Howard College Nursing: Programs, NCLEX & Requirements (2026)
Howard College serves West Texas from Big Spring and San Angelo with Board-approved vocational nursing (LVN) and an ACEN-accredited Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) program (AAS)—including LVN-to-ADN and paramedic-to-ADN transitions and an optional TTUHSC early-decision path for qualifying students. This guide pulls 2025–2026 catalog tuition and fees, official Cost of Attendance totals, and TEAS-based admissions rules; for cohort-specific first-time NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN pass rates, use the Texas Board of Nursing Education Dashboard and confirm everything with the Department of Nursing.
Contents
Quick Facts
*Tuition tiers exclude building, student services, TeleHealth, and other per-semester charges; see the catalog Cost section. †NurseOnShift points readers to the Texas BON Education Dashboard for Howard College first-time NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN cohort rates instead of restating a percentage that may age out quickly.
Key Takeaway
Howard College’s health professions nursing programs combine Big Spring (1001 Birdwell Lane) and San Angelo cohorts so students can train closer to home in the Permian Basin / Concho Valley region. Expect selective admission (TEAS, prerequisites, CNA documentation for ADN, immunizations, background screening, and—in many cases—a cleared Texas BON declaratory order if you have criminal history), not open enrollment into clinical nursing courses.
Overview & Why Students Choose Howard College
Howard College is a public community college district spanning multiple West Texas communities; pre-licensure nursing (ADN and vocational nursing) is delivered from the Big Spring and San Angelo campuses per the college catalog. Graduates of the Associate of Applied Science in Nursing are prepared for NCLEX-RN; vocational nursing graduates sit for NCLEX-PN. The ADN program holds ACEN accreditation (commission action April 18, 2024; last visit October 10–12, 2023), and vocational nursing is approved by the Texas Board of Nursing.
Students often choose Howard when they want Texas public-college tuition and a program that explicitly builds LVN→RN mobility—including accelerated transition options for working LVNs and a catalog-listed Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center early-decision Declaration of Intent route for eligible LVN-to-ADN students planning eventual RN-to-BSN completion after licensure.
NurseOnShift does not cite a Howard College NCLEX percentage here because school-level, cohort-specific figures should be read directly from the Texas Board of Nursing Education Dashboard (filter by institution and program type) or from contemporaneous college disclosures. Confirm current first-time pass rates, tester counts, and program approval status with the Texas BON and Howard College before making application decisions.
Reasons students choose Howard College
Two-campus nursing delivery
Big Spring and San Angelo cohorts let students pursue the same program missions closer to employers across West Texas, with campus-specific deadlines spelled out in the nursing catalog pages.
ACEN-backed ADN quality
ACEN lists Howard College’s associate nursing program as Accredited with no stipulations following the 2024 commission review—verify renewal dates on the ACEN program directory.
Stacked LVN and ADN pathways
The catalog advertises a one-year vocational nursing certificate with an option to continue for the second-year ADN, plus dedicated transition tracks for licensed LVNs and paramedics.
TTUHSC partnership option
The Howard College/TTUHSC Early Decision, LVN to ADN catalog plan describes a Declaration of Intent submitted during ADN coursework for students who plan TTUHSC RN-to-BSN completion after NCLEX-RN licensure.
Transparent 2025–26 pricing
The academic catalog publishes per-credit tuition tiers, fixed semester bases, building fees by location, and the financial aid office publishes a downloadable 2025–2026 Cost of Attendance table for budget planning.
Nursing Programs Offered
Howard College does not list a four-year BSN in its nursing catalog excerpts reviewed for this guide; credentials concentrate on the Associate of Applied Science in Nursing and the Vocational Nursing certificate. Headings below mirror the catalog hierarchy: pre-licensure RN (ADN) pathways first, then vocational nursing (LVN).
Pre-licensure: Associate Degree Nursing (ADN), AAS
Traditional ADN track
For students new to nursing, the catalog lists 15 semester hours of prerequisites (English composition, A&P I & II lecture/lab, microbiology lecture/lab) with grades of C or better before admission; sciences must be within 10 years of admission unless competency is documented. The degree plan includes four nursing semesters (boot camp, adult health, mental health, maternal-newborn/peds, and enhanced adult concepts) totaling 60 credits including prerequisites. Applicants need TEAS scores (≤3 attempts per rules, scores accepted up to five years), CNA certification or proof of CNA class, immunizations including Hepatitis B, and cleared background investigation.
