Does prestige of program matter?

FullGlass, BSN, MSN, NP · May 22, 2020

Whether or not the big-name school matters depends on what kind of career you want.

First, avoid for-profit schools! These are the "crappy" schools that will accept anyone with a pulse. And they are often far more expensive than reputable schools.

Any public community college, state college, or state university is a fine choice for a BSN, and is the most cost-effective option for most people.

If you know where you want to live and work, a school in that area is going to give you the best networking opportunities for finding a job locally.

If you can get into a top school, then go! Private, top-ranked schools typically have generous financial aid packages and can end up being the same, or cheaper, than a public school. You won't know what kind of financial aid you can get until you apply.

In addition, if you have ambitious career aspirations, such as becoming a healthcare executive, professor, researcher, public policy expert, etc, then, yes, go for a top school if you can get in and can afford it.

A top-ranked school with a national reputation will have recruiters from all over the country come to the school to recruit new BSNs. If you are able to relocate, this can be an advantage.

With regard to NP school, yes, it is worth it to go to a top school. This has been debated many times on this forum. Again, such a school may actually be cheaper with financial aid. In addition, students at such schools are more likely to win competitive scholarships such as the Nurse Corps scholarship and also to subsequently win competitive loan repayment programs. It is mostly doctors that hire NPs and they DO care, very much, about school. Ever hear a pre-med student ask if going to Hopkins or Harvard is worth it? Top schools also usually have strong and loyal alumni networks, an advantage in job search. And if you go to excellent BSN program, you are more likely to get into a top NP school.

**CommunityRNBSN, BSN, RN** · May 23, 2020

In my experience, No. I don't have any knowledge of the "nurse resident" hospital-affiliated programs, though. But if you're just applying for nursing jobs (and later applying for graduate school), they just want someone with a license and the skills/personality for the job. I've worked with graduates from Yale and from the local community colleges, and it seems like everybody's experience after graduation was about the same.

vampiregirl, BSN, RN · May 23, 2020

I would encourage you to explore the opportunities available to you. Aside from finding a reputable program, financial considerations and schedule of courses are also considerations.

Talking to graduates of programs I was interested in gave me some perspective. You likely will get varying opinions but if you talk to several people you may identify trends/ patterns.

I was fortunate to find a local private college that offered a nursing program that is well-respected locally as well as being accredited. I initially thought I'd never be able to afford this program and was VERY surprised to discover it was actually the most affordable program in my area. I'm so glad I thoroughly researched my options, including that one which I had almost disregarded because I thought it would be expensive. I had a great experience. It was a lot of work but so worth it.

I'm currently applying to grad school, the biggest considerations that grad schools seem to be looking at are my GPA and if the school where a prior degree was obtained is accredited.

FolksBtrippin, BSN, RN · May 23, 2020

On 5/19/2020 at 11:55 PM, Sour Lemon said:
Avoiding a school with a bad reputation is important, but attending a "top" school is not.

This. 100 percent. Also state schools are usually more affordable and also higher quality.

Flum Mox · May 24, 2020

As blueskies have said, I’d go with NCLEX pass rate. There are two local schools where I work. One ADN, one BSN. Many nurses I work with come from either while some are not locals and therefore attended schools of their choice elsewhere, both ADN and BSN. Not a statistician but I could not distinguish a prevalence toward one school from my coworkers.

My suggestion is to go with ADN, then do RN to BSN online. As ADN and passing NCLEX, you are a RN. The RN to BSN program is pretty much as rehash of the ADN program. Why? Both ADN and BSN program teach you to be a RN. RN to BSN program teach you to be a RN, which you would already be from the ADN program. Imo and experience.

nurse_00100110, ADN, BSN · May 25, 2020

What does matter is the quality of the Nursing instructors. I am and always will be very grateful and thankful to ALL my nursing instructors / advisors.

turtlesRcool · May 26, 2020

While there may be some advantages to more prestigious NP schools, there's really no advantage on the RN level. I did my ABSN at my state's main public university. At least two of my cohort have gone on to get their NP from the ivy league university located in our state.

At my hospital, we have a combination of BSN, ADN, and even some diploma RNs. The nurse who got her ABSN from Duke works alongside community college grads. If your goal is NP and you have a BS/BA already, then an ABSN makes sense, if you can swing it financially. But you don't have to go nuts trying to get into a top 10 school for your RN. Any public college should give you a solid reputation at a reasonable price. Especially, if you think you're going to want a really prestigious NP school, save your money for that, and don't go into debt becoming an RN.

TheDudeWithTheBigDog, ADN, RN · May 26, 2020

On 5/19/2020 at 9:15 PM, ad2020 said:
I just graduated college but I am looking to get a second degree in nursing. I would like to apply to an ABSN program, work for a few years and then go back to NP school. I guess I'm wondering if there is a huge difference in the education and opportunities offered at the big-name schools such as Emory or Duke or if it's all just branding and cost. Any advice or opinions would be appreciated!

To a Duke graduate, whether or not you graduated from Duke is the most important thing on your resume. To non-Duke graduates, the rest of your resume is the most important part. Most people who will ever be in a position to hire you or work with you didn't graduate from Duke.

NICU_Nurse_Casti, BSN, RN · May 26, 2020

On 5/22/2020 at 12:09 AM, FullGlass said:
First, avoid for-profit schools! These are the "crappy" schools that will accept anyone with a pulse. And they are often far more expensive than reputable schools.

I do not necessarily agree with this. I attend a for-profit school and I can tell you our NCLEX pass rates for the BSN program are on par with the national average. It is a more expensive school, but I would not call it "crappy."

To the OP, I am also a second-degree nursing student attending an ABSN program. The things I looked for when choosing a school were:

1. NCLEX Pass Rates

2. Accreditation

3. Distance from my house

When it comes to jobs or furthering your education, attending a "top" or well-known school may be beneficial in terms of opening up doors or networking, but I do not think it is the end all, be all. You can network on your own, and you decide how good of a nurse you want to be.

blueskiesandsunshine.prn · May 26, 2020

3 minutes ago, Future_NICU_Nurse_Casti said:
I attend a for-profit school and I can tell you our NCLEX pass rates for the BSN program are on par with the national average.

I would encourage you to verify the information your school provides on NCLEX pass rates with the official state BON data on your school's pass rates. I have seen quite misleading advertisements for for-profit diploma mills that tout high pass rates, but in fact the state's BON report speaks a much different story.

NICU_Nurse_Casti, BSN, RN · May 26, 2020

7 minutes ago, blueskiesandsunshine.PRN said:
I would encourage you to verify the information your school provides on NCLEX pass rates with the official state BON data on your school's pass rates. I have seen quite misleading advertisements for for-profit diploma mills that tout high pass rates, but in fact the state's BON report speaks a much different story.

The state BON is where I looked. I know all schools try to bolster their stats to recruit students.

techarrows · May 26, 2020

On 5/19/2020 at 10:55 PM, Sour Lemon said:
Avoiding a school with a bad reputation is important, but attending a "top" school is not.

Thank you, this is great!