Best RN to BSN Programs in the United States, Ranked (2026)

The Top 15 RN to BSN Programs Nationally

In-state tuition 55%, institutional graduation rate 45%, min-max normalized against the 290 ranked programs. A score is a position inside that cohort, not a grade.

Confirmed Completion track read on the school's own program page. True of every program in this ranking, not only these 15.

1. 1st nationally

   University of Florida

   Gainesville, FL · Public Fully online $4,477 annual in-state tuition 91% institutional graduation rate 235 degrees a year 91.8 score

   All 90 required clinical hours are built to work around a nurse who is already employed: 45 come through virtual simulation in the first semester, and the other 45 come from a population health project the student carries out in a zip code they choose near where they already live.

   The University of Florida College of Nursing runs its RN to BSN track through UF Online as a part-time, 100% online program for registered nurses who already hold an associate degree in nursing and are actively practicing. Admission requires an ASN from an ACEN-accredited program, a GPA of 2.8 or higher in all nursing (NUR) coursework from the school that awarded that degree, and an active, unencumbered Florida RN license or enhanced licensure through the Nurse Licensure Compact. Upper-division and second bachelor's applicants must also be enrolled in or have finished a set of prerequisites with a grade of C or better, including Anatomy & Physiology One and Two at 4 credits each with labs, Microbiology at 4 credits with a lab, Statistics, Human Growth and Development or Developmental Psychology, and Human Nutrition. Students must satisfy State of Florida General Education requirements as well, and anyone admitted without an AA degree takes those general education courses on top of the nursing coursework. Admissions open every spring and fall.

   The clinical requirement is 90 hours, and the page is specific about how they are earned. Forty-five hours come in the first semester through virtual simulation in NUR 3066C: Health Assessment. The other 45 come in the fourth semester through NUR 4636C: Population Health, where the student picks a zip code near their current location, travels there over the course of the semester, and builds a clinical project out of informal observations of that community. The curriculum is aimed at leadership, evidence-based practice, and information management, and the page positions the degree as a foundation for graduate-level nursing study. The program is approved by the Florida Board of Nursing, and the baccalaureate program at the UF College of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

   • 90 clinical hours
   • 100% online via UF Online
   • Active Florida RN license or eNLC required
   • 2.8 GPA in nursing coursework
   • Spring and fall admission

   Nursing accreditation on file: CCNE. DAPIP, 2026-09-10. Learn more about University of Florida's RN to BSN (opens the school's own site)
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2. 2nd nationally

   University of Florida-Online

   Gainesville, FL · Public Fully online $3,358 annual in-state tuition 85% institutional graduation rate 65 degrees a year 90.1 score

   The 90 required clinical hours are split in two halves that work differently: 45 come from virtual simulation in the first semester, and 45 come from a fourth-semester population health project the student builds around a zip code they choose near where they live.

   UF Online's RN to BSN is a part-time completion track for nurses who already hold an associate degree in nursing and are actively practicing. Coursework is 100% online and delivered entirely through UF Online, and admissions are offered every spring and fall. Applicants need an active, unencumbered Florida RN license or enhanced licensure through the Nurse Licensure Compact, an associate degree in nursing from an ACEN-accredited program, and a GPA of 2.8 or higher in all nursing (NUR) coursework. Upper-division and second bachelor's applicants must also show enrollment in or completion of a prerequisite set, each course passed with a C or better: Anatomy & Physiology One and Two at four credits each with labs, Microbiology at four credits with a lab, three credits of statistics, human nutrition, human growth and development or developmental psychology, a psychology, social psychology or sociology course, and a second science course in biology, chemistry or physics.

