in Philadelphia prepare you through a combination of classwork and skills labs, as well as clinicals that marry the theory and practice of registered nursing. You’ll also be required to complete general education classes to develop additional knowledge and skills that will ultimately enhance your performance as an RN. These courses typically include English, psychology, and biology.
Continue reading to learn more about the specific classes you’ll take as a student in an LPN to RN program in Philadelphia. Keep in mind that every school is different, so look at the curriculum of the programs that interest you to see exactly what you’ll study.
Common Courses
Principles of Pharmacology
To prepare LPNs to give medication to patients, this course introduces students to different types of pharmacological agents and the illnesses they’re designed to treat. The class also discusses drug interactions, classifications, and adverse effects.
Psychiatric Nursing
You’ll learn how RNs handle working with those who need psychiatric care. Specifically, you’ll learn, among other skills, how to provide interventions to patients with specific psychiatric issues, including depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.
Leadership and Delegation
As an RN, you may someday consider pursuing a managerial position. This course prepares you for these jobs by teaching you management strategies and means of handling the challenges that come with leadership.
LPN to RN Transition
To ease your transition to an RN position, this course highlights the differences between LPN and RN responsibilities. You will learn about the daily duties of registered nurses, as well as the legal and ethical issues they face as they treat patients.
Lifespan Development
You know that different patients have different needs. In this class you’ll learn how to deliver care to patients at each point of the lifespan—from their pediatric to geriatric years and everything in between.
What to Expect From Different LPN-RN Program Deliveries
Nursing education isn’t new to you but enrolling in an LPN to RN program in Philadelphia may be different from what you’ve experienced in the past. In particular, each school offers a different program delivery model, so it’s important to know what’s available before applying. Review the information below and consider what kind of program delivery is right for you.
Hybrid
Do you enjoy bonding with your peers, but prefer to work on your own? If so, a hybrid program may be the perfect delivery model for you. Hybrid programs give you some of the convenience, independence, and flexibility of an online program while also allowing you to participate in on-campus activities like labs and certain course sessions. While on campus you’ll be able to supplement your online learning with valuable face-to-face interactions with your peers and professors.
Online
Some students don’t need as much in-person interaction to learn, and thrive in online environments. If this sounds like you, an online program may be the best choice for you. Online learning allows busy LPNs to fit their education into their schedule. Online LPN to RN programs in Philadelphia offer you the flexibility to study while continuing to work. They also save you time and money since they do not require you to travel to and from campus. Despite these key differences, online programs provide you the same quality education as traditional programs, since courses are taught by the same experienced professors.
In-Person
If you’re the type of person who values face-to-face interactions above all else, then an in-person LPN to RN program in Philadelphia is for you. Although you may not have the same flexibility as online and hybrid students do, this type of program allows you to spend time with your peers and professors in a way virtual learning does not.
Answering Your Questions About LPN-RN Programs in Philadelphia
We’ve given you a lot to think about so far, but we expect that you still have questions about Philadelphia-based LPN to RN programs. That’s why we’ve answered some of the most common questions prospective students have below.
How long are LPN-RN bridge programs?
Generally speaking, you can complete an LPN to RN bridge program in Philadelphia in about one to two years. This varies according to the specific program you choose, however. For example, students in the program at the Community College of Philadelphia can complete their degree in two years.
What are the admission requirements for LPN to RN programs in Philadelphia?
Is your LPN license up to date? Then you’ve already met the most important admissions requirement of all LPN to RN schools in Philadelphia. You’ll likely also need to earn a certain grade in the prerequisite classes specified by your program, such as biology, mathematics, and English.
Be sure to review the admissions requirements for each school you’re looking at because they are likely each a little bit different. Jersey College applicants, for example, are expected to pass the Kaplan Pre-Admission exam to be accepted.
What is the cost for LPN to RN programs?
The costs of LPN to RN programs in Philadelphia are determined by several factors, including the type of school you attend (public or private) and whether you’re enrolled as an in-state or out-of-state student. For example, the Community College of Philadelphia charges $159 per credit for Philadelphia residents, while those who live in other areas of Pennsylvania pay $318 per credit, and students from other states pay $477 per credit.
What should I look for in an LPN to RN program in Philadelphia?
The features that applicants look for in LPN to RN programs in Philadelphia are as diverse as they are, so, first and foremost, look for programs that align with your interests. A close second, however, is accreditation. When a school is accredited, you know you’ll receive a quality education. Jersey College, which we featured above, is accredited by the Council on Occupational Education and its nursing program is approved by the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing.
Other qualities that may be important to you include where you can complete your clinical experiences, the specific courses you’ll be required to take, and the program delivery method the school uses.
Salary and Career Outlook for LPNs vs RNs in Philadelphia
You already know that Philadelphia healthcare facilities need more registered nurses and are working hard to hire them. The further you continue your education, the more opportunities, and pay, will become available to you. Review the data we’ve collected below for details on your future earning potential and more.
Salary
When you become an RN, you can expect a nice bump in your yearly salary. Don’t believe us? Take a look at the data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In the Philadelphia metropolitan area, LPNs earn $59,320 while RNs make $87,830. If you’re interested in working in another part of the state, keep in mind that nurses in other parts of Pennsylvania earn slightly less than their big city counterparts. LPNs make $54,520 annually and RNs make $80,630.
Philadelphia nurses across the state also make more than the national average. The average annual salary for RNs around the country is $81,220; the top earners make $129,400 and the lowest make $61,250. The national average for LPNs is $54,620, ranging from $40,490 to $72,650.
| LPN Annual Median Wage | RN Median Annual Wage | Earnings Increase | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | $48,220 | $76,940 | 60% |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $49,170 | $77,830 | 58% |
| Altoona, PA | $46,640 | $71,300 | 53% |
| Bloomsburg-Berwick, PA | $46,690 | $75,600 | 62% |
| Chambersburg-Waynesboro, PA | $47,610 | $78,670 | 65% |
| East Stroudsburg, PA | $46,630 | $73,980 | 59% |
| Erie, PA | $46,590 | $62,390 | 34% |
| Gettysburg, PA | $47,670 | $74,620 | 57% |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $48,530 | $77,010 | 59% |
| Johnstown, PA | $45,780 | $71,830 | 57% |
| Lancaster, PA | $48,070 | $74,690 | 55% |
| Lebanon, PA | $50,150 | $75,000 | 50% |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $58,230 | $78,460 | 35% |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $48,040 | $75,270 | 57% |
| Reading, PA | $48,240 | $76,980 | 60% |
| Scranton–Wilkes-Barre–Hazleton, PA | $46,730 | $74,380 | 59% |
| State College, PA | $47,430 | $71,950 | 52% |
| Williamsport, PA | $47,240 | $77,140 | 63% |
| York-Hanover, PA | $47,890 | $75,640 | 58% |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2021
Career Outlook
No matter what degree you pursue, you’re bound to worry about whether you will be able to find a job after graduation. The good news is you can be confident that there will be an abundance of nursing positions available when you finish your LPN to RN degree in Philadelphia. According to data from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, between 2020 and 2030, RN jobs in Philadelphia are expected to increase by 8.8%, meaning 3,281 positions will need to be filled.
For LPNs, the future also looks bright: There will be 1,187 more jobs in this same period, a 14.3% increase.
| New Jobs (2020-2030) | Job Growth Rate (2020-2030) | Average Annual Openings (2020-2030) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| LPNs in Pennsylvania | 4330 | 11.5% | 3440 |
| RNs in Pennsylvania | 13100 | 8.9% | 9280 |
Source: Projections Central
