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CNA Classes in New Jersey: 122 Programs from $989 (2026)

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CNA Classes in New Jersey: Programs, Costs, and State Requirements

Published June 18, 2026 · Last updated June 18, 2026

New Jersey gives you real choice: 122 state-approved CNA programs spread across 70 cities, which ranks the state #21 of 50 by program count. From East Orange and Newark to Camden and Vineland, you are rarely far from a classroom. Every approved program meets the same New Jersey requirement of at least 90 training hours, above the 75-hour federal minimum, and sits for the same PSI exam. Here is how to find the program that fits your budget, schedule, and city.

Sourced from New Jersey NJDOH registrySourced from NJDOHBLS salary dataBLS dataLast verified Jun 18, 2026Verified Jun 18
Illustration of a certified nursing assistant caring for an elderly patient, CNA classes in New Jersey

AT A GLANCE

Your New Jersey CNA path

Four steps from interest to certification. Most students complete this in 6–8 weeks.

  1. Step 1.Complete 90 hours of approved training.
  2. Step 2.Finish 40 supervised clinical hours.
  3. Step 3.Pass the PSI written and skills exam.
  4. Step 4.Get listed with the New Jersey Nurse Aide Registry.
See the full How to Become guide →

Key numbers before you compare programs

Typical program length
4–8 weeks
Typical paid program cost
$989–$4,000
Average CNA salary
$46,830/yr (BLS, May 2025)
Reciprocity accepted
Yes, from all states

All 122 state-approved New Jersey CNA programs

Sort by cost, length, format, or city. Filter with the chips above the table. Click any row to expand full address, phone, clinical site, and next cohort.

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How this list works. Every program below is state-approved by the New Jersey Nurse Aide Registry (NJ NJDOH). Cost, length, and format come directly from each program’s published materials. Blanks (“N/A”) mean the program hasn’t published that detail yet. Programs with a linked name have a verified profile we maintain. Last verified June 18, 2026.
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Showing 1–25 of 122
ProgramCityFormatLengthTotal CostSponsored

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Showing 1–25 of 122

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Fastest CNA programs in New Jersey

The quickest CNA programs in New Jersey finish in about 4 weeks, like Compassionate Care Institute of NJ in Woodbury, while the longest published timelines, such as Salem County Vocational and Technical School in Woodstown, run to 8 weeks. Because New Jersey requires at least 90 training hours either way, a 4-week program is not a shortcut around the coursework. It packs the same required hours into longer days, so speed here means intensity, not less material.

ProgramCityLengthTotal CostSponsored

Schedules verified June 18, 2026, sourced from each program’s published calendar.

Is a 4-week CNA program in New Jersey long enough?

A 4-week program at Compassionate Care Institute of NJ and an 8-week program at Salem County Vocational cover the same New Jersey requirement: at least 90 training hours, including 40 clinical, and the same PSI exam. The difference is pace, not content. The fast track compresses those required hours into longer days and a heavier week.

That intensity fits some students and not others. If you can train full-time, an accelerated New Jersey program gets you to the exam sooner. If you are working or raising kids, a longer schedule like Salem County’s spreads the same required hours into a load you can actually carry week to week.

Pay attention to the clinical piece. The 40 clinical hours happen in person at a partner facility. Before you commit to a fast program, confirm the clinical days fit your week, because a packed weekday clinical block is the part most likely to collide with a job.

One New Jersey quirk: many New Jersey listings show “Contact school” instead of a fixed number of weeks. When a program will not state a length up front, anchor your planning on the 90-hour requirement and ask directly how those hours are scheduled.

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Online, hybrid, weekend & evening CNA programs in New Jersey

If your days are already full, New Jersey still has options that bend to your schedule. Evening sections are the main flexible format in the directory, letting you handle classroom theory after work instead of quitting a job to train. What no New Jersey program offers is a fully online CNA certificate, because the skills lab and the 40 clinical hours have to be completed in person at a real facility. The flexible part is when and where you do the coursework, not whether you ever show up in person. Read “online classes” as online or hybrid coursework, never a fully online path.

ProgramCityFormatLengthTotal CostSponsored

Format and schedule options verified June 18, 2026. Confirm current online, hybrid, evening, and weekend availability with each program.

Which flexible format is right for working adults?

Here is what flexibility honestly looks like for a New Jersey program. Schools like New Life Healthcare Academy in Trenton or Essex County College in Newark can run lecture and theory in the evening, and a few programs offer a hybrid format. The classroom half is where the schedule can flex.

The hands-on half does not. The skills lab and the 40 clinical hours always meet in person, because you cannot learn to transfer a patient or take a blood pressure through a screen. So when a New Jersey program advertises online classes, read it as online or hybrid coursework paired with in-person clinicals, not a fully online certificate. You will still report to a campus and a clinical site.

For a working student in New Jersey, the practical win is scheduling: evening classes meet outside standard daytime hours, so the classroom theory happens after the workday. Ask each program two specific questions before you enroll: which parts of the course are online or self-paced, and exactly when the skills lab and clinical sessions meet each week.

If you want to map the full certification path before picking a format, our How To Become A CNA New Jersey guide walks through every step in order.

