Southside Virginia Community College Nursing: Programs, Costs & Requirements (2026)
From the Christanna Campus in Alberta to sites in Keysville, South Boston, and Chase City, Southside Virginia Community College trains nurses for Southside Virginia’s hospitals and clinics. SVCC publishes Board-approved Practical Nursing and ADN pathways—including a weekend RN option and an LPN-RN bridge—plus ACEN continuing accreditation for the associate nursing program. Figures below cite southside.edu/nursing, the SVCC catalog, and Virginia Board of Nursing testing reports; confirm every deadline and fee before you apply.
Contents
Quick Facts
Key Takeaway
SVCC stretches nursing across Southside Virginia—Christanna in Alberta, John H. Daniel in Keysville, the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center in South Boston, plus Estes Center faculty support in Chase City—so students can stay regional while earning an ACEN-accredited ADN, a Board-approved PN certificate, or an LPN-RN bridge. Mandatory Canvas-based information sessions, published ATI-TEAS rules, and Virginia Board testing reports give transparent next steps before you submit a selective-admission application.
Overview & Why Students Choose Southside Virginia Community College
Southside Virginia Community College sits in a largely rural service area between Richmond, Raleigh-Durham, and Roanoke, yet its nursing graduates feed employers such as Sovah Health–Danville, Sentara facilities within driving distance, community hospitals along the US-58 corridor, and extensive long-term care networks. That geography shapes SVCC’s multi-campus delivery model: students often live and work where they train, reducing relocation costs while still accessing simulation labs and broad clinical rotations.
The nursing department advertises four realistic entry strategies: a 49-credit Practical Nursing certificate, a traditional ADN, a weekend ADN option for working adults, and an LPN-RN bridge for licensed practical nurses—each gated by selective admission, prerequisite coursework, and ATI-TEAS performance described in the college’s nursing packet PDFs.
According to the Virginia Board of Nursing “Registered Nursing Programs Current Year” PDF (Report Date: January 21, 2026; Pearson VUE data for calendar year 2025), SVCC’s listed ADN sites together show 29 first-time NCLEX-RN passers among 30 first-time candidates (Christanna 12/13, John H. Daniel 11/11, South Boston 6/6). The companion PN PDF shows 25 first-time NCLEX-PN passers among 25 first-time candidates across Alberta and South Boston. Confirm the latest tables on the Board site and with SVCC nursing before planning around any percentage.
Reasons students choose SVCC nursing
Multi-campus ADN without leaving the region
Instruction and simulation are distributed across Christanna, Keysville, and South Boston, letting students align housing and childcare with a nearby site instead of relocating to a distant urban program.
Weekend RN option for wage earners
SVCC publishes a weekend ADN pathway with its own application window—useful if you must keep weekday employment while completing nursing labs and clinicals.
Transparent TEAS playbook
Dedicated TEAS webpages, June 2025 testing memoranda, and nursing flow charts spell out attempt limits, fees, and pathway benchmarks before you pay for exams.
ACEN-recognized associate program
SVCC states the ADN holds ACEN continuing accreditation across its listed campuses—useful context for transfer to RN-to-BSN partners.
Board-documented licensure outcomes
Official RN/PN PDFs list SVCC program codes separately by campus, so you can compare South Boston, Christanna, and Daniel cohorts side by side with other Virginia schools.
Nursing Programs Offered
Program names, credits, and regulatory statements below follow southside.edu/nursing, the Certificate in Practical Nursing page, the RN “Important Information” hub, and the 2025–2026 SVCC catalog. Download the January 2026 nursing flow chart PDF before applying—pathway GPA, TEAS, and deadline details change frequently.
Pre-licensure (entry-level nursing)
Certificate in Practical Nursing
SVCC lists a 49 semester-hour certificate with PN clinical instruction at Alberta and South Boston. Graduates qualify for NCLEX-PN. The college states both ADN and PN are approved by the Virginia Board of Nursing; the Board does not require PN accreditation through ACEN (per SVCC’s PN page).
Associate of Applied Science in Nursing (traditional ADN)
Pre-licensure RN preparation delivered at Christanna (Alberta), John H. Daniel (Keysville), and the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center (South Boston). SVCC links student outcomes, simulation supports, and Board approval/ACEN statements on the main nursing page. This guide uses Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) as shorthand for the A.A.S. credential.
