15 Best Online BSN Programs

There are many rea­sons why reg­is­tered nurs­es who want to move for­ward with a nurs­ing career choose to get a BSN online nurs­ing. An online RN to BSN means that busy pro­fes­sion­als don’t have to block out time to trav­el to and from cam­pus. While some class­es in a nurs­ing bach­e­lor online pro­gram may require that stu­dents to be online at cer­tain times, most allow for self-pac­ing, let­ting stu­dents decide when they’d like to com­plete their work for their bach­e­lor in nurs­ing online.

When reg­is­tered nurs­es take an online RN to BSN, they’re also afford­ed the lux­u­ry of a more flex­i­ble sched­ule in regards to com­mu­ni­cat­ing with pro­fes­sors. Rather than wait­ing in line to see a pro­fes­sor dur­ing office hours, vir­tu­al com­mu­ni­ca­tion options allow bud­ding nurs­es to get the sup­port that they need on their own time. Earn­ing a bach­e­lor’s in nurs­ing online from an accred­it­ed nurs­ing pro­gram can make it eas­i­er for up-and-com­ing nurs­es with an asso­ciate degree or nurs­ing diplo­ma to get their work done, while still tend­ing to oth­er aspects of day-to-day life.

Relat­ed:

• Best Bach­e­lor’s in Nursing
• Fastest Online Bach­e­lor’s in Nursing
• Most Afford­able Bach­e­lor’s in Nursing
• Schol­ar­ships for Nurses

Methodology: Ranking the Best Online Nursing Programs in the US

Bachelor’s Degree Center’s rank­ing of the best online RN to BSN pro­grams fea­tures only legit­i­mate, accred­it­ed schools. Edi­tors have ranked online nurs­ing degree pro­grams accord­ing to cur­rent IPEDS and Niche data, includ­ing cost, grad­u­ate salary, and stu­dent satisfaction.

1. University of Utah

The school of nurs­ing at the Uni­ver­si­ty of Utah offers the best online nurs­ing pro­grams to nurs­es who want to advance their nurs­ing careers. The online for­mat makes it pos­si­ble for nurs­es to work in their cur­rent posi­tion and still go to school to earn their next degree. Nurs­es who choose to enroll in an online RN to BSN degree pro­gram can explore many dif­fer­ent spe­cial­ties as well as look into man­age­r­i­al posi­tions. Advanc­ing their career gives them a chance to increase their earn­ing poten­tial as well as take on more responsibilities.

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Utah Col­lege of Nurs­ing began to offer advanced degree options for its stu­dents in 1977. Nurs­es with an active RN license could work towards a Doc­tor­ate and gain the knowl­edge they need to effec­tive­ly man­age any type of facil­i­ty. Rep­utable fac­ul­ty mem­bers taught lead­er­ship skills and gave stu­dents the encour­age­ment they need­ed to con­tin­ue pur­su­ing their goals.

What We Like: After grad­u­a­tion, BSN edu­cat­ed nurs­es are able to suc­cess­ful­ly work in a wide vari­ety of set­tings and meet the expec­ta­tions of their employers.

Degree: RN to BSN

Learn more at the pro­gram website!

2. University of Illinois at Chicago

The school of nurs­ing at the Uni­ver­si­ty of Illi­nois at Chica­go offers stu­dents the best RN to BSN online pro­grams in the greater Chicagoland area. Nurs­es will often choose to return to school to earn their BSN. In order to do so, an online degree pro­gram is some­times their only option. With an online pro­gram, they do not have to make the choice between work and school. They can do both. With an online RN to BSN pro­gram, nurs­es have the best of both worlds and can eas­i­ly achieve their goals.

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Illi­nois – Chica­go is a leader in its field when it comes to med­ical train­ing and nurs­ing. Nurs­es with an RN license who choose the uni­ver­si­ty do so because of its long-stand­ing rep­u­ta­tion for crit­i­cal think­ing, aca­d­e­m­ic excel­lence and award-win­ning fac­ul­ty members.

What We Like: Nurs­es from all over the coun­try are able to attend the uni­ver­si­ty’s advanced nurs­ing pro­grams and gain their degrees from one of the most acclaimed schools in the country.

