BSN

Here are a few points worth considering:

1. Is the school fully accredited? (Regional accreditation for the school as a whole & national accreditation for the nursing program). Be sure the school has the same accreditation as the major universities in its region.

2. Is it a non-profit institution whose purpose is to serve the community? Or is a for-profit institution whose primary purpose is to make money for its stock-holders?

3. Does it have a good reputation?

4. Do people who have gone there say good things about it -- and do they get hired by the best employers?

5. Could you visit the campus and/or meet face-to-face with the faculty/administration if you wanted to? Sometimes, having that option can be a blessing if some sort of problem arises.

6. Is the cost reasonable?

7. Does the scheduling of classes suit your needs. (Short classes may sound great -- but may be highly concentrated and require a lot of hours of your time each week. Longer, full-semester classes may be less stressful because they give you more time to cover a similar amount of material and can allow for a little more flexibility. Each has its advantages and disadvantages.)

This is just a start. Start thinking about other criteria that may be important to you ... and use that list to help you compare programs.