How to Find a Registered Nurse Program Near You
Use the NCLEX-RN pass rate and accreditation status as primary filters when searching for a registered nurse program near me. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing maintains a public lookup where you can verify that a school's ADN or BSN program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. Filter by state, then sort by first-time pass rates and graduate employment outcomes. Forbes has reported that top-performing RN programs often publish NCLEX pass rates above 90 percent and clinical placement rates above 95 percent.
Map-based search tools on state nursing board websites let you enter a zip code and return a list of approved RN programs within a set radius. The U.S. Department of Education's College Navigator lets you confirm Title IV eligibility, which is required for federal Pell Grants and direct subsidized loans. College Navigator provides tuition, retention, and graduation rate data that help you compare the total cost of a two-year ADN versus a four-year BSN near your location.
ADN vs BSN: Which Registered Nurse Program Fits Your Timeline
Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)
ADN programs at community colleges typically take 21 to 24 months of full-time study and require 70 to 75 prerequisite credits. Graduates earn an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing and are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN immediately after completing the clinical hours. Nurse.org lists hundreds of ADN programs with searchable filters for start dates, clinical sites, and NCLEX pass rates.
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
Traditional BSN programs at universities take four years, but accelerated BSN tracks for students who already hold a bachelor's degree can be completed in 12 to 18 months. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing reports that the share of new RNs entering the workforce with a BSN has risen above 60 percent as hospitals increasingly require a bachelor's degree for Magnet designation. AACN publishes the annual Enrollment and Graduations in Baccalaureate and Graduate Programs in Nursing report with the latest institutional data.
Cost, Financial Aid, and Enrollment Steps for RN Programs
Average in-state tuition for a public ADN program is roughly $6,000 to $10,000 per year, while BSN tuition at public universities ranges from $10,000 to $25,000 per year depending on the state. Private nursing schools can charge $30,000 or more per year. Students should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid to unlock Pell Grants, federal work-study, and Direct Loans, and then check each school's financial aid office for nursing-specific scholarships and loan repayment programs.
Most RN programs require a high school diploma or GED, prerequisite courses in anatomy, physiology, chemistry, and statistics, a minimum GPA of 2.5 to 3.0, and a background check. NCSBN provides the official NCLEX-RN test plan and registration portal, which you must complete before your state board of nursing will issue a license. SEC filings from major hospital systems such as HCA Healthcare and CommonSpirit Health show that RN hiring demand remains strong as these companies report ongoing nursing shortages and capital spending on workforce expansion.