Last updated: February 17, 2021
A recent report by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing cites considerable research supporting the employment of baccalaureate-trained nurses. According to the report, nurses who hold a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) demonstrate advanced critical thinking and leadership skills, making them an asset in any healthcare setting. Accelerated RN-to-BSN programs help registered nurses advance in their careers by providing the knowledge and competencies most valued in the workforce.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that roles for RNs could grow by 7% between 2019 and 2029, faster than the average growth rate of all occupations. Fast track RN-to-BSN online programs offer a flexible pathway to increased income and career possibilities for working nurses who want to earn a degree while managing job and personal responsibilities.
These programs, which can take a year or less to complete, qualify graduates for a variety of nursing positions in hospitals, outpatient clinics, physicians' offices, nursing homes, and home healthcare. A BSN helps RNs stand out among the competition, prepare for graduate programs, and qualify for leadership and administrative roles.
View ranking methodology here.
Fastest Online RN-to-BSN Programs for 2021
1. Ohio State University
Established in 1878, Ohio State's 18 colleges and schools offer more than 200 majors.
The College of Nursing opened in 1914 and now boasts one of the fastest online RN-to-BSN programs that allows nursing students to earn a degree in 12-15 months. Degree seekers must complete 21 core nursing credits, an elective, and two additional classes.
Students may study a specialty to earn a primary care academic certificate or a nursing in school health services certificate.
The program accepts students who hold an associate degree or diploma. Students need to take 16-19 prerequisites in classes, such as chemistry, biology, anatomy, and human physiology. Ohio State accepts up to 90 transfer credits.
- Campus: Columbus, Ohio
- Program Length: 30 credits
- Estimated Tuition Cost: $16,422 per year for Ohio residents; $17,022 for non-residents
- Program Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
- Curriculum Snapshot: Concepts in community health nursing, healthcare informatics, evidence-based practice: transforming healthcare nursing, palliative and end-of-life care, and evolving concepts in leadership and management
2. University of Wisconsin – Madison
Founded in 1848, UW's more than 31,000 undergraduate students are enrolled in 288 majors.
RNs who hold an associate degree in nursing can pursue UW's fast-track RN-to-BSN online program and graduate in 18 months. Part-time students take over two years to earn their degree.
Aside from the 60-hour clinical, all classwork is held online. Students learn the critical thinking skills needed to become teachers and managers in nursing. For an additional 18 credits, students can earn a school nursing certificate.
Applicants must live in Wisconsin, Michigan, or contiguous areas of Illinois, Iowa, or Minnesota. UW's school of nursing also requires at least a 2.5 GPA for admission.
- Campus: Madison, Wisconsin
- Program Length: 24-30 credits
- Estimated Tuition Cost: $452 per credit
- Program Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
- Curriculum Snapshot: Foundations of professional nursing practice, chronic care management, nursing research and evidence-based practice, leadership and management, and information and health technology
3. Texas A&M University
Texas A&M, the state's first public college, opened in 1876 and now boasts 133 undergraduate programs.
Texas A&M's College of Nursing, which began in 2008, offers an online RN-to-BSN program students can complete in 3-5 semesters. The entire 30-credit program operates online, except for the mandatory fieldwork and the two-day new student orientation at the College Station campus.
New students start in the summer and spring. Prior to enrolling, they must complete at least 59 credits from an accredited school. Admitted students must hold a current RN license and associate degree in nursing. Otherwise recent graduates must pass the NCLEX no later than the first term at Texas A&M.
- Campus: College Station, Texas
- Program Length: 30 credits
- Estimated Tuition Cost: $12,000 Texas resident; $38,962 non-residents
- Program Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
- Curriculum Snapshot: Community health for the RN, leadership and management for the RN, pathophysiology and pharmacology for the RN, and nursing dimensions and informatics for the RN
4. Texas A&M International University
When TAMIU began in 1970, this public university in Laredo, Texas, only offered teaching and business degrees. Now the university educates more than 7,800 students in a wide range of disciplines, including those in its College of Nursing and Health Sciences.
