Are private schools really easier to get into?

Katie Bang · Mar 19, 2010

I've seen a few people mention that private nursing programs might be easier to get into than public schools... Is this really the case? I mean you look at the percentages admitted on sites like collegeboard and the numbers are MUCH higher for public schools.

I have a 3.2 and applied to a community college 2 times and got denied. I had 33 credits, and worked really hard, I only had 1 C ever, AND the C.C. had 3 campuses with nursing programs. I then applied to South University (Tampa) and was accepted, and all of my prereq's transferred over, so in 2 years I will have my bachelor's as opposed to an associate RN. I will be in debt to my ears, but I've tried EVERYTHING else, so I'm ecstatic-go private if you can, but do the prereq's somewhere much cheaper.

Cuezee2 · Mar 22, 2010

I live in San Francisco, and getting into a state school or junior college for nursing is very difficult. There are too many people and too few schools (getting a nursing job out here is also very hard...and practically impossible if you're a new grad. Our instructors are advising us to go out of state when we graduate). I went the private school route because I didn't want to wait what could be years for my name to come up in the lottery draw for a public nursing school (it's mostly lottery here). My private school costs around $40,000.00 year, but I get most of that covered through grants, scholarships, etc. The amount that is left I get federal aid (Stafford loans, etc). For me, it was better to know that I had a sure spot in the program, which meant I would graduate sooner and could start paying off those loans. So basically, here it is much easier to go private than public...but like I said, we are quite impacted here in the SF Bay Area.

gallatea · Mar 22, 2010

I agree with the others - the price tag is a determent. I would say the rigor is the same though & you still have to pass the NCLEX. I don't know about unaccredited schools, but if you're referring to private accredited universities, I know a little about that. I did my undergrad degree at one. I received 17000 in in scholarship money to be a transfer student. There is also more funding avail. at private schools.

Apply to a variety of schools, apply for financial aid, then weigh your options. You might be surprised. I had a wonderful, challenging experience at my undergrad school which was private. When I went to grad school at a state school, I was fairly disappointed, but each to their own.