Weekend Associate of Applied Science in Nursing option
SVCC publishes a dedicated weekend program PDF plus a September–October application window (e.g., September 15–October 31, 2025) separate from the August-start traditional cycle. Weekend students complete the same credential but attend labs/clinicals on a weekend-intensive schedule.
Nurse Aide training
SVCC advertises nurse aide coursework linked from the nursing menu for students who want entry-level patient-care hours before applying to PN or ADN. It is not a Registered Nursing program; confirm seat availability separately from selective nursing admission.
Post-LPN progression
LPN-RN bridge
Licensed practical nurses follow SVCC’s bridge PDF for prerequisite courses, ATI-TEAS testing (Version 7 referenced on the TEAS page), active LPN licensure, and cohort-specific applications. The RN information hub lists bridge materials separately from the generic August ADN form—watch posted open/close dates (for example, the site noted a bridge form closing February 16, 2026 during this review).
Graduate (MSN/DNP) nursing: Not offered at SVCC—plan to transfer for bachelor’s or graduate nursing at a four-year institution.
NCLEX-RN Pass Rate
The Virginia Board of Nursing publishes Pearson VUE summaries that list each education program code separately. SVCC’s pre-licensure ADN therefore appears as three rows—Christanna, John H. Daniel, and South Boston—while practical nursing appears as Alberta and South Boston PN codes. The figures below are taken directly from the Board’s 2025 calendar-year RN and PN “current year” PDFs (report generated January 21, 2026).
NCLEX-RN (first-time testers, 2025)
- Christanna / Alberta ADN: 12 passed / 13 first-time candidates (92.31% in table).
- John H. Daniel / Keysville ADN: 11 passed / 11 first-time candidates.
- South Boston ADN: 6 passed / 6 first-time candidates.
- Combined SVCC ADN (sum of three rows): 29 passed / 30 first-time candidates.
NCLEX-PN (first-time testers, 2025)
- Alberta PN campus: 13 passed / 13 first-time candidates.
- South Boston PN campus: 12 passed / 12 first-time candidates.
- Combined SVCC PN: 25 passed / 25 first-time candidates (100% of listed first-time testers in this report; confirm cohort definitions with the Board).
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| NCLEX-RN pass results (VA BON 2025 summary) | Per program rows above; download RN PDF via Testing Pass Rates. |
| NCLEX-PN pass results (VA BON 2025 summary) | Per program rows above; download PN PDF. |
| SVCC historical tables | SVCC nursing links to a five-year NCLEX pass-rate workbook for planning comparisons. |
| Source | Virginia Department of Health Professions / Board of Nursing NCLEX program summaries; confirm the next data release on the Testing Pass Rates index and with SVCC nursing. |
NCLEX volumes differ by campus; a single year’s table is not a guarantee of future performance. Always verify interpretation with the Board’s methodology notes and SVCC’s nursing office before choosing a cohort.
International Students & Internationally Educated Nurses
SVCC’s 2025–2026 catalog states the college does not issue I-20 forms or enroll students who require F-1 status, though other documented non-citizens may still apply for general admission under separate rules. Nursing adds clinical background checks, immunization standards, and Virginia Board eligibility screening on top of college admission—plan early if you hold foreign transcripts or prior nursing education outside the United States.
- F-1 / visa pathway: Confirm with Admissions whether your immigration category is eligible; expect that nursing clinical sites may impose additional clearance rules.
- English proficiency: Health Sciences curricula may require standardized English exams or equivalent documentation—ask the nursing department which scores match ATI and clinical partner policies.
- Credential evaluation: Map international prerequisites to VCCS course numbers using official transcripts and any required third-party evaluations.
- Virginia Board of Nursing: Internationally educated nurses pursuing licensure must satisfy Board-specific documentation regardless of college acceptance.
This section is guidance, not immigration or licensure advice. Policies change—confirm with SVCC Admissions, the nursing department, U.S. immigration counsel as needed, and the Virginia Board of Nursing.
Admissions: A Realistic Look
SVCC nursing operates as a selective Health Sciences program: you must apply to the college, complete published prerequisites with minimum grades, finish the mandatory nursing information session (Canvas-based resources + yearly video), take the ATI-TEAS Version 7 exam through SVCC’s testing process, and submit pathway-specific Google Forms only during open application windows. Criminal background screening and clinical compliance documentation typically follow acceptance.
