Best Online BSN Degrees

Through the renowned University of Wisconsin, registered nurses can enroll in the online nursing program to complete their BSN from a College of Nursing that is ranked in the top 6 percent. In addition to foundational nursing courses—for example, community health, research based practice, and chronic care management—those students can also take online electives such as global health and ethics, symptom management, genetics and genomics, and mental health nursing across the care continuum. Other incentives to get your degree at the University of Wisconsin Whitewater are its flexibility (students can start any time they want), its rewarding of credit hours to professional experience, and its emphasis on personal support.

Part of the larger University of Wisconsin system, this campus in Whitewater is mid-sized with approximately 12,000 students, offers around fifty undergraduate areas of study, and is particularly focused on encouraging diversity, both on-campus and through the curriculum. UW Whitewater also offers students the opportunity to do grant-funded research and scholarship. The school at large is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and their nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

George Washington University’s School of Nursing allows students to earn a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing completely online, and they even make it possible for students to earn a master’s degree simultaneously. Whichever route you take as a student, GWU expects you to already be a registered nurse upon admission. Coursework will fully prepare you to promote health in diverse communities; to critically evaluate client responses to health and illness; to demonstrate ethical, legal, and professional values and practice; to enact a presence of leadership and management; and to prove an ongoing commitment to lifelong learning and personal and professional growth.

Located in the nation’s capital, George Washington University is a private, research-driven school. It is home to many notable research centers and institutes such as the Center for Equity and Excellence in Education, the McCormick Genomic and Proteomic Center, the Cancer Institute, the Institute for Biomedical Engineering, and many others. It is ranked as among the best schools in the country by Forbes, U.S. News & World Report, The Princeton Review, and more, and it is known for its commitment to sustainability. GWU is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and their School of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

One unique aspect of the University of Missouri’s online RN-BSN program is its residency requirement. Though most of the program can be fully completed online, students are expected to attend campus events and classes one to two days per semester. Other than this, the Mizzou curriculum, its expectations and requirements, align closely with the other schools on our ranking. Students take classes that cover ethics and legal issues, theory and research, pathophysiology, leadership, evidence-based nursing practice, and a four-credit hour, ten-week long practicum with a local community agency.

Students should plan to incorporate ninety hours of practicum into their semester. One of the more affordable online degrees on our list, graduates from Mizzou’s BSN program make, on average, approximately $44,200 annually in their first few years of their careers, making the return on investment at Mizzou huge.

Located in Columbia, the University of Missouri (Mizzou) is a public land-grant research school of over 30,000 combined undergraduate and graduate students. Mizzou is comprised of twenty colleges and schools, is on the National Register of Historic Places, and is home to the renowned University of Missouri Hospitals and Clinics system. Mizzou, at large is, accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and the University of Missouri Sinclair School of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

By enacting the standards of nursing education set by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the online RN-BSN program at CUNY School of Professional Studies (CUNY SPS) trains students to become experts in health assessment, leadership and management, nursing research, care of culturally diverse populations, global health and policy, and nursing informatics. CUNY SPS differentiates its program from others, including many of those on our list, with its large offering of minors. In addition to receiving a foundational education in nursing, students can pair their degree with a minor in business, mental and behavioral health, sociology, psychology, intellectual/developmental studies, or information systems, among others.

Part of the City University of New York System, CUNY School of Professional Studies is known for its online bachelor’s degrees in health, business, nursing, sociology, and psychology, among others. They offer a number of master’s degrees as well, in addition to several certificate programs that can be paired with a full degree program. CUNY SPS is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and the RN-BSN program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

At Pace University’s Leinhard School of Nursing you can use take graduate level courses while earning a BSN completely online. You also have the opportunity to obtain credit for professional certification. Pace’s BSN curriculum is unique in that its courses include cultural mindfulness, innovation and the art of leadership, core competencies for multidimensional care, spirit inquiry, and a nurse’s role in advocacy, policy, and politics, in addition to its typical nursing coursework. Furthermore, online BSN students at Pace have two options to complete their degree: to enter the academic year in the fall and complete the program in approximately two years, or to enter in the spring and thus complete the program in a mere fifteen months.

