Online CNA Classes in Texas: Top Programs & More
Certified Nursing Assistants, which are frequently referred to as CNAs, play an essential role in enhancing patient care. While the journey to becoming a CNA varies across states, if you’re living in Texas and have CNA aspirations, this guide will help you learn the basics. Keep reading to see who made our ranking of the top online programs this year, explore other spotlight programs, learn salary and career outcomes, and get answers to your pressing questions.
In-Depth Review of Online CNA Classes in Texas
As you’re exploring answers to your questions about how to become a CNA, it’s important to consider your own goals and schedule requirements. Online and hybrid courses are appealing for those with a busy schedule, but some CNA courses are intense and require full-time attendance. In Texas, you’ll find a variety of vocational schools offering hybrid CNA courses, meaning you’ll watch lectures online and learn from pre-recorded videos, but your lab hours will likely require you to attend a clinic or school for hands-on training and skills assessment.
Want to gain more insight into online CNA courses in Texas? Keep reading to find three school spotlights, which will give you an idea of what to expect from curriculum, costs, and online components.
Certified Nursing Assistant – Heart to Heart Healthcare Training
The Heart to Heart Healthcare Training CNA program in Texas will allow you to become a CNA in just three weeks. The program is approved by the state of Texas as a Nurse Aide Training & Competency Evaluation Program (NATCEP) and is also approved by the Texas Workforce Commission.
You’ll start with one week of online coursework, followed by an in-person lab from Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the second week. The final week includes in-person clinical practice from Monday through Thursday, with hours based on your clinical location. The in-person portion of your CNA coursework will be conducted at the Lewisville campus.
Duration: Three weeks
Mode: Hybrid
Cost: $950
Admissions Requirements:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Provide a negative TB test result obtained within the last year
- Complete a background check (included in the tuition fee)
Curriculum: You’ll complete online theoretical instruction in health-related topics such as how to spot signs of certain illnesses in older adults, how to prevent the spread of infection, and how to read vital signs. The second part of your training is hands-on, in-person laboratory and clinical experiences.
Nurse Aide – Legacy Career Institute
You have a variety of flexible learning options to explore in the CNA program at Legacy Career Institute in Texas. You can take classes online using a virtual platform and only come in for four in-person days for clinical practice; clinicals can happen before or after you’ve completed online classes. Online learning can happen in a synchronous (live) or asynchronous (on your own schedule) environment. If you’re looking for further flexibility, the in-person coursework can happen on days, evenings, or weekends. Classes start every Monday and Saturday.
This program is approved by the state of Texas.
Duration: Four weeks
Mode: In person, online, or hybrid
Cost: $850-$950, depending on program
Admissions Requirements:
- Must be 16 years or older
- High school diploma or unofficial high school transcript or GED (can be waived if you can display an 8th grade level reading and writing capability)
Curriculum: You’ll learn through online or live lectures about patient care plans, monitoring and reporting vital signs, and monitoring the patients’ mental, physical, and emotional conditions. Then you’ll gain hands-on experience during the clinical portion of the program.
Certified Nursing Assistant Training – Springpack Healthcare Career
You can choose from a two-week in-person course, a two-Saturday weekend course, or a two-week online course from Springpack Healthcare Career’s CNA training. These Texas state-approved courses have been educating CNAs in Texas since 2010.
Online learning can be self-paced, but you’ll need to log a specific number of hours of online time in order to graduate from the program. Clinical lab time takes place in Arlington or Mansfield at the school’s campus. Once you’ve completed the program, you can schedule your test and become certified in the state of Texas.
Tuition is an affordable $705, and the school offers a 10% discount if you make a one-time payment in cash or using Zelle.
Duration: Two weeks
Mode: In person, online, or hybrid
Cost: $705
Admissions Requirements:
- You must provide — via email, fax or in person — a valid form of ID, Social Security and at least a high school diploma or GED. If you do not have at least a high school diploma, you can complete a math and reading entrance test.
- Minimum age: 18 (or 16 with parental consent)
- You must pass a background check
Curriculum: You’ll have chapters to read daily, watch skills videos, and learn essential concepts with online learning and glossaries. The content includes topics such as patient mobility, sanitation and safety, vital signs, feeding, grooming, and bathing. Curriculum combines online lectures with practical, hands-on application.
Frequently Asked Questions from CNA Students
If you’re still exploring online CNA programs in Texas, it may be because you need more information to make an informed decision. You’re not the only one; below, you’ll find some of the most frequently asked questions you and other students are likely to have about Texas CNA programs.
Can I really complete my CNA training online in Texas?
Yes. You really can do some of your CNA training online as a student in Texas, but you might not be able to do all of it because the hands-on nature of a CNA education can make it challenging to find a fully online program. Typically, students will enroll in courses at a local vocational, technical, or community college. These courses can be scheduled during the day, in the evenings, or even over the weekends.
While programs often require classroom attendance, many programs have adjusted that requirement in recent years to shift to hybrid models. In these hybrid models, the course content is delivered online with clinicals completed in person.
How much do online CNA classes cost in Texas?
When you’re choosing the best online CNA classes and program for your needs, make sure you know how much they will cost. You’ll find a range of fees for programs in Texas, but it’s important to remember that the documented tuition estimates you’ll find online may not include fees or textbooks. Tuition can change without notice, so it’s always best to check with your schools of interest to see what they are charging for their CNA programs.
