Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Median earnings of all students 4 years after graduating.
EarningsPlus compares student earnings after college against a benchmark of all students with the same graduate degree, adjusting for the in-state / out-of-state composition of the student body.
Schools are assigned a value from 1-100, where 100 is best for students from households earning up to $30,000. This value is multiplied by the percentage of the school’s student body that received a Pell Grant, to calculate the economic mobility score. A higher score is better. Read the full explanation
The percentage of a school’s student body that has received a Pell Grant.
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
The total debt accrued by the median student at the time of graduation.
The debt-to-earnings ratio is calculated by dividing student debt upon graduation by the annual salary. A debt to earnings ratio of 1 means that annual educational debt is the same as annual earnings.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
If you’re considering a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), we salute you: a BSN can lead to a rewarding career where you can make a real difference in people’s lives. It is also a smart educational investment.
Read on to discover the best BSN programs in the country by value for money.
Is nursing school worth it?
Financially speaking, nursing school is certainly worth it. A BSN is in the top 20% of all degrees in terms of value for money as per our economic score metric (more on that below).
4 years after leaving nursing school, the average person with a BSN earns $21,994 more more than the average bachelor’s degree holder.
Compare nursing to other degrees with our major comparison tool below.
Click on a degree card to reveal more information.
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
$22,199
PAYBACK
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
1.9
ECONOMIC SCORE
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
We ranked all accredited BSN programs in the U.S. that are registered with the National Center for Education Statistics’ IPEDS tool (CIP code 51.38).
We evaluated 781 bachelor’s programs and ranked them by value for money, as reflected in our economic score metric. The lower the economic score, the better.
BSN programs with a low economic score provide the optimal combination of affordability and high earnings after graduation.
All data on net cost and post-graduation economic outcomes is sourced from IPEDS and College Scorecard.
The programs below include both RN-BSN bridge programs (sometimes referred to as ADN to BSN programs or post-licensure programs) and traditional BSN degrees for students without nursing experience (referred to as generic programs, traditional programs, or pre-licensure programs).
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$4,034
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$112,500
Median earnings of all students 4 years after graduating.
Graduation rate64%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
By value for money, the number 1 nursing program in the country is Lehman College, which is part of the CUNY system, a network of public colleges and universities recognized nationally for their affordable, high-value degrees.
Lehman College’s main campus is in the Bronx, but it offers several online degrees as well.
Lehman offers traditional and accelerated nursing programs designed for students without nursing experience and those who are RNs already.
Students will need to complete several prerequisite nursing and science courses before being admitted to the program.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$3,296
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$105,224
Median earnings of all students 4 years after graduating.
Graduation rate60%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Hunter College is home to the second-best nursing program in the country by value for money. Like Lehman, it is part of the highly successful CUNY network of public universities.
Hunter is located in the stately, historic Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York.
The Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing offers a highly respected generic Bachelor of Science in Nursing program that is perfect for students without nursing experience. The curriculum features nursing classes combined with a thorough liberal arts education.
With only 100 accepted applicants per year, the BSN at Hunter College is quite competitive; admission is based on students’ cumulative GPA and their NLN PAX-RN scores. Students apply for the nursing program during their freshman year of college.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$4,058
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$115,301
Median earnings of all students 4 years after graduating.
Graduation rate70%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
The 4th best-value bachelor’s-level nursing program in the country, and the best on the West Coast, can be found at Cal State Dominguez Hills, a public university.
Like the CUNY Network, California State Universities are famous for their affordability and quality education. Cal State Dominguez Hills is in Carson, in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County.
Cal State Dominguez Hills offers anRN-BSN bridge programfor registered nurses who already possess an ADN. Students can complete the program in 3, 4, or 5 semesters.
To be admitted, students must already have 60 semesters of transferable college credit and a GPA of 2.0.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$2,457
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$70,674
Median earnings of all students 4 years after graduating.
Graduation rate69%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Texas A&M, Central Texas is a public university in Killeen. It offers the best-value BSN program in the state.
The university offers an RN-BSN bridge program that can be completed in as little as 1 year. Students can complete coursework online, on-campus, or combine both modalities.
As a bridge program, this BSN is intended for students who already have an RN license. Students must have a “C” or higher in all classes leading to a BSN degree.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$5,752
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$111,925
Median earnings of all students 4 years after graduating.
Graduation rate72%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Stanislaus State is a public university in California’s Central Valley. It offers many programs for budding nurses, including a pre-licensure track (generic) BSN program, an RN-BSN online bridge program, an accelerated second bachelor of science in nursing, an LVN-BSN program, and much more.
The pre-licensure track is best for students with no prior nursing experience. Interested students will need to take several pre-requisite courses and the TEAS exam.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$4,877
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$78,190
Median earnings of all students 4 years after graduating.
Graduation rate49%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$11,159
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$139,795
Median earnings of all students 4 years after graduating.
Graduation rate70%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
California State University East Bay is a public university in California’s Bay Area, between Oakland and Fremont.
It offers 2 nursing degrees at the bachelor’s level: a pre-licensure program for students with no nursing experience, and a post-licensure track for students who already possess an RN license. The pre-licensure track comprises 2 years of prerequisites and 2.5 years of nursing coursework, whereas the post-licensure track takes 1 year to complete full time or 2 years to complete part time.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$5,385
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$103,598
Median earnings of all students 4 years after graduating.
Graduation rate71%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Rounding out our top 5, Cal State LA offers a highly respected traditional BSN program through the Patricia A. Chin School of Nursing.
Cal State LA is a public university in eastern Los Angeles.
It is home to a highly competitive impacted generic BSN program: out of 1,800 applicants, on average it only accepts around 70. Admissions decisions are based on GPA, prerequisite courses, TEAS exam scores, volunteer hours, military service, and local admissions status.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$1,759
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$56,431
Median earnings of all students 4 years after graduating.