Degree: RN to BSN

Learn more at the pro­gram website!

3. Indiana University

Indi­ana Uni­ver­si­ty’s school of nurs­ing offers stu­dents the best online nurs­ing pro­grams in the Mid­west. Nurs­es know they will learn the most advanced, state-of-the-art tech­niques from the school sim­ply because of its rep­u­ta­tion for pro­duc­ing grad­u­ates with excep­tion­al med­ical skills. Earn­ing an online RN to BSN or LPN to BSN degree is the best way to move for­ward once you are already hired and gain­ing expe­ri­ence. Nurs­es that don’t want to give up their jobs can still attend school and make a dif­fer­ence in their field.

Indi­ana Uni­ver­si­ty has a rep­u­ta­tion as a leader in med­ical and nurs­ing edu­ca­tion. Fac­ul­ty mem­bers have years of expe­ri­ence and work dili­gent­ly to pro­vide each stu­dent with the high­est qual­i­ty of edu­ca­tion pos­si­ble. The uni­ver­si­ty has won many awards for its in-depth degree programs.

What We Like: Nurs­es who grad­u­ate from the uni­ver­si­ty know they have passed one of the strictest degree pro­grams from any­where in the country.

Degree: RN to BSN or LPN to BSN

Learn more at the pro­gram website!

4. Arizona State University

Ari­zona State Uni­ver­si­ty’s school of nurs­ing offers the best RN to BSN online pro­grams for nurs­ing stu­dents who are ready to take the next step in their nurs­ing careers. Every nurse who wants to advance their career looks for skills they can use to be bet­ter man­agers and lead­ers in their field. With an online RN to BSN degree, they have the oppor­tu­ni­ty to enroll in the pro­gram they want and explore any spe­cial­ty they desire, like com­mu­ni­ty health, while they are still working.

Ari­zona State Uni­ver­si­ty has been offer­ing qual­i­ty degree pro­grams for many years. They have pro­fes­sion­al fac­ul­ty mem­bers who are able to share valu­able life expe­ri­ences with their stu­dents. Stu­dents are also giv­en access to award-win­ning degree pro­grams that are accred­it­ed and proven to exceed indus­try standards.

What We Like: The uni­ver­si­ty takes great pride in being able to offer its online learn­ing plat­form to nurs­ing stu­dents from all over the country.

Degree: RN to BSN

Learn more at the pro­gram website!

5. Ohio State University

The school of nurs­ing at Ohio State Uni­ver­si­ty offers the best online nurs­ing pro­grams for nurs­es across the coun­try who want to move on to their next degree. Return­ing nurs­ing stu­dents learn advanced man­age­r­i­al skills, prob­lem-solv­ing, con­flict res­o­lu­tion, as well as many oth­er sub­jects that will help them be able to offer bet­ter care to both their fel­low nurs­es as well as their patients. With an online RN to BSN degree, they can attend their class­es from any­where in the coun­try and stay on the job.

Ohio State Uni­ver­si­ty – Colum­bus offers valu­able degree pro­grams for all lev­els of nurs­ing. Nurs­es with an RN license who are return­ing to school can explore spe­cial­ty pro­grams or move into a more busi­ness-like degree pro­gram. No mat­ter what course they choose to fol­low, they will receive the sup­port and guid­ance they need from both their peers and the pro­fes­sion­al fac­ul­ty mem­bers who instruct their classes.

What We Like: BSN edu­cat­ed nurs­es are able to use their skills as soon as they learn them mak­ing the online pro­gram even more rewarding.

Degree: RN to BSN

Learn more at the pro­gram website!

6. University of Texas of the Permian Basin

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Texas of the Per­mi­an Basin offers the best RN to BSN online pro­grams to nurs­es who are ready to move up the lad­der to man­age­ment or pur­sue a career in a more spe­cial­ized area. Nurs­es can explore pedi­atrics, oncol­o­gy, obstet­rics, com­mu­ni­ty health, or any oth­er spe­cial­ized field in the nurs­ing clas­si­fi­ca­tion. Online RN to BSN pro­grams allows them to main­tain a full work sched­ule with online cours­es and begin to take shifts with­in their spe­cial­ized field for more on-the-job training.