Pace University is located right in the middle of everything, in metro New York City. It is a private university of about 8,000 undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. It is most known for its renowned business school, but is also widely recognized as a notable contributor to health research. Pace is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and its Lienhard School of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

The University of Colorado in Colorado Springs (UCCS) offers a fully online RN to BS in Nursing degree with a unique curriculum; classes cover the history of nursing, immersion in clinical nursing, interprof law, interpersonal education, teamwork and ethics, social justice and nursing trends, and much more. This online nursing degree can be completed in as few as four terms and will prepare you to work in government, healthcare centers, and in state, local, and private hospitals. In fact, graduates are specifically trained to integrate clinical practice strategies with evidence of improving healthcare outcomes for individuals, families, and whole communities.

The Colorado Springs campus in the University of Colorado System is most known for its College of Engineering and Applied Science, which is ranked fourth nationally among public universities. Though many of its departments, notably its STEM departments, are well ranked and nationally recognized. UCCS is also known for its aerospace research and for being home to the Center for Space Studies. UCCS is accredited by the North Central Association of Higher Learning Commission. The nursing program is accredited by the Colorado State Board of Nursing and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

If you’re not only interested in the fundamentals of healthcare provision, but the theoretical, ethical, cultural, and spiritual dimensions of nursing, then the online nursing degree at St. Xavier is probably for you. Every student is required to take one religious studies course of his or her choosing, foundational nursing core courses (such as health assessment, population-based care, leadership and nursing collaboration, global health, and patient safety), and a class called The Examined Life. Another incentive to the St. Xavier program is its close relationship with Student Nurses Association.

Located in Chicago, St. Xavier University is a small school of approximately 3,000 undergraduates and forty-five areas of study. Their School of Nursing, accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, is recognized as a Center of Excellence by the National League of Nursing, and it is consistently ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the best online nursing programs in the country. St. Xavier is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

At Michigan State University, online undergraduate nursing students can earn their BSN in five semesters, of which thirty credit hours are granted for successful completion of the National Council Licensing Examination–Registered Nurse (NCLEX–RN). In addition, students take classes on health promotion, leadership immersion, pathophysiology, community and population health nursing, and integrative studies, among others. MSU online nursing students should also be prepared to complete a clinical practice in their local communities. Otherwise, this Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing degree is 100 percent online, and specifically designed for working adults.

A major public university based in Michigan’s capital, Lansing, Michigan State University is a large school of over 50,000 students, most of whom are undergraduates. Ranked well by Forbes, U.S. News & World Report, Washington Monthly, Times Higher Education, and more, MSU is recognized for being a leader in energy research, particularly in physics. However, the university offers over 200 areas of study and receives accolades for a number of its departments. MSU as a whole is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and the College of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing.

For online nursing students enrolled in Fort Hays State University’s RN-BSN program who attend full-time, this degree can be completed in as few as twelve months. For those who choose to attend part-time, the flexibility of the program still allows for them to complete the degree efficiently, in eighteen to twenty-four months. In addition to a curriculum comprised of foundational studies in nursing courses as well as social and behavioral studies courses, students will take three clinicals to meet the requirements of the following classes: population-focused care, integration of professional nursing for the RN, and the internship.

Fort Hays State University is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Its Department of Nursing is accredited by the Collegiate Commission on Nursing Education. A small, public university based in Hays, Kansas, Fort Hays State is comprised of approximately 4,000 undergraduates and 6,000 online students, and it is home to over fifty academic areas of study, its popular natural history museum, and several research institutes and centers.

Online classes such as career pathways, case management and outcome results, community health, and theoretical foundations of professional nursing, among others, make up the online BSN degree at Old Dominion University. Graduates of the program have gone on to work in advanced practice nursing, nursing management and administration, community and nonprofit organizations, consulting, and pharmaceutical sales, and in a survey of those graduates, released just last year, 96 percent said they were very satisfied with the online experience at Old Dominion.