Working nurses can complete the RN-to-BSN program in one year. Online learners at TAMIU's College of Nursing complete 10 courses in terms that run in seven-week sessions.
The courses and the 126-hour practicum experience prepare students to pursue careers in management or a clinical practice. Nursing students learn how to conduct and evaluate research to improve patient services.
Applicants with a valid RN license and a minimum 2.5 GPA can apply to TAMIU for free.
- Campus: Laredo, Texas
- Program Length: 32 credits
- Estimated Tuition Cost: $281 per credit hour for Texas residents; $794 per credit hour for non-residents
- Program Accreditation: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
- Curriculum Snapshot: Health assessment, cultural determinants of health behavior, nursing research, nursing leadership and management, and community nursing
5. Appalachian State University
Founded in 1899, Appalachian serves more than 20,000 students and offers nearly 150 undergraduate and graduate programs.
Since 2012, the online RN-to-BSN program has enrolled working nurses who can study part time and earn their degree in three semesters, or one year.
With 60 transfer credits, students only need to complete 30 major credits to graduate. They study in an asynchronous format. Clinical fieldwork does not require in-person acute care work. Instead, courses challenge students to conduct skills assessments, such as physical exams.
Candidates need a valid RN license from North Carolina, an associate degree or diploma, and at least a 2.5 GPA.
- Campus: Boone, North Carolina
- Program Length: 30 credits
- Estimated Tuition Cost: $163 per credit hour for North Carolina residents; $663 per credit hour for non-residents
- Program Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
- Curriculum Snapshot: Nursing informatics, nursing care of older adults, professional nursing synthesis, and nursing research
6. The University of West Florida
UWF, which opened in 1963, now has 29% of its 12,588 students attend classes online.
UWF's accelerated RN-to-BSN program only takes 12 months to complete for registered nurses who already hold an associate degree in nursing. Online learners must complete 32 credits and clinical practicums in their local communities.
They also need to complete 21 credits, including the elements of statistics, anatomy, physiology, and microbiology. In a senior capstone, students prepare a community health education plan. Each term lasts for eight weeks.
Eligible applicants need at least a 2.75 GPA for admission.
- Campus: Pensacola, Florida
- Program Length: 32 credit hours
- Estimated Tuition Cost: $282 per credit hour
- Program Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
- Curriculum Snapshot: Pharmacotherapeutics, gerontological nursing, health education in the community, law and ethics in writing, and academic writing in nursing
7. University of North Florida
UNF boasts an undergraduate student body of 14,640, with approximately 3,105 degree-seekers studying at the Brooks College of Health.
Full-time students can complete the online RN-to-BSN program in 12 months with six start dates throughout the year. Students complete 30 credits, including a senior project where they work at community organizations, such as homeless shelters or home care companies.
This degree admits students living outside of Florida, who hold valid RN licenses in their state. Both Florida residents and out-of-state students pay the same tuition.
UNF accepts candidates who hold at least a 2.8 GPA and an associate degree from a nationally accredited nursing program.
- Campus: Jacksonville, Florida
- Program Length: 30 credit hours
- Estimated Tuition Cost: $285 per credit hour for Florida residents and non-residents
- Program Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
- Curriculum Snapshot: Health assessment of individuals across the lifespan, perspectives in chronicity, community partnerships, ethical-legal concepts in nursing and healthcare
8. Clemson University
Located on 1,400 acres in upstate South Carolina, Clemson enrolls more than 20,868 undergraduates in 80 majors and 90 minors.
Full-time students enrolled in the accelerated RN-to-BSN program can graduate within 12 months. Courses focus on building skills in communication, critical thinking, and management and leadership. Nursing students can earn up to six credits for a master's in nursing degree.
Clemson's school of nursing accepts RNs with a current license in their home state. They also need an associate degree with at least a 2.75 GPA. New students start in the fall and spring semesters.
- Campus: Clemson, South Carolina
- Program Length: 32 credit hours
- Estimated Tuition Cost: $550 per credit hour
- Program Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
- Curriculum Snapshot: Pathophysiology for healthcare professionals, issues in professionalism, community health nursing, leadership and management in nursing, healthcare genetics, and community health nursing.