Application timeline
| Pathway / start | Published window (2025–26 materials) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional ADN · August start | Feb 2 – Apr 15, 2026 | Per Important Information (RN); application links appear only while the window is open. |
| Weekend ADN | Sep 15 – Oct 31, 2025 | Separate Google Form and weekend program PDF; overlaps with fall-semester recruitment cycle. |
| PN · Alberta start (Aug 2026) | Mar 2 – May 1, 2026 | Clinical instruction rotates Alberta/South Boston per SVCC PN page. |
| PN · South Boston start (Jan 2027) | Jun 29 – Sep 4, 2026 | Confirm seat counts if you need a specific campus. |
| LPN-RN bridge | Cohort-specific | Important Information page referenced a bridge form closing Feb 16, 2026—download the latest bridge PDF for the next cycle. |
Admissions snapshot
| Factor | Details |
|---|---|
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed as an acceptance rate; SVCC labels TEAS scores as competitive and pathways as limited enrollment. |
| GPA / prerequisites | Follow the June 2025 ADN admission PDF and PN packet for exact course grades; meet Health Sciences advising if you are near cutoffs. |
| TEAS | Required; southside.edu/teas documents fees, remote vs in-person pricing, attempt caps (e.g., three tries per cycle / four per year language), and three-year score validity. |
| Information session | Mandatory yearly session prior to application; RN and PN each maintain separate Canvas/video instructions. |
Use the March 2026 nursing flow chart for at-a-glance TEAS benchmarks (overall and subject floors differ between ADN and PN on SVCC’s chart).
Tuition & Cost of Attendance
SVCC participates in the Virginia Community College System, so base tuition is set statewide and mirrored in the college catalog. SVCC’s business office publishes term-by-term tuition due dates plus a Tuition and Fees Beginning Fall 2025 PDF linked from southside.edu/tuition-and-fees; nursing students must also budget for ATI-TEAS fees (listed on the TEAS page), uniforms, travel to multi-campus clinicals, and immunizations.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| In-state tuition (Fall 2025) | $168.30 per credit — 2025–2026 SVCC catalog tuition section. |
| Out-of-state tuition (Fall 2025) | $356.90 per credit — same catalog citation. |
| Mandatory fees (per credit) | Catalog lists a $1.75 student activities fee and $1.75 parking fee for all students; out-of-state students pay an additional $28.50 capital fee per credit (verify current fee rules if you hold military or business exemptions). |
| Program length context | PN certificate: 49 credits per marketing page · ADN: 67 credits referenced on SVCC’s RN program page—multiply by the rates above for a rough tuition-only estimate, then add fees, books, and clinical costs. |
| Source | SVCC Tuition and Fees; SVCC catalog — Tuition & Fees; VCCS tuition hub. |
Student Outcomes & Career Prospects
Completing the ADN confers eligibility to sit for NCLEX-RN; completing the PN certificate leads to NCLEX-PN. SVCC’s public materials state program goals—such as maintaining a three-year rolling NCLEX-RN mean at or above the national mean and supporting employment within six months—but you should request the latest ADN outcomes PDF for cohort-specific job-placement methodology before treating any percentage as current.
Regional employers recruiting Southside graduates historically include Sovah Health, Sentara-affiliated facilities within reasonable commuting distance, Centra in Southside–Central Virginia corridors, and a wide network of skilled-nursing and home-health agencies—confirm active clinical contracts with the nursing department because affiliates rotate.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| NCLEX-RN (2025 VA BON summary) | 29 first-time passers / 30 first-time testers across Christanna, Daniel, and South Boston ADN rows (see NCLEX section). |
| NCLEX-PN (2025 VA BON summary) | 25 first-time passers / 25 first-time testers across Alberta and South Boston PN rows. |
| Employment rate / salary | Not publicly disclosed as a single audited statistic on the nursing landing page; request SVCC Career Services or the outcomes PDF for graduate survey data. |
| Source | SVCC nursing; Virginia Board of Nursing Testing Pass Rates. |
Is Southside Virginia Community College the Right Fit for You?
Use this checklist before you invest in prerequisites and TEAS fees. SVCC is strongest for students who can travel among Southside campuses for labs and clinicals and who want a Virginia community college price point with Board-tracked NCLEX data.
