Is this college worth the price?

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The nursing school I'm considering is fairly expensive, and I don't know if that's just a college thing, or if it's not worth the money. The school is designed so you transfer in as a junior, and compete 2 years (junior and senior) with them, and you graduate with your BSN. It's a very respected accredited private college, with a 97% NCLEX pass rate, and is known for turning out very well educated and prepared new grads. They also have over 20 clinical sites in the area. I've toured the college and labs several times now, and have talked with graduates of that program and also of the local ADN community college program about strengths/weaknesses and how they enjoyed their educational experience. I won't lie, I kind of have my heart set on the BSN program; the only thing I struggle with is the cost. I would be spending two years there, at just over $11,000 per semester (so, 4 semesters = $44,000) and that doesn't include books. I've done all (well, by next semester I'll be done) my prereqs at community colleges, and have gotten grants and worked, so I don't have any student loans at this time. I'm just struggling with the fact that I will absolutely need to take out loans for the BSN program if that's what I choose.

So - is a $44,000 education worth it, or should I try and find something more affordable? Keep in mind I qualify for about $10,000 of that in grants, and haven't even touched on scholarships yet.

Thank you in advance!!

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

Personally, I'd be leery about taking on that amount of student loan debt, but other questions must be answered.

1. How is the local job market in the area where you plan to work after graduation? Do the local facilities respect and hire graduates from this nursing program?

2. How much do new grad nursing jobs pay in the area where you plan to work? If the starting pay rates are $25/hour or less, I'd look for a school with cheaper tuition. A general rule of thumb is to borrow no more than you'd reasonably earn in one year as a new grad.

Good luck to you!

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Thank you so much for your response! You definitely gave me more things to consider. The job market in the area isn't the greatest, but it's also not terrible. I have the added benefit of living close to several major cities (within a reasonable 45-60 minute commute that I wouldn't mind making for a nursing job), so there are several different areas I could potentially pursue a job. The local facilities definitely respect and hire grads from this nursing program, and I've heard that several facilities actually prefer grads from this particular college.

From the online searching I've been doing about starting pay rates, it looks like in my area (and surrounding areas) new grads start out around $26-28 per hour, depending on which city it is. (Although, I'm not sure how reliable that information is, and I don't really feel comfortable asking my friends who are nurses what their hourly pay is...)

Anyway, thank you very much for your input, I really appreciate it!

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

Accreditations? Academic reputation? For-profit vs. Non-profit? Are the other, good, less expensive options available? How much financial aid would you qualify for? (A lot of expensive, non-profit schools have more aid available than other schools.)

I would be considering all these things before I made a decision.

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Specializes in public health, women's health, reproductive health.

My opinion: That's too much. I wouldn't do it unless scholarships are going to take that total down significantly. YMMV.

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I would look at all other possibilities first. If none of them pan out and this is it for you, then all things considered, if you can deal with it, then do it. At least it isn't the $66,000 or so that WCU rakes in.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
At least it isn't the $66,000 or so that WCU rakes in.
WCU is charging $132,000 for their generic BSN degree program these days. $66k would seem like a steal compared to the tuition rates they've been charging lately.
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Specializes in CVICU CCRN.

Not knowing a lot about the school or area, here's my take:

I go to a private university. (Not a for profit school). Their tuition is just slightly more than what you described. HOWEVER...they offered me a scholarship that took the price down considerably, and my grants increased significantly in my financial aid package compared to what I was receiving at a State U and Community College. In the end, I took some limited stafford loans to cover books and living expenses, but amounts that I am comfortable with. (I have a college freshman kiddo who has a disability and I was only working limited hours, so I really needed those additional funds for the first year)

This school was totally worth it to me because of their clinical model, the rep of their grads, and the hospitals where I would get to train during clinicals. I ended up commuting for the first year and I have to say, I'm totally glad I did!

I applied to the Uni first, after adding them to my FAFSA, so that financial aid could offer me an award etc even before the deadline for nursing program application. You can always say no! Not sure if a process like that works with your timeline or not, but it may be worth a shot! Good luck and good for you on doing your research!!

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses

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WCU is charging $132,000 for their generic BSN degree program these days. $66k would seem like a steal compared to the tuition rates they've been charging lately.

OP stated she would be paying for two years of school, so I used approximately half of the WCU tuition/fees. We are all well aware that four years at WCU costs about $132,000.

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Thank you all so much for your responses!! I really appreciate the time you took to respond, and it definitely gave me much more to think about. Thanks!!!

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Specializes in Hospice, Palliative Care.

Good day, Onmyway14:

Wow on the price; the school I'm attending runs $2,976.00 per semester.

Thank you.

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Specializes in ICU/ Surgery/ Nursing Education.

Out of my price range for sure. My ADN program cost me about 4,000.00 with financial aid and my BSN will cost me 12,000-14,000. No way would I pay 44,000.00 no matter the amount of clinical sites. Our pass rate was in the 90's as well and 100% of us had a job within 2 months of graduation (as nurses). Not bad for a small Junior College.

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