chamberlain or Western governors for RN to MSN?

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Oct 29, 2014

I'm currently enrolled in WGU and love it. It is regionally accredited, nonprofit, CCNE-accredited, and affordable.

People who are enrolled in Chamberlain love it, too. However, be cognizant that it is an investor-owned for-profit school and a subsidiary of DeVry, meaning the tuition is very expensive.

Why pay $20,000 in tuition for a BSN degree from Chamberlain when you can pay about $6,500 total at WGU? For someone like me who doesn't want to be up to my eyeballs in debt, the choice is obvious.

christynat5 · Oct 29, 2014

what program are you enrolled in?

I'm currently enrolled in WGU and love it. It is regionally accredited, nonprofit, CCNE-accredited, and affordable.
People who are enrolled in Chamberlain love it, too. However, be cognizant that it is an investor-owned for-profit school and a subsidiary of DeVry, meaning the tuition is very expensive.
Why pay $20,000 in tuition for a BSN degree from Chamberlain when you can pay about $6,500 total at WGU? For someone like me who doesn't want to be up to my eyeballs in debt, the choice is obvious.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Oct 29, 2014

what program are you enrolled in?

I am enrolled in the online RN-to-BSN degree completion program offered by Western Governors.

You may also wish to visit our Chamberlain forum to see what students have to say about their nursing programs.

klone, MSN, RN · Oct 30, 2014

I did my RN through WGU, and now I'm doing my MSN through WGU. By the time I'm done, I will have paid $20K for a BSN AND MSN, and if you are task oriented and don't procrastinate, you could do it for a lot less. A few members here have done their BSN for $3500. Some have done both for under $10,000. I don't think ANY other program can offer that.

Quest5, BSN, MSN, RN · Oct 30, 2014

I completed my MSN at WGU in 2013. Cost was of tremendous importance to me and the tuition, charged at 6-month intervals, amounted to less than an online hybrid graduate program at my state university. Of greatest value was my program mentor, a feature of both undergraduate and graduate degree programs at WGU. The program mentor is an experienced RN with a degree at the level of your program who guides you through your program for as long as it takes. Course faculty/ course mentors change with each course, but your program mentor is with you throughout as a coach, a motivator, and a shoulder to cry on those times when you begin to doubt you'll manage work and school. Mine was a gem, someone I respect and regard with deep affection. To my knowledge, only WGU has developed this feature to they extent they have. I referred an acquaintance to the RN-to-BSN program when she was completing her Associate degree and now, a year into her BSN coursework, she loves it and her program mentor.

Granted, a competency-based program is not for everyone. WGU is not about profit and applicants must pass an entry assessment and an orientation course, an actual course, before full acceptance. If you are looking only for an easy grade or must have a transcript loaded with honors, WGU may not be for you. Successful course completion is a demonstration of your competency in a subject and is equivalent to a grade of B/ 3.0, a policy well explained on your transcript and the website. Your work is your own, a reality those who like to be carried by the efforts of a group won't enjoy. With WGU you control your tuition by completing as many or as few courses as you can or want to finish every 6 months. I've heard of some WGU students who by careful choice of projects have completed graduate degrees in nursing administration in a year, but that's not the rule, especially in nursing education.

Bottom line, check out both programs thoroughly. WGU advisement staff talked with me regularly for a year, at my request, discussing the many obstacles I expected, long before I enrolled something no one from any for-profit program I contacted was willing to do. To my mind, that fact separated the institution interested in my education from those interested only in my wallet!

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Oct 30, 2014

WGU is not about profit and applicants must pass an entry assessment and an orientation course, an actual course, before full acceptance.

As of a few months ago, applicants who already possess an ADN or diploma in nursing are now exempted from taking the entry assessment, also known as the Readiness Assessment.

Quest5, BSN, MSN, RN · Oct 31, 2014

Thank you, TheCommuter, for the WGU update! I'm delighted to hear they've made it easier for the ADN RNs to make use of this great opportunity. I've been recommending WGU for years. This will eliminate one of the main reasons I've heard in return for not enrolling.

ctcpete · Oct 24, 2015

Bumping this thread up, I've been considering Chamberlain or WGU for my ADN to BSN degree. Been finding (FWIW of course) complaints regarding Chamberlain. I do know someone doing it though and they seem to like it. Cost and time is an issue, I don't care if all I get is a B. Any thoughts or comments are appreciated. I've been working for 3 months paying my dues as a new RN. My head may have stopped spinning enough for me to start to consider getting that BSN.

Interesting that Chamberlain is affiliated with DeVry. I have a electronics degree from them. Excelsior College would not accept any of those credits, maybe Chamberlain would?

From all I'm hearing though, WGU sounds good.

klone, MSN, RN · Oct 24, 2015

How much does Chamberlain cost?

How much does WGU cost?

featherzRN, MSN · Oct 24, 2015

Chamberlain (my hospital has a deal with them) is far and above more expensive than WGU - especially considering that most people accelerate through WGU. I spent 3.4K on my WGU degree, although the norm is about 7K to 10K, depending on how quickly you get through classes. Chamberlain wanted like 30K.. No thanks. :)

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Oct 24, 2015

How much does Chamberlain cost?

Chamberlain College's RN-to-BSN program costs in the $17k to $21k range, depending on how many transfer credits are accepted.

How much does WGU cost?

WGU's RN-to-BSN program costs in the $3,500 to $10,500 range, depending on how quickly the coursework is completed. I personally paid $5,800 to complete 34 credits in 10 months. :)