LVN-to-ADN transition
The catalog describes a transition LVN-to-ADN option for licensed vocational nurses with a valid Texas license seeking career advancement, plus separate accelerated spring/summer transition program listings for vocational nurses—confirm which track matches your admission term on the Nursing, AAS page and Health Professions packet.
Paramedic-to-ADN transition
The Nursing, AAS overview notes a paramedic-to-ADN option for licensed paramedics with a valid PM license or certificate. Admission documentation mirrors other selective programs: transcripts, TEAS, background clearance, Board requirements, and campus-specific application deadlines.
TTUHSC early decision (LVN to ADN)
The Howard College/TTUHSC Early Decision, LVN to ADN plan explains how eligible students file a Declaration of Intent with TTUHSC during ADN graduation semesters, pursue provisional TTUHSC admission pending NCLEX-RN, then complete an additional 30 semester hours post-licensure for the BSN.
Pre-licensure: Vocational Nursing (LVN certificate)
Certificate program (12 months)
The Vocational Nursing Program, Certificate is a one-year, college-credit certificate approved by the Texas Board of Nursing that prepares graduates for NCLEX-PN. Prerequisites mirror ADN sciences plus lifespan psychology; HPRS 1206 Medical Terminology is required for Big Spring and recommended for San Angelo. Applicants need TEAS scores with at least one point in each section, valid CNA documentation, Hepatitis B series progress, and must meet campus immunization rules before clinicals.
Catalog excerpts cite application deadlines such as June 1 (Big Spring ADN), June 5 (San Angelo ADN), and (for San Angelo spring entry) an October 1 deadline with a required Health Professions Orientation—always download the current application packet from Health Professions because dates shift by cohort.
Howard College requires health insurance during clinical courses, drug screening at clinical agencies’ discretion, and Board of Nursing criminal background clearance before acceptance. Catalog text warns that declaratory orders can take a year or longer. Nursing courses require a minimum 78 (C) for progression, and co-requisite theory/clinical pairs must be managed per nursing policy.
NCLEX-RN Pass Rate
The Texas Board of Nursing publishes program-level, first-time NCLEX examination statistics through its interactive Education Dashboard. Use that dashboard to locate Howard College entries for the associate-degree (RN) program and, separately, the vocational (PN) program covering graduates from each campus you plan to attend.
NCLEX-PN (LVN) outcomes
Vocational nursing graduates take NCLEX-PN. The same Texas BON dashboard should list Howard College’s vocational program outcomes by fiscal or academic reporting period once data are released for that cohort. If a row is temporarily blank (new program or reporting lag), confirm with the Board’s education staff and Howard College’s Department of Nursing rather than relying on third-party aggregators.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| NCLEX-RN First-Time Pass Rate (ADN / AAS) | See Texas Board of Nursing Education Dashboard — Howard College associate-degree nursing program; confirm cohort year, tester count, and program approval status. |
| NCLEX-PN First-Time Pass Rate (LVN certificate) | See Texas Board of Nursing Education Dashboard — Howard College vocational nursing program; confirm cohort year and methodology in the Board export or display. |
| Source | Texas Board of Nursing Education Dashboard. Confirm current rates with the Texas BON and Howard College. |
Pass rates move with each graduating cohort. After you pull a figure from the Dashboard, note the reporting period and whether it references all first-time testers or a narrower group, then cross-check the same metric on any Howard College consumer outcomes disclosure. Texas BON statistics resume full production following the 2020 licensure system migration—always prioritize the newest Board publication year available.
International Students & Internationally Educated Nurses
Requirements for international students and internationally educated nurses vary by institution and state. Use the points below as a checklist; verify everything with Howard College and the Texas Board of Nursing.
- English-language proficiency: TOEFL, IELTS, or other requirements and minimum scores for this school.
- Transcript / credential evaluation: WES, CGFNS, or other evaluators required by the school.
- Texas Board of Nursing: For RN licensure (with or without a U.S. degree), confirm NCLEX eligibility and document requirements with the Board.
- Immigration & visa: Program eligibility for F-1 or other visa types and impact on clinical placements.