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Texas of the Per­mi­an Basin school of nurs­ing is accred­it­ed by the CCNE, or Com­mis­sion on Col­le­giate Nurs­ing Edu­ca­tion. Return­ing nurs­es with an RN license can build on what they already know by explor­ing the resources the school has to offer. Fac­ul­ty mem­bers are always on hand to help stu­dents get a bet­ter under­stand­ing of what obsta­cles they may face and what they can do to keep mov­ing for­ward after they com­plete their education.

What We Like: Grad­u­ates can start build­ing a bet­ter future while they are still in school.

Degree: RN to BSN

Learn more at the pro­gram website!

7. University of Massachusetts-Amherst

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Mass­a­chu­setts – Amherst school of nurs­ing offers return­ing nurs­es the best online nurs­ing pro­grams avail­able in New Eng­land. They are giv­en orga­ni­za­tion­al skills and lead­er­ship abil­i­ties that will make them more effi­cient and bet­ter able to han­dle var­i­ous types of con­flict. Earn­ing an RN to BSN online degree also gives them a more flex­i­ble sched­ule. They are no longer tied to a class­room, but can now study from almost any­where in the world.

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Mass­a­chu­setts – Amherst Elaine Marieb Col­lege of Nurs­ing is known through­out New Eng­land as one of the most pres­ti­gious schools for stu­dents with a nurs­ing license who are com­plet­ing their nurs­ing edu­ca­tion. Fac­ul­ty mem­bers are avail­able to share expe­ri­ence and offer guid­ance that the stu­dents can rely on for the rest of their careers.

What We Like: BSN edu­cat­ed nurs­es will know they have every­thing they will need to build a sol­id career path

Degree: RN to BSN

Learn more at the pro­gram website!

8. West Virginia University

West Vir­ginia Uni­ver­si­ty’s school of nurs­ing offers many of the best online nurs­ing pro­grams to return­ing nurs­es who are ready to take their careers to the next lev­el. Return­ing to school to com­plete their edu­ca­tion using the online cours­es offered by the school gives stu­dents the flex­i­bil­i­ty to bal­ance their work and fam­i­ly lives. The online RN to BSN degree pro­grams make it pos­si­ble to have the best of both worlds with­out caus­ing stress to their families.

West Vir­ginia Uni­ver­si­ty gives stu­dents every oppor­tu­ni­ty to earn the degree they have always want­ed. Award-win­ning fac­ul­ty and degree pro­grams make it pos­si­ble for stu­dents to make the most of every class they take. In addi­tion to the valu­able resources that are offered by the school, nurs­ing stu­dents can explore many new career opportunities.

What We Like: Whether they want to choose a spe­cial­iza­tion or work direct­ly with patients on a per­son­al lev­el, it is their career, their way.

Degree: RN to BSN

Learn more at the pro­gram website!

9. University of Arkansas

Uni­ver­si­ty of Arkansas’ school of nurs­ing gives return­ing nurs­ing stu­dents an oppor­tu­ni­ty to enroll in the best online RN to BSN degree pro­grams in the state. Nurs­ing stu­dents from all over the coun­try can rely on these pro­grams to pro­vide them with the man­age­r­i­al and orga­ni­za­tion­al skills that will allow them to pro­vide an advanced lev­el of care to each of their patients. Nurs­es who enroll in the online RN to BSN degree pro­grams have a flex­i­ble sched­ule and an oppor­tu­ni­ty to choose addi­tion­al spe­cial­iza­tion options.

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Arkansas pro­vides qual­i­ty degree pro­grams and pro­fes­sion­al fac­ul­ty and staff so that stu­dents can absorb as much as they can when it comes to knowl­edge and hands-on expe­ri­ence. Every stu­dent who enrolls in the online degree pro­grams gets the same qual­i­ty edu­ca­tion as those who attend their pro­grams in a classroom.

What We Like: The uni­ver­si­ty goes to great lengths to ensure each stu­dent has every pos­si­ble advan­tage. Appli­cants must have an unen­cum­bered RN license.