   The curriculum requires 90 clinical hours, split across two courses. Forty-five are earned in the first semester in NUR 3066C: Health Assessment through virtual simulation. The other 45 come in the fourth semester in NUR 4636C: Population Health, where students choose a zip code near their current location, travel there throughout the semester, and complete a clinical project drawn from their informal observations of that community. Students must also meet State of Florida General Education course requirements; anyone admitted without an AA degree, or who does not meet UF transfer admissions requirements, takes those general education courses in addition to the nursing coursework. Every admitted nursing student completes a background check, immunization verification, fingerprinting and drug screening, and must provide proof of current health insurance. The baccalaureate program is approved by the Florida Board of Nursing and accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

   • 90 clinical hours
   • 100% online
   • Florida RN license or eNLC required
   • 2.8 GPA in nursing coursework
   • Spring and fall admission

   Learn more about University of Florida-Online's RN to BSN (opens the school's own site)
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3. 3rd nationally

   Cox College

   Springfield, MO · Private nonprofit Online $11,772 annual in-state tuition 100% institutional graduation rate 145 degrees a year 88.3 score

   Cox College pairs the completion track with a bridge option that lets students take MSN courses as part of the bachelor's, and CoxHealth employees can apply for RN-BSN tuition assistance of up to $12,500.

   Cox College's RN to BSN program is built for registered nurses who already hold a regionally accredited diploma or an associate degree in nursing. The degree totals 120 credit hours, 70 of which are awarded for that prior nursing credential, leaving 50 hours to complete: 21 in general education and 29 in nursing. Nursing courses run in eight-week blocks and can be taken part-time or full-time, and the college says students can earn the BSN almost completely online. There are no admission deadlines, so an RN can start whenever the timing works.

   General education requirements do not have to be finished before a student begins, and the list includes pathophysiology, expository writing, statistics, life span development, and a global awareness and cultural diversity course. The nursing sequence covers informatics, health assessment, theories and research, management and leadership, community and public health, trends and ethics, and professional role transition, plus a nursing elective. Nurses weighing graduate school can use the bridge program to take MSN courses as part of the bachelor's. CoxHealth RNs are eligible to apply for a 20% tuition discount, and CoxHealth's RN-BSN tuition assistance program provides up to $12,500 for employed students who enroll at Cox College.

   • 120 total credit hours
   • 70 credits awarded for prior ASN or diploma
   • Eight-week nursing course blocks
   • Almost completely online
   • No admission deadlines

   Nursing accreditation on file: CCNE. DAPIP, 2026-09-10. Learn more about Cox College's RN to BSN (opens the school's own site)
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4. 4th nationally

   Riverside College of Health Careers

   Newport News, VA · Private nonprofit Fully online $14,000 annual in-state tuition 100% institutional graduation rate 29 degrees a year 85.8 score

   Riverside lets students still in the last semester of an affiliated associate-degree nursing program enroll concurrently in the RN-to-BSN track, and routes its three practicum courses through the student's own community or workplace rather than an assigned clinical site.

   Riverside College of Health Sciences runs its RN-to-BSN as an entirely online completion program for nurses who already hold an associate degree (ADN, AAS, AOS) or a diploma in Professional Nursing plus a current, unencumbered RN license in Virginia or a Compact state. There is no pre-admission test. Four general education prerequisites must be finished before you apply: English Composition (3 credits), Anatomy and Physiology I and II with lab (8), Developmental Psychology (3), and Microbiology with lab (4), for 18 credits total. Another 24 credits of general education can be completed before or during the program. The degree totals 120 credit hours, of which 38 are taught by Riverside (28 theory, 4 project work, 6 upper-level general education) and 40 are granted for prior nursing education and licensure. Core program tuition is listed at $12,300 with $200 in post-enrollment fees, plus estimates of $1,435 for books and $1,200 for computer supplies; Riverside College alumni get a 10% discount and Riverside Health System employees 20%, and the two can be combined.

   All theory coursework is online, and three of the ten courses include integrated, independent practicum components that students may complete in their own community or work setting. The calendar runs two 16-week semesters, each split into two 8-week sessions, plus an 8-week summer semester, and completion takes 12 months full-time to 24 months part-time depending on course load and remaining general education co-requisites. Coursework covers community impact, nurse leadership roles, inter-professional communication, and evidence-based practice, and the program states that it prepares graduates for graduate study in nursing. The baccalaureate program holds Initial Accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN); the institution is accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools and certified by SCHEV to operate in Virginia. Because the college participates in NC-SARA, the program is open to students living in other SARA member states.

