The Best Nursing Programs in New Jersey

Top-ranked Rutgers School of Nursing features an RN-to-BSN program for New Jersey-licensed RNs with an associate degree in nursing. In addition to earning their BSN, the program also offers RNs the opportunity to earn up to 12 graduate credits toward an MSN. Full-time students with enough transferable general education credits can finish the 124-credit program in four semesters.

Rutgers' core curriculum classes are primarily online. However, non-nursing and graduate courses may be taught in on-campus or hybrid formats. In this program, nurses can become proficient in technology integration, health-care leadership, global health, and running an evidence-based practice.

• Program: Bachelor of Science in Nursing - RN-to-BSN
• Campus: New Brunswick, New Jersey
• Type: Public
• Accreditations: New Jersey Board of Nursing, Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• Tuition: $476 per credit (in-state); $832 per credit (out-of-state)
• Admission Requirements: Current New Jersey RN license, nursing diploma or AA, 3.2 GPA
• Minimum Time Commitment: 4 semesters
• On-Campus Requirements: Yes
• School NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 95.4% first-time pass rate
• School Site: Tuition | Financial aid

The RN-to-BSN program by the College of New Jersey ranks as one of the best nursing programs in New Jersey for helping working RNs earn a bachelor of science in nursing. At TCNJ, registered nurses with an associate degree in nursing or a nursing diploma can complete this 32-credit RN-to-BSN program in two and a half to three years on a part-time basis.

To encourage bonding between faculty and classmates, students meet in face-to-face classes at set class times. The program attempts to ease travel times by conducting classes in regional healthcare institutions. It also offers reduced tuition.

• Program: Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN-to-BSN)
• Campus: Ewing, New Jersey
• Type: Public
• Accreditations: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• Tuition: $481 per credit (in-state); $913 per credit (out-of-state)
• Admission Requirements: A short essay, current New Jersey RN license, official transcripts from all nursing schools, colleges, and universities
• Minimum Time Commitment: 2.5 years
• On-Campus Requirements: Yes
• School NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 92.5% first-time pass rate
• School Site: Tuition | Financial aid

Ramapo College of New Jersey has one of the best BSN programs in New Jersey. This baccalaureate program in nursing (BSN) has a unique relationship with Valley Hospital, allowing the university to increase its nursing school's capacity. In this arrangement, the Ramapo program faculty teaches the Ramapo campus courses, and master-prepared Valley Hospital nurses teach the clinical courses as designated clinical associate faculty.

The 128-credit curriculum has an interdisciplinary collaboration design and features core courses such as integrative clinical strategies, leadership in the global world, and health issues management.

• Program: Bachelor of Science in Nursing - Generic or RN-to-BSN
• Campus: Mahwah, New Jersey
• Type: Public
• Accreditations: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
• Tuition: $388 per credit (in-state); $692 per credit (out-of-state)
• Admission Requirements: Completed application, transcript, letters of recommendation; SAT and ACT are optional
• Minimum Time Commitment: 4 years
• On-Campus Requirements: Yes
• School NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 92.9% first-time pass rate
• School Site: Tuition | Financial aid

Stockton University's nursing BSN program provides two concentrations for individuals at different stages of pursuing a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN). For beginners, the nursing-pre-licensure BSN concentration is an entry-level generic option for students to become registered nurses on the way to earning a BSN. The nursing-accelerated BSN concentration accommodates students with bachelor's or graduate degrees in other disciplines.

Students with the four-year pre-licensure BSN concentration must complete 128 credit hours of courses and clinical work. The 15-month, 64-credit hour accelerated concentration provides the same academic package as the pre-licensure BSN and prepares students for successfully passing the NCLEX-RN exam.

• Program: Bachelor of Science in Nursing - Generic
• Campus: Galloway, New Jersey
• Type: Public
• Accreditations: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• Tuition: $471 per credit (in-state); $757 per credit (out-of-state)
• Admission Requirements: Transcripts, 3.5 GPA, satisfactory criminal background check, completed application, 1190 SAT or 24 ACT math score (prelicensure)
• Minimum Time Commitment: 15 months to 4 years
• On-Campus Requirements: Yes
• School NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 90% first-time pass rate
• School Site: Tuition | Financial aid

For aspiring registered nurses, Montclair State University offers one of the best pre-licensure BSN programs in New Jersey. Montclair's four-year bachelor of science in nursing provides students with the professional nursing education required to take the NCLEX-RN exam for registered nurse licensure. Along with building a solid foundation in science and math, the initial courses instill critical thinking in the nursing profession.

After their first year, students learn nursing theory and gain valuable clinical experience in the university's Simulation Center. They eventually study patients' health conditions along cultural divides and the age continuum. To be eligible for licensure, students must complete 120 credits of the comprehensive curriculum.

