Rasmussen opens Orlando campus with new LPN program to expand nursing pipeline

Rasmussen opens Orlando campus to widen nursing entry points

American Public Education’s Rasmussen University is opening a new campus in Orlando, expanding its Florida footprint and adding an entry-level pathway into nursing that the company says responds to regional workforce needs. The two-story site at 8541 Southpark Circle is Rasmussen’s sixth campus in the Florida market and introduces the Practical Nursing Diploma (LPN) to Orlando for the first time, alongside existing Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) programs. Enrollment is underway and classes begin in April 2026.

The campus is purpose-built for hands-on clinical training, with nursing skills and simulation labs, collaborative classrooms, faculty and student engagement spaces, modern technology and realistic clinical tools. Rasmussen emphasizes experiential instruction, team-based lab exercises and faculty-led debriefs designed to accelerate workforce entry and licensure readiness for LPN, ADN and BSN graduates. Company leaders say the site increases capacity for practical, entry-level nursing training that can feed local long-term care, clinic and hospital staffing pipelines.

Angela Selden, American Public Education’s chief executive officer, says expanding in Orlando and launching the LPN pathway creates new entry points into nursing amid pronounced healthcare staffing challenges. Mark Arnold, president of Rasmussen University, says the campus will serve students across Orange, Osceola and surrounding counties and strengthen local capacity alongside Rasmussen’s North Orlando and Ocala campuses. Rasmussen has served Central Florida since 2007 and positions the new facility as an investment in preparing students for today’s clinical environments.

Infrastructure investment and market strategy

Company executives frame the Orlando campus as part of a broader growth phase for APEI’s healthcare division, positioning education infrastructure as a tool to expand access to affordable, career-focused nursing education. The new site complements existing campuses in the region and is pitched as a faster route to workforce entry for students seeking practical and professional nursing credentials.

Addressing regional staffing shortfalls

Rasmussen presents the campus as a direct response to rising patient demand and staffing gaps in hospitals, clinics and long-term care providers. By introducing a local LPN pathway and bolstering ADN and BSN capacity, the university aims to increase the supply of licensure-ready nurses available to Central Florida employers.