WGU or Chamberlain???

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Hello Everyone!

I need your advice on which RN to BSN program is best.

I live in Los Angeles. I received my license in August, and I will start a full time job this month.

I want to do the RN to BSN program online, but I am not sure which program to choose. At first, I was considering WGU because it was cheaper and fast. But now I hear that their tests are graded only pass or fail and that it will be difficult to transfer to another school in the future.

I heard that Chamberlain is a good school, and that it is good for people with busy schedules. But it is more expensive than WGU.

Please give me your opinions or experiences with these schools.

Thank you!

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical/Float Pool/Stepdown.

Browse both WGUs and Chamberlain's forums to get a feel.

I ultimately chose WGU for my BSN to MSN and wish I had known about the school when I did my RN to BSN. At first not understanding the pass fail grading system concerned me but after figuring out that it really wouldn't impact my 3.8/4.0 I had from my ASN and BSN and that I can do a postmasters anywhere essentially because WGU is fully accredited and a not-for-profit school, and there were no silly weekly discussion posts, and classes were designed for adult learners without set timelines (meaning if you already have the background knowledge from practicing as a nurse and bust your tail you can get a class done really fast!)...need I go on about why WGU was the one for me...

Good luck!

P.S. do know that you have to be a working nurse to be accepted into WGUs program.

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Wgu has one class 229 community health that is different and more difficult for California students. I suggest speaking with students from CA who have completed this class as it can be difficult to find a preceptor. The other states do the same class but no preceptor required.

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I ultimately did not choose WGU for the GPA reason. I'm obsessed with trying to get a 4.0 and I couldn't do it with my ADN, so I would need something to allow me to do it for my BSN.

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Thank you!!!

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Chamberlain is a LOT of debt.

Last time i checked it was $30,000.

Even though If i do just the bare minimum of classes(4 every 6 months) I will end up paying about 15000.

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
Chamberlain is a LOT of debt.

Last time i checked it was $30,000.

Even though If i do just the bare minimum of classes(4 every 6 months) I will end up paying about 15000.

Depends on the number of classes you have to take. I paid around $17,000 for the RN-to-BSN at Chamberlain. My employer covered $9K of that with $3K per calendar year, I started in October 2008 and finished in June 2010 so I received reimbursement in 2008, 2009, and 2010 — worked well!

There are pros and cons to every program. OP, make yourself a spreadsheet. It helps!

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

I have also moved this thread to the online forum to ensure maximum responses. :)

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Specializes in NICU, RNC.

I recently completed the RN-BSN program at WGU. I am a CA student. I finished in 6 months. I, too, pursued my BSN directly following my ADN and found it to be quite easy compared to the hell of actual nursing school. I think I was able to complete it so quickly because I was still in the school "mindset" and was used to the rigors of my ADN program, so the BSN coursework was a breeze. The CA community health requirement was not bad at all. That said, I work at an approved facility, so finding a preceptor was not a problem. If you do not work at an approved facility, then it might be more difficult to find a preceptor. They can tell you before enrolling whether or not your employer is an approved site.

All-in-all, I was very happy with WGU, and I received my BSN in 6 months for less than $4k. Can't beat that. However, you do come out of the program with an automatic 3.0. If that is a problem, then you should attend elsewhere.

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Specializes in Hospice, Palliative Care.

If you want a university that compares well with WGU, look at Capella and their FlexPath option.

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I went to Ohio University for their Rn to BSN program, and finished in 11 months. I liked how each class was only 5 weeks long! Might be worth checking out!

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Specializes in Oncology.

This is my goal!!! I have 12 classes to take and I want to power through them!! So glad to see you were able to get it done!!

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