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Cheapest CNA programs in New Jersey

The lowest-priced state-approved CNA program in New Jersey is Camden County College @ ManorCare in Sewell, at $989, and 26 programs publish a verified cost. Eight of them land at or below $1,400, mostly community and county colleges. The full published range runs from that $989 floor up to about $4,000. Price is a real filter, but it is not the only thing that decides whether a program is worth your time.

ProgramCityLengthTotal CostSponsored

Costs verified June 18, 2026, sourced from each program’s published tuition materials.

Is the cheapest CNA program always the best value in New Jersey?

Camden County College @ ManorCare in Sewell charges $989; Health Care Training Institute in Union runs about $2,491, and the top of New Jersey’s published range reaches roughly $4,000. Every one of them has to clear the same New Jersey standard: at least 90 training hours, including 40 clinical hours, and the same PSI exam. A lower price does not buy you a lighter certificate.

What the higher price often buys is everything around the hours. A county or community college like Camden County College tends to post the lowest tuition, but its class times follow the college calendar. A pricier private institute may run more start dates or evening sections, which is worth paying for when your work hours leave you few openings.

Read what each price includes before you compare. Some New Jersey programs fold extra costs into tuition while a cheaper one bills them on the side, so extra costs like books, supplies, and the exam fee can apply. Ask each program for the all-in figure, because the lowest sticker price is not always the lowest total.

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Free & employer-sponsored CNA training in New Jersey

Here is the honest picture: New Jersey’s approved-program directory shows no free or $0 CNA programs, and no employer-sponsored ones either. Plan to pay tuition. The lowest cost is $989 at Camden County College @ ManorCare in Sewell. There is still one channel that can put some of that money back in your pocket after you certify.

Government-funded & scholarship-eligible programs

Funding sourceEligible programsEligibility notesApply
Long-term care facility NATCEP fee reimbursementApply →

NATCEP reimbursement comes from the nursing facility that hires you, so it is tied to that job. Confirm the terms in writing before you enroll, and keep every receipt.

What’s the catch with free CNA training in New Jersey?

Because no free or $0 program appears in New Jersey’s directory, the realistic move is to pick an affordable paid program, starting from the $989 floor at Camden County College @ ManorCare, and then recover part of the cost afterward. The state’s funding directory points to one specific channel for that.

It is long-term care facility NATCEP fee reimbursement. The arrangement works after the fact: if you complete your certification and then go to work at a participating Medicaid-certified nursing facility, that facility may reimburse your training costs. It is reimbursement, not free training up front, so you still pay tuition first and get repaid later if you qualify.

That makes it most useful if you already plan to work in a skilled nursing facility. When you interview, ask the employer directly whether they offer NATCEP fee reimbursement and what the timeline and conditions are, rather than assuming it applies. New Jersey publishes the rules in its NATCEP navigation guide through the Department of Health.

If a nursing-home job is not your plan, treat the $989 floor and the eight programs at or below $1,400 as your most affordable route, and budget for the exam and supplies on top. Comparing two or three of those low-cost county and community college options side by side is usually the fastest way to find the most affordable fit for your situation.

CNA salary in New Jersey

BLS wage data for New Jersey and its top 3 metros.

CNAs in New Jersey earn a median of $22.52 an hour, about $46,830 a year, according to BLS OEWS data. That is roughly 11.4% above the national median of $20.21, and it ranks New Jersey #9 of 50 states for CNA pay. For an entry-level healthcare role you can train for in a matter of weeks, that is a genuine advantage worth weighing as you decide where and how to start.

Entry-level (10th)
$18.70/hr
$38,896/yr
Median (50th)
$22.52/hr
$46,830/yr
Top end (90th)
$26.51/hr
$55,141/yr

Pay by setting in New Jersey

SettingMedian hourlyNotes
Hospitals$23.65/hrEstimated from the state wage distribution
Skilled nursing / SNF$22.52/hrEstimated
Assisted living / residential$20.94/hrEstimated

Setting figures are estimated from the verified New Jersey wage distribution (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (Nursing Assistants, 31-1131), New Jersey, May 2025); actual pay varies by employer.

That single median hides a real spread in New Jersey. The 10th percentile sits at $18.70 an hour and the 90th percentile reaches $26.51, so where you land inside that band matters. Setting is a big part of it: New Jersey hospitals pay a median of about $23.65 an hour, skilled nursing facilities sit near the $22.52 state median, and assisted living and residential care run closer to $20.94. If the top of that range is your target, the hospital setting is where New Jersey’s numbers run highest. Use the by-setting breakdown below to see how the pay shifts across the places you might work.

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), occupation 31-1131. Cost-of-living differential: Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (2024).

NEXT STEP

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New Jersey SNAPSHOT

What makes CNA training in New Jersey different

State-specific context (hours, exam vendor, and funding density) now that you’ve seen the options.

TRAINING HOURS

90-hour minimum

New Jersey requires at least 90 training hours, including 40 clinical, above the 75-hour federal minimum.

EXAM VENDOR

PSI, English or Spanish

A 60-question written or oral exam plus a hands-on skills evaluation, offered in English and Spanish.