Keep in mind that many CNA programs offer financial aid and/or scholarships. You can also explore tuition reimbursement if you’re employed by a healthcare provider.
What are the educational requirements for becoming a CNA in Texas?
Every state-approved program in Texas is required to offer a total of 100 hours of training to students — 60 of which must be done in the classroom and 40 as hands-on training. Before you’ll be allowed to make your first direct contact with a patient, you’ll be required to have an initial 16 hours of introductory training. This preliminary training focuses on areas like communication, infection control measures, safety protocols, emergency procedures, fostering patient independence, and the preservation of patient rights.
Once you’re done with this required training, you are eligible to sit for the nurse aide competency examination.
What are the requirements for most CNA programs in Texas?
As an aspiring online CNA student in Texas, you are not required to have a GED or high school diploma, but you do have to be free from certain criminal offenses. If you have a clear record, you can directly enroll in a CNA program and begin your training. You will also have to provide proof of immunization, undergo drug testing, and have CPR training to be admitted into a program.
It’s important to choose a program approved by the state of Texas to make sure you’re receiving a top-tier education that smoothly transitions into employment following the successful completion of your competency exam.
How often will I need to renew my CNA license in Texas?
While every state has different requirements of license renewals, Texas CNAs are required to renew their certification every two years showing a minimum of 24 hours of in-service education. The in-service education must include training in geriatrics and the care of residents with dementia disorder, including Alzheimer’s disease.
To make the process convenient, Texas offers some computer-based in-service training, each module satisfying two hours of the overall requirement. To document successful course completion, you’ll print a copy of the course certificate available at the end of the training and keep the certificate for documentation. CNAs must complete these courses annually in order to renew a listing of active status on the Nurse Aide Registry (NAR).
Ranking the Top Online CNA Classes in Texas
The following EduMed rankings use the latest official data available from The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). After meeting specific eligibility requirements, EduMed data scientists assigned weightings to schools and programs, including factors such as:
- Number of online programs
- Percent of total students taking at least one distance education class
- Average in-state tuition for undergraduate students studying full-time
- Student/faculty ratio
These and other factors resulted in the ranking below.
Amarillo College
Amarillo, Texas
Public
Career Outlook & Potential Earnings for CNAs in Texas
After completing a CNA course in Texas and becoming certified, you will be ready to start looking for a job. But what opportunities and salary potential can you expect? Let’s take a look.
Over the next ten years, opportunities for CNAs are expected to grow 4.2% nationally. However, the career is predicted to expand even more rapidly in Texas, with a ten-year projection of 13%. This means there should be plenty of employment opportunities for new CNAs entering the profession. As for salary, annual pay for CNAs in Texas ranges from $28,500 to $44,320, with a median of $35,110. It's important to consider specific regions when looking for a job because pay can vary considerably. In Laredo, for example, those in the 90th percentile earn only $34,610 annually, while those in Waco make $46,790. Get the full picture on trends from around the state by reviewing the data below.
| Area | 10th Percentile | Median | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | $28,500 | $35,110 | $44,320 |
| Abilene, TX | $23,150 | $32,880 | $36,740 |
| Amarillo, TX | $27,680 | $33,850 | $43,260 |
| Austin-Round Rock, TX | $30,580 | $36,790 | $44,770 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | $28,340 | $31,250 | $36,870 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | $21,860 | $28,540 | $35,670 |
| College Station-Bryan, TX | $28,980 | $34,560 | $36,450 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | $28,840 | $33,670 | $38,610 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $30,930 | $36,540 | $45,620 |
| El Paso, TX | $26,170 | $31,030 | $38,580 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $30,010 | $35,760 | $44,960 |
| Killeen-Temple, TX | $27,630 | $34,130 | $43,180 |
| Laredo, TX | $21,880 | $28,520 | $34,610 |
| Longview, TX | $27,350 | $30,420 | $40,790 |
| Lubbock, TX | $27,520 | $30,780 | $36,910 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | $23,040 | $28,570 | $38,670 |
| Midland, TX | $30,670 | $36,240 | $44,760 |
| Odessa, TX | $29,120 | $33,800 | $42,150 |
| San Angelo, TX | $28,840 | $30,790 | $35,950 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $29,150 | $35,460 | $44,130 |
| Sherman-Denison, TX | $28,880 | $31,510 | $35,810 |
| Texarkana, TX-AR | $22,880 | $30,320 | $38,110 |
| Tyler, TX | $28,710 | $30,700 | $37,140 |
| Victoria, TX | $28,060 | $31,750 | $36,980 |
| Waco, TX | $28,410 | $32,800 | $46,790 |
| Wichita Falls, TX | $27,110 | $33,650 | $40,750 |
Source: Nursing Assistants, Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Data based on national numbers, not school-specific information.
| Area | Curr. Jobs | Proj. Jobs | New Jobs | Growth % | Avg. Ann. Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 1,361,300 | 1,417,800 | 56,500 | 4.20% | 202,400 |
| Texas | 82,400 | 93,150 | 10,750 | 13.00% | 13,500 |
Source: Projections Central
Data based on national numbers, not school-specific information.
