Online RN to BSN Degree Programs - Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Arizona State University (ASU) offers an online nursing degree for RNs seeking BSN degrees. This 38-credit program trains RNs to use evidence-based practice to facilitate positive changes in their patients. Nurses are trained to be critical thinkers, client advocates, and clear communicators.

Students in this program take a blend of core and elective courses such as writing for healthcare management, community and public health nursing, and nutrition and global health in nursing. A capstone project is required for this degree, which includes a research-based solution to an observed problem in nursing.

To apply to this program, students must submit all required materials or apply through the ASU “earned admission track” if minimum admission requirements cannot be met. Graduates from these programs move on to careers in critical care nursing, nurse midwifery, and psychiatric nursing.

• Location: Tempe, AZ
• Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
• Expected Time to Completion: 15 to 18 months
• Estimated Tuition: $522 per credit

For four decades, the University of North Carolina (UNC) Wilmington School of Nursing has been preparing exceptional nurses. This 91-credit program can be completed from start to finish or students can transfer credits; a minimum of 31 credit-hours must be completed at UNC in order to graduate.

Coursework in their online RN to BSN degree program addresses contemporary issues related to nursing such as gerontological nursing, community health, and leadership management. Students in this program gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to advance their careers in administration, research, consulting, and teaching.

Offering six start dates throughout the calendar year, courses in this program are delivered in seven-week online modules. Practical experiences in nursing must also be completed in a nursing student’s current place of employment.

• Location: Wilmington, NC
• Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)
• Expected Time to Completion: 12 months
• Estimated Tuition: $167 per credit for residents; $636 per credit for non-residents

Ranked number three by the U.S. News & World Report’s best online bachelor’s programs, Ohio State University’s College of Nursing offers an online RN to BSN bachelor’s degree program. This program provides a relevant academic foundation and prepares graduates to work in a variety of healthcare settings or pursue graduate studies in nursing.

The program is offered fully online to students in several states and there are no required on-campus visits. Textbook fees for the courses in this program are waived to increase accessibility and affordability for students. There are two application deadlines offered throughout the year.

• Location: Columbus, OH
• Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
• Expected Time to Completion: Nine to 12 months
• Estimated Tuition: $16,866

Penn State World Campus offers an RN to BSN degree program for professionals with an RN license wanting to advance their careers. Graduates from this program receive a solid educational foundation to prepare them for further education to become clinical nurse specialists, nurse anesthetists, nurse-midwives, or nurse practitioners. Professional communication, leadership, and research and evaluation are emphasized skills within this program’s curriculum.

Students can choose from three specialization certificate programs in nurse management, informatics, or forensics. Students who choose to pursue graduate studies in nursing may apply credits earned in the certificate programs towards a master’s degree.

• Location: University Park, PA
• Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
• Expected Time to Completion: 18 to 24 months
• Estimated Tuition: $595 per credit

The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center offers a fully online RN to BSN degree. Students can choose to attend full-time or part-time to complete the 60-semester-hour program. Optional monthly face-to-face classes for enhanced learning gives students an opportunity to interact with faculty and other students. Clinical rotations are required in addition to online coursework.

Courses in this program include the human experience of disability, the human experience in acute and chronic illness, and leadership in nursing practice. Graduates of this program have a wide range of careers open to them in administration, social work case management, and community and public health centers.

• Location: Oklahoma City, OK
• Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
• Expected Time to Completion: Nine to 24 months
• Estimated Tuition: $159 per credit for residents; $672 per credit for non-residents

The University of Nebraska Medical Center offers an RN to BSN degree program for current RNs with an associate’s degree in nursing (ADN) or a diploma in nursing. The 58-credit program offers students the opportunity to transfer credits earned from an existing nursing degree. Prerequisite courses are not offered by the UNMC, but they can be earned at the University of Nebraska or transferred in from an accredited community college or four-year college or university.

Admission deadlines are offered three times throughout the year, and part- or full-time options are available for students. Up to 42 credits can be transferred based on prior nursing education, in addition to one year of RN work experience.

• Location: Omaha, NE
• Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
• Expected Time to Completion: 12 to 36
• Estimated Tuition: $340 per credit for residents; $538 per credit for non-residents

The University of Louisiana Lafayette offers an online RN to BSN program. Current RNs with an associate’s degree and an active RN license can be granted admission to this program. Students may transfer nursing credits earned from prior coursework earned at any time. This program is ideal for working RNs wanting to pursue a degree program while maintaining their current RN positions.

BSN students are taught critical thinking and clinical skills which enable them to perform better-quality health assessments. Concepts learned in this program can be directly applied to professional RN work. Graduates of the RN to BSN program are well-positioned to enroll in master’s degree programs which enable them to pursue executive-level leadership roles in nursing or nurse educator positions.

• Location: Lafayette, LA
• Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
• Expected Time to Completion: 12 to 24 months
• Estimated Tuition: $316 per credit