The Best Online RN-to-BSN Programs of 2023

The online RN-to-BSN program at the University of Florida benefits working nurses by allowing students to attend classes entirely online. The 30-credit program can be completed within five semesters and includes 90 clinical hours — 45 through virtual simulation in the first semester and 45 through independent clinical practice in the fourth semester.

To be eligible for the program, prospective students must have completed an associate degree in nursing (ADN) from a school accredited by the National League for Nursing Accreditation Commission or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing.

• Program(s): RN-to-BSN
• Campus: Gainesville, Florida
• Type: Public
• Accreditation(s): Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• Tuition: $129.18 per credit for residents; $552.62 per credit for non-residents
• Admission Requirements: ADN; minimum 2.8 GPA; active and unencumbered Florida RN license or a license through the Nurse Licensure Compact; completion of courses in psychology, social psychology, sociology, biology, chemistry, physics, anatomy and physiology, microbiology, statistics, human growth and development/developmental psychology, and human nutrition
• Minimum Time Commitment: 18 months
• On-Campus Requirements: No
• School NCLEX-RN Pass Rate (YEAR): 95.9% (2019)
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $59,580 for bachelor's graduates, according to College Scorecard

The University of Wisconsin - Madison's RN-to-BSN program comprises 30 credits that can be completed within 18-30 months. The program runs on a traditional fall/spring semester system; however, summer classes and accelerated seven-week courses are also available. Students typically enroll in six credits per semester (three credits during the summer semester) and complete 60 clinical hours at a site of their choosing.

The university also provides prospective students with the option of beginning the RN-to-BSN program while still working on their ADN. Those in their third or fourth semester of their associate program are eligible to apply to start taking classes as a "special student."

• Program(s): RN-to-BSN
• Campus: Madison, Wisconsin
• Type: Public
• Accreditation(s): Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• Tuition: $452 per credit
• Admission Requirements: ADN or diploma in nursing; minimum 2.5 GPA; active and unencumbered RN license; 24 transferable college-level non-nursing credits; completion of high school algebra, geometry, college-preparatory math; two years of a foreign language
• Minimum Time Commitment: 18-30 months
• On-Campus Requirements: Yes
• School NCLEX-RN Pass Rate (YEAR): 94.3% (2021)
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $64,770 for bachelor's graduates, according to College Scorecard

Ohio State University's Main Campus offers an online RN-to-BSN program that full-time students can complete in 12 months, and part-time students can complete in 15 months. Learners earn 21 credits from the completion of core nursing courses, three credits from one nursing elective, and six credits from two courses of their choosing.

All the online nursing advancement courses offered through the program are asynchronous, meaning students do not need to attend class at a specific time. Instead, they can access course materials, such as lectures, readings, and videos, on their own schedule.

• Program(s): RN-to-BSN
• Campus: Columbus, Ohio
• Type: Public
• Accreditation(s): Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• Tuition: $4,909 per semester for residents; $5,109 per semester for non-residents
• Admission Requirements: ADN or diploma in nursing; minimum 2.0 GPA; active and unencumbered RN license
• Minimum Time Commitment: 12-15 months
• On-Campus Requirements: Yes
• School NCLEX-RN Pass Rate (YEAR): 93.3% (2021)
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $60,399 for bachelor's graduates, according to College Scorecard

The 30-credit RN-to-BSN program at the Maine College of Health Professions can be completed in as little as 18 months with the majority of courses lasting eight weeks. The program is currently offered in a hybrid format, combining live classroom sessions with online learning, and culminating in a clinical capstone course.

The school accepts both recent ADN graduates and practicing RNs. The curriculum mainly focuses on nursing theory, nutrition, application information technology, research, community health, diseases of the human body, and leadership.

• Program(s): RN-to-BSN
• Campus: Lewiston, Maine
• Type: Private
• Accreditation(s): Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• Tuition: $18,760 total program cost
• Admission Requirements: ADN; an active, unencumbered RN license; completion of prerequisite courses in microbiology, college writing, psychology, developmental psychology, social science elective, and arts/humanities elective
• Minimum Time Commitment: 18 months
• On-Campus Requirements: Yes
• School NCLEX-RN Pass Rate (YEAR): 100% (2022) 

The online RN-to-BSN program at the University of Rochester comprises 32 credits and 140 field hours, all of which are earned through nine courses. To be eligible for acceptance, prospective students must have an active and unencumbered New York RN license.

Students can expect to take classes in RN-to-BSN transitioning, biopsychosocial health assessment, evidence of nursing practice, patient and population care management, leadership, contexts of healthcare, population health, a nursing elective of the student's choosing, and a final capstone course. While all courses take place entirely online, students receive direct access to faculty as they complete their coursework using iPads provided by the school.

