Louisiana
Best RN to BSN Programs in Louisiana, Ranked (2026)
In Louisiana, Price Doesn't Separate These Programs. Graduation Rates Do.
That is the whole shape of this list, and it is worth knowing before you start comparing tuition tables.
5 of the 6 ranked programs here are public, and they charge between $4,922 and $5,777 in-state — $855 apart across a full year. Cost carries 55% of our score, more than anything else, and in Louisiana it barely moves the order. The median across all 6 is $5,060.
So what you are reading below is close to a graduation-rate ranking. Among the 5 publics the order is exactly the graduation-rate order: Nicholls State University tops the list at 54%, Southern University and A & M College sits fifth at 27%, and the tuition figures shuffle around between them without changing anything. Read that factor with its limit attached, which we would rather state than bury: IPEDS measures graduation for first-time, full-time, degree-seeking undergraduates, and an RN-to-BSN student is none of the three. It describes the institution you would enroll at, not the completion cohort you would join. That is why it is weighted below cost rather than above it.
Dillard University is the only non-public program on the list and the only one priced like a private university — $19,384, about 4 times what Nicholls State University charges. It lands sixth on price rather than on outcomes: its 43% graduation rate is higher than 2 of the 5 publics. If you are weighing it, the question is what it gives you that a $5,060 program does not, and you want a specific answer.
No single school dominates nursing here. Southeastern Louisiana University confers the most bachelor's degrees in nursing at 157 a year, but the top three each graduate between 126 and 157. Those counts cover every nursing bachelor's degree the institution files — completion-track and pre-licensure graduates together, because the federal data does not separate them — so read them as a measure of how large the nursing school is, not how many RNs finish the bridge.
5 of the 6 state a delivery mode on their own pages, and 3 of those — McNeese State University, Louisiana State University-Alexandria and Southern University and A & M College — say the completion track is fully online. Louisiana State University-Alexandria is the only one that puts a time on it — as few as 10 months. The other 1 has not said, and we do not fill that in for them — most completion tracks in this field are distance education, but a school that has not published it is a phone call, not an assumption.
The 6 RN to BSN Programs in Louisiana, Ranked
Scored on in-state tuition (55%) and institutional graduation rate (45%). With tuition this flat across the publics, the graduation rate does nearly all of the separating. How we rank.
- 1st in Louisiana
Nicholls State University
Thibodaux, LA · Public Online $4,922 annual in-state tuition 54% institutional graduation rate 126 degrees a year 73.4 scoreNicholls awards the BSN to licensed RNs as an articulation, converting knowledge the nurse already has into credit while holding the track to the same objectives as the university's generic BSN program.Nursing accreditation on file: CCNE. DAPIP, . Learn more about Nicholls State University's RN to BSN (opens the school's own site)Nicholls State University treats the BSN for working nurses as an articulation rather than a separate degree. The page describes the RN-BSN Articulation as an opportunity for registered nurses to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing that is "designed to validate and award credit for existing knowledge, while remaining consistent with the objectives of the generic BSN Program." Two things follow from that phrasing: prior nursing knowledge is converted into credit rather than repeated, and the finished degree is measured against the same outcomes the university's traditional BSN students meet. The listing sits in the Nicholls Online degree catalog. Application, registration and scheduling go through the Nicholls Online line at 1-855-NIC-ONLINE, while degree questions go to Colette Robichaux, MSN, RN, CNE, the BSN Program Coordinator, at 348 Ayo Hall.
The stated coursework focus is on extending what a practicing nurse already does: safe, evidence-based, people-centered care, critical thinking, nursing informatics, interprofessional collaboration, quality improvement, and leadership and professionalism across the roles of provider, manager, and member of the profession. Nicholls makes its case for the degree by citing the American Nurses Association's "BSN-in-10" call and the Institute of Medicine's report The Future of Nursing: Focus on Education, framing the BSN as the step after an associate or diploma license. The page says graduates are prepared to work across hospitals, medical offices, community settings and private industry, and that the degree prepares them to enter the next level of advanced practice education.
- Post-licensure RN-BSN articulation
- Credit awarded for existing nursing knowledge
- Offered through Nicholls Online
- Held to the generic BSN program's objectives
- RN license assumed at entry
- 2nd in Louisiana
McNeese State University
Lake Charles, LA · Public Fully online $5,147 annual in-state tuition 47% institutional graduation rate 149 degrees a year 69.8 scoreMcNeese quotes two tuition rates for the same RN-to-BSN: $233 per credit hour (about $7,000) for nurses from partner health care agencies, and $300 per credit hour (about $9,000) for nurses from non-partner agencies.Nursing accreditation on file: CCNE. DAPIP, . Learn more about McNeese State University's RN to BSN (opens the school's own site)McNeese runs its RN-to-BSN entirely online, on a dedicated online nursing site separate from the main university program listing. The nursing curriculum is 30 credit hours, and all 30 must be completed at McNeese. Classes run in seven-week sessions with a one-week break between them, and the program opens six start dates a year, which McNeese says lets a student finish in as little as 10 months. Admission requires a current unencumbered RN license and an associate degree or diploma from a nationally accredited nursing program at a regionally accredited U.S. institution, along with official transcripts sent directly from every college attended and a $20 application fee.