Graduation rate52%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
The 3rd best-value nursing program in the U.S. is at Chipola College, a public college in Marianna, Florida. Marianna is in a rural part of the Florida Panhandle, near the Georgia and Alabama borders.
Chipola’s BSN program is an RN to BSN bridge degree, meaning it’s intended for registered nurses with an associate degree who want to advance their careers.
Chipola BSN applicants must have a valid RN license, an AA degree, and GPA of at least 2.5.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$8,973
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$111,965
Median earnings of all students 4 years after graduating.
Graduation rate62%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Farmingdale State College, or State University of New York at Farmingdale, is a public institution in Long Island.
Farmingdale’s BSN program is highly competitive, but graduates have an exceptionally high pass rate on the NCLEX-RN exam – 98%.
Farmingdale has a state-of-the-art nursing and simulation laboratory that allows students to engage in hands-on learning.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$12,912
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$132,542
Median earnings of all students 4 years after graduating.
Graduation rate68%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
San Francisco State University, or SF State, is a public research university in San Francisco, California. It offers a pre-licensure BSN program that is intended for California residents who are not already registered nurses. This is a highly competitive program: there are typically more than 1,000 applicants for just 60 places in the nursing school. The school also offers an ADN-BSN bridge program and an accelerated BSN.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$10,911
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$123,869
Median earnings of all students 4 years after graduating.
Graduation rate70%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
California State University Sacramento, also called Sacramento State, is another member of the Cal State system, which is famous for its affordability.
It offers several nursing programs: a traditional pre-licensure BSN, which is best suited for students with no professional nursing experience, and an RN to BSN bridge program for licensed nurses who want to advance their careers.
The pre-licensure BSN program accepts about 80 applicants per year.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$7,485
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$105,346
Median earnings of all students 4 years after graduating.
Graduation rate81%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
CSU Fullerton is yet another public university in Los Angeles with a high-value BSN program. There are many routes to attaining a BSN at Fullerton, including a traditional BSN, which is part of a 4-year liberal arts degree, an upper division transfer BSN, an accelerated BSN, and an RN-BSN bridge program.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$8,293
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$110,342
Median earnings of all students 4 years after graduating.
Graduation rate70%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
California State University Northridge is a public university in Los Angeles. It offers multiple bachelor-level nursing programs: an ADN-BSN Community College Collaborative for transfer nursing students, an RN to BSN bridge program for nurses with a license, and an accelerated BSN for second-degree students who already hold a bachelor’s in a different field.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$11,649
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$122,142
Median earnings of all students 4 years after graduating.
Graduation rate72%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Cal State Monterey Bay is a public university in Monterey County, California, it offers 2 pathways to a BSN degree: an ADN to BSN pathway for students who possess an associate degree in nursing or are about to obtain one, and an RN to BSN program for prospective students who are already registered nurses. Both programs blend online and in-person learning.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$6,331
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$74,524
Median earnings of all students 4 years after graduating.
Graduation rate50%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$8,721
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$106,552
Median earnings of all students 4 years after graduating.
Graduation rate83%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$2,601
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$61,814
Median earnings of all students 4 years after graduating.
Graduation rate67%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$7,191
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$99,938
Median earnings of all students 4 years after graduating.
Graduation rate62%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
This public university in California’s Central Valley offers several well-regarded nursing programs. These include an RN to BSN bridge program and a traditional BSN program. The traditional BSN program is a competitive major, so students must demonstrate strong grades in their freshman year of college. The RN-BSN bridge program is offered online.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$6,744
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$97,606
Median earnings of all students 4 years after graduating.
Graduation rate71%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Fresno State is a public university in California’s Central Valley. It offers a highly regarded Bachelor of Science in Nursing whose core nursing curriculum covers about 5 semesters.
This BSN is available to both “advanced placement applicants,” who have prior nursing experience, including LVNs and RNs, and “base applicants,” who do not. Base applicants must first be enrolled in the Pre-Health Program at Fresno State. This is an impacted, competitive program with no wait list.
A BSN will qualify you to become a registered nurse (RN).
You can also become an RN with just an associate degree (ADN), but a BSN generally unlocks higher salaries and more professional opportunities. While there are many types of nursing degrees, a BSN is the standard. 52.4% of RNs have a BSN, compared to just 29.9% with an ADN.
Once you have accumulated enough working experience as an RN, you can become a nursing manager. 30.9% of nursing managers have a bachelor’s degree, while 25.3% have a master’s degree.
To become a more advanced nurse, like a nurse practitioner, you will need a master’s degree or higher.
BSN programs for students with no nursing experience involve a practical component, so you can’t get them 100% online.
However, if you are a registered nurse with an associate degree, there are many fully online RN-BSN bridge programs that can help you get your bachelor’s and unlock higher earnings.
RNs with an online BSN earn only 3% less less on average than nurses who got their bachelor’s degree the traditional way.
We have ranked the best online nursing programs by value for money.
You may be wondering: if I can become an RN with just an associate degree in nursing (ADN), why bother with a bachelor’s?
Most people pursue a BSN because it unlocks better pay and promotion opportunities than an ADN.
However, you should note that many BSN programs are highly competitive. As a result, nursing programs for students with no professional experience are often “impacted” – meaning you may need to apply to them separately, even after being accepted to college.
If your dream is to become a nurse, one affordable (and less risky) route to getting a BSN may be to start out by getting an ADN at a local community college, and then applying to an RN-BSN bridge program a little later.
How much money do nurses make?
How much money you make as a nurse depends on your level of education: a more advanced degree generally means a better paycheck. On average, 4 years after graduation, someone with a BSN earns $78,415 according to IPEDS.
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