Accelerated programs...expensive or cheap?

[johninalameda]

Okay, I realize that none of the programs are cheap but I was accepted to John's Hopkins last year and deffered it for a year. I am a 45 yo male that is switching careers. I am wondering if it is really worth going to a name brand school with a $62,000 price tag (not including living expenses) or should I look for something less expensive. I am in California so anyplace I go I will be an out of state student. I would appreciate any thoughts from a guys perspective as well as any recommendations for schools.

[Bob_N_VA]

Wow, 62 grand for nursing. What type of degree will you have at the end, a BSN? Total for the program I am in which is a eve/weekend for 3 years (diploma) is about 20 grand. That is more expensive (by about 10 grand) than the 2 year associates degree programs offered by the local CC's. But those programs have waiting lists a year or more long because of that and are only days. The local for profit schools (MCI) are charging upwards of 40 grand for their programs, mine is a hospital based program, one of 2 locally.

A consideration would be how quickly you could be on the street with a degree and a license. If it gets you there a year earlier and you arent working a full time job or have some other source of income, then that is a plus. But it is also quite a bit of information to digest over a very short time and I don't know that I would want to subject myself to something like that. Also consider where you want to work, if its back in CA, it might make more sense to go with a school in that state as the licensure process is usually optimized for folks getting their license in the same state that they train in.

[UVA Grad Nursing]

You might want to consider other public universities. For example, George Mason University in Fairfax, VA has a 12-month ABSN program. Their instate tuition is about $16,000 (I think) for this 12-month program. Out-of-state tuition is around $30K for the full BSN.

[Rook]

Salisbury University in MD is much much cheaper ($3500/sem instate - $7500/OOS), and only 3 semesters. I think the 2nd degrees have passed the NCLEX 1st time at 100% for the past few years running as well. SU administration also doesn't look into residency real well so even if you live outside of MD you might be able to get away w. instate tuition. 2 of my friends were from NY and Maine and b/c they already had an apt there for say a couple months before school they got residency.

Its a good program there though admittedly the last semester is hell on earth and the town of Salisbury is a garbage dump. They don't pass out A's like candy there like some schools as well. The best students usually finish with about a 3.3-3.5. However any student with a BSN and a 2.75+ avg automatically gets into the graduate or NP program is they so choose which now is a good thing to think about given the scarcity of new grad jobs.

[coffee and toast]

I thought hard about expensive options, and then chose to save money (Choosing a 12k instate/25k out of state program over a 50K program). I was looking at loans. Had I 60k in savings, it may have been different, because I wouldn't be factoring in interest rates etc, etc.

If you are financing the 60K tuition at all, I think its realistically unlikely you'll break even anytime soon, or at all. You'll especially be kicking yourself if you get stuck for a bit securing that elusive first job.

So, I hate to be dismal because I think JHU is a fantastic school, but I think there are other quality schools out there that wouldn't be so financially compromising.

If you do opt out because of cost - don't feel like you are shorting yourself academically by not going to the 'expensive option'. I truly believe you can make the most of a less expensive, but also reputable, school (eg Salisbury mentioned above). Plus in a prof. program like nursing, the national standards and boards will be impetus for similar preparation across schools.

[Phread01]

Why are you determined to pay out of state tuition? CA has nursing schools.

[anon456, BSN, RN]

Maricopa Community Colleges in Arizona have accel programs that are the same price as their traditional programs. However you would be put on the wait list which is about 2 years, and you would have to pay out of state tuition. We do have two classmates who are from CA after getting discouraged about the long wait time in CA for state nursing schools.

[jasonwillhelp]

Wow, I am glad I don't live in some of those areas. I live on the Eastern edge of Kansas and I am going to a CC which will cost about $10,000 for their 2 year program. There are programs in this area that costs upwards of $30,000 for a one year accelerated program.

[PMFB-RN, RN]

First understand that after you become a nurse nobody will care at all about where you went to nursing school. $62K seems outrageously expensive to me. Here in Wisconsin you can go to one of the technical colleges and get an ADN for less than $6K in 16 months of studying (over two years) or do the accelerated BSN at one of the UW schools for about 1/3 the cost you mentioned.

As a RN a grad from Johns Hopkins will not have any advantage in getting a job over a grad of State University.

[llg, PhD, RN]

Hopkins is a great school -- and I am one who believes that going to a great school is worth a little extra money. However, I think 62K is just too much. In your situation, I would NOT recommend you get an ADN. I would only consider BSN and MSN entry programs. But I think there are a lot of options at reputable universities that would be less than 62K.

What you need is 'reputable" and "respected." You don't need the educational equivalent of champagne and carviar. A good, health balanced meal will do just fine.

[AutoRotate, MSN, RN]

The biggest problem I've seen with the cheaper state schools is that there may be waiting lists. That's one of the reasons I stopped looking at the state schools.

[OSUshane]

To answer your question, they're "both" cheap and expensive. I'm in OU's program, and it costs more to do this accelerated program than it does the other local two year programs--even with the yearly increase in tuition/fees. That being said, the few thousand I lose in doing this program will be refunded back to me a few times over because I'll be working a full year sooner than if I had enrolled in a 2 year program AND I'm getting an extra year's experience as well.

OU had an accelerated program in San Diego until this year (I think this year's graduating class is the last). You might contact that school to see if they know of other CA schools that offer the accelerated format.

Furthermore, consider moving, if possible, for whichever school you find (Oklahoma's program costs less than $28k for out of state AND has a low cost of living) BECAUSE you won't be able to work full-time and go to school super-full-time as an accelerated student. Sure, you will find posts of people who DO work while attending accelerated programs, but I guarantee they don't make the grades I (and those like me who aren't working) do, nor do they submit the quality work I do. What does that mean? When it comes to actually performing the duties of a nurse, we'll be asking fewer questions and making fewer mistakes than those who work. All this is to say that 1)you can't really work while in those programs and, since you can't, 2)go wherever you are accepted that doesn't charge $62k (in my humble opinion).