Utah
Best RN to BSN Programs in Utah, Ranked (2026)
Utah's Biggest RN to BSN Provider Is the One That Finishes Last
Joyce University of Nursing and Health Sciences in Draper confers 387 nursing bachelor's degrees a year, about 30% of the 1,288 conferred across all 6 ranked Utah programs and nearly as many as the top three on this page combined (400). It ranks 6th of 6. That is the tension on this page and it is worth resolving before you scroll.
The score is 55% in-state tuition and 45% institutional graduation rate, so it rewards a cheap program that finishes people. Joyce University of Nursing and Health Sciences charges $18,700, which is 3.3 times Weber State University's $5,621. On those two inputs it cannot finish anywhere but the bottom. What the two inputs do not capture is everything a nurse working three twelves actually shops on — whether class sessions are at fixed times, how many start dates there are in a year, how much of the ADN transfers, and whether precepted hours are the school's job or yours. Utah's enrollment is telling you those things matter. Our score is telling you what they cost.
Read the whole distribution and the pattern gets sharper. 69% of Utah's nursing bachelor's degrees — 888 of 1,288 — come from the 3 programs ranked 4 through 6. The top three are real programs at real scale, but between them they account for about 31% of the state's output. Where Utah nurses enroll and where this ranking points are two different maps.
Part of the explanation is the graduation-rate input. Weber State University is the cheapest program in the state at $5,621 and still finishes fourth, because IPEDS puts its institutional graduation rate at 46%, and Utah Valley University reports 45% against 65% at University of Utah. That figure is institution-wide and it counts first-time, full-time undergraduates finishing within 150% of normal time. An RN-to-BSN student is not in that cohort at all — you arrive with a license, an ADN and transfer credit. Utah's big open-access regional publics enroll exactly the broad, part-time undergraduate population that pulls the institutional number down, so treat it as a fact about the institution and not a prediction about you.
The other half of it is which programs publish a schedule at all. 6 of the 6 programs state a delivery attribute on the pages we hold, and the 2 most explicit — fully online and asynchronous together — are University of Utah and Joyce University of Nursing and Health Sciences. If you are comparing a $6,000 public against an $18,000 private and cannot work out from the public's page whether there are live class times, that asymmetry is doing some of the work in Utah's enrollment numbers. It is also fixable with one phone call, and worth making before you accept a 3.3x price difference.
Last thing to hold while you read the order: the top two are effectively tied. Southern Utah University scores 75.5 and University of Utah scores 74.9, a difference of 0.6 of a point. Do not let that gap decide anything. Pick between them on transfer credit and schedule.
All 6 RN to BSN Programs in Utah, Ranked
Scored on in-state tuition (55%) and institutional graduation rate (45%). How we rank.
- 1st in Utah
Southern Utah University
Cedar City, UT · Public Fully online $6,186 annual in-state tuition 61% institutional graduation rate 115 degrees a year 75.5 scoreSUU grants 30 of the 120 credit hours the degree requires during the very first nursing course — 20 lower-division hours for having passed the NCLEX and 10 upper-division hours through Prior Learning Assessment.Nursing accreditation on file: CCNE. DAPIP, . Learn more about Southern Utah University's RN to BSN (opens the school's own site)Southern Utah University's RN to BSN is a post-licensure completion program delivered online through SUU's online campus. The nursing core is 10 courses totaling 30 credit hours, each running 7 weeks, with 6 start dates a year and asynchronous coursework. The degree itself requires 120 credit hours, but licensed RNs do not start from zero: SUU awards 20 lower-division credit hours for successful completion of the NCLEX and 10 upper-division credit hours through Prior Learning Assessment, both granted during the first course, NURS 3141, and 50 of the 60 required general education hours may be block transferred. The overview lists completion in as few as 10 months, while the page's own FAQ says most students finish in 12 to 18 months while working full time.