   • 100% online theory coursework
   • 12 to 24 months to complete
   • VA or Compact RN license required
   • 120 total credit hours; 38 taught
   • $12,300 core program tuition

   Nursing accreditation on file: ACEN. DAPIP, 2026-09-10. Learn more about Riverside College of Health Careers's RN to BSN (opens the school's own site)
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5. 5th nationally

   University of Central Florida

   Orlando, FL · Public Online option $4,478 annual in-state tuition 78% institutional graduation rate 711 degrees a year 85.5 score

   RN to BSN students at UCF may substitute up to nine credit hours of graduate coursework that later transfers toward an MSN or DNP, so the completion degree can double as a head start on graduate school.

   UCF's College of Nursing runs its RN to BSN as a post-licensure completion program for nurses who are already licensed and working. The coursework totals 30 credit hours, and the college validates previous coursework by awarding up to 29 credits for prior learning. Pace is up to the student: the 30 hours can be finished in as quickly as three semesters, or taken as slowly as one course per semester. The program is available online or face-to-face at select regional campuses, runs full- or part-time, and admits three times a year with summer, fall and spring starts.

   Eligibility begins with a Florida RN license, single-state or multistate, on file. Applicants then qualify one of three ways: an AA from a Florida public institution, a bachelor's degree from any regionally accredited institution, or completion, or near-completion, of UCF's general education, Gordon Rule and foreign language requirements. Applicants in that third group may have no more than three of those courses outstanding before starting the BSN program, and must finish them before taking 4000-level courses. Nurses who plan to continue past the bachelor's can substitute up to 9 credit hours, three classes, of UCF graduate coursework toward a later MSN or DNP, billed at graduate tuition rates.

   • 30 credit hours
   • Up to 29 credits for prior learning
   • Florida RN license required
   • As few as three semesters
   • Online or face-to-face at regional campuses

   Nursing accreditation on file: CCNE. DAPIP, 2026-09-10. Learn more about University of Central Florida's RN to BSN (opens the school's own site)
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6. 6th nationally

   University of Wisconsin-Madison

   Madison, WI · Public Online + campus visits $10,006 annual in-state tuition 90% institutional graduation rate 206 degrees a year 85.3 score

   BSN@Home is a shared curriculum delivered by six Universities of Wisconsin System campuses, with nursing course tuition set at the same per-credit rate across every participating university.

   UW–Madison's BSN@Home is the School of Nursing's completion track for registered nurses who already hold an associate degree in nursing, an equivalent degree, or a nursing diploma from an accredited program. Students complete a minimum of 31 BSN@Home credits at $452 per credit, within a time frame the school gives as 1.5 to 2.5 years. Anyone still carrying outstanding non-nursing general education coursework pays additional tuition beyond those 31 credits. The program runs on a traditional semester system rather than self-paced enrollment, using seven-week and 14-week course formats with set deadlines. Pacing is built for people already working: students typically take one or two courses per semester, start with no more than two in their first term, and may move up to three per term after that, with summer optional.

   Almost all required coursework is online and asynchronous, with two exceptions the school names directly. The first course, CNP 306, requires one half-day campus meeting during the first semester, and CNP 519 Capstone Clinical requires another half-day on campus; the school notes these dates are set well in advance so students can request time off work. That capstone carries approximately 135 clinical hours, 60 of them with a preceptor. Students arrange their own placements with support from clinical placement coordinators and can often find sites close to home, and the capstone itself is tailored to each student's interests. Applications open August 1 through October 1 for a January start, and December 1 through March 1 for a September start.

