Did you know you can become a nurse in two years or less? Continue reading to learn about the best accelerated nursing programs without prerequisites.
Nursing has proven to be a highly lucrative and gratifying career in today’s society and one of the highest paying medical jobs, as one of the most comprehensive and rapidly growing professions worldwide.
Due to the increased demand for nurses, some nursing schools have lowered their entry requirements and accepted dedicated, hardworking students with no prior qualifications in nursing for their nursing program.
A nursing program can uniquely position you for success in a career dedicated to caring for others.
To assist you in taking the next step, we conducted research and compiled a list of accelerated nursing programs available online and on-campus.
What is an Accelerated Nursing Program?
Accelerated nursing programs are designed to allow students to complete their RN, BSN, or MSN degrees faster than traditional on-campus college programs.
Many of these programs are intended for people with undergraduate degrees in other fields who want to pursue a career in nursing.
These kinds of programs can be delivered on campus, but they are more often than not delivered online. Unlike traditional programs, accelerated programs organize classes into quarters or sections rather than semesters.
Traditional programs have long breaks between semesters, whereas these programs are continuous. Students enrolled in online programs complete clinical rotations at nearby medical facilities.
Why Accelerated Nursing Programs
Here are the reasons you have to consider accelerated nursing Programs:
- The fastest path to becoming a bachelors-level registered nurse
- Shorter time of the Accelerated Nursing Programs can minimize the costs of studying
- Accelerated nursing programs are cohort-based
- You are less likely to lose your focus
1. It Offers The Fastest Path To Becoming A Registered Nurse
While a traditional nursing program can take three to four years to complete, students in these best-accelerated nursing programs without prerequisites can complete their nursing degree in as little as 12 months.
2. Shorter Time of the Accelerated Nursing Programs Can Minimize The Costs of Studying
While accelerated nursing programs may appear to be costly at first glance, it is important to consider the opportunity costs. You will spend more time as a student in a traditional nursing program.
As a result, you are wasting more time and not seeing a return on your educational investment. One of the most significant advantages of accelerated nursing programs is the ability to enter the workforce and recoup your costs much more quickly.
3. Accelerated Nursing Programs Are Cohort-Based
As a member of a cohort, you will spend the entire program with the same people. That means you have the opportunity to form lifelong friendships that will help you get through a difficult period in your career.
4. You Are Less Likely To Loose Your Focus
Having no extended breaks between semesters is one of the benefits and drawbacks of accelerated nursing programs, depending on your point of view. Summer vacations are nice, but they have the potential to demotivate you. The back-to-back nature of courses in accelerated nursing programs keeps you alert from beginning to end.
List of the Best Accelerated Nursing Programs Without Prerequisites
Below is a list of the best-accelerated nursing programs without prerequisites:
- Georgetown University
- University of San Diego
- Oklahoma City University
- Fairfield University
- Regis College
- South Alabama University
- Loyola University Chicago
- East Carolina University
- Metropolitan State University of Denver
- University of Rochester
- Memphis University
- Brookline College
- Purdue University
- Samuel Merritt University
- California Baptist University
- University of Hawaii
- Idaho State University
- Azusa Pacific University
- Montana State University
- Marquette University.
Top 20 Accelerated Nursing Programs Without Prerequisites
#1. Georgetown University
- Program duration: 16 months
- Tuition: $14,148
- Location: Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
The School of Nursing and Health Studies at Georgetown University offers an Accelerated Second Degree BSN, which allows students to earn a BSN after completing a 16-month program of study.
Expert clinicians teach students and supervise all lab and clinical activities. Students should expect to maintain a high level of scholarly writing ability and produce several research papers during the program because it is research-based.
Georgetown’s accelerated BSN program offers a student-centered environment that values students’ prior experience.
#2. University of San Diego
- Program duration: 21 months
- Tuition: $47,100
- Location: San Diego, California.
For those interested in pursuing an MSN, the University of San Diego has one of the top-rated accredited nursing programs. The Master’s Entry Program in Nursing for Non-RNs can be finished in 21 months of full-time study.
The nursing program is demanding because it provides students with a general foundation in nursing as well as master’s level courses that provide students with the skills needed to serve in leadership positions.
Students who successfully complete the program earn a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) as a Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) and are prepared to work as Advanced Nurse Generalists.
Graduates are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) to become registered nurses (RNs).
 #3. Oklahoma City University
- Program duration: 16 months
- Tuition: In-state tuition and fees: $31,026 ; Out-of-state tuition and fees: $31,026
- Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
The Kramer School of Nursing at Oklahoma City University offers a variety of nursing programs to meet the needs of students, including a Second Bachelor’s Degree program in nursing that can be completed in 16 months.
