Louisiana — The Pelican State
Infinity College in Lafayette offers a 2-week accelerated hybrid CNA program. Sowela Technical Community College in Lake Charles can certify you in as little as 3 weeks. Louisiana lets nurse aide trainees work for up to 120 days while completing training — you can start earning almost immediately.
Louisiana has some of the shortest CNA programs in the country. Infinity College in Lafayette runs a 2-week accelerated hybrid program combining online coursework with an in-person externship, and Sowela Technical Community College in Lake Charles can get motivated students certified in as little as 3 weeks. Saint Agatha Career School in New Orleans completes its 80-hour program — 40 classroom, 40 clinical — in under a month.
Louisiana requires a minimum of 80 training hours (40 hours classroom instruction plus 40 hours supervised clinical practice), with at least 16 classroom hours completed before any hands-on patient contact. The state does not allow fully online CNA certification — all clinical skills and hands-on training must happen in person at an LDH-approved site, so be cautious of any program advertising 100% online certification. The competency exam is administered by Prometric (as of July 2018): a 75-question written test (or 60-question oral version plus a 15-item reading comprehension test) and a 5-skill practical evaluation.
Use our verified school locator below to instantly find LDH-approved NATCEP programs starting near your zip code — from New Orleans and Baton Rouge to Lafayette, Shreveport, and beyond.
Speed comparison
Louisiana's 80-hour minimum and 120-day trainee work window give you real speed advantages. From Infinity College's 2-week hybrid track to community college options, here are Louisiana's fastest programs ranked by speed.
| Program / School | Location | Speed | Cost | What Makes It Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infinity College | Lafayette | ⚡ 2 weeks (fastest in LA) | Contact for tuition | Hybrid: online coursework plus in-person externship. Designed for students balancing work or family responsibilities. |
| Sowela Technical Community College | Lake Charles | 3 weeks | Scholarships available | Classroom lectures plus clinical training. Perfect attendance required due to the accelerated timeline. Extensive scholarship opportunities. |
| Saint Agatha Career School | New Orleans | < 1 month | Contact for tuition | 80-hour DHH-approved program: 40 classroom + 40 supervised clinical hours. |
| Delgado Community College | New Orleans | One semester | Community college rates | Three certificate cohorts run per year. Classroom plus on-the-job practice; automatically eligible for the state exam upon completion. |
| New Orleans Job Corps Center | New Orleans | Free residential program | FREE — federal program | Free residential education and job training for eligible young adults. Includes housing support. |
| Employer-Sponsored Nurse Aide Trainee Programs | Statewide | Work while you train — up to 120 days | Often free with work commitment | Louisiana allows trainees to work for up to 120 days while completing training — start earning almost immediately. |
Louisiana allows nurse aide trainees to work in a facility for up to 120 days while they complete their required training and certification. Combined with a 2-to-3-week accelerated program like Infinity College or Sowela, this means you could realistically be earning a paycheck within weeks of starting — one of the fastest zero-to-income timelines of any state on this list.
Louisiana law requires at least 40 hours of in-person clinical practice at an LDH-approved site — there is no way around this. If you see an ad promising "2-week online CNA classes Louisiana" with no mention of clinical hours, it's likely an out-of-state program, continuing education credits only, or inaccurate advertising. Always verify a program against the LDH-approved training list before paying any fees.
2026 salary data
Louisiana CNAs earn a median of $30,240–$31,700/year ($14.54–$15.32/hr) — among the lowest nursing assistant wages in the country, roughly $9,000 below the national median. Shreveport-Bossier City stands out with top earners reaching $40,000, well above the state average.
| City / Area | Avg Hourly | Avg Annual | Key Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans | $14–$17/hr | ~$28,670–$34,731 | Multiple training pipelines including Job Corps and Delgado Community College. Consistent CNA demand. |
| Baton Rouge | $14–$16/hr | ~$29,120–$33,280 | State capital region with steady hospital and long-term care demand. |
| Lafayette | $14–$16/hr | ~$29,120–$33,280 | Home to Infinity College's 2-week accelerated program — fastest track in the state. |
| Shreveport-Bossier City | $16–$19/hr | Top earners ~$40,000 | Highest-paying metro area in Louisiana for experienced CNAs. |
| Statewide median (BLS) | $14.54/hr | ~$30,240 | 34,500+ Nursing Assistants employed statewide as of May 2024. |
Sources: BLS OES May 2024, CNAClasses.com Louisiana (2026), Dreambound.com. Louisiana's lower cost of living partially offsets its below-average CNA wages. Actual pay varies by facility, shift, and experience.
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Your next step
Louisiana LPN programs are widely available through technical and community colleges statewide. Because Louisiana is a full NLC compact state, an LPN license earned here carries multistate practice privileges across 43 jurisdictions — a meaningful advantage if you plan to relocate or travel nurse later in your career.
80 hours minimum (40 classroom + 40 clinical). Prometric exam. Louisiana Nurse Aide Registry (LA NAR). As fast as 2 weeks at Infinity College. Trainees can work up to 120 days while training.
Louisiana technical community colleges statewide (LCTCS system). ~12 months. Louisiana's NLC membership means multistate practice rights on graduation.
LSU Health, Southern University, Our Lady of the Lake College, and numerous ADN bridge programs statewide. Louisiana's compact license carries across 43 NLC jurisdictions.
For moms in Louisiana