Policies change frequently. Verify with Howard College’s admissions and International Student Office (if applicable) and the Texas Board of Nursing.
Admissions: A Realistic Look
General admission to Howard College is separate from the selective nursing application pools. Meeting minimum prerequisites does not guarantee a seat—when applicants exceed faculty/preceptor ratios, Howard College ranks candidates using total points from prerequisite grades and TEAS scores, with TEAS adjusted total score breaking ties for ADN.
Application timeline (catalog examples—confirm annually)
| Program / campus | Example deadline | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ADN — Big Spring | June 1 (example cited in Nursing, AAS overview) | Request an application packet from the Department of Nursing at 1001 Birdwell Lane; catalog reminds applicants with criminal history to pursue a BON declaratory order well in advance. |
| ADN — San Angelo | June 5 (summer example); October 1 for spring (catalog note) | San Angelo applicants must attend a Health Professions Orientation; catalog emphasizes completing all immunizations before applying. |
| Vocational Nursing | Varies by campus | Certificate students submit a nursing application to the Big Spring or San Angelo nursing office; TEAS may be scheduled through the Testing and Tutoring Center with retest limits described in the LVN catalog page. |
Admissions snapshot
| Factor | Details |
|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | Not publicly disclosed |
| Prerequisite GPA | Minimum C in each required support course for ADN; sciences must fall within the catalog’s 10-year window. |
| TEAS | Required for both ADN (with retake limits and five-year score validity) and vocational nursing (minimum one point per section, validity through the fall semester of admission per catalog). |
| CNA | ADN and LVN applicants must document a Texas CNA certificate (ADN accepts certificate or proof of CNA class per checklist). |
| Board & clinical compliance | Criminal background clearance, possible drug screening, health insurance, full immunization series (San Angelo stresses completion prior to application), CPR, and physical exam timing described in the catalog. |
Tips for applicants
If you have any prior criminal history, start the Texas BON declaratory order process immediately—Howard College notes it can exceed a year and will block admission if unresolved. Build a spreadsheet of prerequisite expiration dates (especially A&P) and TEAS attempt dates so you do not exceed the three-attempt limits within a 30-day retest window.
Tuition & Cost of Attendance
Howard College publishes two complementary resources: a 2025–2026 academic catalog Cost section with per-semester tuition mathematics, and a financial-aid Cost of Attendance (COA) PDF with nine-month budget totals for typical full-time enrollment. Nursing students must also budget uniforms, clinical supplies, insurance, immunizations, background checks, testing fees, and any course-specific lab/clinical charges not captured in baseline tuition rows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Tuition & fixed fees (2025–26 catalog) | In-district (Howard County): $72 per semester hour + $150 base per semester · Out-of-district Texas: $152/hr + $180 base · Non-resident (Howard College courses): $179/hr + $200 base. (Southwest Collegiate Institute for the Deaf courses follow separate statutory rates.) |
| Major mandatory fees (same catalog section) | Building charge: $80/semester (Big Spring & SWCD), $100 (Lamesa), $500 (San Angelo) · Student services $50/semester · TeleHealth $23/semester · Non-state-funded course fee $70/credit hour when state funding is not received (e.g., third course attempt rules). |
| Cost of Attendance (9 months, off-campus, 2025–26 PDF) | Published totals include tuition, fees, living, transportation, books, and personal expenses—for example $20,119 (off-campus, in-district), $23,419 (off-campus, out-of-district Texas), and $24,189 (off-campus, non-resident) in the table NurseOnShift reviewed. |
| Sources | Howard College catalog — Cost (2025–2026) · Cost of Attendance PDF (2025–2026) · Financial aid index |
Student Outcomes & Career Prospects
After graduation, Howard College ADN and LVN students pursue NCLEX-RN or NCLEX-PN eligibility through the Texas Board of Nursing. Employment demand remains strong statewide, but NurseOnShift does not quote a Howard-specific job-placement percentage unless the college publishes a defined cohort metric with methodology; review institutional effectiveness PDFs on the consumer information pages if you need graduation or achievement statistics unrelated to licensure exams.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| NCLEX-RN (ADN) | Follow Texas BON Education Dashboard + Howard College disclosures for first-time pass rates by reporting year. |
| NCLEX-PN (LVN certificate) | Follow Texas BON Education Dashboard for vocational nursing cohort data. |
| Employment / salary | Not publicly disclosed on this page; refer to Texas Workforce Commission or BLS RN wage tables for regional context. |
| Source | Texas Board of Nursing Education Dashboard · Howard College student achievement |
Is Howard College the Right Fit for You?
