potential nursing student

You are probably getting an associate's degree (ASN) from your community college. The next step would be to get a Bachelor's degree (BSN, from a 4-year college). You need a Bachelor's Degree to get into a Master's program (MSN, since it's Graduate school). There are schools that offer "Bridge" programs to get your BSN.

As long as your school is accredited, it shouldn't be a problem. There are many different types of accreditation, but regional is better than national [sounds backward, but national accreditation can be a pain in the ass]. Around here [southern california] most community college RN programs transfer to universities without any problem. The easiest way to determine if your credits will transfer though, is to simply ask someone at your schools transfer center [or guidance center, if your school doesn't have a transfer center]. They should be able to give you a general answer, but ultimately, the only way to know with absolute certainty is to ask the school you intend to transfer to whether they will accept your credits/degree from STCC.