St. Clair County Community College

High-quality, affordable education

Practical nursing

Practical nursing

The practical nursing program prepares graduates to take the state exam to become a licensed practical nurse. This program prepares students to work in a variety of settings such as long-term care facilities, rehabilitation facilities, doctor’s offices and home health care. Practical nurses assist physicians and registered nurses in the modifications of patient care plans, perform basic tests and assist with medications and other treatments. The program maintains a standard of 75% pass rate for all nursing courses. The first-time pass rates for graduates taking the state exam exceed the state and national averages. 

The Nursing Schools Almanac currently ranks SC4 as the 10th best nursing school in the Detroit metropolitan area among both two- and four-year institutions. It’s ranked No. 4 among community colleges in Michigan.

This link will take you to the current working catalog. On that page, you may also select other available catalog years from the drop-down menu located in the upper right.

Program Cost: Tuition and fees can be found on the Tuition page. Please note there are additional cost for books, uniforms, graduation pins, and the NCLEX exam/license application to consider.

This program may be eligible for funding assistance through MichiganWorks! Call (810) 966-3300 for details.

Admission Criteria

Complete the Nursing Program Application (Health Sciences application).

The application deadline for the Practical Nursing Program has been changed to Sept. 1.

The LPN program at St. Clair County Community College has a competitive pre-admission score. The score is based on a point calculation of the following:

CriteriaDescriptionPoint calculation
GPA - overall
No rounding up on GPA
GPAs from more than one college will be averaged together
High School GPA will ONLY be used if no college classes taken
2.5 GPA required 
GPA          Points
3.8-4.0       25
3.5-3.7       20
3.2-3.4       15
2.9-3.1       10
2.6-2.8        5
2.5              0 (minimum required)
Points ____________
Recommended college classes
5 points for each of the 4 courses with B- or better
2 points for each of the 4 courses with C or C+ 
HE-101
HE-102
ENG-101
BIO-160 (or BIO 271/171 and 272/172)
Points ____________
HESI testing
HESI minimum score in each area - 70
HESI pre-admission test will measure reading comprehension, vocabulary, English and math
A & P will be tested, but not counted
Watch the The Pier for dates.
The English composite score and math score will be used for points 
English language composite score
91-100       6 points
80-90         5 points
75-79         4 points
Math score
96-100       5 points
91-95         4 points
86-90         3 points
81-85         2 points
75-80         1 points
Points ____________
Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Certification
Three points for current CNA certification.
Must submit proof of current CNA certification with allied health application. 
CNAPoints ____________

Steps to apply for SC4 Nursing programs

  1. Apply to SC4
  2. Apply to a specific health sciences program
  3. Attend a mandatory group advising session (View upcoming dates and times below.)

Practical Nursing Group Advising Sessions

Attending a mandatory Group Advising Session is an important step toward attaining a nursing degree. Please choose the session(s) applicable to your goal and click on the applicable link below at the time listed. Please give yourself time to download and set up the Microsoft Teams app on your computer or device.

DateTimeLocation
Tuesday, February 14, 202310 to 11 a.m.Join Microsoft Teams
Monday, July 17, 20239 to 10 a.m.Join Microsoft Teams
Tuesday, July 18, 20233 to 4 p.m.Join Microsoft Teams
Monday, August 14, 20231 to 2 p.m.Join Microsoft Teams

For academic programs leading to professional licensure

SC4 Health Sciences Programs prepare students for State and National exams leading to professional licensure. Please be aware that additional steps (background checks, applications, fees, etc.) may be required to apply for licensing in the state of Michigan or other states. It is recommended that you contact the appropriate licensing agency in your state if you are considering an academic program leading to a professional license. To easily find professional nursing licensure requirements (RN and APRN programs), please visit the website of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. and select the states/jurisdictions where you want to know their professional licensure requirements. It is your responsibility to understand the requirements in your state of residence.

Technology requirements

Following are the technology requirements for taking an online course at SC4:

  • A Microsoft Office 365 compatible laptop or PC with a webcam and microphone.
  • Minimum iOS to support the learning management system (LMS) Canvas and the lockdown browser for testing.
  • Reliable Internet access (dial-up supported, but Cable or DSL (Broadband) preferred)
  • Updated anti-virus software

Please refer to the Online Classes page to review supported browsers and a more detailed list of hardware and software applicable to different systems.

Frequently asked questions:

Since it is a competitive process, it depends on the number of students and their overall scores. The top candidates are admitted. The maximum number of points an applicant can earn is 56.

You can use the ADN HESI score only if taken at SC4 during the same calendar year. Requests to transfer HESI score must be made in writing to the Health and Human Services office. SC4 does not accept the transfer of HESI scores from other colleges.

Contact your academic advisor at (810) 989-5571.

Application deadline 
Five-year time limit
Sept. 1, 2018Spring 2013 or later
Sept. 1, 2019Spring 2014 or later
Sept. 1, 2020Spring 2015 or later
Sept. 1, 2021Spring 2016 or later

Questions about HESI Testing?