Why limit yourself to on-campus nursing schools when there are numerous online accelerated nursing programs? Best accelerated nursing programs, in fact, offer some of the best nursing programs for students interested in pursuing a career in nursing.
So, broaden your educational options today by enrolling in one of the best accredited online accelerated degree programs for nursing that offer a wide range of programs.
Every year, a large number of students are drawn to the nursing profession. It goes without saying how important nurses are to the United States and several other countries. Their importance is reflected in their pay, with nursing salaries being one of the highest among health care professionals.
Table of Contents
What are Online Accelerated Nursing Programs?
Many institutions are now offering a growing number of online nursing programs, ranging from partially to entirely online. There are numerous interpretations of what constitutes an online program. The definition of online learning is provided below to assist you in understanding online accelerated nursing programs.
An online accelerated nursing program is a virtual nursing program that reduces higher education time by at least one year, allowing students to earn a bachelor’s degree in as little as three years.
One reason students choose online accelerated nursing programs is the ability to study from any location. Students with family obligations or full-time jobs may be able to work around their own schedules as well. Online students must be able to manage their time effectively and overcome distractions in their environment.
How Online Programs Work
Self-paced online learning degree programs enable students who have access to a computer and the Internet to complete some or all of their degree program requirements without having to attend classes on campus or in person. Course materials are made available on the school’s website via course management systems designed to maximize online learning. The curriculum, like regular courses, frequently includes:
- Lectures
- Interactive exercises
- Quizzes
- Assignments
Students interested in advancing their education in the field of health care may benefit from an accelerated online bachelor’s degree.
Why Choose An Online Accelerated Nursing Program?
Students are choosing online accelerated nursing programs these days for the following reasons:
- Faster Completion Time
- Lower Cost
- More Flexibility
- Self-paced Learning
Faster Completion Time
Online accelerated nursing programs allow you to complete nursing courses in 12-16 months, whereas community colleges and public universities require 2 to 4 years.
Lower Cost
Financial considerations are frequently the most important determinants of students’ school and degree choices. Online accelerated nursing programs have an advantage in this regard because both students and universities spend less money on this type of teaching and learning.
Schools will incur fewer expenses in terms of physical space rent; they will not need to hire a large support staff and personnel, as administrative tasks such as grading papers and quizzes can be automated through online learning platforms.
Nursing students can earn the same degree while spending less because schools are cutting costs.
More flexibility
One of the most significant advantages of online accelerated nursing programs is the flexibility it provides in terms of both time and space.
Students can coordinate their classes to their liking and create their own schedules based on other commitments through this type of learning.
Classes are less restricted to a specific time of day, and you can plan your study time according to what works best for you. You won’t have to worry about long commutes to college, freeing up time for studying or extracurricular activities.
Self-paced learning
Another benefit of earning your accelerated nursing degree online is the ability to manage your workload and assignments at your own pace.
It is common for instructors to spend more time on a topic you are already familiar with or to not elaborate enough on a topic you find more difficult.
Online learning allows you to easily skip over the material you already know and concentrate on more difficult topics and materials. This way, you can optimize learning while avoiding the time constraints associated with in-person learning environments.
List Of Best Online Accelerated Nursing Programs
Here is the list of the 20 best online accelerated nursing programs:
- University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh
- University of Texas at Arlington
- Olivet Nazarene University
- Xavier University
- University of Wyoming
- Capital University
- DeSales University
- Thomas Edison State University
- Methodist College – Unity Point Health
- Gwynedd Mercy University
- Concordia University – Portland
- Roseman University
- Marian University
- Samford University
- Northeastern University
- Appalachian State University
- California State University – Stanislaus
- Clemson University
- Kent State University – Kent, OH
- Emory University – Atlanta, GA.
20 Best Online Accelerated Nursing Programs
#1. University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh
- Tuition: $45,000 for Wisconsin residents (including reciprocity for Minnesota residents) and $60,000 for out of state residents.
- Acceptance rate: 37%
- Program duration: 24 Months.
Since offering the ABSN in 2003, the University of Wisconsin has assisted thousands of students in changing careers to nursing. The program is a well-thought-out accelerated nursing program option that prepares graduates with effective nursing skills and knowledge in as little as one year.