Degree: Online RN to BSN

Learn more at the pro­gram website!

10. Sam Houston State University

Sam Hous­ton State Uni­ver­si­ty gives return­ing nurs­es an option to enroll in one of the best online nurs­ing pro­grams in the coun­try. Skills for being an effec­tive leader and man­ag­er are front and cen­ter in every nurs­ing degree pro­gram. Stu­dents who are return­ing to school often take advan­tage of the online learn­ing plat­form so they can con­tin­ue to sup­port their fam­i­lies and main­tain full-time jobs. By return­ing to school to earn their RN to BSN, they are able to take their careers to the next level.

Sam Hous­ton State Uni­ver­si­ty offers an online degree pro­gram that is sec­ond to none in the area. Stu­dents can attend class from any­where in the coun­try know­ing each degree pro­gram is accred­it­ed and that every fac­ul­ty mem­ber was hand-picked for their expe­ri­ence and com­mit­ment to their students.

What We Like: Online stu­dents com­plete their degree know­ing they have the abil­i­ty to apply for any advanced nurs­ing posi­tion and be able to be successful.

Degree: RN to BSN

Learn more at the pro­gram website!

11. Penn State World Campus

Penn State World Cam­pus’s school of nurs­ing offers stu­dents many of the best online nurs­ing pro­grams in the world. Stu­dents from many dif­fer­ent com­pa­nies have cho­sen the uni­ver­si­ty for its online learn­ing plat­form that allows them to learn the skills and abil­i­ties they need to pur­sue their careers. With an RN to BSN online degree pro­gram, stu­dents com­plete their pro­gram with­out ever miss­ing a day of work or a day of school. The flex­i­bil­i­ty of the nurs­ing pro­gram allows them to eas­i­ly do both.

For many years Penn State has been pro­vid­ing nurs­ing stu­dents with top-of-the-line nurs­ing pro­grams. With the intro­duc­tion of the World Cam­pus, the uni­ver­si­ty took its uni­ver­sal teach­ing efforts across the globe. Now stu­dents from all over the world are capa­ble of reach­ing their career goals with a degree they can be proud of.

What We Like: The uni­ver­si­ty gives long-dis­tance stu­dents the same great edu­ca­tion as the stu­dents who sit in a class­room on campus.

Degree: RN to BSN

Learn more at the pro­gram website!

12. Florida International University

Flori­da Inter­na­tion­al Uni­ver­si­ty offers stu­dents the best online nurs­ing degrees avail­able in the South Flori­da area. Return­ing nurs­ing stu­dents can expect to be pushed to the next lev­el in terms of broad­en­ing their hori­zons and giv­ing them the skills they can use to fur­ther their careers and assist their patients. Choos­ing an RN to BSN online degree pro­gram gives them a flex­i­ble sched­ule and a chance to work and earn at the same time.

Flori­da Inter­na­tion­al Uni­ver­si­ty’s school of nurs­ing offers accred­it­ed degree pro­grams for both online and class­room-based nurs­ing stu­dents with an unen­cum­bered RN license. Every degree pro­gram is guar­an­teed to meet or exceed the stan­dards set by the nurs­ing indus­try. Every stu­dent will be able to com­plete advanced tasks and accom­plish all of the goals they have set for themselves.

What We Like: Grad­u­at­ing nurs­es can be proud of the fact that they have made it through some very dif­fi­cult pro­grams as they worked toward their nurs­ing degree.

Degree: RN to BSN

Learn more at the pro­gram website!

13. University of Missouri-St. Louis

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Mis­souri – St. Louis gives nurs­ing stu­dents an oppor­tu­ni­ty to learn from the best online nurs­ing pro­grams avail­able in the Cen­tral Mid­west. Return­ing nurs­ing stu­dents are able to look for their niche by study­ing unique spe­cial­ties with­in the field of nurs­ing. Pedi­atrics, sur­gi­cal nurs­ing, and oncol­o­gy are just a few of the unique areas nurs­es may choose to study in. With an online RN to BSN degree pro­gram, they can con­tin­ue to focus on their career and gain valu­able expe­ri­ence with­out ever miss­ing a day of work.

