Most Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree (BSN) programs require degree candidates to complete 120 semester credits to graduate. The majority of baccalaureate degree programs include approximately 60 credits of general education across a comprehensive set of academic disciplines. The remaining credits are completed through upper-level nursing classes plus clinical training and equivalency testing examinations.
Many Registered Nurses either earn a diploma or Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) to become eligible to take the national RN licensing exam – the NCLEX-RN exam. Fortunately, the credits earned from an ACEN or CCNE-accredited ADN degree program can be applied towards the credit requirements of most BSN programs.
Top 5 ADN to BSN
| Rank | School | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida Gateway College (FGC) | Lake City, Florida |
| 2 | Rogers State University (RSU) | Claremore, Oklahoma |
| 3 | The State University of NY (SUNY Canton) | Canton, New York |
| 4 | SUNY Delhi | Delhi, New York |
| 5 | Lock Haven University (LHU) | Lock Haven, Pennsylvania |
As a result, many ADN to BSN degree programs can be completed in one to two years, depending on the ADN to BSN degree programs delivery format and the student’s course load. According to AACN (the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, nursing professionals who hold a BSN degree improve their professional skills that ultimately create better patient care.
In addition, there is an industry-wide initiative to require all RN’s to earn their baccalaureate degree within a specified amount of time after passing the NCLEX-RN national exam. Further, the average salary, according to Payscale.com, for ADN professionals compared to BSN professionals is as follows –
- The average yearly salary for those who hold an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) – $70,019.
- The average yearly salary for those who hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) – $85,734.
A quick calculation reveals that a nursing professional with a bachelor’s degree will have a yearly average salary that is approximately 22.5% more than a nursing professional who holds an ADN degree. Note: however, that each of the available ADN to BSN degree programs will require applicants to have a valid and unencumbered Registered Nurses license, but some also require a preset level of experience as well.
Many ADN to BSN degree programs that are offered online provide the convenience and flexibility required for nurse professionals to complete the degree while working full-time or maintaining their other life commitments.
The regional and specialized-accredited ADN to BSN degree programs noted below are available to nursing professionals who hold an RN license. Those who have an RN license by earning a diploma (and not an Associate Degree in Nursing) may be required to take pre-requisites, depending on the program.
Best 10 ADN to BSN Degree Programs
Florida Gateway College (FGC)
Florida Gateway College offers an RN to BSN program designed specifically for those who hold an associated degree in nursing. These ADN to BSN degree programs require the completion of a total of 121-semester credits and offer students two start dates each calendar year. Classes for this degree program include human growth and development, microbiology, nursing theory, and pharmacology, to name a few.
School Overview
Rogers State University (RSU)
Rogers State University offers an RN to BSN completion degree program that provides access to coursework and staff support 24 hours each day through the school’s distance learning platform. Rogers State University’s ADN to BSN degree programs have been ranked third in Oklahoma by RegisteredNursing.org. Classes for this degree include the professional nursing role, nursing science and research, and management & leadership in nursing, to name a few.
School Overview
The State University of NY (SUNY Canton)
SUNY Canton offers two options for its ADN to BSN degree programs – a full-time program that can be finished in four semesters or a part-time degree program that is finished in four years. Classes for these transitions and completion degree paths include health assessment in nursing, conceptual frameworks in nursing, and transcultural nursing, to name a few.
School Overview
SUNY Delhi
SUNY Delhi’s Technology College offers an online RN to BSN degree program that can be completed in only 30 months. SUNY Delhi’s ADN to BSN degree programs accepts up to 18 accredited non-nursing credits if eligible. The nursing programs offered by SUNY Delhi are provided by a Center of Excellence in Nursing Education.
School Overview
Lock Haven University (LHU)
Lock Haven University’s Department of Nursing offers accelerated ADN to BSN degree programs that can be completed 100% online. Applicants for this degree completion program are required to have earned an RN diploma or an ADN degree to be eligible for admission. Classes for this ADN to BSN degree include nursing informatics, pathophysiology, global perspectives in nursing, leadership in practice, and nursing research, among others.
School Overview
Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SOSU)
Southwestern Oklahoma State University is recognized to be offering one of the state’s best ADN to BSN degree programs available online or on the school’s Weatherford campus. SOSU’s ADN to BSN degree programs can be finished in about one year but allows students up to 60 months to finish this academic degree. Classes for this nursing completion degree program include human anatomy with lab, phycological statistics, microbiology, bridging nursing paradigms, and ethics and caring, to name a few.
School Overview
Riviera University (RU)
Riviera University, located in New Hampshire, offers an RN to BSN degree completion program that prepares students for nursing careers as surgical nurses, pediatric nurses, or other specialized fields. Riviera University’s ADN to BSN degree programs has been ranked as the top online RN to BSN programs that can be completed in two to four years, depending on the degree candidate’s course load and time availability. Classes for this BSN completion degree program include families and health, biostatistics, health assessment, patho-pharmacology, and quality in informatics in practice, to name a few.
School Overview
Midway University (MU)
Midway University offers a nationally recognized RN to BSN degree program that prepares graduates for professional careers as clinical hospital nurses or other nursing-related occupations. Students enrolled in MU’s ADN to BSN degree programs offer an accelerated program that can be completed in only one year or a two-year track. Classes for this BSN completion degree include pharmacology, health assessment, and legal aspects of nursing, to name a few.
School Overview
Azusa Pacific University (APU)
Azusa Pacific University is a private school that offers several ADN to BSN degree programs, including a fifteen-month online RN to BSN program delivered in five-hour classes each week for sixty weeks. Admission to APU’s ADN to BSN degree programs requires applicants to have at least 60 transferable credit units, although up to 80 eligible credits are acceptable.
School Overview
West Virginia University (WVU)
The Nursing School at West Virginia University offers an RN to BSN completion degree program that is available for full-time students (in 3 semesters) or part-time students (in 6 semesters). Students enrolled in WVU’s ADN to BSN degree programs are required to meet the school’s residency requirement, in which degree candidates must complete 30 earned semester credits at WVU.
School Overview
Our Ranking Methodology
The above list of ADN to BSN degree programs includes an assessment of the school’s affordability and academic quality, in addition to the flexibility offered by online or hybrid RN to BSN completion degree programs. The finalized list of ten ADN to BSN degree programs includes those programs that have been objectively evaluated based on data from the school’s website, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) website, and other reputable data sources.
These ADN to BSN degree programs are listed with the most affordable ADN to BSN degree programs ranked first.
Additionally, students are offered additional relevant data for each program to help them make the best-educated decisions when deciding which of these ADN to BSN degree programs would provide the educational experience that meets the students’ objectives. This additional data includes the following –
- Tuition costs are shown as ‘per credit’ fees to maintain consistency among ADN to BSN degree programs.
- Credit units required helps potential students understand the depth of the coursework involved in the ADN to BSN degree programs.
- The school’s NCLEX-RN Pass Rate helps students understand how successful previous classes have been when sitting for the national Registered Nursing exam.
- Accreditation has been listed for each school at the regional/national and specialized level. Each of the programs noted above has received specialized accreditation from either ACEN or CCNE.
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