9. University of North Carolina Wilmington
UNCW, which began in 1947 as a junior college, now serves 14,650 undergraduates who can benefit from resources available across the 17-campus University of North Carolina System.
Students taking the fully online RN-to-BSN program can graduate in 12 months. The school of nursing, in operation for four decades, requires students to complete at least 29 core credits at UNCW.
Online learners mostly complete coursework — nine core courses and one elective — online, except for the clinical experience, which students may complete at their workplace.
Classes follow seven-week sessions. Working professionals can choose from six start dates in the fall, summer, and spring.
- Campus: Wilmington, North Carolina
- Program Length: 29 credit hours
- Estimated Tuition Cost: $169 per credit hour for North Carolina residents; $644 for non-residents
- Program Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
- Curriculum Snapshot: Health assessment for registered nurses, gerontological nursing and the end-of-life care, population and community health nursing, leadership and management in nursing, and health policy
10. University of Massachusetts – Amherst
UMass Amherst, with a 1,450-acre campus located 90 miles outside of Boston, offers 115 undergraduate degrees.
The community-focused RN-to-BSN program lets full-time working nurses graduate in one year. Students can complete asynchronous coursework when it works for their schedule. They can also study part time and graduate in two years.
Degree-seekers enrolled in the one-year plan complete three courses in the spring, summer, and fall. They take their last class in the winter session.
To apply, prospective students must hold an RN license, a 2.5 GPA, and at least 52 completed non-nursing credits.
- Campus: Amherst, Massachusetts
- Program Length: 30 credit hours
- Estimated Tuition Cost: $16,676 per year for Massachusetts residents; $36,964 for non-residents
- Program Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
- Curriculum Snapshot: Nursing care of families, professional role in nursing, cultural diversity in health and illness, community health nursing, and vulnerable and underserved populations
11. The University of Tennessee – Knoxville
UT Knoxville, established as Blount College in 1794, now boasts more than 370 undergraduate programs offered through 11 schools.
Students enrolled in this fully online RN-to-BSN program take 34 credits over sessions that last eight weeks. Most full-time students take two classes each session. While the classes function entirely online, students must complete class projects that sometimes require fieldwork in their communities.
Eligible candidates must hold an associate degree or diploma in nursing with at least 63 transfer credits. The program accepts nurses with valid RN licenses and students in the process of obtaining their licensure.
- Campus: Knoxville, Tennessee
- Program Length: 34 credit hours
- Estimated Tuition Cost: $21,370 per year for Tennessee residents; $24,905 for non-residents
- Program Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
- Curriculum Snapshot: Professional practice and role development, pathophysiology for the RN, pharmacotherapeutics for the RN, evidence-based practice and nursing research, portfolio development for the RN
12. Oklahoma State University
OSU, which opened in 1890 as the Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College, now offers more than 300 majors and minors.
Nursing students can complete the RN-to-BSN program in as quick as nine months. Part-time and full-time students enrolled in this degree, one of the fastest RN-to-BSN programs, graduate in one year.
Qualified candidates must hold a valid RN license in Oklahoma and an associate in nursing degree or diploma with a minimum 2.5 GPA.
Graduates of OSU, the Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology, and Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City get priority acceptance.
- Campus: Stillwater, Oklahoma
- Program Length: 32-35
- Estimated Tuition Cost: Total program cost of $14,436 for Oklahoma residents; $30,991 for non-residents
- Program Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
- Curriculum Snapshot: Health issues in gerontology, cultural consideration in healthcare, global and public health, and leadership and management in nursing.
13. James Madison University
Established in 1908 as a college for women in Harrisonburg, Virginia, JMU now serves over 19,940 undergraduate students with 76 bachelor's programs.
When full-time students enroll in JMU's fast-track RN-to-BSN online program, they can complete the required 30 nursing core credits in three semesters, or one year. Part-time students take five semesters.
JMU offers rolling admission to applicants with an associate in nursing degree or diploma. Official transcripts must show at least a 2.5 GPA. Applicants need a valid RN license and at least six months of work experience. New students begin in the fall and spring.