Tuition is $315 per credit hour, or $945 per course and $9,450 for the nursing core, includes all fees, and is paid by the course; the page notes total tuition may vary if additional courses are needed. Admission requires an online application, official transcripts, an undergraduate cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale (or 2.5 in the last 60 hours), and a valid, unencumbered RN license, with the license plus a drug screen and background check through PreCheck due no later than the end of NURS 3141. The page lists no separate clinical placement; instead practice-based learning is embedded in three courses, where students meet weekly with a client 65 or older in NURS 4341, either volunteer in a community setting or run a health education project in NURS 4351, and spend 15 hours on a personal development project plus 30 hours building a quality improvement project in their own work setting in NURS 4551. The baccalaureate degree is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, and SUU points applicants to a program map to check whether the program is available in their state.
- 30-credit nursing core, 10 courses
- 100% online, asynchronous
- $315 per credit hour, all fees included
- Unencumbered RN license required
- 7-week courses, 6 starts a year
- 2nd in Utah
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT · Public Fully online, asynchronous $8,461 annual in-state tuition 65% institutional graduation rate 219 degrees a year 74.9 scoreEvery plan of study carries the same $12,000 estimated tuition, so a nurse who spreads the 30 credits across four semesters pays what a nurse who finishes in two pays.Nursing accreditation on file: CCNE. DAPIP, . Learn more about University of Utah's RN to BSN (opens the school's own site)The University of Utah College of Nursing offers the RN to BS as an online track within its Bachelor of Science in Nursing, built for licensed registered nurses who already hold an associate degree. The degree takes 30 credits and is delivered asynchronously. Students choose a two-, three-, or four-semester plan of study, and semesters run consecutively through fall, spring, and summer, so a nurse on the shortest plan finishes in under a year. The course list is the same in all three plans: Role Transitions, Health Promotion and Clinical Prevention, Information Technology and Evidence-based Practice, Health Systems and Populations I and II, Assessing Health Indicators, Clinical Applications of Research and EBP, Leadership, and one upper-division elective. The shorter plans stack more credits per term, with the two-semester track carrying 16 credits in the first semester and 14 in the second.
The college puts total tuition and mandatory student fees at $12,000 for the two-, three-, and four-semester plans alike. That estimate is drawn from the 2025-2026 College of Nursing tuition table and excludes possible program and course fees, books, supplies, and travel; the university charges resident rates only during summer semesters. Licensure timing depends on which plan a student picks: two-semester students must have passed the NCLEX before starting, while three- and four-semester students have until the end of their first semester. Applications open three times a year, running April 1 to June 1 for fall, September 2 to November 1 for spring, and December 1 to March 1 for summer. Amanda Keddington, DNP, MSN Ed, RN, directs the RN-BS program.
- 30 total credits
- Asynchronous online
- 2, 3, or 4 semester plans
- $12,000 estimated tuition and fees
- Associate degree in nursing required
- 3rd in Utah
Utah State University
Logan, UT · Public Fully online $7,627 annual in-state tuition 59% institutional graduation rate 66 degrees a year 72.9 scoreUtah State's completion track is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing rather than the more common CCNE, and runs entirely online on a schedule the university says students finish in two, three, or four semesters.Nursing accreditation on file: ACEN. DAPIP, . Learn more about Utah State University's RN to BSN (opens the school's own site)Utah State University offers the RN to BSN through the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, and the degree is 100% available online. The university states the program makes it possible to graduate with a BSN in two, three, or four semesters, with students building on an Associate Degree in Nursing rather than repeating entry-level nursing content. The curriculum covers professional nursing practice, population health, evidence-based health care, health informatics, care of the aging adult, advanced health assessment, leadership, management and policy, health care trends and issues, and a final capstone experience. Coursework emphasizes clinical reasoning, managing healthcare resources, leadership and management skills, and added experience in community and public health settings.
Admission to the nursing program is a separate process from admission to the university. Applicants need a 2.67 GPA, a current and unencumbered RN license, and transcripts from an accredited AAS/ADN RN program approved by the US Department of Education. The baccalaureate nursing program at the Logan campus is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). USU lists the degree at the Logan campus, at its statewide campuses, and through USU Online, and describes itself as a SARA-approved institution offering fully online programs nationwide.
