Phillips Community College ranks No. 2 among Arkansas LPN programs
Phillips Community College’s No. 2 LPN ranking could matter most in Phillips County’s hospitals and clinics, where 100% NCLEX pass rates help keep nurses close to home.
Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas has been ranked No. 2 among Arkansas LPN programs for 2026, a result that matters in Phillips County because it points directly to the local nursing pipeline. In a state with 41 nursing schools listed by NursingExplorer, the ranking puts PCCUA near the top of a crowded field and gives clinics, hospitals and long-term-care employers in the Arkansas Delta another reason to look at Helena-West Helena as a place to hire.
The college’s Practical Nursing Technical Certificate is a 42-credit program designed to prepare students to sit for the NCLEX-PN. PCCUA says the program is built to prepare qualified people to meet community nursing needs and perform duties within the practical nursing scope where a registered nurse is not required. The college also notes that graduation does not guarantee approval from the Arkansas State Board of Nursing, even though the program is approved by the board.
That licensure track has recent results behind it. On March 13, 2024, PCCUA said all recent practical nursing graduates passed the NCLEX on their first attempt, extending the program’s run of 100% pass rates to a tenth straight cohort. For an employer deciding where to recruit, that is the kind of outcome that turns a ranking into a workforce signal rather than a campus brag.
PCCUA says employment of graduates is a major goal in its health professions area, and the practical nursing award fits that mission. The college serves eastern Arkansas from campuses in Helena-West Helena, DeWitt and Stuttgart, giving students in Phillips County and nearby towns a way to train close to home. That includes students from Helena, West Helena, Lexa, Marvell, Elaine and Lake View, who can complete nursing training without leaving the county for school.
The local stakes go beyond enrollment. Phillips County has long faced healthcare access challenges, and the question now is whether a stronger ranking, a 42-credit certificate and a string of perfect NCLEX results will help keep more nurses in the county after licensure. PCCUA was founded in Helena-West Helena in 1966, and this latest recognition shows that one of its oldest local pathways still feeds the jobs that matter most to families, clinics and care facilities across the Delta.
This article was produced by Prism’s automated news system from verified source data, official records, and press releases, then run through automated quality and moderation checks before publishing. The system is built and supervised by the people who set the standards it runs under. Read our full AI policy.
Did this article answer your question?