Tuition is quoted at two rates. Nurses employed by partner health care agencies pay $233 per credit hour, about $7,000 for the nursing curriculum; nurses from non-partner agencies pay $300 per credit hour, about $9,000. The preferred rate reaches nurses coming from partner health care institutions or associate degree programs, and extends to their spouses and dependents and to United States military members. Those figures cover the nursing curriculum only, and students may need additional courses depending on how much transfer credit they are granted; financial aid is available. Two clinical courses sit inside the 30 hours: NURN 403, a community health nursing clinical practicum, and NURN 405, a leadership and management clinical capstone. The baccalaureate nursing program is accredited by the Committee on Collegiate Nursing Education.
- 30 credit hours, 100% online
- Finish in as little as 10 months
- Six start dates a year, 7-week terms
- Unencumbered RN license required
- $233/credit partner rate, $300 non-partner
- 3rd in Louisiana
Southeastern Louisiana University
Hammond, LA · Public $5,777 annual in-state tuition 45% institutional graduation rate 157 degrees a year 68.2 scoreSoutheastern puts the total cost of its RN to BSN at $9,500 including tuition, books and fees, and runs it in 8-week courses a licensed RN can finish in as few as three semesters.Nursing accreditation on file: CCNE. DAPIP, . Learn more about Southeastern Louisiana University's RN to BSN (opens the school's own site)Southeastern Louisiana University's RN to BSN track is built for nurses who already hold a license. To be considered, applicants must have graduated from an accredited associate degree or diploma nursing program, possess an unencumbered RN license via the LSBN or the Nurse Licensure Compact, and have earned a C or better in all nursing and required prerequisite courses. The program also expects 59 hours of general education prerequisites, and the university notes those requirements can be met by transferring or substituting previous college credit.
Coursework runs in 8-week terms with three entry points a year, in January, June and August, and Southeastern says students can complete the program in as few as three semesters. The university lists total cost at $9,500, a figure it states includes tuition, books and fees, and it sets flexible deadlines for students with demanding work and family schedules. Students work under a faculty coaching model the program describes as offering individual guidance and support. Southeastern points graduates toward nurse leadership and case management, training and education, nursing informatics and community nursing, in settings that include hospitals and healthcare systems, managed care organizations, government health agencies and public health. The program is administered from the Kinesiology and Health Studies Building on the Hammond campus.
- $9,500 total cost
- Finish in as few as 3 semesters
- 8-week courses; January, June, August starts
- Unencumbered RN license required
- 59 general education prerequisite hours
- 4th in Louisiana
Louisiana State University-Alexandria
Alexandria, LA · Public Fully online $4,950 annual in-state tuition 34% institutional graduation rate 91 degrees a year 63.7 scoreLSUA runs its RN to BSN entirely online and states nurses can finish in as little as 10 months, with the program accredited by ACEN and holding Full Approval from the Louisiana State Board of Nursing.Nursing accreditation on file: ACEN. DAPIP, . Learn more about Louisiana State University-Alexandria's RN to BSN (opens the school's own site)LSUA offers its Bachelor of Science in Nursing as an RN to BSN track delivered 100% online for registered nurses who are already working, and states that nurses can complete it in as little as 10 months. The curriculum centers on leadership, evidence-based practice, and healthcare systems. Its stated end-of-program outcomes have graduates applying nursing leadership theories in practice, using communication principles, incorporating evidence-based research findings to support safe and patient-centered care, integrating professional standards, addressing ethical, legal, and culturally competent practice concepts that touch social determinants of health, and using information literacy to support nursing practice. The program sits in the School of Nursing within the College of Health and Human Services, and enrolled students work from an RN-BSN handbook covering policies, expectations, and guidelines.
The nursing program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) and approved by the Louisiana State Board of Nursing (LSBN). ACEN's most recent decision for LSUA's ASN and RN-BSN programs was Continuing Accreditation, and the LSBN's most recent decision for both was Full Approval. LSUA also publishes RN-BSN on-time completion rates and six-month post-graduation employment rates by academic year, and hosts the Epsilon Nu-at-Large chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International, the nursing honor society.