- 100% online
- Two to four semesters
- 2.67 GPA minimum
- Unencumbered RN license required
- ACEN-accredited
- 4th in Utah
Weber State University
Ogden, UT · Public Online $5,621 annual in-state tuition 46% institutional graduation rate 377 degrees a year 68.8 scoreAdmission is restricted to Utah residents who hold or are eligible for a Utah RN license — unless the applicant is moving straight up from Weber State's own ADN program — and when community applicants outnumber seats, admission is decided by a competitive point system.Nursing accreditation on file: ACEN. DAPIP, . Learn more about Weber State University's RN to BSN (opens the school's own site)Weber State's RN to BSN program is built for nurses who already hold a license or are eligible to sit for the NCLEX; prospective students without licensure are pointed to the university's Department of Associate Degree in Nursing instead. Coursework is delivered strictly online and covers population health, healthcare policy, care coordination, evidence-based practice and leadership. Full-time students finish in two semesters, which the program describes as an intensive senior-level plan of study; part-time students take three to six semesters, must complete at least one course per semester, and have to reapply if they pass the six-semester limit. Graduation requires 25 credits of RN to BSN program courses plus 3 credits of upper-division non-nursing coursework of the student's choice, inside the university's 120-credit bachelor's total. Students entering with fewer than 92 credits make up the difference outside the program. Students pay any costs for travel to community agencies when a course requires it.
Eligibility is tighter than the online format suggests. Applicants must be Utah residents holding or eligible for RN licensure in Utah, unless they are progressing directly from the WSU ADN program, and anyone who has not passed the NCLEX by the end of the first semester must withdraw until they do. An Associate of Science or Applied Associate of Science in nursing from an accredited nursing program at a regionally accredited institution is required, along with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher; RNs with two or more years of documented full-time work experience (or three years part-time) may apply at a 2.5 cumulative GPA if their nursing GPA is 3.0. When more community applicants apply than there are positions, seats are awarded on points that weigh cumulative and science GPA, holding an AS rather than an AAS, years of RN work experience, veteran status, early submission and prior service as an ADN preceptor. Applications open for fall, spring and summer starts, each with a two-month window, and decisions follow roughly four to six weeks after the deadline. The baccalaureate program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing.
- Strictly online
- 2 semesters full-time, 3-6 part-time
- 25 program credits + 3 upper-division
- Utah RN license required
- 3.0 cumulative GPA
- 5th in Utah
Utah Valley University
Orem, UT · Public Online, asynchronous $5,818 annual in-state tuition 45% institutional graduation rate 124 degrees a year 68.1 scoreUVU's BSN Completion Program takes nurses who already hold an RN license and an associate nursing degree, delivers its courses asynchronously online, and accepts applications year round for fall, spring, or summer entry.Nursing accreditation on file: ACEN. DAPIP, . Learn more about Utah Valley University's RN to BSN (opens the school's own site)Utah Valley University's Bachelor of Science in Nursing Completion Program is for nurses who already hold an RN license, and completing an associate degree in nursing is a condition of entry. The coursework builds on that associate-level foundation, letting ASN-prepared nurses apply leadership skills, genomics, global health perspectives, and research for practice, and the BSN courses are offered asynchronously online. Students can attend full-time or part-time, core courses run year round including summer, and the department encourages students to keep working as an RN while enrolled. The program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing.
Applicants need an associate degree in nursing (AS or AAS) with at least a 2.0 GPA posted to their UVU academic record, a current RN license uploaded with the application, admission to UVU with an ID number issued, and completed prerequisite coursework: anatomy, physiology, microbiology, chemistry for the health sciences, nutrition, human development, English composition, and a quantitative literacy math course, with a final grade of C or higher in every class except Math Quantitative Literacy. Only completed final grades are accepted; courses in progress are not. Applications are open year round, with a deadline of August 1, 2026 for fall 2026 entry, December 1, 2026 for spring 2027, and April 1, 2027 for summer 2027, and students are asked to meet with the nursing advisor before applying. Because this is a clinical program, students are drug tested upon acceptance. The bachelor's degree totals 120 credits including coursework carried in from the associate degree, with a minimum of 30 credits earned at UVU and 40 at the upper-division level, and students who take more than seven years must reapply to UVU.