Although the majority of the work is done online, there are some requirements that must be met on-site.
Specifically, the on-campus visits include a three-day weekend stay for an orientation prior to the start of the program, two weeks to fulfill the simulation and clinical requirements, and one week toward the end to complete the capstone project.
#2. The University of Texas at Arlington
- Tuition: $5,178 per year (in-state) and $16,223 per year (out-of-state)
- Acceptance rate: 66.6%
- Program duration: 15 months.
If you’re looking into accelerated online BSN programs, consider the University of Texas’s blended ABSN program, which allows you to complete coursework online while also receiving in-person clinical training at healthcare facilities throughout Texas.
Because this program is designed for students with a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field, your previous education will be recognized, and you will be given the option of transferring up to 70 credits.
These credits are basically pre-requisite courses that must be completed before beginning nursing courses. If you haven’t already completed these courses, you can take them online; however, you must do so before beginning nursing coursework.
#3. Olivet Nazarene University
- Tuition: Tuition per Credit Hour is $785 while the estimated total fee is $49,665
- Acceptance rate: 67%
- Program duration: 16 months.
Olivet Nazarene University is a liberal arts college located one hour south of Chicago in Bourbonnais, Illinois. The university was founded in 1907 and has been committed to excellence ever since, with notable fields including education, business, theology, and nursing.
The Online Accelerated Bachelors in Nursing program at Olivet Nazarene University was created for second-degree students who want to transition into the field of nursing after earning a BA in another field and/or entering the program with 60 previously acquired credit hours.
This is a full-time hybrid-style program that combines a hands-on curriculum with online instruction that emphasizes both the practical and the theoretical.
#4. Xavier University
- Tuition: $56,700
- Acceptance rate: 80%
- Program duration: 16 months.
Xavier University is a non-profit university in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the fourth oldest Jesuit-based university in the United States and one of the top five regional universities in the Midwest, having been founded in 1831.
They have earned institutional respect for their emphasis on academic rigor and personal student attention.
The bachelor’s degree that students obtained prior to admission is used as an academic foundation for their nursing curriculum in Xavier’s Online Accelerated Bachelor in Nursing program.
#5. University of Wyoming
- Tuition: $49 per credit hour
- Acceptance rate: 89.16%
- Program duration: 12 months.
In collaboration with the University of Wyoming Outreach School, the Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing offers an accelerated online nursing program for individuals with a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field and a minimum GPA of 2.50.
The curriculum is demanding, so you must be highly motivated and adhere to a strict schedule in order to successfully complete this program.
Although the majority of your coursework will be delivered online, you will be required to visit the campus for in-person classes at first. As part of the overall curriculum, you will also complete several hours of clinical training at instructor-approved healthcare facilities throughout Wyoming.
#6. Capital University
- Tuition: $38,298
- Acceptance rate: 100%
- Program duration: 20 months.
Capital University offers an Online Accelerated bachelor in Nursing Program for second-degree students who want to change careers after earning a BA in another field.
This prestigious CCNE-accredited program is known for its distinction as well as its intensity, and it can be completed in as little as 20 months of instruction.
#7. DeSales University
- Tuition: $48,800
- Acceptance rate: 73%
- Program duration: 15 months.
DeSales University is a private Catholic four-year university with a Salesian mission that offers a broad-based liberal arts education with a focus on career-focused learning.
Though Catholicism is central to the school’s mission, the university also values intellectual freedom ideology.
This university has a reputation for excellence in nursing education, both at the graduate and undergraduate levels. The ACCESS program builds on the success of DeSales’ original nursing programs, but it allows students to keep their day jobs and responsibilities while earning a BSN with high-quality instruction and experience.
#8. Thomas Edison State University
- Tuition: $38,824
- Acceptance rate:100%
- Program duration: 15 months.
Within a year, Thomas Edison State University’s partially online accelerated BSN program will prepare you for a career in the ever-growing nursing field. This program allows you to take asynchronous classes over the internet.
You must have completed your previous degree with a minimum GPA of 3.0 to be eligible for this program. To improve your chances of admission, you must also complete 33 credits in pre-requisite sciences and statistics courses with at least a “B” grade.
Nursing coursework requires 60 credits, of which 25 credits are for online didactic courses and 35 credits are for in-person courses.
