Emory vs Duke vs. Saint Louis U for ABSN

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Hi all,

I recently was accepted into Emory, Duke and Saint Louis University for my ABSN. The date by which I have to accept my offer is fast approaching, and I'm completely and totally lost about which school to choose.

Regarding costs of each program, my parents will pay $30k for whichever school I choose and the rest is on me. I have recieved $7,500 in loans from FAFSA for each program. Additionally, I have a 20% tuition discount from Emory. The cost of attendance for Duke is 120k, for Saint Louis about 75k, and for Emory about 90k (with my scholarship).

The Saint Louis program starts in May and ends the following May (12 month program), while the other two are 15 & 16 month programs that start in August.

If anyone who has been through any of these programs could tell me the pros and cons of their experience, or if anyone has any advice what so ever on which school to choose I would really appreciate it!

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Specializes in NICU, Trauma, Oncology.

Good night that's a lot of money. Where is the rest coming from after the $30k + $7500 ??

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Specializes in Dialysis.
Good night that's a lot of money. Where is the rest coming from after the $30k + $7500 ??

Really...^^^this^^^...unless you have a guaranteed job, I wouldn't. I'm not going into my usual spiel. Look at the massive amount of other posts on here before you do this...

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The rest would come from loans/private scholarships (if any). So would you say go with Saint Louis then since that will put me in the least amount of debt?

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Specializes in ER/Tele, Med-Surg, Faculty, Urgent Care.

Goodness, this is a ton of money for a BSN! 120K is ridiculous, yeah we get that it's "Duke" & "Emory" which are private universities but really for a BSN it does not matter that much. Are you saying there are not any other nursing programs that are reasonable priced? I paid about $9,800 for my Masters for Family Nurse Practitioner!!! Since you already have a Bachelor's degree, you may only be able to get private loans??? How do you plan to pay back 90K? i(f you go to Duke minus the 30K from your parents). The return on investment for a BSN is not worth the price of these overprice private universities. Best Bang for you Buck is usually the community colleges or state universities.

Since your parents are willing to foot the bill for you, have you not found a program you could complete for 30k? or is the prestige of a fancy name university more important?

How much did you pay for your first bachelor's degree? How much do you owe in student loans at this point?

Are you going to work while pursuing your BSN?

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Specializes in Prior military RN/current ICU RN..

Before you just decide off the cuff where to go..get a calculator! You will be paying interest on those loans for a LONG time and you could have a 700 a month payment (or more). if you are in debt grad school won't be an option until you get those paid down. Also you will be making the same money as someone who went to the Univ. of Missouri for a quarter the price. Get facts on how much you will be paying back BEFORE you decide. Duke and Emory are great schools, but as a BSN you won't make a dime more than a person from a public university. Also think cost of living....there is just a lot to think about. Good luck!

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Thank you for all your input, I only applied to a select number of colleges because I took my science classes from an online program (Rio Salado). At the time this seemed like a great idea to get my pre-reqs out of the way, but it limited what schools I could apply to.

I paid 90k for my first degree from a UC (I graduated in 3 years). So far I have not taken out any loans for my original bachelor's degree.

Are there any programs where I could get in and out in 12-15 months that are still accepting and cost less?

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Specializes in NICU, Trauma, Oncology.
The rest would come from loans/private scholarships (if any). So would you say go with Saint Louis then since that will put me in the least amount of debt?

Option C find a state school or an ADN program. Just because you already have a BS doesn't mean you have you go the ABSN route.

I have a BS and MPH. I'm getting an ADN because it's inexpensive and will put me where I want to be (RN) in 2 years (now only 1 more semester!)

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Specializes in NICU, Trauma, Oncology.

A new grad position will pay you $xx (the same) regardless of where your diploma is from

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