• Program: Bachelor of Science in Nursing
• Campus: Montclair, New Jersey
• Type: Public
• Accreditations: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• Tuition: $403 per credit (in-state); $436 per credit (out-of-state)
• Admission Requirements: Letters of recommendation, 3.2 GPA, resume, transcripts
• Minimum Time Commitment: 4 years
• On-Campus Requirements: Yes
• School NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: N/A first-time pass rate
• School Site: Tuition | Financial aid

The nationally ranked bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) at Seton Hall University provides a comprehensive education for individuals who aspire to join the nursing field. This liberal arts-dominated BSN program prepares students to enter nursing practices in surgery centers, hospitals, prisons, and schools.

Nursing students can benefit from the liberal arts education mixed with the advantages of studying at a research university. They will get first-hand experience in inpatient care in mental health clinics, hospice care, and long-term care facilities. After completing this 123-credit program, graduates will be ready to take the NCLEX exam to practice as a licensed nurse with a BSN.

• Program: Bachelor of Science in Nursing
• Campus: South Orange, New Jersey
• Type: Private
• Accreditations: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• Tuition: $1,315 per credit
• Admission Requirements: Passing score on the College of Nursing admissions exam, passed required high school courses, completed online application, 3.5 undergraduate GPA for transfers
• Minimum Time Commitment: 4 years
• On-Campus Requirements: Yes
• School NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 93% first-time pass rate
• School Site: Tuition | Financial aid

Saint Peter's University has one of the best BSN programs in New Jersey. This BSN program appeals to pre-licensure students in need of a bachelor of science in nursing degree. Upon completion of this program, graduates can sit for the NCLEX, the RN licensing exam.

The 68 core requirements represent a blend of evidence-based findings, clinical activity, and a host of information systems to optimize patient care. Core courses include the professional nursing lab's clinical bases, seminars in APA writing for health science, and psychiatric-mental health nursing. Attending full-time nursing students can complete this BSN program in four years.

• Program: Bachelor of Science in Nursing-Generic
• Campus: Jersey City, New Jersey
• Type: Private
• Accreditations: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• Tuition: $595 per credit
• Admission Requirements: Successful admission and completion of the pre-nursing track, 3.0 cumulative GPA, advanced proficiency on the TEAS
• Minimum Time Commitment: 4 years
• On-Campus Requirements: Yes
• School NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 100% first-time pass rate
• School Site: Tuition | Financial aid

The bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) program at Rutgers University-Camden equips students with the education, critical thinking skills, and social awareness to advance into the professional nursing field. Rutgers-Camden's BSN program blends liberal arts academics, hands-on clinical work, and virtual simulation to prepare nursing students to take the next step in their nursing careers.

This four-year BSN program has three paths: traditional, internal transfer, and external transfer. After completing the 126-credit curriculum, students qualify to take the NCLEX exam to launch their nursing careers.

• Program: Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
• Campus: Camden, New Jersey
• Type: Public
• Accreditations: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• Tuition: $442 per credit for New Jersey residents; $918 per credit for out-of-state students
• Admission Requirements: Transcripts, completed online application
• Minimum Time Commitment: 4 years
• On-Campus Requirements: Yes
• School NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 97% first-time pass rate
• School Site: Tuition | Financial aid

Caldwell University's bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) program is one of the best nursing programs in New Jersey at providing a comprehensive curriculum that can give students an edge in the modern nursing field. It combines a liberal arts foundation with a scientifically based nursing core curriculum complete with clinical fieldwork backed by advanced technology.

This BSN program has three tracks: Second Degree (Track I), Traditional (Track II), and Transfer (Track III). Track number I accommodates students with BAs in other fields. To earn the BSN, they must complete 25 credits of nursing prerequisites and the 61 credits of nursing core courses. Track II and Track III students must satisfy the entire 125 credit program requirement.

• Program: Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
• Campus: Caldwell, New Jersey
• Type: Private
• Accreditations: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• Tuition: $725 per credit
• Admission Requirements: Official transcripts; personal resume, letter of recommendation, 3.2 GPA (Track I), 2.75 (Track II); 3.0 (Track III), SAT 1080/ACT 21 (Track II)
• Minimum Time Commitment: 2 years
• On-Campus Requirements: Yes
• School NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 98% first-time pass rate
• School Site: Tuition | Financial aid

Nationally ranked, William Paterson University of New Jersey offers a four-year bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) that provides full- and part-time options for aspiring nurses. After nursing students complete the program's general education portion, they can begin the nursing prefixed courses. Part-time students can graduate in four years if they choose a schedule that clusters certain classes together.

William Paterson students can take core curriculum classes during the day, at night, on weekends, or online. However, the nursing classes are mostly available during the day. Some of the nursing classes are cultural foundations of nursing, dimensions of public health, and nursing research. Clinic agencies throughout New Jersey host William Paterson clinical labs courses.

• Program: Bachelor of Science in Nursing
• Campus: Wayne, New Jersey
• Type: Public
• Accreditations: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• Tuition: $742 per credit (in-state) $1,157 per credit (out-of-state)
• Admission Requirements: High school transcript (freshmen), official college transcript (transfers), completed application
• Minimum Time Commitment: 4 years
• On-Campus Requirements: Yes
• School NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 89.5% first-time pass rate
• School Site: Tuition | Financial aid