   • Minimum 31 BSN@Home credits
   • $452 per credit
   • 135 clinical hours, 60 with a preceptor
   • Online and asynchronous, two half-days on campus
   • 1.5 to 2.5 years

   Nursing accreditation on file: CCNE. DAPIP, 2026-09-10. Learn more about University of Wisconsin-Madison's RN to BSN (opens the school's own site)
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7. 7th nationally

   University of North Carolina Wilmington

   Wilmington, NC · Public Fully online $4,443 annual in-state tuition 71% institutional graduation rate 775 degrees a year 82.2 score

   Admission is continuous with six start dates a year, and the 30-credit curriculum is delivered as a sequence of seven-week online courses that a full-time student can finish in as few as 12 months.

   UNCW's School of Nursing offers its RN-to-BSN entirely online, with no required campus visits. The curriculum is 30 credit hours built from nine core nursing courses plus one elective, taught in seven-week terms. Coursework covers health assessment for registered nurses, gerontological nursing, community health nursing, pathophysiology and evidence-based practice, and core concepts of leadership and management, and it ends with a two-credit capstone in which students synthesize nursing theory and practice experiences and document their transition to the baccalaureate-prepared RN role. Admission runs continuously across six terms a year (Fall 1 and 2, Spring 1 and 2, and Summer 1 and 2) so a student can start within a couple of months of applying. Students carrying a full-time load can complete the degree in as few as 12 months; the program's own FAQ puts the typical range at 12 to 18 months depending on transfer credits and enrollment pace.

   Applicants need a current, valid and unencumbered RN license, an associate degree in nursing from an accredited institution, a minimum 2.4 cumulative college GPA, and official transcripts from every institution attended. Enrollment is not limited to North Carolina; the program states it is open to nurses in most U.S. states, with in-state tuition reserved for North Carolina residents. Instead of scheduled clinical rotations, the program uses practice experiences: experiential learning in any setting where health care is delivered or health is influenced, spanning both direct and indirect care activities that affect health outcomes. Estimated total tuition and fees at 2026-27 rates, assuming part-time enrollment, are $6,500.40 for in-state residents and $29,874.30 for out-of-state residents. The baccalaureate nursing programs at UNCW are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. UNCW also runs Try Teal, which lets Cape Fear Community College ADN students take two UNCW RN-BSN courses at no cost and earn conditional admission to the program.

   • 30 credit hours
   • 100% online, no campus visits
   • Six start dates per year
   • Unencumbered RN license required
   • 2.4 minimum cumulative GPA

   Nursing accreditation on file: CCNE. DAPIP, 2026-09-10. Learn more about University of North Carolina Wilmington's RN to BSN (opens the school's own site)
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8. 8th nationally

   Carolinas College of Health Sciences

   Charlotte, NC · Public Fully online $17,892 annual in-state tuition 100% institutional graduation rate 25 degrees a year 81.6 score

   Carolinas College reviews all previous coursework for transfer credit regardless of when it was taken, with no date limits, and runs a Fair Transfer Promise partnership with North Carolina community colleges.

   The RN-BSN program at Carolinas College of Health Sciences is 100% online and built for practicing RNs, which the page says allows students to work full time while meeting their educational goals. It can be completed in as few as 12 to 18 months. Admission takes three things: a completed application submitted by the deadline, college transcripts showing a minimum 2.25 cumulative GPA, and proof of a current, unencumbered RN license. The baccalaureate degree program in nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

   Coursework combines higher-level general education with nursing courses. Upper-level general education completed at other institutions may be eligible for transfer credit, evaluated after an accepted student has paid the deposit, and the college reviews all previous coursework for transfer regardless of when the course was taken, with no date limits. A Fair Transfer Promise partnership with North Carolina community colleges is aimed at nursing graduates moving on to the bachelor's. The college is owned by Atrium Health, and eligible Atrium Health teammates may receive financial reimbursement for approved academic courses through the Educational Assistance program. The program starts three times a year, with priority deadlines of March 1 for the August start, July 1 for January, and November 1 for May.

