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Best 5 LPN to BSN Programs in Pennsylvania in 2024

January 26, 2024 | Admin

Best LPN to BSN programs in Pennsylvania badge

Have you seriously considered furthering your nursing career by transitioning from a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) to that of a licensed Registered Nurse (RN)? If so, it might be the right time to enroll in one of the many available campus-based and online LPN to BSN programs in PA rather than pursuing the minimum requirement for an RN license, an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN).

Rank School Location
1Indiana University of PennsylvaniaIndiana, Pennsylvania
2York College of PennsylvaniaYork, Pennsylvania
3Pennsylvania College of TechnologyWilliamsport, Pennsylvania
4Marywood UniversityDunmore, Pennsylvania
5Wilson CollegeChambersburg, Pennsylvania

The reality is that the nursing industry (on a national basis) has been advocating for a minimum nursing license standard – although it is somewhat unofficial at this point. This national shift in nursing education requirements is now encouraging  (and at times, requiring) RNs to finish a BSN degree – a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree program within a preset time after being hired.

Much of this industry shift can be attributed to the National Academy of Medicine‘s efforts, which has set forth an initiative for 80 percent of the nurse workforce to hold a baccalaureate degree in nursing. Their efforts have been supported by historical data (and study results) have shown that patient outcomes (and the coordination of nursing staff members) improve with better educated RNs employed by a medical facility.

The good news for licensed practical nurses (LPN’s) is that many institutions of higher education now offer convenient and accelerated academic degree paths to a baccalaureate degree in nursing degrees. These convenient BSN completion programs allow for students to become eligible to sit for the national NCLEX-RN exam. Note that NCLEX exam takers must also pass a background check to become licensed as a Registered Nurse.

Each of the LPN to BSN programs in PA noted below is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission – the MSCHE.  These LPN to BSN programs in PA have earned specialized accreditation from either ACEN or CCNE, which indicates that each of these LPN to BSN programs in PA has met the highest of academic standards as designed and enforced by each accreditation agency sanctioned by the nursing industry.  

LPN to BSN programs in PA are specifically developed to build upon nursing professionals who already have some basic education and professional experience. Together, these admission requirements provide a viable education path that allows students to transfer eligible credits, which places the student in advanced standing in the program – potentially saving time and money in earning the BSN degree.

Additionally, many LPN to BSN programs in PA are available online, making it easier than ever to earn the BSN degree in a way that works for a busy working adult, and at a cost that is within budgetary constraints. Earning a Bachelor of Science degree will also provide nurse professionals with broader professional options and, typically, higher salaries.

The Board of Nursing within Pennsylvania’s Department of State is responsible for administering and enforcing the licensing requirements of nurse professionals in the commonwealth – which also includes the management of available LPN to BSN programs in PA.

Best 5 LPN to BSN Programs in PA

1

Indiana University of Pennsylvania

  • Indiana, Pennsylvania

The Department of Nursing & Allied Health at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania offers specialized LPN to BSN programs in PA that are explicitly designed for nursing professionals who have already earned their Licensed Practical Nursing license. Degree candidates are offered a seamless transition into professional nursing and are not required to complete basic nursing classes based on a student’s previous experience or education.

School Overview

Program Tuition Fees: $ 495.20 per credit unit for Pennsylvania residents
NCLEX-RN 1st Time Pass Rate: 92.31%
Accreditation: MSCHE & CCNE
Student Enrollment: 10,559 students
Visit School Website
2

York College of Pennsylvania

  • York, Pennsylvania

York College of Pennsylvania offers one of the LPN to BSN programs in PA with its 132-credit LPN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program that provides advanced credit for students who have already completed certain fundamental nursing programs. In addition to a required nursing practicum, York College’s LPN to BSN program requires the completion of classes in research and professional nursing practice, leadership in professional nursing, general psychology, pharmacology, and nursing concepts/practice across a number of nursing disciplines, to name a few.