- 100% online
- Finish in as little as 10 months
- ACEN accredited
- Full Approval from the Louisiana State Board of Nursing
- Housed in LSUA's School of Nursing
- 5th in Louisiana
Southern University and A & M College
Baton Rouge, LA · Public Fully online $4,973 annual in-state tuition 27% institutional graduation rate 111 degrees a year 60.3 scoreSouthern has affiliation agreements with nine Louisiana associate degree nursing programs, from Baton Rouge Community College to Louisiana Delta Community College, written to transfer academic credit into its BSN.Nursing accreditation on file: CCNE. DAPIP, . Learn more about Southern University and A & M College's RN to BSN (opens the school's own site)Southern University and A&M College runs its RN to BSN entirely online, for nurses who are already licensed and want to add the bachelor's credential. The page describes the program as designed for nurses seeking to advance their career, and eligibility starts from a completed associate degree or diploma in nursing rather than from entry into the field. The baccalaureate nursing program at Southern University A&M College is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. The School of Nursing dates to 1985, and the school states it has educated more than 2,500 BSN graduates since then.
Admission turns on four things: an associate degree or diploma from a program accredited by ACEN or NLN CNEA, a permanent, active and unencumbered registered nurse license, a grade of C or better in all nursing and required prerequisite courses, and transcripts from every previous institution. Every prerequisite has to be finished before the program begins, and the school states directly that applicants whose associate degree or diploma came from a non-accredited nursing institution cannot enroll. Southern has built affiliation agreements with nine Louisiana associate degree programs, among them Baton Rouge Community College, Delgado Community College, Bossier Parish Community College and Southern University at Shreveport, to move academic credit into the BSN without gaps. Applicants file through the SUBR application as an Online UG Transfer and select Online RN to BSN as the planned course of study.
- 100% online
- Active, unencumbered RN license required
- ACEN or NLN CNEA accredited ADN or diploma
- C or better in all prerequisites
- Articulation agreements with 9 Louisiana colleges
- 6th in Louisiana
Dillard University
New Orleans, LA · Private nonprofit Hybrid $19,384 annual in-state tuition 43% institutional graduation rate 11 degrees a year 52.4 scoreDillard pairs hybrid RN-to-BSN nursing courses with an advisor-approved study plan.Nursing accreditation on file: ACEN. DAPIP, . Learn more about Dillard University's RN to BSN (opens the school's own site)Dillard combines online and on-campus nursing courses in a hybrid completion pathway. The 120-credit bachelor's degree includes accepted transfer work, and nursing advisors help build the remaining schedule. For a working RN, the campus portion is the detail to map against your shifts before choosing courses.
Admission happens in two stages: you first enter the university, then apply to the College of Nursing. The RN-specific handbook calls for a 2.0 cumulative GPA, an unencumbered Louisiana RN license and current professional-rescuer CPR certification. It also requires health and insurance documentation. Keep the university application, nursing application and clinical-compliance paperwork as separate steps in your enrollment plan.
- Hybrid online and on-campus nursing courses
- 120-credit degree including transfer work
- 2.0 cumulative GPA for RN entry
- Unencumbered Louisiana RN license
- Separate College of Nursing application
Additional program sources: dillard.edu source 1 for Dillard University (opens in a new tab)
What an RN to BSN Costs in Louisiana
The full range runs $4,922 at Nicholls State University to $19,384 at Dillard University, a factor of 4 — but one school creates that range on its own. Strip it out and the remaining 5 programs live inside $855 of each other, which is why the median of $5,060 sits so close to the floor.
Residency is worth more here than school choice. Louisiana State University-Alexandria charges non-residents $5,150, only $200 above its in-state rate, while Southeastern Louisiana University charges $18,255 — a $12,478 difference for the same degree. Louisiana State University-Alexandria is also one of the programs that states its track is fully online, which is the combination worth knowing if you are an RN outside Louisiana. Online programs are authorised state by state, so confirm yours can enroll you before the application fee.
Every figure above is published annual tuition from IPEDS, not the price of finishing the track. A completion program is typically about 30 upper-level credits, so your real number depends on how many of your ADN and general education credits the school accepts and how many terms you spread the rest across. Ask for a total-to-degree quote against your own transcript. Per-credit pricing is how this field avoids answering that question.
What Louisiana RNs Earn
BLS puts the median at $80,230 a year — $38.57 an hour — for Louisiana's 48,970 registered nurses, running from $63,800 at the 10th percentile to $104,740 at the 90th. That median is $17,320 below the national $97,550, and ranks Louisiana 44th of 51 states.
The more useful number in that paragraph is the spread inside the state. From the 10th percentile to the 90th is $40,940, more than twice the $17,320 gap between Louisiana and the national median. Employer, unit, shift differential and years in post move an RN's pay further than the state-level comparison does.
One caveat that applies to every wage figure on this site: BLS reports all registered nurses as one occupation and publishes no breakdown by degree. There is no federal number for what a Louisiana BSN earns against a Louisiana ADN, and anyone quoting one has produced it themselves. What the BSN is associated with is eligibility for roles that pay above the RN median, not a raise inside the job you already hold.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 release.