Part-time options are available for those seeking an accelerated BSN program (absn program) at a more relaxed pace; administrators are willing to work with students to design a degree completion program that works with their schedule.
# 4. Fairfield University
- Program duration: 15 months
- Tuition: $53,630
- Location: Fairfield, Connecticut.
For students who already have a baccalaureate degree, Fairfield’s nursing school offers a Second Degree Program. The program takes 15 months to complete a minimum of 60 credits, assuming that all program prerequisites have already been completed at the time of admission.
A combination of humanities and science courses, as well as clinical and nursing coursework and experience, provides students with the knowledge and skills required to begin a nursing career.
#5. Regis College
- Program duration: 16 months
- Tuition: $75,000
- Location: Massachusetts.
Regis College is a private Catholic university located in Boston, Massachusetts. For non-nursing graduates, Regis offers a 16-month accelerated bachelor of science in a nursing program.
Students will have plenty of opportunities to work with top-notch faculty and clinicians to stockpile all the skills and experience required to excel as a nurse, with a combination of day and evening classes and a wide range of clinical experience opportunities.
#6. South Alabama University
- Program duration: 12 months
- Tuition: $10,000
- Location: Mobile, Alabama.
The School of Nursing at South Alabama University has a competitive program for students who are looking for an intensive, fast-paced challenge.
Students with a non-nursing degree can complete a BSN and sit for the NCLEX after 12 months of full-time study through the accelerated BSN/MSN pathway.
Those who wish to pursue a master’s degree have the option of continuing for one year if their grades meet the university’s minimum standard.
#7. Loyola University Chicago
- Program duration: 16 months
- Tuition: $49,548.00
- Location: Chicago, Illinois.
The Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing at Loyola University offers a 16-month ABSN program with 67 credit hours and seven clinical rotations. Loyola aims to prepare future nurses for any career path by teaching not only nursing skills but also critical thinking, communication, and analysis skills relevant to the rapidly changing nursing field.
 #8. East Carolina University
- Program duration: 12 months
- Tuition: $204.46 per credit hour
- Location: Greenville, North Carolina.
East Carolina University’s School of Nursing opened in 1959, and nearly every year since then, 95 percent of graduates have passed the national council of state boards of nursing on their first try.
Students can begin the accelerated second-degree BSN program in the spring and complete it in 12 months of full-time study.
To be considered, applicants must complete the NLN PAX as well as several specific prerequisites such as math, biology, and chemistry classes.
#9. Metropolitan State University of Denver
- Program duration: 17 months
- Tuition: $45,500
- Location: Denver, Colorado.
MSU Denver is a public research university in Denver, Colorado. MSU Denver’s accelerated nursing program allows students to earn a BSN in 17 months of full-time study.
The program’s excellent reputation and high NCLEX pass rates make it an appealing option for prospective nurses who want to enter the nursing field as soon as possible.
#10. University of Rochester
- Program duration: 12 months
- Tuition: $77,160
- Location: Rochester, New York.
The University of Rochester in western New York is well-known in its field, with a first-time NCLEX pass rate of 90% or higher for many years.
The accelerated BSN program at the university requires a bachelor’s degree as well as at least one course in statistics, nutrition, growth and development, microbiology, and anatomy and physiology.
Students who are qualified can complete the program in one year of full-time study.
#11. Memphis University
- Program duration: 18 months
- Tuition: In-State On-Campus: $18,455.00. Out-State On-Campus: $30,041.00
- Location: Memphis, Tennessee.
Memphis University’s Loewenburg School of Nursing offers an accelerated nursing program, which allows students with a degree to earn a BSN after completing an 18-month accelerated program.
The accelerated BSN program begins in the fall semester and runs through the summer. Memphis University’s and the surrounding area’s diversity ensures students a wide range of nursing experiences that provide students with the skills and insight they need to excel in the nursing field long after graduation.
#12. Brookline College
- Program duration: 16 months
- Tuition: $46,150
- Location: Phoenix, Arizona.
Brookline College is a Phoenix-based private technical college. After 16 months of full-time study, students with baccalaureate degrees can complete a BSN program and sit for the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.
Brookline is well-known for providing a wide range of clinical hospital, laboratory, and community experiences that supplement classroom learning and prepare nurses for real-world nursing challenges and opportunities.
#13. Purdue University
- Program duration: 16 months
- Tuition: $13,083.88
- Location: West Lafayette, Indiana.