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Mis­souri – St. Louis offers advanced degree pro­grams and an online learn­ing plat­form that is easy to use, as well as con­ve­nient. Stu­dents who enroll to take their class­es online can live almost any­where in the world and still earn one of the high­est qual­i­ty edu­ca­tions around.

What We Like: Grad­u­ates who attend school while they are work­ing a full-time job can enjoy their abil­i­ty to imme­di­ate­ly use their new skills and prove their value.

Degree: RN to BSN

Learn more at the pro­gram website!

14. University of Alabama at Birmingham

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Alaba­ma at Birm­ing­ham pro­vides one of the best nurs­ing pro­grams for return­ing stu­dents. Stu­dents who want to advance through the ranks and explore man­age­r­i­al or super­vi­so­r­i­al posi­tions can learn all of the skills they need and will be able to begin using them almost imme­di­ate­ly. Earn­ing an RN to BSN online degree allows for max­i­mum flex­i­bil­i­ty and a much high­er suc­cess rate for stu­dents who may want to move into a lead­er­ship role.

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Alaba­ma – Birm­ing­ham is well-known for its qual­i­ty degree pro­grams and expe­ri­enced fac­ul­ty mem­bers. Nurs­es with an unen­cum­bered RN license who return to school to com­plete their edu­ca­tion with an accred­it­ed pro­gram are able to explore a mul­ti­tude of spe­cial­iza­tions as well as focus on becom­ing a rep­utable and trust­ed lead­ers among their peers.

What We Like: Stu­dents who attend the uni­ver­si­ty are giv­en the guid­ance and sup­port they need to care for any type of patient who is in need.

Degree: RN to BSN

Learn more at the pro­gram website!

15. University of Central Florida

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Cen­tral Flori­da offers the best online nurs­ing pro­grams avail­able. Whether you have been a nurse for five years or 25 years, you can enroll in one of the uni­ver­si­ty’s online degree pro­grams and receive the skills you need to fur­ther your career. Stu­dents can return to the nurs­ing pro­grams because they want to pro­vide lead­er­ship and pro­fes­sion­al­ism to their peers. Being able to set an exam­ple for those around you is what the best online RN to BSN degree pro­grams are all about.

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Cen­tral Flori­da offers an accred­it­ed pro­gram over an online learn­ing plat­form that will allow stu­dents to not only take every advan­tage but also pur­sue any career oppor­tu­ni­ty that comes their way. The school has won awards for the pro­fi­cien­cy of their degree pro­grams as well as the teach­ing meth­ods used by the faculty.

What We Like: Nurs­es who grad­u­ate from the uni­ver­si­ty know they have received the best pos­si­ble edu­ca­tion and will prove them­selves through their own successes.

Degree: RN to BSN

Learn more at the pro­gram website!

How Do I Find the Best Online BSN?

Find­ing your­self with an asso­ciate degree search­ing for things like “nurs­ing school accred­i­ta­tion what to look for?” When search­ing for online nurs­ing pro­grams accred­it­ed by a legit­i­mate orga­ni­za­tion, it’s impor­tant to be sure you’re choos­ing a pro­gram that will be rec­og­nized by poten­tial employ­ers. You’ll want to look for a list of accred­it­ed nurs­ing schools, and you’ll want to be sure they include ACEN and CCNE accred­it­ed schools. An accred­it­ed nurs­ing pro­gram may be essen­tial for get­ting hired.

Choos­ing accred­it­ed RN to BSN online pro­grams ensures that poten­tial employ­ers will rec­og­nize your degree. Online nurs­ing pro­grams accred­it­ed by ACEN and CCNE are the gold stan­dard for accred­it­ed RN to BSN online pro­grams. Next time you’re search­ing for “nurs­ing school accred­i­ta­tion what to look for,” remem­ber, be on the look­out for a list of accred­it­ed nurs­ing schools that includes both ACEN and CCNE accred­it­ed schools to increase the like­li­hood of your future employ­er accept­ing your online BSN degree.