   • 100% online
   • 12 to 18 months
   • Unencumbered RN license required
   • 2.25 minimum cumulative GPA
   • CCNE-accredited

   Nursing accreditation on file: CCNE. DAPIP, 2026-09-10. Learn more about Carolinas College of Health Sciences's RN to BSN (opens the school's own site)
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9. 9th nationally

   Worcester State University

   Worcester, MA · Public Hybrid $970 annual in-state tuition 61% institutional graduation rate 45 degrees a year 81.1 score

   Worcester State runs its RN-to-BS track as a hybrid three-semester day cohort that meets on campus one weekday, either Tuesday or Thursday from 9am to 4pm, rather than as a self-paced online completion program.

   Track Two is Worcester State's completion route to a Bachelor of Science for nurses who already hold a license. Every applicant must hold a current, unencumbered license to practice as an RN in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Admission calls for official high school and college transcripts and a minimum 2.5 GPA, and the full application has to be complete before May 1 to be considered for that September. Associate degree and diploma graduates earn 29 nursing credits for their NCLEX-RN licensure. Transfer students can bring in up to 72 credits from an accredited associate degree college and a maximum of 90 from four-year colleges and universities, and anyone who already holds a BA or BS in another major needs only the nursing courses plus the nursing prerequisites. Those prerequisites are College Writing I and II, Statistics I, Introduction to Sociology, General Psychology, Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II, and Microbiology or Medical Microbiology; all of them, statistics included, must be finished with a C or higher before a student can enter the nursing sequence.

   The nursing portion itself is 31 credits, taken in sequence, and all Track Two courses are offered in a hybrid format combining in-class and online work. The full-time day program runs three semesters: nine credits in the first (Transition to Baccalaureate Nursing, Nursing Informatics, and Selected Mechanisms of Disease and Related Pharmacology), ten in the second (Health Assessment, Research Seminar in Nursing, and Advanced Nursing Perspectives in Chronic Illness), and twelve in the third, where the six-credit Community/Public Health Nursing course sits alongside Professional Nursing Leadership and Organization and Health Policy, the last of which the catalog lists as online. Students are admitted as a cohort and class meets either Tuesday or Thursday, 9am to 4pm. A minimum grade of 80 is required in every nursing course; only one nursing course may be repeated to reach that grade or the required GPA, and it must be repeated within two years. A minimum of 120 credits is required for graduation.

   • 31 nursing credits
   • Hybrid: in-class and online
   • Massachusetts RN license required
   • Three semesters, full-time day cohort
   • Up to 72 transfer credits from an associate degree

   Nursing accreditation on file: CCNE. DAPIP, 2026-09-10. Learn more about Worcester State University's RN to BSN (opens the school's own site)
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10. 10th nationally

    California State University-Fullerton

    Fullerton, CA · Public Hybrid $6,084 annual in-state tuition 70% institutional graduation rate 290 degrees a year 79.9 score

    Cal State Fullerton partners with the ADN programs at Cypress College, Riverside City College, and Santa Ana College through a Concurrent Enrollment Program, so associate degree nursing students can work toward the ADN and the BSN at the same time.

    Cal State Fullerton's RN-BSN pathway is an upper-division completion program for registered nurses who already hold an associate degree in nursing. The nursing coursework totals 24 semester units, covering professional nursing, nursing research and evidence-based practice, health assessment with a lab, pathophysiology, population health nursing with a lab, leadership and management, and the art and science of nursing. Students without a previous bachelor's degree also complete at least 6 units of upper-division general education at CSUF. The full-time plan runs two semesters at 12 units each; the part-time plan spreads the same courses over four semesters, and the school's FAQ puts part-time completion at three to five semesters, four on average. Up to 20 units may be awarded for prior learning based on passing the NCLEX, decided individually before graduation.

