Hi..i was recently accepted to University of San Francisco where i am GUARANTEED to get my BSN degree in 4 years. That is a tremendous deal because nursing schools are highly competitive nowadays and if i were to go to CSULB as a pre-nursing stuent, my second choice,i feel like it would probably take me 6 years to graduate ($27000 a year) because of the high competition. the question boils down to, is USF ($60000 a year) worth all the loans i will have to pullout? Im a hard working, diligent student who handles stress very well so i would stay on track in terms of college but i feel like i would have to stay in school longer at CSULB. What do you think? They both have equally good nursing program btw...
CSULB=way cheaper but longer stay to get BSN?
USF=extremely expensive but shorter stay to get BSN?
So ... if I read you right ... you'll be getting $34,000 per year in financial aid? That would make your bill $26,000 per year for USF. Do you (and/or your parents) have any money saved for college to bring that down any further? Would you be able to work part-time during any part of the 4 years to further bring down the amount of loans you need to take out?
You need to calculate all of the above so that you know exactly how big your loans will actually be before you decide. Most experts recommend that your total student loans should not be higher than the salary you can expect to make in your first year after graduation. If you can get close to that figure somehow, then I would recommend the 4-year school to get you out in the workforce, earning money sooner. If you can't get close to that figure, the longer but cheaper option is what I would recommend.
After graduation, do not make the mistake that so many people make. They start spending their paychecks. Continue to live "dirt cheap" -- and I mean REALLY cheap, as if you were still a student -- for a couple of years until those loans are paid off.
But like others here ... I would also suggest looking for a 3rd or 4th option that is a lot cheaper to begin with. It might be cheaper for you to move out of California for a couple of years to a state where the state university system is less over-crowded and a lot less expensive than the schools you are currently considering. You'll need to factor in the whole "residency" issue, but it is worth looking into.
Do you (and/or your parents) have any money saved for college to bring that down any further? Would you be able to work part-time during any part of the 4 years to further bring down the amount of loans you need to take out?
I live in a single parent household and my dad barely makes a living for the 3 of us... im going to do the work study program for all 4 years and try to work max. hours depending on school hours, etc.
Does it make any difference if there are more internship opportunities at USF than CSULB?
I live in a single parent household and my dad barely makes a living for the 3 of us... im going to do the work study program for all 4 years and try to work max. hours depending on school hours, etc.
Does it make any difference if there are more internship opportunities at USF than CSULB?
OP, it sounds like you've already (for the most part) made up your mind and are leaning more towards USF. At this point it just feels like you're fishing for reasons to be justified in your decision since the majority is suggesting the cheaper (CSULB) route, but you keep adding more detail that would justify going to USF. You go where you feel is best for you and don't worry about justifying it yourself or anyone else.
$60,000 a year?!?!? For 4 years??? Holy moly! That's $240,000 for a BSN... That can't be right...
EDIT: Your numbers seemed outrageous, I don't know where you came up with them, so I went to both USF's and CSULB's websites to calculate the estimated costs of each program from the numbers and curricula they provide themselves.
CSULB:
$3,120/semester Total Tuition and Mandatory Fees for Undergrads taking > 7 units
Basic Nursing program = 6 semesters (3 years)
6 semesters x $3,120/semester = $18,720 for the entire BSN program
This does not include pre-reqs, only the actual program, but you can take pre-reqs at a CC for even less than $3,120/semester. I used a local CC's cost of $46/unit + fees to calculate approximately $600/semester for a full-time class load of 12 units/semester. If it takes you 2 years (4 semesters) to complete all pre-reqs, it would cost an additional $2400 on top of CSULB's numbers.
Therefore, going the CSULB route would take 5 years for a grand total of $21,120.
USF:
Basic Nursing program = 8 semesters (4 years) including pre-reqs.
$39,840/academic year (Fall/Spring)
4 years x $39,840/year = $159,360 for the entire BSN program
Going the USF route would take 4 years for a grand total of $159,360.
Now, the difference between USF and CSULB is $138,240 and 1 year. You will not be making $138,240 in 1 year as a new grad RN... The time you save is negligible compared to how much longer you will be paying off your loans.
I just had to quote this just in case you might miss it.
I'm going to assume.(maybe incorrectly) that you're young and new to college.
Please, PLEASE take a moment to use a loan repayment calculator and compare your monthly payments to a realistic starting salary for an RN.
Paying $1500 a month in student loans for ten years (or however much...just a guess) will have a HUGE impact on your life. On your life with a possible spouse. On children. On your way of living. Just think it through. A year is not a long time in the grand scheme of things. Even if it feels like forever now. Time absolutely flies in NS
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strawberryluv, BSN, RN
768 Posts
OMG, run away. Like now. There is no reason to be breaking the bank
for a nursing degree, I'm sorry but the cold hard truth is nurses do NOT make bank.
Maybe they make more compared to other majors but thats just it.
I'm in school getting my degree and tuition costs about ~ $13,000
and I think even THAT is expensive. I can't imagine paying almost 4x that much.
Someone is ripping you off! Don't fall into that trap. Go somewhere else to get your nursing degree.
You will regret it when you see that loan bill in the mail every day for 10 years or so!