- Asynchronous online courses
- ACEN accredited
- Current RN license required
- ASN with 2.0 minimum GPA
- Applications accepted year round
- 6th in Utah
Joyce University of Nursing and Health Sciences
Draper, UT · Private for-profit Fully online, asynchronous $18,700 annual in-state tuition 54% institutional graduation rate 387 degrees a year 58.5 scoreJoyce’s four-semester completion plan pairs asynchronous classes with 45 clinical hours.Nursing accreditation on file: CCNE. DAPIP, . Learn more about Joyce University of Nursing and Health Sciences's RN to BSN (opens the school's own site)Joyce's four-semester RN-to-BSN plan adds 51 program credits to 69 transferred credits for a 120-credit degree. The coursework is asynchronous and online, with a service-learning project that connects study to the community. Compare the full 51-credit plan with your available study time when considering the semester schedule.
The clinical requirement is 45 hours and includes direct and indirect experiences in your community. Clinical availability depends on state, so confirm your location before enrolling even though campus travel is not required. Admission is for nurses with an accredited nursing associate degree and an active, unencumbered RN license. Your transfer record and practice location both matter to making this particular plan work.
- Four-semester completion plan
- 51 program credits
- Asynchronous online coursework
- 45 clinical hours
- Service-learning project
5 Public Prices Within $2,840 of Each Other, and 1 That Is Triple
Utah's public system prices this degree with unusual uniformity. Weber State University charges $5,621 and University of Utah charges $8,461; every other public sits between them, so the entire public range is $2,840 wide. Choosing among those 5 on price alone is choosing on a rounding error. The median across all 6 ranked programs is $6,907, and it sits inside the public band because 5 of 6 programs are public.
The 3.3x spread on this page is entirely the jump to the one private program. Joyce University of Nursing and Health Sciences charges $18,700, a $10,239 step up from the most expensive public. What that money should be buying is schedule and speed, and it does publish more about how it runs than most of the publics do. Whether it is worth $10,239 a year is a question you can only answer after you have asked the public schools the same questions.
Residency changes the shape of this if you are looking at Utah from outside it. The 5 publics list out-of-state tuition at roughly three times their in-state figure — Weber State University is the cheapest of them at $16,609 — while the 1 private programs charge one price to everyone. That puts Joyce University of Nursing and Health Sciences's $18,700 level with the cheapest public out-of-state option, and it puts Joyce University of Nursing and Health Sciences below 3 of the 5 publics. If you are not a Utah resident, the order on this page is not your order.
All of these are annual published tuition figures from IPEDS, not the price of the completion track. Most RN-to-BSN programs run around 30 upper-level credits, so what you pay depends on how many ADN and general-education credits transfer and how many terms you spread them across. Ask every school on this list for a total-to-degree number and for how it counts credit you already hold. Per-credit pricing is how this field hides the total.
What Utah RNs Earn, and Why the Top Quartile Is Nearly Flat
BLS reports a median of $84,600 — $40.67 an hour — for Utah's 27,420 registered nurses. That is $12,950 below the national median of $97,550 and puts Utah 32nd of 51 states.
The percentiles are the more useful part. Utah's 10th percentile is $68,920, within $20 of the national 10th percentile of $68,940 — the floor here is a national floor. The top is where Utah separates: the 75th percentile is $105,130 and the 90th is $109,050, so $3,920 covers the entire top quartile of Utah RN pay. Nationally that same stretch is $25,120.
For someone weighing a BSN, that geometry matters. The distance from the Utah median to the 75th percentile is $20,530 and it is where essentially all the available movement sits. Past the 75th the curve goes nearly flat, so a strategy built on climbing to the very top of the Utah RN band has a low ceiling. The credential's argument here is about reaching that 75th-percentile tier — charge roles, case management, public health, informatics, the MSN pathway — or about portability, since a Utah license and a BSN travel to states where the ceiling is much higher.
One caveat that applies to every salary figure on this site: BLS reports all registered nurses as a single occupation and does not break pay out by degree. There is no federal number for what a Utah BSN earns against what a Utah ADN earns, and anyone quoting one has made it up. What the BSN is associated with is access to roles that pay above the RN median, not a raise in the same job.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 release.