✓ Good fit for students who—
- Live within commuting distance of Alberta, Keysville, South Boston, or Chase City nursing sites.
- Want PN, ADN, weekend ADN, or LPN-RN bridge pathways published on one nursing hub.
- Prefer transparent Board-reported NCLEX tables when comparing Southside programs with other VCCS colleges.
- Can follow Canvas-based information sessions, competitive TEAS scoring, and strict Google Form deadlines.
✗ May not be ideal for students who—
- Require F-1 visa support (SVCC states it does not issue I-20 forms).
- Need a single urban hospital network for every clinical—Southside rotations span multiple employers and counties.
- Expect a traditional weekday ADN schedule but cannot adjust when SVCC assigns weekend clinical blocks.
- Want a BSN or MSN without transferring—SVCC awards the A.A.S. and PN certificate only.
Local Healthcare Ecosystem
Southside Virginia spans tobacco-belt counties along I-85 and US-58, linking smaller cities such as Danville and South Boston with regional referral centers. Employers routinely hiring ADN and PN graduates include Sovah Health–Danville, Centra facilities serving Southside–Central Virginia, components of the Sentara system within driving distance, and a dense layer of nursing homes, federally qualified health centers, and home-health agencies that rely on community-college pipelines.
| Setting | Why it matters for SVCC students |
|---|---|
| Rural & small-city hospitals | Med-surg, progressive care, and perioperative exposure with high chronic-disease acuity typical of underserved corridors. |
| Skilled nursing & assisted living | Core PN training sites plus fundamentals practice for ADN students before acute specialty rotations. |
| Outpatient & public-health partners | Supports vaccination clinics, school nursing observations, and community assessments required in modern associate curricula. |
Download SVCC’s “Locations … & Clinical Sites” PDF on the Important Information (RN) page for the officially maintained site list; contracts evolve as hospital systems consolidate.
Student Experience & Campus Life
SVCC behaves like a multi-campus community college: nursing students may take online theory but still commute to Christanna, John H. Daniel, SVHEC, or Estes Center resources for checkoffs, simulation, and faculty office hours. The nursing department advertises dedicated retention supports—Health Sciences counselors, tutoring, and open lab hours—mirrored on the public nursing page.
Housing is largely off-campus; expect to budget for gasoline, clinical parking, and occasional overnight stays if you rotate far from home. For bachelor’s completion, leverage VCCS “Moon Shot” and institution-specific RN-to-BSN agreements; confirm each four-year partner’s prerequisites because SVCC awards the associate degree, not the BSN.
Resources & Next Steps
Contact & location
- Christanna Campus
- Alberta, VA (main nursing hub)
- Address
- 109 Campus Drive, Alberta, VA 23821, US
- Telephone
- Christanna: (434) 949-1000 · John H. Daniel: (434) 736-2000 · Toll-free: 1-888-220-SVCC
- Health Sciences counselor
- Amanda Shook, MS — (434) 736-2214
- Website
- southside.edu
Official links
Your first-week action checklist
- Open the SVCC nursing hub, start the mandatory information session modules, and download the January 2026 flow chart PDF.
- Compare your transcripts to the June 2025 ADN admission PDF (or PN equivalent) and map missing prerequisites.
- Create an ATI account, review southside.edu/teas, and schedule TEAS Version 7 before the application deadline.
- Call (434) 736-2214 for Health Sciences counseling if you need campus selection or bridge guidance.
- Bookmark the Virginia Board Testing Pass Rates index and download the current RN/PN PDFs for side-by-side comparisons.
- Estimate billing using $168.30/credit in-state tuition plus mandatory per-credit fees from the SVCC catalog, then add uniforms, vaccines, and clinical travel.
- If you are internationally educated, verify catalog policy on F-1 status before paying nursing application fees.
Frequently Asked Questions
What nursing programs does Southside Virginia Community College offer?
SVCC lists a Certificate in Practical Nursing (NCLEX-PN), an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing pre-licensure ADN program—with traditional and weekend options across Christanna, John H. Daniel, and South Boston sites—and an LPN-RN bridge pathway, plus stackable nurse aide training. The college states both ADN and PN are approved by the Virginia Board of Nursing; ADN also carries ACEN continuing accreditation. Confirm current status on southside.edu/nursing and with the Board.
What NCLEX-RN outcomes does the Virginia Board of Nursing show for Southside Virginia CC?