- Campus: Harrisonburg, Virginia
- Program Length: 30
- Estimated Tuition Cost: $7,250 for Virginia residents and $24,150 for non-residents
- Program Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
- Curriculum Snapshot: Concepts in aging, health assessment, professional role transition, introduction to nursing research, leadership and management in healthcare
14. George Washington University
Founded in 1821, GWU serves as the largest college in Washington, D.C., with more than 26,000 students, three campuses, and 10 schools and colleges.
Students enrolled in the accelerated RN-to-BSN program can graduate in 15 months, or four semesters, even going to school part time. The program mostly offers online coursework. Depending on a student's specialty, they may need to complete a clinical skills assessment at the 20,000-square-foot Simulation and Innovation Learning Center on the Virginia Science and Technology campus.
GWU accepts applicants who hold a current RN license and associate degree in nursing. Graduates eligible for the NCLEX can also apply.
- Campus: Washington, D.C.
- Program Length: 36
- Estimated Tuition Cost: $680 per credit hour
- Program Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
- Curriculum Snapshot: Community and public health, concepts, nursing leadership, concepts in population health, and nursing advancement professional portfolio
15. University at Buffalo
UB, part of the 64-campus State University of New York system, features more than 140 undergraduate programs.
Students enrolled in the RN-to-BSN online program graduate in 1-2 years. The asynchronous format lets working nurses maintain their busy work schedules. Full-time students can graduate within three semesters. Applicants do not need to complete any prerequisites since they can take a statistics course during the program.
The program's rolling admission process allows online learners to begin in the fall, spring, and summer. Eligible applicants must present a valid RN license and hold a minimum 2.5 GPA.
Students currently enrolled in an RN program can apply to UB's two-year online RN-to-BSN program.
- Campus: Buffalo, New York
- Program Length: 32
- Estimated Tuition Cost: $12,000 per year for New York residents; $14,000 per year for non-residents
- Program Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
- Curriculum Snapshot: Nursing science in professional practice, nursing health assessment, application of pathophysiology and pharmacology in nursing, and community health practicum for RNs
Applying to an Online RN-to-BSN Program
Entrance requirements for online RN-to-BSN programs vary from school to school, but all applicants must hold a valid RN license with no outstanding disciplinary actions. Prospective students must have a nursing diploma or an associate degree in nursing from an accredited institution and a minimum 3.0 GPA.
Additional requirements typically include letters of reference, a resume, and a statement of purpose. Accelerated RN-to-BSN programs generally admit applicants who have completed prerequisites in courses like anatomy and physiology, microbiology, nutrition, chemistry, and statistics. Students accepted into these programs without the prerequisites must take these courses, lengthening the time needed to finish the degree.
The majority of programs require applicants to document at least one year of clinical experience. Degree-seekers should also expect to submit a current criminal background check.
Frequently Asked Questions
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How long does it take to complete an online RN-to-BSN program?
Program length depends on several factors. RNs who enter a program with all prerequisites and approximately 60 transfer credits finish more quickly. The fastest RN-to-BSN program can take less than a year. Most degree-seekers can finish a full-time, year-round program in 2-3 years, and a part-time program in 3-4 years.
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What is accreditation and why is it important?
The two main accrediting bodies for nursing programs, the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), have established consistent standards of academic and professional quality. Attending an accredited online RN-to-BSN program ensures students can receive federal financial aid, transfer credits, and obtain licensure and employment.
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What's the difference between an RN and a BSN?
A nurse with an associate degree in nursing or a nursing diploma may obtain their RN license by passing the National Council Licensure Examination, allowing them to practice across the United States. RNs who continue on in BSN programs earn a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university. Many employers consider the BSN the preferred level of education for RNs.
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What can I do with a BSN?
Graduates of RN-to-BSN programs find rewarding careers in an array of healthcare environments and practice areas. This degree prepares nurses for roles in critical care, case management, pediatric nursing, psychiatric nursing, and public health, among other fields. A BSN establishes a strong academic foundation for graduate programs that provide further training for more advanced specializations and administrative positions.