#9. Methodist College – Unity Point Health
- Tuition: $598 Per Credit Hour
- Acceptance rate: 100%
- Program duration: 12 months.
Methodist College provides the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Second Degree, an online and weekend program for those with a bachelor’s degree in a field other than nursing who want to become registered nurses.
Furthermore, Methodist College offers a Master of Science in Nursing Prelicensure program for people with non-nursing bachelor’s degrees who want to become registered nurses and earn a Master of Science in Nursing degree for career opportunities or doctoral studies.
Graduates of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Second Degree Prelicensure degree will be eligible to sit for the national licensing exam, NCLEX.
#10. Gwynedd Mercy University
- Tuition: $500 per credit hour
- Acceptance rate: 100% acceptance
- Program duration: 16 months.
Gwynedd Mercy University is a liberal arts college and one of the United States 16 Sisters of Mercy colleges.
Their campus is situated on 160 acres near Philadelphia. For the past 50 years, this school of nursing has been a hotbed of cutting-edge nursing education and practice.
This institution provides an Online Accelerated BSN program for second-degree adults interested in clinical practice and critical health sciences curricula.
This CCNE-accredited program’s core values include valuing the health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities and, as a result, acting consistently with moral, ethical, and legal practices that are evaluated through coursework.
#11. Concordia University – Portland
- Tuition: $912 per unit
- Acceptance rate: 24% – 26%
- Program duration: 16 months.
Concordia University, Portland was founded in 1905 and is one of the top faith-based non-profit institutions in the Pacific Northwest. They are known for their small size and supportive relationships with faculty that include the entire learner, including spiritual development.
Concordia’s Online Accelerated BSN hybrid program provides students with full access to all of these resources, which work in tandem with online theoretical skill-building.
#12. Roseman University
- Tuition: $3,600
- Acceptance rate: unspecified
- Program duration: 18 months.
Roseman University of Health Sciences is a non-profit educational institution that emphasizes experiential learning, including in the classroom, and student-centered teaching. They are close to Las Vegas, Nevada, and Salt Lake City, Utah.
They are well-known for never having a waitlist and have three annual start dates spread out throughout the year. Its mission is based on innovative practices, both clinical and practical.
One feature of the Roseman Online Accelerated BSN program is the block curriculum model, which allows students to focus on one class at a time in order to achieve mastery.
#13. Marian University
- Tuition: $250 per credit hour
- Acceptance rate: 70%
- Program duration: 16 months.
Marian University, founded in 1936, is a non-profit, Catholic institution in Indianapolis. Despite the fact that it is a faith-based institution, it is part of its value system to welcome students from all walks of life to learn at this university.
Faith, on the other hand, plays a significant role in how they teach patient care and engage with the nursing field.
This University offers a competitive Online Accelerated BSN, which is a hybrid program that requires in-person labs in Indianapolis.
The program is known for its flexibility, as the coursework is primarily delivered through an e-learning environment that these second-degree students can access at their leisure.
#14. Samford University
- Tuition: $991 per credit hour
- Acceptance rate: 80%
- Program duration: 18 Months.
For over 90 years, Stamford University’s Ida Moffett School of Nursing has been training nurses in the field.
The institution, which was founded in 1922, adheres to the Christian values for which it was founded, providing students with the necessary tools of compassion and competence, as well as professional practice in the medical field.
Stamford is known for having low student-to-teacher ratios in both classrooms and clinical settings. Stamford University sees nursing as a calling and claims that their Online Hybrid Accelerated BSN for second-degree students can answer it in just 12 months.
The Stamford Online Accelerated BSN program is known for its rigorous classroom and clinical learning experiences, as well as coursework.
#15. Northeastern University
- Tuition: $1,222 per credit hour
- Acceptance rate: unspecified
- Program duration: 16 Months.
At both their Charlotte and Boston campuses, Northeastern University’s Bouve College of Health Sciences offers an online accelerated nursing program. Many students who complete this program go on to become leaders in nursing, education, and research.
For second-degree students looking to change careers, both campuses offer the Northeastern Online Accelerated BSN program. The institution uses a hybrid learning environment that combines online coursework and in-person mentored learning.