    Since Fall 2025 the campus-based format has been discontinued and the pathway runs hybrid only. Lecture courses are offered asynchronously online, and lab sections meet in the afternoon, evening, or on weekends. Two components are in person: the NURS 340L health assessment lab, held on the Fullerton campus, and the NURS 402L population health clinical, which takes place outside the hospital setting at public or community health agencies in Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside, or San Bernardino counties. The School of Nursing's Clinical Placement staff assign the site, and the school notes both labs sit within roughly 50 miles of campus. Distance students pay added fees of $50 per lecture unit and $100 per lab unit. Admission requires an ADN or equivalent from a regionally accredited institution, a cumulative GPA of 2.75, and eight prerequisite courses passed with a C or better. An RN license is not required to apply or to begin, but students on the two-semester full-time plan must obtain an unencumbered California RN license within their first semester.

    • 24 nursing units
    • Hybrid: asynchronous online lectures
    • Two required in-person labs
    • As few as 2 semesters full-time
    • 2.75 minimum GPA

    Nursing accreditation on file: CCNE. DAPIP, 2026-09-10. Learn more about California State University-Fullerton's RN to BSN (opens the school's own site)
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11. 11th nationally

    Oklahoma State University-Main Campus

    Stillwater, OK · Public Fully online $5,417 annual in-state tuition 68% institutional graduation rate 33 degrees a year 79.7 score

    Non-resident transfer students who bring at least 45 earned transfer hours into the RN to BSN qualify for a waiver that reduces their tuition to the in-state rate, one of only three OSU online bachelor's degrees the waiver covers.

    Oklahoma State's RN to BSN is a completion degree open only to transfer students who already hold an associate degree or diploma in nursing and a current, unrestricted RN license. Coursework is delivered 100 percent online through Canvas, OSU's learning platform, in eight-week blocks, with new cohorts starting every fall, spring and summer semester. Students enrolled full time take two to three courses every eight weeks and finish in two to three semesters; part-time students take one course every eight weeks and finish in four to six. The school puts the fastest path at 9 to 12 months. The program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

    Admission runs as two separate decisions, one to OSU as a transfer student and one to the RN to BSN program. Applicants need a cumulative 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale across all college coursework and must list their RN license number, from Oklahoma or their designated state of residence, on the admissions application. Nurses in the final semester of an associate degree who have not yet completed the RN exam can be admitted conditionally and submit a final official transcript after graduation. Priority deadlines are February 1 for summer and fall and October 15 for spring, and nursing students from OSU-OKC and OSU-IT are granted priority, provisional admission. The RN license plus the associate degree or diploma carries 30 hours of advanced standing credit toward the 120-hour degree. Nursing coursework covers theory, global health, research and community nursing, plus culture, leadership and management principles and current trends and issues in the profession, and the program ends in a capstone course. OSU encourages finishing prerequisites before starting nursing coursework, and warns that beginning nursing courses first can extend time to degree.

    • 100% online through Canvas
    • 9-12 months full time
    • 30 advanced standing credits for RN license
    • 2.5 minimum cumulative GPA
    • CCNE accredited

    Nursing accreditation on file: CCNE. DAPIP, 2026-09-10. Learn more about Oklahoma State University-Main Campus's RN to BSN (opens the school's own site)
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12. 12th nationally

    California State University-Long Beach

    Long Beach, CA · Public Fully online $6,084 annual in-state tuition 69% institutional graduation rate 174 degrees a year 79.4 score

    All of the program's clinical work sits in a single 90-hour population health course at a site the student picks and the School of Nursing approves, and ADN students at Long Beach City College can start CSULB nursing courses before they finish their associate degree through a concurrent enrollment agreement.

    California State University, Long Beach runs its RN to BSN through the university's College of Professional and Continuing Education as a fully online, asynchronous degree for nurses who already hold an ADN and a California RN license. Courses run in eight-week sessions, two each in fall and spring and one in summer, and the program takes 12 to 18 months: part-time in roughly 18 months, or full-time within one year. The nursing core is 26 units across eight NRSG courses at $600 per unit, or $15,600 for the nursing coursework. The BSN itself requires 120 units total with up to 70 eligible for transfer, so a student who arrives short on general education pays for those additional classes on top of that figure. Someone carrying six units per term, meaning one course per eight-week session, should plan on at least 18 hours of work a week.

