| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Private, for-profit career college; campus-based, with hybrid coursework in three health programs |
| Campuses | 2, both in Louisiana: Hammond (main) and a Slidell extension campus |
| Credentials | Clock-hour certificates only (5 programs) |
| Program length | 100 clock hours (Nurse Aide) to 1,692 clock hours, about 18 months (Practical Nurse) |
| Schedule | Daytime only; no evening classes |
| Accreditation | Council on Occupational Education since 2005; next review 2029 |
| Federal aid | Yes: Pell Grants and Direct Loans |
| Students | 194 in fall 2024, all full-time |
| Founded | 1997, in Hammond |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
Compass Career College: health and beauty certificates in Hammond and Slidell
Compass Career College is a private career school founded in Hammond, Louisiana, in 1997. It teaches five clock-hour certificate programs: four in health care (practical nursing, nurse aide, medical assisting, and medical billing and coding) and one in cosmetology. The health programs are taught at the Hammond campus; cosmetology is also taught at an extension campus in Slidell. It awards no degrees. Classes run on weekdays during the day only, and the practical nursing, medical assistant and medical billing and coding programs use hybrid delivery. Enrollment was 194 in fall 2024, all full-time and 97% women.
Five certificate programs
Every program is a certificate counted in clock hours. Costs are the 2025-26 totals for tuition, fees, books and supplies reported to IPEDS; the school charges one price per program, with no in-state or out-of-state rates.
| Program | Credential | Length and hands-on part | Where and when | Prepares for | 2025-26 cost with books |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practical Nurse | Certificate, 1,692 clock hours | About 18 months; 856 clinical hours | Hammond; Mon–Thu 8:30–3:30, hybrid | NCLEX-PN (LPN licence) | $31,770 |
| Nurse Aide Training | Certificate, 100 clock hours | 50 clinical hours | Hammond; Mon–Thu 8:30–1:45, in person | Louisiana Nurse Aide Competency Exam (Prometric) | $1,500 |
| Medical Assistant | Certificate, 800 clock hours | 200-hour externship | Hammond; Mon–Thu 8:30–1:45, hybrid | NRCMA, NRCPT, NRCEKG (NAHP); nurse aide exam | $11,600 |
| Medical Billing and Coding | Certificate, 800 clock hours | 200-hour externship | Hammond; Mon–Thu 8:30–1:45, hybrid | NRCCS (NAHP) | $11,640 |
| Cosmetology | Certificate, 1,500 clock hours | About 13 months on average | Hammond and Slidell; Mon–Fri 9–4, in person | Louisiana State Board of Cosmetology exams | $21,668 |
Practical Nurse is approved by the Louisiana State Board of Practical Nurse Examiners. The school also reports to the Louisiana Department of Health for nurse aide training and to the Louisiana State Board of Cosmetology. We found no programmatic accreditation for the medical assistant or billing and coding programs.
What the main programs cover
Practical Nurse
The 1,692-hour program takes about 18 months and prepares students for the NCLEX-PN and a Louisiana practical nurse licence. Courses include Anatomy and Physiology I and II, Foundations of Nursing I and II, Pharmacology I and II, three levels of Medical-Surgical Nursing, Maternal-Infant and Pediatric Nursing, Mental Health and Nutrition, and nurse aide training is built in. Students complete 856 hours of supervised clinical practice. Classes meet Monday to Thursday, 8:30 to 3:30, varying with clinicals. Applicants need a high-school transcript or equivalent, a qualifying entrance-test score, immunizations and a state background check, and seats are limited.
Nurse Aide Training
At 100 clock hours, this is the school’s shortest program. It includes 50 hours of clinical practice in a long-term care facility and Basic Life Support certification, and classes meet in person Monday to Thursday from 8:30 to 1:45. Graduates take the Louisiana Nurse Aide Competency Exam, given by Prometric, to be placed on the state nurse aide registry. Nurse aide training is also built into the Practical Nurse and Medical Assistant programs.
Medical Assistant
The 800-hour program combines clinical and office skills: Medical Assistant Foundations, Phlebotomy I and II, EKG and Clinical Procedures, Pharmacology, Medical Office Administration, nurse aide training and American Heart Association Basic Life Support. It includes a 200-hour externship. Students can sit NAHP’s exams for the NRCMA (medical assistant), NRCPT (phlebotomy) and NRCEKG (EKG), plus the state nurse aide exam. Coursework is hybrid, and campus classes meet Monday to Thursday from 8:30 to 1:45.
Medical Billing and Coding
This 800-hour program teaches ICD-10, CPT and HCPCS coding, CMS-1500 claim forms, appeals and the revenue cycle, along with medical terminology and anatomy and physiology. Students practise in SimChart, a training electronic health record, and complete a 200-hour externship. The program prepares for NAHP’s NRCCS (coding specialist) exam. Coursework is hybrid, and campus classes meet Monday to Thursday from 8:30 to 1:45.
Cosmetology
The 1,500-hour program covers hair design, esthetics and skin care, nail technology, makeup, sanitation and salon management. Students practise on clients in the student salon at Hammond, which is open to the public. Classes are in person Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 4:00, and IPEDS puts average completion at about 13 months. Graduates take the Louisiana State Board of Cosmetology theory and practical exams; the board’s licensing fee is paid by a $10 money order. It is the only program taught at both campuses.
