Members are discussing the cost and value of attending Chamberlain College of Nursing, with some sharing positive experiences and job outcomes, while others express concerns about the high tuition costs and potential debt. Some members advocate for starting at a community college for pre-reqs before transferring to Chamberlain, while others caution against for-profit schools and emphasize the importance of thorough research before committing to a nursing program.
I am beginning my nursing journey. Gathering all the info I need. Getting my classes together. Going to take my pre reqs at a community college.. Going to meet with an advisor tomorrow. My question is this: Is Chamberlain worth it for $90,000+? I'm 21 with a 5 year old son. I wrote down many questions to ask myself and one being where I want to be 5 years from now. And that is a Registered Nurse working with children at a hospital. I've been all year weighing my options about pursuing my nursing degree once all my pre reqs are completed and City Colleges of Chicago I will be waiting until Fall.
I am in no real rush to get in school but I was hoping to get in Malcolm X by the Spring or the Fall and the fact that it isn't a guarantee whatsoever kinda bothers me. I don't want to waste 2 years of my life waiting to get into nursing school whereas at Chamberlain, I could be right after I finish my pre reqs and in 2 years I will be one step closer to getting my BSN. Is Chamberlain worth it? It is CCNE accredited. I've been doing my research on this school and know a couple of people who is either attending it or have graduated from there.
Should I go for it?
I am looking at it form a different perspective than some. I'm not so worried about my loans and funding for school while I am there because I think that's negative and can be very stressful. I will worry about it when I graduate and become the Nurse I've only dreamed of.
Are there any current or alumni students of Chamberlain School of Nursing that can shed some light on me and give me more info and just help me in this journey? All is appreciated. Thanks!
I currently attend Chamberlain in Atlanta, and so far I find it to be worth it. I personally do better in fast paced environments. It is a bit stressful at times having to do 16 weeks of course material in 8, but it also is nice because you finish class you don't really like faster. As for tuition, it is really expensive, but in the end it is similar to any other 4 year program. The only difference is you pay it in 3 instead of 4. Since you your pre-reqs will be done before you enter you technically would be paying half the tuition than if you entered with nothing done. They also provide payment plans which can make it a bit easier. The teachers here provide all the support that is needed. The tutoring center (Center for Academic Success) is very helpful, considering the staff members are all RNs. Like every school it has its ups and downs, but I feel as if it is really preparing me to take the NCLEX. All nursing exams given are NCLEX style which really helps. From what I remember during orientation the pass rate for the campus I attend is over 92%. I also have a few friends who graduated from Chamberlain in Addison, and all of them landed jobs within 6 months of graduation. If you want to stay somewhere close to Chicago but not attend Chamberlain, I suggest you look into College of DuPage (it is in the suburbs and I do not know if that is an option for you), NIU, and UIC. all of theses are competitive programs with wait lists. However with Chamberlain, they have rolling admissions, and you can start in January, May, or September. So you can always keep it as a back up. There is one down side to attending Chamberlain before any other nursing school, other schools allow for you to transfer their credits (meaning if you are academically released you can transfer completed courses to a different school) Chamberlain credits on the other hand will not transfer. I hope this helped!
I work for a large Hospital Corporation here in Jacksonville, Fl. I have looked into Chamberlain extensively but was concerned, as most, with being able to get a job. I was happy to find out after speaking with the nurse recruiters and different ADON's that Chamberlain is wehre our corporation gets a lot of their nurses from. They have breaks in tuition for their employees and try their best to work with them through the program to continue with employment. This information, along with the stellar reviews I heard from coworkers that went to Chamberlain, I decided to move forward with the Jacksonville Campus! Best of luck to you all :)
I'm a mom with 3 kids. I almost started Chamberlain in Sept 2013, but when I went in to register for classes, they said I'd have to wait until January, my first red flag, plus I'd have to take microbiology and chemistry during my first 8 week session (I have a bachelors in biology with a minor in chemistry), which was my second red flag. All this school wants is money. Then I found out the community college in my town was starting a Spring cohort in Jan 2013 for the first time, so I applied and got in (finished Dec 2015). So instead of owing $90K, I owe $20K, and the bridge program for a BSN online is only going to add about $11-12K.
Good luck, I hope you make the best decision for you and your little guy!
I came across your comment and wanted to know how long did it take you to finish your prereqs at a CC? I'm interested in going that route but really want to get a picture of how long or short that may take. I would love to hear back when possible! Congrats on Chamberlain ?
DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME AND MONEY on this for-profit, faux "nursing program". In spite of what the sales reps say (and they ARE sales people - not "counselors", "advisors" or "recruiters" or some other euphemism they use to pull the wool over your eyes). this is nothing but a money-making scheme to relieve you of an obscene amount of money and get you into debt that you'll NEVER get out from under. They prey on people who want to better themselves and lie that they provide an education that's comparable to those obtained at real schools. They offer NOT education but fly-by-night promises to people who may otherwise not qualify for acceptance at real schools or who are older and impatient to begin a career and you people pay the price. I've been a nurse administrator for a number of years and we would NEVER hire "nurses" from these diploma mills. Would you go to a physician whose "degree" was from a for-profit that advertised online? Do you want the pilot of your plane to have learned to fly this way? Nursing is a profession and there's no short-cut to get there by way of the Walmarts of the world. Take your time, get your pre-requisites at a local, accredited community college, then apply for a transfer to a legit nursing school at a 4 year institution. It will cost less and you'll be a real nurse in the end. Not a nurses' aide with a phony "degree" after your name.