School Overview

Program Tuition Fees: $511.67 per credit unit (@ 15 units per semester)
NCLEX-RN 1st Time Pass Rate: 97.03%
Accreditation: MSCHE & CCNE
Student Enrollment: 4,307 students
Visit School Website
3

Pennsylvania College of Technology

  • Williamsport, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania College of Technology offers a BSN completion program that allows up to 47 eligible credits to be transferred from previous accredited earned credits. Pennsylvania College of Technology’s LPN to BSN programs in PA include classes in health care delivery systems, ethical issues related to medicine, medical practice administration, and quality assurance for healthcare workers, plus a senior capstone project, among others.

School Overview

Program Tuition Fees: $ 587.00 per credit unit for Pennsylvania residents
NCLEX-RN 1st Time Pass Rate: 92.31%
Accreditation: MSCHE & CCNE
Student Enrollment: 4,972 students
Visit School Website
4

Marywood University

  • Dunmore, Pennsylvania

Marywood University offers one of the best LPN to BSN programs in PA with its Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) to Bachelor in Science in Nursing degree (BSN) program that can be completed in only three years, or less, depending on study path and course load. Classes for Marywood University’s LPN to BSN degree include an introduction to nursing research, professional preparation, statistics, population-focused care, medical and surgical nursing, plus clinical rotations and an internship, to name a few.

School Overview

Program Tuition Fees: $977.22 per credit unit
NCLEX-RN 1st Time Pass Rate: 92.31%
Accreditation: MSCHE & CCNE
Student Enrollment: 12,679 students
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5

Wilson College

  • Chambersburg, Pennsylvania

Wilson College offers one of the accelerate LPN to BSN programs in PA designed specifically for those working nurse professionals by offering evening classes that are online and campus-based. Classes for Wilson College’s LPN to BSN degree include microbiology for nurses, human nutrition, human anatomy & physiology, healthcare ethics, life-span development and nursing leadership, plus a senior nursing practicum, to name a few.

School Overview

Program Tuition Fees $ 1,680.00 per credit unit (@ 15 units per semester)
NCLEX-RN 1st Time Pass Rate 100%
Accreditation MSCHE & CCNE
Student Enrollment 1,618 students
Visit School Website

The Methodology used to Rank these LPN to BSN Programs in PA

The LPN to BSN Programs in PA shown above represent a broad selection of available LPN to BSN Programs in PA. These bridge-type academic programs are offered from public and private schools and provide coursework that is both campus-based, online, or a hybrid combination of both types of program deliveries.

In creating this analysis of available LPN to BSN Programs in PA, we reviewed several essential academic and financial factors.

  • The higher learning institutions and universities were listed based on each school’s tuition costs, with the more cost-effective LPN to BSN Programs in PA listed first. It is also noted that the tuition costs that were utilized in the above analysis represent either the school year of 2020/2021 or 2019/2020 – the latest tuition fees disclosed by –
    • The school or program’s proprietary website.
    • The National Center for Education Statistics’ (NCES) website, which is administered by the United States federal government.

Our analysis also includes the percentages of those nursing students who pass the NCLEX- RN exam on their first attempt. This percentage performance statistic indicates how well students are prepared to take the NCLEX- RN for the first time and is a clear statement of the program’s ability to prepare its students for this national examination.

To provide some context as to how potential students should evaluate each of the LPN to BSN Programs in PA it is helpful to know how RNs faired on the NCLEX- RN exam at the state and national level.  These NCLEX-RN statistics have been provided by the Pennsylvania Board of Nursing

  • The NCLEX- RN pass rate for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is 91.99% (9/2020).
  • The NCLEX- RN pass rate for the United States is 86.76% (9/2020).

Would you like to update the data used in the above analysis?

Please contact BestValueSchools.org to allow us to update the program/school data used in our analysis and final rankings of available LPN to BSN Programs in PA.

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