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Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN)

Diploma in Applied Science

Overview

The Diploma in Applied Science with a Major in Nursing (PN) prepares graduates to provide direct patient care in a safe, effective manner across multiple settings and prepares students for licensure examination for practical nurses (NCLEX-PN). The course of study includes both theory presentation and supervised clinical experience at affiliating health care agencies.

Students applying for any of the Health Science Programs must go through a separate application process after being admitted to the college. There are additional requirements in order to qualify for admission to each of these programs. The competitive admissions criteria are updated annually and students should review the current information for changes in the admissions process. Information packets detailing the application process for each competitive admissions program are available on the ATC website.

Students will be required to participate in off-campus training in working clinical facilities therefore students will need reliable transportation, since assigned clinical sites are off campus. The nursing program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).

Download Academic Map    

Download Admissions Info & Application 

Accreditations

SC Board of Nursing

Aiken Technical College’s Nursing Department is accredited by the South Carolina Board of Nursing.

South Carolina Board of Nursing
110 Centerview Dr., Columbia, SC 29210
Phone 803-896-4550
https://llr.sc.gov/nurse/nurprograms.aspx

ACEN

Both the Associate in Applied Science with a Major in Nursing and the Diploma in Applied Science with a Major in Nursing (Practical Nursing) programs are fully accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing.  

Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing  
3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400, Atlanta, GA  30326
Phone 404-975-5000
Fax 404-975-5020
www.acenursing.org

ADN and PN Program Accreditation Status

Continuing Accreditation

Program Information

Program Outcomes
NCLEX-RN Certification Pass Rate 1st Time Test Takers (January 1- December 31)
Year

% of ATC Graduates Passing on 1st Attempt

Number of ATC Students Passing on 1st Attempt

National Average for NCLEX Test Takers

202294.12%16 of 17 students79.93%
202393.33%14 of 15 students 86.44%
202495.24%20 of 21 students 88.38%
3-Year Average94.34%50 of 53 students84.92%
Job Placement Rate
Year% Responded to Survey% of Respondents Reporting EmploymentNumber of Students
202270.6%100%

12 of 17 graduates responded and reported employment

202358.8%100%10 of 17 graduates responded and reported employment
202454.5%**100%12 of 22 graduates responded and reported employment
3-Year Average Response and Employment Rate

61.3% 3-Year Response Rate | 100% 3-Year Employment Rate 

Note, not all graduates responded to follow-up surveys to report employment status

**Data is subject to change pending additional graduates

Annual Completion Rates LPN Program
YearExpected Level of AchievementOverall Completion RateNumber of Students vs. Number of GraduatesGraduates Completed in 100%Graduates Completed in 150%
202250%54.8%31 began, 17 graduated94.1%5.9%
202350%65.4%26 began, 17 graduated88.2%11.8%
202450%56.4%**39 began, 22 graduated**86.4%13.6%**

**Data is subject to change pending additional graduates

Overall Completion Rates are based on 150% of the time

Additional Documents

Program Documents

Where can I go from here?

Career Paths
Estimated Salary

Nursing Program FAQs

  • General
  • Can I still apply if...
General

If you are currently an ATC student, you should meet with your assigned enrollment advisor for help determining your eligibility and the online application. If you are not currently an ATC student, you should apply to the college using the free online application found at https://apply.atc.edu/. Once you apply, you will be assigned an enrollment advisor who will help you with your transfer credits, determining if you are ready to apply to the nursing program and complete your application. You can also reach the advisors at admissions@atc.edu once you have applied and been accepted to the college.

No, we will take an unofficial transcript as long as it originates from your college. It must include your name, date of birth, college ID, and official college information to help determine its origin.

If you do not include a copy of each of your college transcripts, you will not be considered for the nursing program due to an incomplete application.

You will need to meet with an ATC enrollment advisor to help you determine if your classes are transferrable. Please follow the steps found in question one to make an appointment.

ATC’s Nursing Department does not accept nursing classes from another college. If you have completed/graduated from another Practical Nursing or Licensed Practical Nursing program you are eligible to apply to the LPN to RN Transition program, but you will not receive credit for any nursing courses taken at any other college of nursing.

No, if you are applying to the ADN or LPN to RN Transition programs, you will also need a Speech and Humanities course prior to entering into the third semester nursing courses (NUR 265 and NUR 211), but they are not required for admission. You can take these classes during the first summer after entry into the nursing program. If you are applying to the PN program, you will not need these courses.