MEDIAN PAY

$22.52/hr, #9 of 50

New Jersey CNA pay runs 11.4% above the national median, ninth among all states.

122 programs, 70 cities
Above-floor training
#9 of 50 CNA pay

At least 90 hours, above the federal floor

New Jersey sets its CNA training minimum at 90 hours, which is 1.2 times the 75-hour federal floor under OBRA '87 (42 CFR 483.152). Of that, 40 hours are clinical, 2.5 times the 16-hour federal clinical minimum. Programs can run longer, but none drop below that 90-hour line, and every candidate sits for the same PSI exam. The figure is a floor, not the length of every course.

PSI runs the exam in English and Spanish

New Jersey uses PSI for the NJ Certified Nurse Aide exam. It has two parts: a 60-question written or oral test and a hands-on skills evaluation where you perform nursing tasks for an evaluator. The exam is offered in both English and Spanish. You schedule it through PSI once your program confirms you have met the required hours.

Wide program map, #9 of 50 pay

New Jersey's 122 programs reach 70 cities, from Newark and Jersey City to Camden and Vineland, so you can often train close to home. That breadth pairs with pay that ranks #9 of 50, a $22.52 median. Across settings, New Jersey hospitals post the highest median at about $23.65 an hour, while assisted living runs nearer $20.94.

Bottom line for New Jersey students

New Jersey gives you wide program choice across 70 cities, an above-floor training minimum, and #9 of 50 CNA pay, so focus on the schedule and the city that fit your life.

CNA classes by city in New Jersey

CNA programs reach 70 New Jersey cities, so you can usually train close to home. East Orange leads with seven programs, followed by Elizabeth with six, then Paterson and Union with five each, ahead of Camden, Vineland, Newark, and Trenton. Here is the city-by-city breakdown.

Top 10 New Jersey metros by program count

  • East Orange7 programs
  • Elizabeth6 programs
  • Paterson5 programs
  • Union5 programs
  • Camden4 programs
  • Vineland4 programs
  • Newark4 programs
  • Trenton4 programs
  • Sewell3 programs
  • Jersey City3 programs

New Jersey Nurse Aide Registry: contacts & reference

The New Jersey Nurse Aide Registry, run by the New Jersey Department of Health, holds your certification and handles renewal every 24 months. Reach them with the contact details below.

Managing agencyNew Jersey Department of Health
Phone(877) 774-4243
Websitenjna.psiexams.com
Typical processingN/A
Renewal windowEvery 24 months
Fee structureRecertification fee is $30. Initial registry placement fee not published.

Always verify with the registry directly before enrolling. Approved-program lists update periodically.

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers to what New Jersey CNA candidates ask most about transfers, renewal, and the exam. For anything specific to your case, the New Jersey Nurse Aide Registry has the current rules.

Can I transfer my CNA license to New Jersey?
Yes. New Jersey accepts CNA reciprocity from all states. You apply to the New Jersey Nurse Aide Registry, run by the New Jersey Department of Health, to bring your certification in. For the exact documents and conditions, confirm the current transfer checklist directly with the New Jersey Nurse Aide Registry before you apply.
Can I renew my CNA license online in NJ?
New Jersey CNA certification renews every 24 months through the New Jersey Nurse Aide Registry. Whether that renewal can be submitted online, and exactly what it requires, is set by the registry, so check the official portal at njna.psiexams.com for the current renewal method before your expiration date.
How to get reciprocity in New Jersey?
New Jersey grants CNA reciprocity from all states. You request it through the New Jersey Nurse Aide Registry, which is run by the New Jersey Department of Health. For the specific application steps, verify the current reciprocity process with the registry at njna.psiexams.com before you start.
What do I need to transfer an out of state license to NJ?
New Jersey accepts CNA reciprocity from all states. The New Jersey Nurse Aide Registry, under the New Jersey Department of Health, sets the exact requirements, so contact the registry at njna.psiexams.com for the current transfer checklist before you apply.
Can you be a CNA with a felony in New Jersey?
Our verified New Jersey data does not publish a list of disqualifying offenses, so the felony question is one for the registry. The New Jersey Nurse Aide Registry and the New Jersey Department of Health make that determination, so verify your situation with the registry at njna.psiexams.com before you enroll and pay tuition.
How many questions are on the CNA exam in NJ?
The written portion of the New Jersey Certified Nurse Aide exam has 60 questions. PSI administers it as a 60-question written or oral test, and you also complete a separate hands-on skills evaluation. The exam is offered in both English and Spanish.
How much is the CNA exam in NJ?
New Jersey does not publish a single combined exam fee, and PSI sets the testing cost. For the current price, verify directly with PSI at psiexams.com before you schedule. Budget for the exam on top of program tuition, which starts at $989 for the cheapest New Jersey program.
How much does it cost to renew a CNA license in NJ?
The recertification fee for the New Jersey Nurse Aide Registry is $30, and renewal happens every 24 months. For any additional requirements tied to renewal, confirm the current rules with the New Jersey Department of Health registry at njna.psiexams.com before your renewal date.
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