Cost and paying for it
We could not find 2026-27 prices: the school’s web pages show no program prices, and IPEDS has not yet posted them. The latest figures are the 2025-26 totals in the programs table, which College Navigator splits into tuition and fees plus books and supplies. Practical Nurse, for example, is $30,015 in tuition and fees plus $1,755 for books and supplies. Cosmetology tuition rose from $16,438 in 2024-25 to $19,758 in 2025-26, about 20%.
On top of tuition, the school charges a $20 application fee, a $100 registration fee and $20 for a transcript. Niche puts the average net price at $12,019 a year, based on federal data.
Compass takes federal Pell Grants and Direct Loans; 240 students (82%) received Pell Grants in 2023-24. It also accepts Louisiana’s TOPS Tech award, the M.J. Foster Promise Program and WIOA funding. The school has a veterans point of contact and posts Department of Veterans Affairs benefit forms, though no students used the Post-9/11 GI Bill in 2023-24. The three-year loan default rate was 0.0% for the 2021 cohort. There is no campus housing.
Admissions and schedule
Admission is open, with a $20 application fee for every program. Practical Nurse is the exception: it requires an entrance placement test, health certification and immunizations, a state background check and a state-board application, enrollment is limited, and acceptance can be conditional.
All classes are held during the day. The school’s FAQ says no program currently has a night option. Nurse Aide, Medical Assistant and Medical Billing and Coding meet Monday to Thursday from 8:30 to 1:45, Practical Nurse Monday to Thursday from 8:30 to 3:30, and Cosmetology Monday to Friday from 9 to 4.
Upcoming starts listed by the school: Cosmetology on 26 October 2026 at Hammond and 7 December 2026 at Slidell; Nurse Aide on 2 November; Medical Assistant and Medical Billing and Coding on 30 November; and Practical Nurse on 2 December 2026.
Accreditation and results
Compass Career College has been accredited by the Council on Occupational Education, a national accreditor, since 20 September 2005, and its next review date is 31 December 2029, according to College Navigator. It is licensed by the Louisiana Board of Regents, and the Proprietary Schools Advisory Commission renewed the licence in January 2025.
Practical nursing graduates of the Hammond campus passed the NCLEX-PN on the first attempt at a 100% rate in 2025 (12 of 12, counted by completion date), per the Louisiana State Board of Practical Nurse Examiners, and at 76.9% in 2024 (10 of 13), per the board’s 2024 report.
The school publishes its own completion, placement and licensure rates for the 2023-24 aid year on its consumer information page:
| Program | Completion | Placement | Licensure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practical Nurse | 26% | 100% | 100% |
| Nurse Aide Training | 83% | 100% | 80% |
| Medical Assistant | 65% | 73% | – |
| Medical Billing and Coding | 62% | 88% | – |
| Cosmetology | 64% | 100% | 100% |
Federal figures cover the whole school: IPEDS reports that 59% of first-time, full-time students who started in 2021-22 finished within 150% of normal program time, and that 66% of students returned from fall 2023 to fall 2024.
Before you enroll
- Only 26% of Practical Nurse students completed the program in 2023-24, by the school’s own figures, even though it reports 100% placement and licensure for the program. Ask how many students in a recent class finished on time.
- The medical assistant and coding certifications the school names are NAHP’s NRCMA and NRCCS. The school does not name the CMA, RMA, CPC or CCS, so check which credential employers you are aiming for ask for.
- There are no evening classes, and every published schedule is on weekdays: students need to be free Monday to Thursday from 8:30 to 1:45 (allied health) or 3:30 (Practical Nurse), or Monday to Friday from 9 to 4 (cosmetology).
- Only cosmetology is confirmed at Slidell. The nursing and allied health programs are scheduled at Hammond.
- We found no 2026-27 prices. Cosmetology tuition rose about 20% for 2025-26, so get a written cost sheet before you sign.
Two campuses: what each teaches
| Campus | Address | Programs |
|---|---|---|
| Hammond (main) | 42353 Deluxe Plaza, Suite 16, Hammond, LA 70403 | Practical Nurse, Nurse Aide Training, Medical Assistant, Medical Billing and Coding, Cosmetology |
| Slidell (extension) | 710 Brownswitch Rd, Suites 2-6, Slidell, LA 70458 | Cosmetology |
Hammond is the main campus and runs all five programs. Slidell is an extension campus; the school’s health program pages show its address but say programs vary by location.
Clinicals, externships and the student salon
The school arranges the Practical Nurse clinical rotations (856 hours) and the 200-hour externships in Medical Assistant and Medical Billing and Coding; Nurse Aide Training includes 50 clinical hours in long-term care. Cosmetology students work on clients in the student salon. The school does not describe any other career service, and it states that completing a program does not guarantee employment.
Facts checked October 2026.
Programs & Courses
Nursing
- Practical Nurse (certificate, 1,692 clock hours)
Allied Health
- Nurse Aide Training (certificate, 100 clock hours)
- Medical Assistant (certificate, 800 clock hours)
- Medical Billing and Coding (certificate, 800 clock hours)
Cosmetology
- Cosmetology (certificate, 1,500 clock hours; Hammond and Slidell)
Campus Locations
Hammond, LA 42353 Deluxe Plaza, Suite 16, Hammond, LA 70403
Slidell, LA 710 Brownswitch Rd, Suites 2-6, Slidell, LA 70458