If you are applying to any of our programs, you will need to take the TEAS exam. TEAS is a standardized test in which we will look at your Reading and Math scores (for now, this is subject to change in the future). Please review the application for the distribution of points. Please note, you can take this exam up to two times a year. We will look at both attempts and take the best scores from each exam when considering your application. For example, you scored an 84 in Math and a 69 in Reading on your first attempt. On the second attempt, you scored 74 in Math and 78 in Reading. We will take the 84 in Math from the first attempt and the 78 from the second attempt in Reading. Please note, you must score a 70% or higher in both Reading and Math to receive any points in this area.

Yes, you are welcomed to apply to multiple programs (for example, the ADN and the PN, or the ADN and LPN to RN Transition nursing programs) to increase your chances of getting into one of the programs. If you apply to more than one program, please identify that you have applied to two nursing programs and specify your program of choice on your application.

Each semester, the minimum/maximum point value changes (depending on the applicants and number of applications). The nursing department will never make the point values public because they differ from application period to application period. After reviewing each application, the applicants are ranked according to the number of points achieved on the scoring matrix. Then the top 40 (for the ADN program), 16 (for the PN program), and 8 (for the LPN to RN Transitions program) students are chosen. We go strictly by a Points System. Our program is a very competitive one. Therefore, you want to achieve the highest number of points possible to increase your chances of acceptance into the program.

All applications can be submitted electronically by clicking on the blue link that is found at the bottom of page 2 of the application.

It will take up to 5 to 6 weeks after the application due date to process all applications. Typically, the acceptance letters/emails are mailed out by the second Friday in November and July. Please refrain from calling to check on the status of your application. For the quickest response, please ensure that both your mailing address and email address are correct. Also, please respond as soon as possible by returning your Acceptance/Denial letters to the appropriate place by the determined due dates.

Career options listed are not comprehensive and just examples of careers related to the programs. Average salary range source: JobsEQ®, Spring 2026 Disclaimer: Graduates in this field can pursue careers with competitive earning potential. Salary figures presented are estimates for informational purposes only. Actual earnings and employment outcomes may vary based on factors such as industry, experience, education, location, and individual performance. Aiken Technical College does not guarantee salary or employment.

Can I still apply if...

All prerequisite courses have to be within the last ten years to be considered for the scoring matrix. Therefore, your BIO 210, BIO 211, BIO 225 ENG 101, MAT 120, PSY 201, and PSY 203 should be within ten years. Expired prerequisite course(s) could deem you ineligible to apply to the nursing program and automatic denial to the program.

If a bachelor’s or higher degree is reflected on your transcript, we will give you credit for English and Math classes that are older than ten years because they were a part of an achieved higher degree. Please note, you will only receive credit for these courses, but you will not receive any points. ATC’s nursing program is competitive and relies on the point system. If you do not receive points for the courses, this may result in a lower overall score and place you at a disadvantage to those who will receive points for these courses. Your choice to submit the older courses for credit and not points is at your discretion.

English 101 is the required course and the one that is used to evaluate all potential nursing students. If you took both classes, and they both are within ten years, we will use the grade from the English 101 course. The only circumstances in which English 102 will be accepted is when you have received credit (meaning, you will be awarded credit but you will not receive any points on the scoring matrix) for English 101 due to:

  • exempting out of English 101, receiving CLEP credit, or DANTES credit
  • transferring high school credits for English 101 or Advanced Placement (AP) coursework
  • have an English 101 course that is part of a higher degree and is older than ten years
  • only display a valid English 102 on your transcript due to the previously described reasons

No, suppose your transcripts reflect the failure of two or more nursing classes from another institution or a withdrawal and failure (to equal two attempts). In that case, you will not be eligible to enter into the nursing program(s) here at ATC. You will be eligible to apply after a waiting period of 5 years.

You must have an active, unencumbered SC Practical Nursing license and have graduated from an accredited Diploma in Practical Nursing program. You can apply to the program if you have a compact nursing license that includes the state of South Carolina. If not, you will need to visit the SC Board of Nursing (https://llr.sc.gov/nurse/lpn.aspx ) and complete the License by Endorsement Online Application to obtain an SC nursing license.

We will not consider your application. You must achieve the 69.3% on the PN Comprehensive Predictor exam. Also, please note that you will have to take both the TEAS and PN Comprehensive Predictor exams. Please try to take the test well in advance to give yourself time to retest if needed.

If your final grades do not show up on your transcript, you will not receive credit or points for the class. Your final grades must be on your transcript for consideration.

Still have questions?

Reach out to our program contact.

staff fallback

Hannah W Williams

Nursing

Dean, Nursing

D-312

+1 803-508-7355

Get help paying for classes.

Find out what kind of aid is available to help cover the cost of licensed practical nursing classes at Aiken Technical College.