Choose Howard College if you want a Texas public-college price, can attend in Big Spring or San Angelo, and value stackable LVN→ADN options with ACEN-accredited RN preparation. Look elsewhere if you require a four-year BSN on the same campus, fully online clinical nursing, or guaranteed admission without a competitive file review.
✓ Good fit for students who—
- Live in Howard County or can meet the 12-month Texas / 6-month Howard County residency rules for in-district tuition, or can budget for out-of-district or non-resident rates.
- Are comfortable commuting to West Texas clinical sites from Big Spring or San Angelo.
- Already hold (or will complete) CNA credentials before nursing coursework begins.
- Want an LVN credential in roughly a year with the option to ladder into the ADN.
✗ May not be ideal for students who—
- Expect open admission—nursing remains selective with TEAS-based ranking.
- Need an immediate BSN without partnering with a university after NCLEX-RN.
- Cannot resolve potential Board of Nursing declaratory order issues before the application deadline.
- Require a program outside Howard College’s district communities and cannot relocate for clinical days.
Local Healthcare Ecosystem
The Permian Basin around Big Spring and the Concho Valley around San Angelo include regional medical centers, rural critical-access hospitals, long-term care, school health services, and outpatient clinics. Howard College’s catalog stresses that clinical site availability drives scheduling—cohorts may rotate through different agencies semester to semester as contracts evolve.
| Community anchor | Details |
|---|---|
| Big Spring / Howard County | Regional hospitals and clinics serve oil-patch industries, ranching communities, and Interstate 20 travelers—creating med-surg, ED, and public-health learning environments. |
| San Angelo / Tom Green County | San Angelo hosts larger multi-hospital competition, VA outreach, and rural outreach clinics toward the Hill Country—useful for maternal-newborn, mental health, and community nursing rotations. |
| Rural West Texas partners | Extended-care, home health, and small rural facilities frequently host vocational and ADN students who need longitudinal patient exposure. |
| TTUHSC alignment | Howard College’s catalog references collaboration with Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Nursing for early-decision LVN-to-ADN students, signaling a pathway toward university-level nursing education after licensure. |
Student Experience & Campus Life
Nursing students split time between lecture, campus skills practice, simulation, and in-person clinicals. Howard College’s catalog references a Nursing Boot Camp as part of the ADN progression sequence and highlights compliance items (immunizations, insurance, drug screening) tied to clinical partners rather than a traditional residential campus experience.
Expect a commuter-heavy schedule—especially for working LVNs in transition tracks—and build reliable transportation for early clinical shifts across West Texas. Student life emphasizes health-professions peers; connect with campus tutoring/testing centers for TEAS preparation and with financial aid for scholarship cycles tied to health programs.
Resources & Next Steps
Contact & location
- Big Spring nursing office
- Department of Nursing · 1001 Birdwell Lane, Big Spring, TX 79720 · (432) 264-5070
- San Angelo contacts
- Health Professions programs on the Howard College San Angelo campus; catalog lists Kelli Rowe at (325) 481-8300 ext. 3435 for ADN questions.
- ACEN program administrator
- lgabehart@howardcollege.edu (listed on ACEN program page as Dean of Health Professions)
- Main website
- howardcollege.edu
Official links
Your “Next 7 Days” checklist
- Download the latest application packet and any Transition PDF from Howard College Health Professions.
- Compare your transcripts to the Nursing, AAS and Vocational Nursing prerequisite lists, including the 10-year science rule.
- Schedule TEAS with the Testing and Tutoring Center and map retest spacing (30-day minimum; three-attempt caps).
- If applicable, initiate a Texas BON declaratory order immediately after reviewing eligibility guidance.
- Build a budget using catalog tuition + building/ TeleHealth fees + the 2025–26 COA PDF.
- Attend a Howard College Health Professions Orientation if required for your campus (mandatory for San Angelo tracks per catalog).
- Log into the Texas BON Education Dashboard and export the most recent pass-rate row for Howard College before you commit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Howard College nursing ACEN-accredited?