Purdue University offers a Second Degree Baccalaureate Program in Nursing for prospective nurses who already have a bachelor’s degree in a field unrelated to nursing.
The degree program requires 28 pre-nursing and 59 nursing course credits, with many of the pre-nursing requirements transferable if applicable from a previous degree.
Purdue’s reputation and high National Council of State Boards of Nursing pass rates reflect what many Purdue nursing graduates say: that their time at Purdue prepared them for a successful nursing career.
#14. Samuel Merritt University
- Program duration: 12 months
- Tuition: $ 84,884
- Location: Oakland, California.
Samuel Merritt University was founded in 1909 specifically as a nursing school, and it is now ranked as one of the best in the country. The accelerated BSN program at Samuel Merritt allows students to complete a BSN program in 12 months.
The program is available at campuses in Oakland, San Francisco, and Sacramento, and prospective students can attend informative drop-in sessions throughout the year.
#15. California Baptist University
- Program duration: 12-16 months program depending on transferable units
- Tuition: $13,500
- Location: Los Angeles, California.
California Baptist University is a private, faith-based university. The nursing school at the university offers an entry-level nursing program that leads to an MSN.
Pre-licensure courses consist of 64 credits of classwork, followed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.
Students’ skills gained during this program will prepare them for entry-level nursing positions in a wide range of health care settings and specialties.
#16. University of Hawaii
- Program duration: 17 months
- Tuition: $1,001 per credit
- Location: Kapolei, Hawaii.
For those with a non-nursing degree, the University of Hawaii at Manoa offers an accelerated MSN program.
Students are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN and become registered nurses after one year of full-time study; after that, they can choose a degree track that leads to an MSN, preparing them for a career as an advanced practice nurse.
#17. Idaho State University
- Program duration: 12 months
- Tuition: $3,978 for in-state tuition $12,967 for out-of-state tuition
- Location: Pocatello, Idaho.
The School of Nursing at Idaho State University offers an accelerated nursing program for those with a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field who want to change careers.
Administrators of the accelerated nursing program ensure that students have the ability to work closely with expert clinicians to complete their program of study by limiting the cohort size to 30 students each year.
#18. Azusa Pacific University
- Program duration: 24 months
- Tuition: $18,400
- Location: Azusa, California.
Azusa Pacific University is a Christian faith-based university that offers a direct-entry nursing program to students with non-nursing bachelor’s degrees who want to become registered nurses.
The program leads to a master’s degree in nursing and prepares students to work in advanced nursing settings. It also expands opportunities for future nurses; graduates can apply to become nurse practitioners or clinical nurse specialists in the state of California.
#19. Montana State University
- Program duration: 12 months
- Tuition: Local tuition $7,371, Domestic tuition $27,101
- Location: Bozeman, Montana.
The Accelerated BSN program at Montana State University allows students to complete the requirements for a BSN in 15 months, as opposed to the 29 months required for a traditional BSN program. Students enroll full-time for four semesters and graduate at the end of the fourth, which is a summer term.
#20. Marquette University
- Program duration: 19 to 21 months
- Tuition: $63,000
- Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
A direct-entry master’s nursing program is one of the quickest paths to a nursing career. Marquette University’s Generalist Master’s degree is one of the most efficient paths to an MSN.
Students must complete 15 months of full-time study before they are eligible to take the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.
Following that, they will complete the master’s degree during one final semester of study. Students can also pursue a specialty during this time, which may take a little longer to complete depending on the specialty requirements.
FAQs On The Best Accelerated Nursing Programs Without Prerequisites
Are accelerated nursing programs worth it?
Accelerated nursing programs are worthwhile for a variety of reasons, including the opportunity to pursue a rewarding career with a competitive salary and significant growth potential. You'll be in high demand, and you'll be able to specialize in something unique. You can save time and graduate sooner with accelerated programs.
What is an accelerated nursing program like?
Comprehensive and rigorous courses are to be expected in an accelerated nursing program. The majority of ABSN programs will require a mix of classes, labs, and clinical experiences. The clinical component of the accelerated nursing curriculum allows students to practice their skills in a real-world nursing setting.
What are the best-accelerated nurse practitioner programs?
The best-accelerated nurse practitioner programs are: Georgetown University, University of San Diego, Oklahoma City University, Fairfield University, Regis College, South Alabama University.
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ConclusionÂ
An accelerated nursing program is a nursing degree option that is designed to help students earn their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) faster than traditional, on-campus programs. Some of these programs allow working nurses to quickly expand their education and thus qualify for advanced roles.
Most accelerated nursing programs, on the other hand, are designed for non-nurses who have a degree in another field but want to change careers to nursing quickly.