    Clinical work is concentrated in one course rather than spread across the curriculum. NRSG 406, Population Health, is a five-unit clinical course carrying 90 clinical hours, taken toward the end of the sequence; students select their own site subject to School of Nursing approval and complete the hours in person near home, scheduled around that site's availability. Admission requires California residency, graduation from a regionally and nationally accredited ADN program, an active unrestricted California RN license or eligibility for one by the time classes begin, a 2.75 GPA in all required ADN coursework with no grade below a C, and 70 transferable units including the "Magic Four" of critical thinking, oral communication, written communication, and math, plus anatomy, physiology, microbiology, chemistry with lab, and statistics. Students must also clear a criminal background check and drug screen. The program is not open to F-1 international students. Nurses studying at Long Beach City College can get a head start: a concurrent enrollment agreement lets them take one CSULB nursing course per semester while still enrolled in the ADN program, leaving one to two semesters of BSN work after the associate degree is finished.

    • 90 clinical hours
    • 100% online, asynchronous
    • 26 nursing units
    • 12-18 months
    • California RN license required

    Nursing accreditation on file: CCNE. DAPIP, 2026-09-10. Learn more about California State University-Long Beach's RN to BSN (opens the school's own site)
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13. 13th nationally

    University of Iowa

    Iowa City, IA · Public Online + campus visits $9,286 annual in-state tuition 75% institutional graduation rate 232 degrees a year 78.9 score

    The required community and public health practicum runs over a 16-week semester either at an Iowa agency, where the college places Iowa residents within 100 miles of home with a preceptor, or as a two-week immersion practicum in Eswatini, Africa for students living outside the state.

    The University of Iowa College of Nursing runs its RN-BSN as a completion track for nurses who are already licensed; the program page states it is for associate degree and diploma-prepared RNs earning the BSN. The nursing major year is 32 credits across twelve courses, among them Pathology, Nursing Informatics and Healthcare Technologies, Research and Evidence-Based Practice, a Quality Improvement Practicum, Community and Public Health with its own practicum, a Capstone and a nursing elective. Plans of study run three semesters full time or four or five semesters part time. Coursework is online, and the college holds RN-BSN 3+1 transfer agreements with thirteen Iowa community colleges, including DMACC, Kirkwood, Hawkeye and Des Moines-area and eastern Iowa systems.

    Two courses break the online format. The community and public health practicum is completed over a 16-week semester and requires a valid Iowa nursing license; students living in Iowa are placed by the college at a site within 100 miles of their address with a preceptor, while students outside Iowa either complete it at an Iowa agency or take an immersion practicum in Eswatini, Africa during the last two weeks of the semester, covering their own travel costs. The leadership course carries a quality improvement project, which most students complete at their own workplace if they are employed by an Iowa health care agency; students employed out of state must work with the RN-BSN Program Office to secure a contract or complete the project at an assigned Iowa site. For admission, a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher is preferred but all applications are reviewed, and the ADN and prerequisites may still be in progress when the application is submitted as long as both are finished before matriculation. Applicants enter their RN license number on the application, or all nines with a note on when and where they plan to take boards. Deadlines are March 1 for a fall start and September 1 for a spring start.

    • 32 credits
    • Online with two face-to-face courses
    • Three to five semesters
    • Valid Iowa RN license required for practicum
    • 2.75 GPA preferred

    Nursing accreditation on file: CCNE. DAPIP, 2026-09-10. Learn more about University of Iowa's RN to BSN (opens the school's own site)
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14. 14th nationally

    North Florida College

    Madison, FL · Public Online $2,280 annual in-state tuition 59% institutional graduation rate 31 degrees a year 78.7 score

    The entire one-year online program costs about $4,148 for Florida residents, and it meets its end-of-program outcomes through experiential learning activities students may complete in their own workplace or community.