The associate degree nursing program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) with Accredited status and no stipulations as of the commission action dated April 18, 2024 (last site visit October 10–12, 2023). Confirm current status with ACEN and Howard College. Vocational nursing is approved by the Texas Board of Nursing.
How do I look up Howard College first-time NCLEX pass rates?
Use the Texas Board of Nursing Education Dashboard to filter by program and institution for Howard College associate-degree (RN) and vocational nursing (PN) outcomes. Cohort-level first-time pass rates can change year to year—confirm the latest fiscal year with the Board and the college.
Does Howard College offer a BSN nursing degree?
Howard College awards pre-licensure credentials at the associate (ADN/AAS) and vocational nursing certificate levels, not a four-year BSN. The catalog describes a Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center early-decision Declaration of Intent pathway for eligible LVN-to-ADN students pursuing RN licensure before TTUHSC RN-to-BSN completion.
Does Howard College ADN require CNA certification?
The Howard College Nursing, AAS catalog admission requirements list a copy of CNA certificate or proof of CNA class among required documents for the associate-degree nursing program.
Is TEAS required for Howard College nursing?
The associate-degree nursing catalog requires the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS), with limits on retakes and score age. The vocational nursing program also uses TEAS with minimum section scores described in the catalog. Confirm current cutoffs with the Department of Nursing.
How much is tuition at Howard College (2025–2026 catalog)?
The 2025–2026 Howard College catalog Cost section lists in-district tuition at $72 per semester hour plus a $150 base per semester; out-of-district Texas residents $152 per hour plus $180 base; non-resident Howard College courses $179 per hour plus $200 base; plus building, student services, TeleHealth, and other fees. The college also publishes a 2025–2026 Cost of Attendance PDF with nine-month budget totals.
Where are Howard College nursing programs located?
The Associate Degree Nursing (AAS) program operates on the Big Spring and San Angelo campuses with campus-specific application deadlines (for example, June 1 Big Spring and June 5 San Angelo for one cycle in the catalog). Vocational nursing is also offered at both locations with site-specific prerequisites such as medical terminology at Big Spring.
What GPA is required in Howard College nursing courses?
Catalog nursing pages state that a grade of C or above is required in nursing and support courses to progress; the minimum numeric grade for C is 78 in the nursing program. Prerequisite courses require a C or better for admission consideration.
Who should I contact for Howard College nursing advising?
Big Spring Department of Nursing is listed at 1001 Birdwell Lane, Big Spring, TX 79720, phone (432) 264-5070. San Angelo applicants are directed to attend Health Professions Orientation and may contact Kelli Rowe at (325) 481-8300 extension 3435 per the nursing catalog.
References
- Howard College — Health Professions overviewhowardcollege.edu/academics/health-professions-programs
- Howard College Catalog — Nursing, AAS (ADN / transitions)catalog.howardcollege.edu (Nursing, AAS)
- Howard College Catalog — Vocational Nursing Certificatecatalog.howardcollege.edu (Vocational Nursing)
- Howard College Catalog — TTUHSC Early Decision LVN to ADNcatalog.howardcollege.edu (TTUHSC pathway)
- Howard College Catalog — Cost (2025–2026)catalog.howardcollege.edu Cost
- Howard College — Cost of Attendance PDF (2025–2026)cost_of_attendance.pdf
- Howard College — Consumer information hubconsumer-information/index.html
- ACEN — Howard College associate nursing programacenursing.org program page
- Texas Board of Nursing — Education Dashboardbon.texas.gov Education Dashboard
- National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN)ncsbn.org
Editorial Standards & Review
About the author: Francesco Di Siena, RN, writes evidence-based nursing education guides for NurseOnShift.
Review: This page was reviewed by Araceli Collado, RN, for Howard College program listings against the 2025–2026 catalog, tuition alignment with the catalog Cost section and COA PDF, ACEN status language, Texas BON dashboard instructions for NCLEX verification, and removal of cross-school template carryover.
Disclaimer: This page is for general reference only. It does not constitute professional, admissions, or financial advice. Requirements, deadlines, tuition, and policies change; always verify with the institution and the Texas Board of Nursing.
Published: April 1, 2026 · Last reviewed: April 1, 2026 · Medical Review Process · Editorial Policy