Duke, UPenn, John Hopkins ABSN - Worth the Price Tag?

leenak · Jan 19, 2012

So I'm applying to 1 school for the fall, Johns Hopkins. It is $66k for the length of the program. Very expensive and I'll be paying out of pocket. Luckily, my savings account will cover it.

My other option is a state school which is pretty competitive due to pricing at $18k for the 2 year program. The reason I plan to go to Hopkins if I get in is because they have a great reputation and I'm considering moving out of the area, I'll finish an entire year earlier with Hopkins than the state school and the support they offer seems outstanding. They said 98% of their students that start the program will graduate the program. That means a lot to me. I'm applying to their BSN/MSN program and hoping I'd get a job with Hopkins after the BSN so that the MSN tuition will be greatly reduced.

Overall, I figure it is my money and if I decide to spend it on a private school, that is up to me. Would I look at less expensive programs? Absolutely. Look at any and all programs that you can. Talk to the schools, visit the schools and see what fits best for you and your schedule.

Tinman1017 · Jan 19, 2012

I've been told, and firmly believe that when it comes to getting your initial RN to try to do it in the least amount of time and at the cheapest place you can. And then after that when your looking at grad schools you can be a little more selective in which one you want to get into.

I think it would be very hard to tell the difference at a hospital between a community college RN, and a Johns Hopkins RN on the floor. I may be mistaken though.

2bEsqtoRN · Jan 20, 2012

So I'm applying to 1 school for the fall, Johns Hopkins. It is $66k for the length of the program. Very expensive and I'll be paying out of pocket. Luckily, my savings account will cover it.
My other option is a state school which is pretty competitive due to pricing at $18k for the 2 year program. The reason I plan to go to Hopkins if I get in is because they have a great reputation and I'm considering moving out of the area, I'll finish an entire year earlier with Hopkins than the state school and the support they offer seems outstanding. They said 98% of their students that start the program will graduate the program. That means a lot to me. I'm applying to their BSN/MSN program and hoping I'd get a job with Hopkins after the BSN so that the MSN tuition will be greatly reduced.
Overall, I figure it is my money and if I decide to spend it on a private school, that is up to me. Would I look at less expensive programs? Absolutely. Look at any and all programs that you can. Talk to the schools, visit the schools and see what fits best for you and your schedule.

Yeah, I don't think I would have even presented the question if I was in a similar position like yourself to dish out 70k+ liquid cash. Like most students attending these institutions, I will have to take out loans. Also, I assume JHU will cost considerably more than 66k if you take into consideration costs associated with books, insurance, etc etc. They've even quoted upwards of 130k+, inclusive of cost of living. Insanity.

My dream school is Duke and I've researched that they are one of the few in the group of top nursing schools that have full tuition reimbursement programs in place, alongside numerous scholarships of which I will qualify for. Fortunately, I do not have debt from my undergraduate degree. I just don't want to go -100k in the hole (extreme of circumstances) for a BSN. If I get into Duke, I'll most likely attend, but I can only hope some type of financial assistance outside of loans will be granted.

2bEsqtoRN · Jan 20, 2012

I've been told, and firmly believe that when it comes to getting your initial RN to try to do it in the least amount of time and at the cheapest place you can. And then after that when your looking at grad schools you can be a little more selective in which one you want to get into.
I think it would be very hard to tell the difference at a hospital between a community college RN, and a Johns Hopkins RN on the floor. I may be mistaken though.

I appreciate you sharing your opinion. While I agree a BSN is a BSN no matter where it is obtained, I do feel you pay a premium for additional perks with respect to networking, clinical site options and ultimately having that brand name behind your own. In most cases, these schools offer a higher quality of teaching that may very well be worth it.

leenak · Jan 20, 2012

Yeah, I don't think I would have even presented the question if I was in a similar position like yourself to dish out 70k+ liquid cash. Like most students attending these institutions, I will have to take out loans. Also, I assume JHU will cost considerably more than 66k if you take into consideration costs associated with books, insurance, etc etc. They've even quoted upwards of 130k+, inclusive of cost of living. Insanity.
My dream school is Duke and I've researched that they are one of the few in the group of top nursing schools that have full tuition reimbursement programs in place, alongside numerous scholarships of which I will qualify for. Fortunately, I do not have debt from my undergraduate degree. I just don't want to go -100k in the hole (extreme of circumstances) for a BSN. If I get into Duke, I'll most likely attend, but I can only hope some type of financial assistance outside of loans will be granted.

There are definitely other expenses as well although I'll have health insurance and Baltimore is actually less pricey to live than where I currently live. But there are cost of living expenses. JHU definitely has financial need scholarships although I wouldn't qualify for those.