    North Florida College's ADN-RN to BSN bridge program is built for registered nurses who already hold an Associate in Science Degree in Nursing and want to add a baccalaureate credential. Coursework is delivered online and can be completed in as little as one year of full-time study, with part-time options the college says may also be available. Instead of scheduled clinical rotations, the program uses experiential learning activities to accomplish its end-of-program learning outcomes, and those activities may be completed in the student's own workplace or community. Every BSN course is capped at a maximum 30:1 student-to-teacher ratio. The curriculum is aimed at system leadership, evidence-based scholarship, quality and safety, and the use of technology in managing health information across diverse patient populations.

    Total cost of the one-year program is approximately $4,148 in state, based on $112.30 per semester hour; out-of-state tuition is $309.33 per semester hour. That figure covers tuition, a name badge, and the NFC admissions application fee, but not books or course-related resources. Applying begins with an appointment with the Allied Health advisor, followed by the NFC admissions application and its non-refundable $30 fee, high school transcripts or GED, college transcripts, and the program application submitted during the designated window: March 1 to July 1 for an August start, or July 1 to November 1 for a January start. Both the associate and baccalaureate nursing programs at the Madison campus are accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, which granted initial accreditation to both in 2018. In its 2024 decision, the ACEN Board of Commissioners listed the baccalaureate program as accredited with a condition requiring a follow-up report in spring 2025.

    • Online delivery
    • One year full-time
    • ADN-RN required
    • $4,148 in-state total
    • ACEN accredited

    Nursing accreditation on file: ACEN. DAPIP, 2026-09-10. Learn more about North Florida College's RN to BSN (opens the school's own site)
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15. 15th nationally

    Fitchburg State University

    Fitchburg, MA · Public Online $970 annual in-state tuition 55% institutional graduation rate 137 degrees a year 78.2 score

    Fitchburg State's 32-credit online nursing core runs in seven-week sessions and requires two courses beyond the standard completion subjects: Social Justice and Advocacy, and Caring for Forensic Populations, which teaches forensic health assessment and violence prevention and intervention.

    Fitchburg State's RN to BS in Nursing is a post-licensure completion program, and a valid RN license is required for admission. The nursing portion is 10 courses covering 32 credit hours, delivered online in an accelerated format with seven-week course sessions and multiple start dates each year. Students who need only the nursing courses and carry two courses per seven-week session can finish in as few as 12 months; completion runs longer for anyone taking one course per session or still owing additional credits. The degree as a whole takes 120 credit hours, the 32 nursing credits plus another 88 including general education, which an applicant can satisfy by transferring credits earned in an associate program. Tuition is billed by the course at $311 per credit hour and $933 per course, $9,952 for the nursing program, at the same rate for in-state and out-of-state students with all fees included.

    The curriculum covers health and physical assessment, evidence-based practice, health care policy and finance, genomics for nursing practice, and nursing in a global community, and it carries an emphasis on social justice and advocacy plus an introduction to caring for forensic populations, each a required course. Of the 32 credits, 24 are nursing core courses and two are clinical practicum courses: the four-credit Community Based Nursing applies the nursing process to vulnerable populations across distributive care settings, with a clinical practice experience that lets students apply practice to theory, and the four-credit RN to BS Capstone has students examine nursing trends in their practicum placement. Admission requires a nursing license in good standing, a minimum 2.5 GPA in prior coursework, a statement of purpose, and official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. The baccalaureate degree in nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

    • 32 credits, 10 courses
    • As few as 12 months
    • Seven-week online sessions
    • Valid RN license required
    • $311 per credit, in- or out-of-state

    Nursing accreditation on file: CCNE. DAPIP, 2026-09-10. Learn more about Fitchburg State University's RN to BSN (opens the school's own site)
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Two different kinds of claim sit on each row. Badges are the school's own words, carried where its program page states something and absent where it does not. The accreditation line comes from the U.S. Department of Education's accreditation database, pulled 2026-09-10 and matched to each school by its federal institution ID rather than by name — 342 of the 362 confirmed programs resolve to a live baccalaureate nursing accreditation. Where a program shows no accreditation line, the federal file carries no record for it; that is a gap in the file, not a finding that the program is unaccredited. The remaining 275 ranked programs are indexed further down this page.