I disagree with you, Kephara. I personally know at least 10 nurses that have graduated from Chamberlain and have easily gained employment at some of the best hospitals in our area, including but not limited to THE Mayo Hospital and MD Anderson's, some even have higher ranking positions within the hospital system. Our health system here also has an agreement with Chamberlain College of Nursing to give their nurses or employees incentive to go there, reduced tuition, flexible work schedules, etc. My employer encourages their ADN nurses to go back to school for their BSN, MSN's, FNP's-DNP's... and this agreement with Chamberlain makes that easier. While I understand some for-profit schools can have bad raps, I also understand them and appreciate them. I work for a large hospital system and they gladly hire from Chamberlain and welcome them for their clinicals. I believe your cynisism towards someone that goes to this school for a degree is appalling, considering you are a nursing administrator. It's not as if everything is done online, they have clinicals, they have labs, they have hours and they have the NCLEX to pass. While I understand some of the Chamberlain campuses may have "bad raps" don't include all of them in there, unless you have encountered a nurse from each of the 22 Chamberlain Schools.
I wish I would've posted this sooner, I needed to hear this. I needed to know that waiting is okay. I got really discouraged and was just trying to start as soon as possible so I can be a nurse already you know? $750 is absurd... But I needed that info. Thanks! Waiting is really the best option for me.
I hear great things about the school.... you have to think you may be paying that for your degree but weigh in the positives as well. The school has all of the appropriate accreditations and I see plenty of positive posts and you should gear yourself towards those. As everyone's situation is different, yeah you're paying 90K for a BSN but you will make close to 90K every year entry-level 1st getting in the door you will be making over 5 thousand dollars a month what is 750 out of that for a loan? I think it is worth it imo, you could even go on to become a NP if you choose. and be raking in well over 130,000 a year for 15 more months of study and chamberlain offers that as well. It is a school of nursing that's been around for a very long time. So do your homework and go with what is best for yourself. ? I'm going to check it out.... hopefully you don't waste 3 years of your life on a waiting list and at least get another degree while waiting.... waiting.... and waiting..... whos to say you will ever get picked if you know you can do it just go for it, pray about it and go ahead on.
$90K in loans for a BSN (I presume...?) is outrageous. I had the same perspective you did..
"I'm not so worried about my loans and funding for school while I am there because I think thats negative and can be very stressful. I will worry about it when I graduate and become the Nurse I've only dreamed of."
Well, that's what I thought too. Now I'm an RN with a BSN who doesn't get paid very well and who is still looking at loads of debt to repay. I'm not sure how I will ever be able to repay it at this rate. Nurses are severely underpaid in my opinion. On top of that, the "dream" job is nothing like I'd thought it would be. I love the patients, don't get me wrong. The problem is you are always running from one room to the next. No breaks, no lunches. Management breathing down your neck about all the things you DIDN"T do... when all you've done is BUST YOUR *** all day long. It's a thankless job most days. What makes it worth it is having the privilege to really make a difference in people's lives when they are most vulnerable and in need of your help. However, at the end of the day, I'm still too exhausted to really do anything but veg out in front of the TV. I'm worried about how I"m going to make ends meet on a meager salary. My first raise was 60 cents per hour. I feel a bit stuck now.... and a bit resentful that this is the reality you encounter when you become a nurse: you are overworked, underpaid and underappreciated. There are definitely opportunities down the line if you can stick it out the first few years. But if you're a single earner/ head of household like me, it's really tough. If I were you, I'b be shopping around for a much less expensive route than $90K. That sounds paralyzing to me. Good luck!
Sounds like you are one of those people who jumped into nursing
with no prior medical history?
Nursing or the medical field was never meant to be glamorous and why should
someone praise you for wanting to help others.. if you are truly
I definitely agree that you should not wait until after your in debt to worry about the debt. And not to be negative, but you do want to realize that there's no guarantee and you succeeding in the program. At least at a cheaper School, you could reapply, Leander, and you won't be stuck with that debt and no degree. I'm in a situation where Chamberlain might be my only option as I've been dismissed from another program, so I've taken a lot of thought to it. And just to say that if you were to take all of your non-nursing courses first, there is no way the bill would end up $90,000. I already looked at all of their additional fees, book fees, and tuition comma and I got to about 50,000. With that makes it almost half of what you're thinking it might cost if you do all of your regular classes that are not nursing courses first.
highhope
11 Posts
I currently attend Chamberlain in Atlanta, and so far I find it to be worth it. I personally do better in fast paced environments. It is a bit stressful at times having to do 16 weeks of course material in 8, but it also is nice because you finish class you don't really like faster. As for tuition, it is really expensive, but in the end it is similar to any other 4 year program. The only difference is you pay it in 3 instead of 4. Since you your pre-reqs will be done before you enter you technically would be paying half the tuition than if you entered with nothing done. They also provide payment plans which can make it a bit easier. The teachers here provide all the support that is needed. The tutoring center (Center for Academic Success) is very helpful, considering the staff members are all RNs. Like every school it has its ups and downs, but I feel as if it is really preparing me to take the NCLEX. All nursing exams given are NCLEX style which really helps. From what I remember during orientation the pass rate for the campus I attend is over 92%. I also have a few friends who graduated from Chamberlain in Addison, and all of them landed jobs within 6 months of graduation. If you want to stay somewhere close to Chicago but not attend Chamberlain, I suggest you look into College of DuPage (it is in the suburbs and I do not know if that is an option for you), NIU, and UIC. all of theses are competitive programs with wait lists. However with Chamberlain, they have rolling admissions, and you can start in January, May, or September. So you can always keep it as a back up. There is one down side to attending Chamberlain before any other nursing school, other schools allow for you to transfer their credits (meaning if you are academically released you can transfer completed courses to a different school) Chamberlain credits on the other hand will not transfer. I hope this helped!