Located in Norfolk, Virginia, Old Dominion University is a large research institute known for its contributions to the fields of engineering, climate change, maritime studies, and coastal energy. Approximately 20,000 undergraduates and 5,000 graduate students attend, many of whom are involved in one of the over 300 students organizations, making campus life at Old Dominion an active and vibrant one. Old Dominion University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Its School of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

Though you can earn your BSN fully online from the University of Central Florida, the university also offers students the opportunity to take some classes on campus too. Like many of the programs on our list, UCF’s curriculum includes pathophysiology, leadership, and practicums, but it also has classes on the role transition from RN to BSN, research methodology, health care policy and economics, health promotion across a lifespan, and public health nursing. Additional credits can be earned through prior learning and RN experience, which helps students expedite their course load and graduation date.

Based in Orlando, the University of Central Florida is comprised of over a dozen colleges and schools as well as several nationally ranked departments, including its biological sciences, healthcare management, nursing, and psychology departments. It has made significant research contributions to a range of fields: education, business, engineering, optics, and more. UCF is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the College of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing.

Often considered the top RN to BSN provider among public universities and colleges, the online Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing degree at Columbus State University boasts a 100 percent employment rate among its graduates. Furthermore, classes are asynchronous, so students can complete coursework whenever, wherever, and at their own pace. This program introduces students to evidence-based practice, applied pathophysiology, professional development, health assessment and wellness, and more. Students engage in both clinicals and a senior project for which they are expected to focus on evidence-based principles and theory in the dissemination of information regarding a clinical topic. This program takes twelve months to complete.

Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Columbus State University is a public, mid-sized university of approximately 8,300 enrolled students. Though it is most known for its elite business school, Columbus State also receives praise for its environmental learning center, its Mead Observatory, and its education, nursing, and music departments. The School of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and is approved by the Georgia Board of Nursing.

When you enroll in the online BSN degree program at Ball State University you are enrolling in a unique program that blends nursing education with a liberal arts education. Physical, psychosocial, nursing, fine arts, and the humanities are all a part of the Ball State BSN curriculum. Ball State further differentiates itself from other programs in our ranking in that they emphasize an approach to nursing and community care that protects women, children, and vulnerable populations. Ball State’s online BSN is designated a National League for Nursing Center of Excellence.

Ball State University, located Muncie, Indiana, offers nearly 200 areas of study to its nearly 20,000 undergraduates. A public, research institution, it is well ranked by Forbes, U.S. News & World Report, and Washington Monthly. It is also known for its active student body, a majority of whom are involved in at least one of the nearly 500 student organizations and clubs. Ball State University is accredited, as a whole, by the Higher Learning Commission, while its School of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

Students in Jacksonville University’s online nursing program learn how to manage patients with complex cases, resolve problems and delegate responsibilities, think through legal and ethical situations in critical care, communicate effectively, make hard decisions in rapidly changing environments, and execute sharp critical thinking skills to strategize and solve problems. Graduates from Jacksonville University have found work as directors of education, charge nurses, healthcare risk managers, chief nursing officers, ICU staff RNs, directors of case management, and much more. Thus, as a student, you will take classes that particularly emphasize leadership, healthcare management, global health promotion, and information management. Finally, Jacksonville University is a member of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

Jacksonville University, accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, is based in Florida and is a private university. It’s relatively small with an undergraduate population of around 3,500 students, but it offers nearly 100 areas of study. It is a member of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida. Their School of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

A highly flexible and fully online Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing degree program, online students at Duquesne University learn how to communicate well, both verbally and in writing; they participate in interprofessional collaboration in the healthcare industry; they learn how to act as a moral agent in their professional nursing practice; they are trained to analyze complex community, individual, and family dynamics to perform the best care; and they learn how to approach culturally complex situations with sensitivity. This degree is fully online and utilizes an array of innovative technologies to provide students with the most interactive, online education platform possible.

A private, Catholic university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Duquesne University is small (there are approximately 6,000 students) but offers degrees across academic levels and in nearly 200 different fields of study. Comprised of ten colleges and schools, including the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education accredited School of Nursing, Duquesne is notably diverse with international students representing more than eighty countries. The university as a whole is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.