LaGuardia Community College’s Nursing Program Ranked #1 in New York State
LONG ISLAND CITY, NY (December 1, 2023) — Multiple independent sources have ranked LaGuardia Community College/CUNY as the top school for Registered Nursing (RN) and Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) training in New York State, surpassing two-year and four-year public and private colleges from Hollis to Buffalo. Key factors include LaGuardia students’ strong performance on national nursing licensing exams, and the college’s affordability, accessibility, and commitment to student success.
The need for well-trained Nursing professionals is growing nationwide. Nurses comprise the largest component of the healthcare workforce, are the primary providers of hospital patient care, and deliver most of the nation’s long-term care. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, RN jobs are projected to grow 6% between 2022–2032—with nearly 200,000 RN job openings anticipated each year throughout the decade. LPN jobs are often found in long-term care settings, and typically involve supervision from an RN, nurse practitioner (NP), physician, or midwife. LPN jobs are expected to increase 11% through 2028.
“Demand for nursing is at a peak. The critical need for frontline health care workers is why one year ago we launched ‘3,000 Heroes’ to expand our training of frontline healthcare professionals, who are ready to make a difference every day in someone’s life—no matter how big or small. The 3,000 Heroes initiative is LaGuardia’s commitment to train and graduate 3,000 frontline healthcare workers by 2027,” said Kenneth Adams, President of LaGuardia Community College. “Through ‘3,000 Heroes,’ more New Yorkers will have access to job training for dynamic healthcare fields with family-sustaining salaries and growth potential.”
The rankings of LaGuardia Nursing as the top in New York State were published by RegisteredNursing.org, EduMed, and PracticalNursing.org. Phil Gimber, RN, chair of LaGuardia’s Health Sciences Department, says these rankings recognize the hard work of faculty and students.
“Having these independent resources for aspiring healthcare professionals name LaGuardia Nursing Programs as the top in the state reflects our excellence in healthcare training,” Dr. Gimber said. “We are especially proud of our students’ stellar performance on the NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN. These are rigorous exams, and our students routinely outperform students at big name colleges and universities.”
Outcomes reported by the New York State Education Department show that LaGuardia Nursing students are 20–25% more likely to pass their national licensing exams on their first try than nursing students statewide, on average. According to the most recently available data, 93% of LaGuardia RN students passed the NCLEX-RN on their first try, compared to the statewide average of 73.7%. And 100% of LaGuardia LPN students passed the NCLEX-PN on their first try, while the statewide average was 74.4%.
“Our Nursing graduates do tremendously well on the job and report feeling extremely well-prepared to care for New Yorkers,” said Faith Armstrong, director of LaGuardia Nursing Programs. “We hear great feedback from medical directors about our students, many of whom receive job offers from the hospitals and medical facilities where they do their clinical rotations while at LaGuardia.”
LaGuardia’s RN program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). Students who successfully complete 23 credit hours of common core courses and 43 credit hours of program core courses earn an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Registered Nursing. Students in the state-approved LPN program earn a certificate in Practical Nursing. LaGuardia also offers a LPN to RN Advanced Pathway program, which enables LPN students to return to LaGuardia to pursue their RN.
Every year, RegisteredNursing.org, ranks the top 20 nursing schools out of the 103 RN programs in New York State. Programs reviewed included schools offering an associate in nursing, bachelor’s in nursing, or direct-entry master’s in nursing degree (for students with a bachelor’s pursuing a RN). In its ranking of LaGuardia’s RN program, RegisteredNursing.org noted that LaGuardia Nursing graduates “leave the program with the ability to communicate, provide quality nursing care, educate patients, and practice legally and ethically.”
EduMed named LaGuardia the top two-year school statewide for RN, LPN, and LPN to RN Advanced Pathway. In its ranking, EduMed noted that LaGuardia’s program “features a mix of classroom instruction and clinical courses, which are complemented by on-campus labs and clinical practice in healthcare facilities within the area.”
PracticalNursing.org, a resource for LPN and licensed vocational nursing (LVN) students, honored LaGuardia for excellence in LPN training. There are 58 LPN schools statewide.
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LaGuardia Community College (LAGCC), a Hispanic-Serving Institution, located in Long Island City, Queens offers more than 50 degrees and certificates, and more than 65 continuing education programs to educate New Yorkers seeking new skills and careers. As an institution of the City University of New York (CUNY), the College reflects the legacy of our namesake, Fiorello H. LaGuardia, the former NYC mayor beloved for his advocacy of underserved populations. Since 1971, LaGuardia’s academic programs and support services have advanced the socioeconomic mobility of students while providing them with access to a high quality, affordable college education.
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