How long does it take to get ADN including prerequisites, on average?

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Everything I've read says it takes two years to get your ADN. I'm wondering if that is the nursing program alone, or does the two years include your prerequisites?

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

Hello rachelkelllyy

Welcome to allnurses.com

We moved your thread to the Pre-Nursing forum for the best response.

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Two years for the nursing courses only.

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What beekee said. The prereq's took me one full year, including summer session, because you have to take some in order (i.e. A&P I followed by A&P II). Good luck!

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There's typically a lot of pre-reqs (biology, anatomy, physiology, microbiology, english, math, etc.) and depending on how high of a GPA you need to be competitive for your school it can take a year or two to complete all of it. Also, BSN programs have all the pre-reqs as well - even more actually! Only those programs can take three years rather than two. It's best to look at the specific requirements of each school you are considering.

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I would say a minimum of 4 if you are starting fresh.

One year for pre requisites if you're going full time, and potentially a year of waiting.

Then the 2 years for the nursing program.

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FOR ME it will be 3 years. But that's because I didn't know I'd be accepted into the ADN program, so I was taking pre requs (sciences & psych) to apply to BSN programs as well.

Under normal circumstances, in my program, you can do it in 2 years. There are other ADN programs that take longer. Depends on the school.

ETA - at my school it's possible to do the pre requs & the nursing program simultaneously. Though, depending on how good of a student of science you are, I may not recommend it.

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It depends. If you took your equivalent of a biology in high school recently, you can actually at some schools do your prereqs over the summer and start your program and be done in 2 years + that summer. Most people will take 3 years. Some will start in the spring instead of fall, and take 3.5.

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I cant speak for the average, but it took me one full year, full time (summer, fall and spring semester) to complete my non-nursing courses and this fall I will start my two year ADN program! I will now start my program with nothing other than nursing core courses and I couldn't be more thrilled.

In my program, they aren't necessarily considered prereqs, so there is the possibility to take micro, A&P, college writing etc along with your nursing classes. However, admissions is on a point system and you do earn points for each completed non-nursing course. Its clear to see that the majority of people admitted likely have completed all of these.

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Hello.

For me, my ADN program will take me all together 4 years. I started college as soon as I graduated high school and went full time (12-13 credit hours a semester plus one summer class). I took both my ADN prereqs and my future BSN prereqs, so when I graduate I can start the RN to BSN program right away. The official nursing program is all together 4 and a half semesters.

All together I started school Fall 2016 and I will graduate with my ADN in 2020.

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Specializes in Emergency Department, Pediatrics, Home Health.

Pre-reqs for an ADN program will take about a year if you are going full time. It took me 2 years to do the pre-reqs. I took my time taking the classes to ensure I got the grades I needed to get into a program. Then, it takes an additional 2 years for the actual nursing program.

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3 years here

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