#16. Appalachian State University
- Tuition: $224 per credit hour
- Acceptance rate: 95%
- Program duration: 1–3 years.
You can select the format that works best for you:
- One-year RN to BSN option: Complete an average of 15–20 hours per week of coursework in three semesters.
- Two-year RN to BSN option: Complete an average of 8–10 hours per week of coursework in six semesters.
- Three-year RN to BSN option: Complete an average of 5–8 hours per week of coursework in eight semesters.
Appalachian State University, founded in 1899 by the Dougherty brothers, is a public university in Boone, North Carolina. In 1971, it became a part of the University of North Carolina system.
The school’s goal is to prepare students to be global citizens who understand and carry out their responsibilities in ensuring a sustainable future for all. There are over 150 undergraduate and graduate majors available, and the student-faculty ratio is low.
Appalachian State University’s online accelerated nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
#17. California State University – Stanislaus
- Tuition: per-semester unit cost is $595
- Acceptance rate: 88%
- Program duration: 24 Months.
California State University – Dominguez Hills is one of the most affordable nursing schools, offering both an online RN to BSN and an online MSN program. It operates 23 campuses and eight off-campus centers.
It was established in 1960 as part of the California Master Plan for Higher Education. California State University educates approximately 482,000 students each year.
#18. Clemson University
- Tuition: $38,550
- Acceptance rate: 60%
- Program duration: 16 months.
This institution offers an RNBS completion track program. This program is suitable for those with an associate degree in nursing because you can earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing through the RNBS Completion Track.
The RNBS Track is only available in an online format. Students enrolled in a full-time program can complete their Bachelor of Science, Major in Nursing degree in 12 months.
Part-time study plans are available to accommodate the needs of working students. The School of Nursing has developed relationships with local technical colleges, allowing for a smooth transition for associate degree-prepared registered nurses entering this track.
#19. Kent State University – Kent, OH
- Tuition: $30,000
- Acceptance rate: 75%
- Program duration: 15 months.
If you believe nursing is your calling and want to change careers, Kent State University’s partially online ABSN degree is an option. There are three schedule options available: day, evening, and weekend.
This program can be completed in four to five semesters, depending on your schedule. It is recommended that you stay close to the college because you will be required to visit the campus for in-person classes and lab simulation exercises.
You are only eligible for this program if you have a minimum GPA of 2.75 in your bachelor’s degree and have completed pre-requisite anatomy, physiology, microbiology, and chemistry courses. In addition, a college-level algebra course is required.
#20. Emory University – Atlanta, GA
- Tuition: $78,000
- Acceptance rate: 90%
- Program duration: 12 months.
Emory University’s online second-degree BSN program is a new addition to the university’s already popular on-campus ABSN program. This distance learning program is intended for students who live in eligible states other than the Atlanta metropolitan area.
You will be equipped with professional skills and knowledge to launch your nursing career after only 54 weeks of study. Every year, the program begins in September, January, and April.
It is offered in a cohort format, which means that you will complete one course at a time alongside your peers. Every day, you will typically take online classes with 30 other members.
FAQs about Online Accelerated Nursing Programs
What are the best online accelerated nursing programs?
Here is the list of the best online accelerated nursing programs: University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh, the University of Texas at Arlington, Olivet Nazarene University, Xavier University, University of Wyoming,, Capital University...
What is the fastest program to become an RN?
If you want to be a registered nurse, an associate degree in nursing (ADN) is one of the quickest ways to get there. This undergraduate degree is the bare minimum for becoming a registered nurse and typically takes two to three years to complete depending on the credits.
How long does UTA's accelerated nursing program last?
The University of Texas at Arlington accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, allowing students to complete their final two years of nursing school in 15 months. The College of Nursing and Health Innovation (CONHI) started its first cohort earlier this year.
We also Recommend
- 20 Nursing Schools with the Easiest Admission Requirements
- 10 Free Nursing Schools Without Tuition
- Top 10 Cheapest Nursing Schools in the USA
- Requirements to Study Nursing
- What School Subjects are Needed for Nursing?
Conclusion
The online Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program allows intelligent and hardworking students to complete a nursing degree at a top-ranked national university in just a short while. Students can be eligible to enter the world’s most trusted profession after a few semesters of study.