A bach­e­lor of sci­ence in nurs­ing online is usu­al­ly more afford­able than BSN online nurs­ing that’s offered in a tra­di­tion­al set­ting. Stu­dents may be able to access nec­es­sary texts for a low­er price as well.

For nurs­es who are already employed and have an asso­ciate degree in nurs­ing (ADN), it’s a good idea to talk with their human resources depart­ment about whether some or all of their BSN pro­gram could be cov­ered by their workplace’s tuition assis­tance pro­gram. Many work­places are will­ing to reim­burse tuition up to a cer­tain dol­lar amount, and the low­er price of an online pro­gram could mean that a BSN online nurs­ing degree could be par­tial­ly or even ful­ly cov­ered by an employer.

The assump­tion is that you already have pre­req­ui­site cours­es out of the way and can trans­fer cred­its for gen­er­al edu­ca­tion. You have already passed the NCLEX-RN and licen­sure. A work­ing pro­fes­sion­al can also save on cred­it hours for nurs­ing cours­es and often get their clin­i­cal expe­ri­ence, cap­stone, or practicum tak­en care of in their cur­rent job. With sum­mer semes­ters, an BSN can take less than two years to com­plete. Less course­work and finan­cial aid make online a bet­ter choice than in-per­son, in-state enroll­ment for many. Even part-time, online learn­ers have an advantage.

By going on to a master’s degree (a mas­ter of sci­ence in nurs­ing, MSN pro­grams), you can move on to nurse prac­ti­tion­er, nurs­ing lead­er­ship, advanced nurs­ing prac­tice (or advanced prac­tice nurs­ing) nurs­ing research, phar­ma­col­o­gy, pro­fes­sion­al nurs­ing, health assess­ment, men­tal health, health sci­ences, pub­lic health, and oth­er forms of patient care and nurs­ing care.

Can I Get a Specialization in an Online BSN Program?

Learn­ing more about nurs­ing spe­cial­ties in demand can help you decide what types of nurse would be the best fit for your needs and inter­ests to build on your asso­ciate degree. With­in bach­e­lor of sci­ence nurs­ing pro­grams, there are many dif­fer­ent types of nurs­ing degrees, such as nurs­ing informatics.

Cur­rent types of nurse spe­cial­ties that are in demand include:

Emer­gency room — Emer­gency room nurs­es need to be pre­pared for any type of trau­ma. Nurs­es in emer­gency rooms need to be able to stay calm and work well in a fast-paced, hec­tic envi­ron­ment.
Neona­tal and pedi­atric inten­sive care — Nurs­es who care deeply about car­ing for chil­dren and babies can be excel­lent fits for neona­tal and pedi­atric inten­sive care units. These nurs­es need to work close­ly with both lit­tle ones and their fam­i­lies, help­ing them through a num­ber of issues that can strike new­borns, infants, and chil­dren.
Car­diac care — Car­diac care nurs­es work with peo­ple who are expe­ri­enc­ing heart issues. Nurs­es in this field may work to help patients recov­er from acute car­diac issues or car­diac surgery. Car­diac nurs­es need to have a vast knowl­edge of car­diac issues and care pro­to­cols and need to work close­ly with sur­geons to ensure that patients are fol­low­ing after­care instruc­tions.
Geri­atric nurs­ing — Advances in health­care are allow­ing peo­ple to live longer than ever, and there’s a boom­ing need for geri­atric nurs­es. This nurs­ing spe­cial­ty allows nurs­es to focus on the needs of old­er adults. Geri­atric nurs­es can work in a num­ber of set­tings, includ­ing hos­pi­tals, nurs­ing homes, and mem­o­ry care facil­i­ties. Geri­atric nurs­es need to have a pas­sion for work­ing with old­er adults and help­ing them live their health­i­est, hap­pi­est lives.

There are many dif­fer­ent types of nurs­ing degrees, start­ing with an asso­ciate degree, and it’s impor­tant to research the cur­rent nurs­ing spe­cial­ties in demand before you choose a spe­cial­ty in bach­e­lor of sci­ence nurs­ing pro­grams to ensure that the spe­cial­ty area you choose is still in high demand.