In the Virginia Board of Nursing’s 2025 calendar-year NCLEX-RN program summary (Pearson VUE data, report dated January 2026), SVCC’s three listed ADN sites together show 29 first-time passers out of 30 first-time NCLEX-RN candidates (Christanna/Alberta 12/13, John H. Daniel/Keysville 11/11, South Boston 6/6). Confirm every figure in the RN PDF linked from the Board’s Testing Pass Rates page and with SVCC nursing.
Does Southside Virginia Community College require TEAS for nursing?
Yes—SVCC uses the ATI-TEAS for selective Health Sciences pathways including nursing; the college’s TEAS page documents Version 7, per-cycle attempt caps, and fees. Flow charts and June 2025 testing documents list pathway benchmarks (for example, higher overall targets for ADN than PN). Download the current Pre-Entrance Testing PDF and nursing flow chart before scheduling an exam.
When are Southside Virginia CC nursing application deadlines?
SVCC’s Important Information (RN) page lists an August 2026 ADN application window from February 2 through April 15, 2026, and a separate weekend ADN application window (September 15–October 31, 2025, per the 2025–26 information session materials). Practical Nursing posts March 2–May 1, 2026 for an August 2026 Alberta start and June 29–September 4, 2026 for a January 2027 South Boston start. LPN-RN bridge forms show cohort-specific closures—verify every date on southside.edu before applying.
How much is tuition at Southside Virginia Community College for nursing prerequisites?
SVCC’s 2025–2026 catalog lists in-state tuition of $168.30 per credit, out-of-state tuition of $356.90 per credit, plus posted student, parking, and (for out-of-state students) capital fees effective Fall 2025. Nursing adds uniforms, testing, travel, and clinical compliance costs beyond catalog tuition—build a term budget with the business office and SVCC’s tuition PDF.
Can international students enroll in Southside Virginia Community College nursing?
SVCC’s catalog states the college does not issue I-20 forms or enroll students who need F-1 visas, though other documented non-citizens may be eligible after admissions review. Nursing applicants still must satisfy Health Sciences documentation and Virginia Board of Nursing eligibility rules. Confirm policy with Admissions and the nursing department before paying deposits.
Where do Southside Virginia CC nursing students complete clinical rotations?
SVCC publishes multi-site ADN delivery (Christanna/Alberta, John H. Daniel/Keysville, Southern Virginia Higher Education Center/South Boston, plus Estes Center support in Chase City for listed faculty assignments) and states PN clinicals use Alberta and South Boston. Exact hospitals and agencies rotate by term—use the Locations and Length PDF and the student handbook rather than assuming a single employer list.
Does Southside Virginia Community College offer a Bachelor of Science in Nursing?
No. SVCC awards the Associate of Applied Science in Nursing for RN preparation and a Certificate in Practical Nursing for PN licensure. Graduates typically pursue RN-to-BSN completion at Virginia four-year partners under statewide articulation agreements.
References
- Southside Virginia Community College — Nursingsouthside.edu/nursing
- SVCC — Important Information (RN)southside.edu/important-information-rn
- SVCC — Certificate in Practical Nursingsouthside.edu/certificate-practical-nursing-lpn
- SVCC — TEAS informationsouthside.edu/teas
- SVCC — Tuition and Feessouthside.edu/tuition-and-fees
- SVCC Catalog — Tuition & Fees (2025–2026)catalog.southside.edu (Tuition section)
- Virginia Board of Nursing — Testing Pass Rates (RN/PN PDF index)dhp.virginia.gov/…/TestingPassRates
- Virginia Board of Nursing — 2025 RN NCLEX summary (4th quarter PDF)20254thQuarterRN.pdf
- Virginia Board of Nursing — 2025 PN NCLEX summary (4th quarter PDF)20254thQuarterPN.pdf
- Virginia’s Community Colleges — Tuition & feesvccs.edu/students/tuition-and-fees
- ACEN — SVCC program disclosureacenursing.org (SVCC)
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 SVCC program scope (ADN/PN/bridge/weekend option), Virginia Board NCLEX table extraction, F-1 policy language from the SVCC catalog, and Fall 2025 tuition figures as printed in the college catalog.
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 Southside Virginia Community College and the Virginia Board of Nursing.
Published: April 1, 2026 · Last reviewed: April 1, 2026 · Medical Review Process · Editorial Policy