• Program(s): RN-to-BSN
• Campus: Rochester, New York
• Type: Private
• Accreditation(s): Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• Tuition: $1,200 per credit hour; $600 per credit for those living in the 18-county Western New York region
• Admission Requirements: ADN or diploma in nursing; active and unencumbered New York RN license
• Minimum Time Commitment: 16 months
• On-Campus Requirements: No
• School NCLEX-RN Pass Rate (YEAR): 84% (2021)
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $68,190 for bachelor's graduates, according to College Scorecard

Texas A&M University - College Station's RN-to-BSN program offers students the ability to earn their bachelor's degree entirely online. Students must complete 30 credit hours and participate in a practicum experience in their community during enrollment. 

Before acceptance, students must have completed at least 59 credits in the humanities and biological, physical, and behavioral sciences. Students are then admitted either during the spring or summer semester. They can then choose to complete the program in either three, four, or five semesters.

• Program(s): RN-to-BSN
• Campus: College Station, Texas
• Type: Public
• Accreditation(s): Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• Tuition: $2,330 per semester for residents; $8,180 per semester for non-residents
• Admission Requirements: ADN; active and unencumbered RN license; minimum 3.0 GPA; previous coursework in nutrition, anatomy and physiology, microbiology, chemistry, and lifespan growth and development
• Minimum Time Commitment: 12-18 months
• On-Campus Requirements: No
• School NCLEX-RN Pass Rate (YEAR): 98.2% (2021)
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $63,660 for bachelor's graduates, according to College Scorecard

The 30-credit RN-to-BSN program at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley allows students to earn their bachelor's degree in as little as 12 months through the completion of seven-week courses.

The program offers classes entirely online,providing flexibility working RNs need to earn their BSN while continuing to practice.

The program's curriculum includes topics, such as client assessment, professional mobility, pathophysiology, pharmacology, research, issues in nursing, and community health.

• Program(s): RN-to-BSN
• Campus: Edinburg, Texas
• Type: Public
• Accreditation(s): Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• Tuition: $280 per credit
• Admission Requirements: ADN; active and unencumbered RN license or a temporary permit to practice professional nursing; minimum 2.5 GPA
• Minimum Time Commitment: 12 months
• On-Campus Requirements: No
• School NCLEX-RN Pass Rate (YEAR): 93.4% (2021)
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $61,330 for bachelor's graduates, according to College Scorecard

The online RN-to-BSN program at the University of West Florida comprises 32 credits that can be completed in 12 months. The university offers eight-week courses entirely online, allowing RNs to continue working during their education.

Students take courses that focus on health assessment, pharmacology, evidenced-based nursing, gerontological nursing, population-based nursing, systems-based nursing leadership, community health education, pathophysiology, law and ethics in nursing, and academic writing in nursing.

• Program(s): RN-to-BSN
• Campus: Pensacola, Florida
• Type: Public
• Accreditation(s): Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• Tuition: $220 per credit
• Admission Requirements: ADN; active and unencumbered RN license; minimum 2.75 GPA
• Minimum Time Commitment: 12 months
• On-Campus Requirements: No
• School NCLEX-RN Pass Rate (YEAR): 91.5% (2019)
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $58,450 for bachelor's graduates, according to College Scorecard

RNs with an active and unencumbered New York RN license are eligible to apply for CUNY Lehman College's 30 credit RN-to-BSN program.

Students can expect to complete coursework in nursing as a human science, professional nursing practice, clinical decision-making, ways of knowing in nursing, trends and issues in nursing, therapeutic intervention, and professional nursing management.

Outside of nursing courses, students are also required to complete courses in general chemistry, growth and development, and analysis and action for community health.

• Program(s): RN-to-BSN
• Campus: Bronx, New York
• Type: Public
• Accreditation(s): Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• Tuition: $305 per credit for residents; $620 per credit for non-residents
• Admission Requirements: ADN; active and unencumbered New York RN license; minimum 2.5 GPA
• Minimum Time Commitment: 24 months
• On-Campus Requirements: No
• School NCLEX-RN Pass Rate (YEAR): 70.4% (2021)
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $95,350 for bachelor's graduates, according to College Scorecard

The RN-to-BSN program at St. Luke's College offers courses entirely online to nurses who have just earned their ADN or nursing diploma, as well as RNs already working in the field. The coursework is entirely online and can be completed on either a full- or part-time basis.

St. Luke's College focuses on specialized nursing topics that include adaptation to chronic health issues, nursing care of older adults, women's health issues, palliative nursing care, and pharmacology for nurses.

The program's curriculum also focuses on more general areas of study, such as pathophysiology, informatics, leadership, culture and diversity in healthcare, health assessment, proactive nursing, population-focused nursing with practicum, research and evidenced-based practice, and synthesis of nursing practice.

• Program(s): RN-to-BSN
• Campus: Sioux City, Iowa
• Type: Private
• Accreditation(s): Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
• Tuition: $600 per credit hour
• Admission Requirements: ADN or nursing diploma; active, unencumbered RN license
• On-Campus Requirements: No
• School NCLEX-RN Pass Rate (YEAR): 75.7% (2021)