Best Nursing Schools?

[dorarific]

Hey everyone I'm new here and I'm really trying to find the best school to obtain my BSN from. It all seems so confusing, you feel like you have to research every single school under a microscope. You also wonder are online course sufficient enough? And how much should you really pay for your BSN? And what school's credits will transfer universally when you want to further your education? If anyone could give me some pointers in the right direction I'd be so grateful.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

Currently, the "best" school will be the one that accepts you. I don't mean to be snarky, but competition for nursing school is at an all-time high in most areas of the country. Some programs get 10 applicants for every available slot - srsly. There are no 100% 'online' pre-licensure nursing programs - the idea is preposterous. Hybrid programs offer didactic classes online, but you will still have to complete clinical training in a hands-on environment.

Nursing education is a two-tier process. First you have to complete your pre-requisite classes, then you can apply for the nursing program. Your pre-requisite classes will transfer as long as you have completed them at a regionally accredited school. Many people take these at a CC - much less expensive. There is no standard set of pre-requisites, so you'll need to check with each nursing program to see exactly what they require. You may need to complete all of your pre-reqs before you can apply for the nursing program, but this also varies. Note: nursing is not a "major" it is a program... the clinical portion of your education is NOT transferable.

It's smart to consider student loan debt as part of your overall decision. Start with a realistic picture of what you'll be earning as a new grad in your area. New grads may be making $80k in Cali, but that certainly is not the case in other states. Your take-home pay may be closer to $40k. Put together a realistic budget for living expenses, car payment/maintenance/insurance, savings, etc... and see how much 'disposable' income would be left to cover those loan payments. Now, armed with that information - use one of the student loan payment calculators like this one FinAid | Calculators | Loan Calculator - to see just how much you can afford to borrow.

Armed with that knowledge, talk to financial aid counselors at the schools to see what type of financial aid is available to you. You can put together the big picture & see the range of tuition you can afford.

Wishing you the best of luck on your educational journey!