Practical Nurse (PN) Diploma Program

PN Program Overview

Nightingale College’s Practical Nurse (PN) Diploma Program is designed to prepare learners to apply for PN licensure and take the NCLEX-PN® exam.  This program teaches you to demonstrate quality, competent, client-centered care — always bearing in mind the physical, spiritual, emotional, cultural, and environmental aspects of the client’s needs.

The PN program is only offered in the following states:
Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

 

PN Diploma Program Financial Aid

Financial aid options are diverse and will depend on each individual learner’s needs.

Financial Aid (FA) staff will work individually with prospective learners to ensure that options for paying the cost of their education are explored. Creating a college savings plan is very important and helps get you started on the right foot when it comes to financial aid. Click here to review a basic template.

All financial arrangements must be made prior to the first day of class, and learners must meet all financial aid requirements at the time of graduation for release of transcripts, diploma, and participation in the commencement ceremony. The learner and their family have the responsibility for planning and paying for college. Financial Aid includes resources such as:

• scholarships
• prepaid college savings plans
• personal savings
• personal income
• institutional, state, and Federal Student Aid (FSA)

For further information on financial aid, program requirements, or other specific questions, you can request information here. View our complete College Catalog.

Scholarships and Resources

Nightingale College understands the importance of pursuing a PN diploma and offers a few scholarships that can be applied to your learner account when enrolled in the program. All applicants are required to meet with the Financial Aid department to review the individual financial opportunity.

To help assist you during your financial-assistance journey, we have compiled a list of helpful resources that should be used to maintain an understanding of the financial landscape.

• How many credits do you need for the PN diploma?

  The blended distance curriculum consists of twenty-eight (28) semester credits of nursing core coursework and fourteen (14) semester credits of general education and is delivered over forty-eight (48) academic weeks. Learners are required to take the nursing courses in the sequence prescribed. The PN Diploma Program requires a total of forty-two (42) semester credits for graduation.

  Note:  All didactic instruction takes place online. These rotations are for supervised on-ground field experiences only, where learners practically apply the theories and skills they have previously learned through their online didactic courses.  No original instruction takes place anywhere on-ground in Nightingale College’s programs.

• How long does it take to get a PN diploma?

  The program is designed to be completed within three (3) academic semesters. However, it may take longer to complete if learners elect to take GE courses at institutions of higher learning that require prerequisites to the Program’s mandatory GE coursework.

  Learners who have not completed any general education requirements and elect to complete all GE coursework at the College can complete the program within three semesters. Nightingale College’s PN Diploma Program has three start dates per year that enroll in the spring, summer, and fall semesters.

  Note: All didactic instruction is delivered via online learning modalities. However, the College may require learners to attend didactic instruction in any course on-ground. All experiential learning for the core nursing courses takes place on-ground at a variety of experiential learning sites. For learner residency and course delivery modalities definitions, see the Learner Residency and Course Delivery Modalities section of the catalog.

• What is required to obtain a PN diploma?

  According to the grading system and grading scale, a passing grade of at least “C” or higher is required in all courses. Completion of all learning activities, as prescribed by a course syllabus, including assignments, quizzes, and remediation, is required to pass the course. Failure to complete any required learning activity will result in a failure of a course. Any course with a failing grade must be repeated before progressing in the academic program.

  Questions regarding admissions into the program or financial aid, speak directly with an Admissions or Financial Aid advisor at 801-689-2160. For more information, check and download our complete College Catalog.

• How many classes does the PN diploma program require?

  A total of 42 semester credits are required for completion, consisting of 6 lower-division core nursing courses, comprised of 28 academic semester credits delivered over three academic semesters, and 4 GE courses, comprised of 14 semester credits taken concurrently with the core nursing courses. Other general education and elective courses are available for learners who transfer in the required GE credits (or for any learner who is interested in taking these unrequired courses), provided there is room within the individual’s semester credit load.

  View Course Descriptions

• What classes are required for a PN diploma?

  The curriculum is specifically constructed to promote career mobility in nursing. The curriculum in the PN Diploma Program is concept based instead of content based. Learners will apply concepts to a variety of systems and disease processes, and critically reason through situations by concept.

  View Course Descriptions

• PN Diploma Prerequisites

  The College does offer prerequisites with the General Education (GE) courses. Required classes for admittance into the programs may be found in the College Catalog.

  Note: Prerequisites are defined as courses that must be completed prior to enrollment into the given course. Corequisites are defined as courses that must be completed either prior to or concurrently with the given course.

Tuition and Fees

Tuition for the PN diploma program is $485 per semester credit.

Tuition does not include the nonrefundable application fee of $150. The College reserves the right to change its tuition and fees at any time, with a 30-day notice.

There are also additional fees for some courses in the PN Diploma Program. A current schedule of these fees can be found in the College Catalog.

View the PN academic year (two semesters) cost of attendance (COA):

2025-2026 Cost of Attendance - Undergraduate Programs

Financial Estimate

When getting your financial estimate, you will see the total cost of attending Nightingale College, as well as the calculation of your housing and food consumption. That is not an amount you will pay to the college; it is an estimate of total cost of living while attending college. 

Get Estimate

PN Diploma Program Accreditation

The Practical Nursing Program offered via distance education at Nightingale College is accredited by the National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (NLN CNEA) located at 2600 Virginia Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20037. 202-909-2487.

www.cneaaccreditation.org

Consumer Disclosures

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