An apparatus for low density parity check decoding includes a variable node processor operable to generate variable node to check node messages and to calculate perceived values based on check node to variable node messages, a check node processor operable to generate the check node to variable node messages and to calculate checksums based on the variable node to check node messages, and a scheduler operable to determine a layer processing order for the variable node processor and the check node processor based at least in part on the number of unsatisfied parity checks for each of the H matrix layers.