How to Become a CNA in Texas
To work as a certified nursing assistant in Texas, you finish a state-approved training program of 100 hours, pass the competency exam given by Prometric, and get listed on the state nurse aide registry. Texas does not post a current list of approved programs online, so check a program's state approval before you pay; 21 colleges here report a CNA program to the U.S. Department of Education.
Updated October 2026 · Sources: Texas Health and Human Services Commission (NATCEP), 26 Tex. Admin. Code 556.3, IPEDS 2023–24, BLS May 2025
- Training required
- 100 hr40 clinical
- Colleges with CNA programs
- 21IPEDS 2023–24
- Lowest college price
- $800median $1,503, 6 colleges
- Texas median pay
- $37,500$18.03/hr · BLS May 2025
Step 1: Choose a state-approved program
Only a nurse aide training program approved by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (NATCEP) qualifies you for the exam. Texas does not post a current approved-program list online (the state page was taken down when we checked in October 2026), so ask each program for its state approval in writing. The 21 colleges that report a CNA program to the U.S. Department of Education are listed with costs here; programs run by nursing homes and private schools are not in that federal data.
Biggest Texas metro areas for CNA training
Step 2: Complete 100 hours of training
Texas requires 100 hours: 60 classroom and 40 clinical, including 16 introductory classroom hours and 8 hours of infection control before any resident contact. Source: 26 Tex. Admin. Code 556.3. That is 25 hours more than the federal minimum of 75.
The 60 classroom hours can be taken through HHSC's free online computer-based training (CBT) within the 12 months before clinical training; programs must accept it in place of their own classroom hours (26 TAC 556.3(o), (r)). More: online CNA classes.
What college CNA programs charge in Texas
6 colleges report a CNA program price to the U.S. Department of Education: $800 to $14,372, median $1,503 for tuition plus books and supplies (IPEDS 2023–24).
| College (lowest prices) | City | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Rio Grande Valley College | Pharr | $800 |
| CTK Healthcare & Career Institute | Irving | $804 |
| Arlington Career Institute | Arlington | $995 |
| Texas Health School | Houston | $2,011 |
| Institute of Allied Healthcare | San Antonio | $5,600 |
Price = tuition plus books and supplies, self-reported by colleges for 2023–24. Exam and background-check fees are extra.
Step 3: Pass the Texas competency exam
The exam has a written (or oral) part and a hands-on skills part, given by Prometric.
Step 4: Get listed on the registry
After you pass, you are added to the Texas nurse aide registry, kept by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (NATCEP). Employers check it before hiring, and anyone can look up a CNA license for free. Under federal rules, if you go 24 months in a row without paid nursing-related work, you must retrain or retest.
Step 5: Find a job
88,680 nursing assistants work in Texas. The median earns $37,500 a year; the top 10% earn $47,500 or more (BLS May 2025). See Texas CNA pay by metro area.
CNA requirements by state
| State | Training hours | Clinical | Exam | Programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 160 | 100 | D&SDT-Headmaster, Credentia, or the Regional Testing Center | 592 |
| Colorado | 75+ | 16 | Credentia (NNAAP) | state list |
| Florida | 120 | 40 | Prometric | 201 |
| Georgia | 85 | 24 | Credentia (NNAAP) | 335 |
| Illinois | 120 | 40 | Southern Illinois University Carbondale (INACE) | 395 |
| Massachusetts | 75+ | — | D&S Diversified Technologies (Headmaster) | 109 |
| Michigan | 75 | 16 | D&S Diversified Technologies (Headmaster) | 222 |
| Missouri | 175+ | 100 | D&S Diversified Technologies (Headmaster) | not checked |
| New Jersey | 90 | 40 | PSI and D&SDT-Headmaster | 158 |
| New York | 100 | 30 | Prometric | 196 |
| North Carolina | 75+ | — | Credentia (NNAAP) | 247 |
| Ohio | 75+ | 16 | D&S Diversified Technologies (Headmaster) | not published |
| Pennsylvania | 80 | 37.5 | Credentia (NNAAP) | 182 |
| Texas | 100 | 40 | Prometric | not published |
| Virginia | 140+ | 40 | Credentia (NNAAP) | 220 |
| Washington | 108+ | 40 | Credentia | 170 |
| Wisconsin | 75+ | 16 | D&S Diversified Technologies (Headmaster) | not checked |
Becoming a CNA in Texas: FAQ
How many hours of training does a CNA need in Texas?
Texas requires 100 hours: 60 classroom and 40 clinical, including 16 introductory classroom hours and 8 hours of infection control before any resident contact (26 Tex. Admin. Code 556.3). The federal minimum is 75 hours, 16 of them supervised clinical.
Who runs the Texas CNA exam?
The Texas competency exam (a written or oral test plus a skills test) is given by Prometric.
How much does CNA training cost in Texas?
Among 6 Texas colleges that report a CNA program price to the U.S. Department of Education, tuition plus books and supplies ranges from $800 to $14,372 (median $1,503, IPEDS 2023–24). Programs run by nursing homes and private schools are not in that data; ask them directly.
Is there a list of state-approved CNA programs in Texas?
As of October 2026, Texas does not post a current list of approved nurse aide training programs online. Only approved programs qualify you for the Prometric exam, so ask any program for its state approval before you enroll. 21 colleges in Texas report a CNA program to the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS 2023–24); they are listed on this page.
Can I do the Texas CNA classroom hours online?
The 60 classroom hours can be taken through HHSC's free online computer-based training (CBT) within the 12 months before clinical training; programs must accept it in place of their own classroom hours (26 TAC 556.3(o), (r)).
How do I look up a CNA license in Texas?
Use the free Texas nurse aide registry search, run by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (NATCEP). It shows whether a certificate is active. The link is in the rules box on this page.
How much do CNAs make in Texas?
The median Texas nursing assistant earned $37,500 a year ($18.03 an hour) in BLS May 2025 data, below the U.S. median of $42,260. The middle half earned $35,300 to $43,070.