50 Most Affordable Competitive Colleges for Online RN-BSN Degrees

By BMSN Staff
July 2015

In this article, we highlight the 50 most affordable competitive colleges for online RN-BSN degrees based on accreditation, maximum percent of applicants admitted, and the lowest tuition price for each program. Accredited online RN-BSN degree programs are plentiful, but they are not always affordable. The schools listed below do not exceed an annual tuition rate of $18,500; in fact, 33 schools examined offer annual tuition rates of less than $10,000.

Many of the schools on this list are public universities, which makes the RN-BSN degree programs highly affordable. It is interesting that public universities, while offering budget-friendly tuition rates, maintain a competitive admittance rate comparable to some private institutions. It should also be noted that the majority of schools listed below are ranked with U.S. News and World Report’s 2015 edition of Best Colleges, with over 90 percent of the rankings published. Affordability does not mean a sacrifice in quality academics. In fact, the four most affordable schools on our list, offering tuition rates of less than $5,000 per year for in-state tuition, are also among the most selective, as compared to other public state universities and colleges.

Below are the criteria we used to select the 50 Most Affordable Competitive Colleges for Online RN-BSN Degrees. Seventy-six schools within the United States were reviewed. The selected schools and RN-BSN programs met the following criteria:

• Accreditation – All schools examined offered Bachelor’s degrees. A small portion offered graduate-level master’s degrees with bridge programs of RN-MSN trajectories. The focus of this study was to choose accredited schools offering RN-BSN pathways. All schools are accredited by either the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (CCNE). All schools are state-board approved.
• Affordability – The most recent tuition rates listed on the school website or by NCES Navigator were reported. Price is subject to change, as per school reporting. Program fees may not be included in tuition price.
• Maximum Percent of Applicants Admitted – No more than 60%.

After we evaluated the school and program criteria, we ranked schools in order of affordability based on the most recent tuition price listed on the school website, or as published by the U.S. Department of Education Institute of Education Science, National Center for Education Statistics (College Navigator). The tuition price may not reflect particular program costs and fees; therefore, it is important to contact the college or university directly to obtain the most recent tuition rate.
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#50 – Mount Carmel College of Nursing

Columbus, Ohio

#49 – Nova Southeastern University

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

#48 – Grand Canyon University

Phoenix, Arizona

#47 – Liberty University

Lynchburg, Virginia

#46 – Mercy College of Health Sciences

Des Moines, Iowa

#45 – Francis Marion University

Florence, South Carolina

#44 – Chamberlain College of Nursing – Illinois

Addison, Illinois

#43 – University of Missouri – Kansas City

Kansas City, Missouri

#42 – Columbus State University

Columbus, Georgia

#41 – Graceland University – Lamoni

Lamoni, Iowa

#40 – The University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida

#39 – Adventist University of Health Sciences

Orlando, Florida

#38 – Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

#37 – Webster University

Saint Louis, Missouri

#36 – Our Lady of Holy Cross College

New Orleans, Louisiana

#35 – Lander University

Greenwood, South Carolina

#34 – The University of Alabama

Tuscaloosa, Alabama

#33 – The University of Texas at Arlington

Arlington, Texas

#32 – Prairie View A & M University

Prairie View, Texas

#31 – University of South Carolina – Aiken

Aiken, South Carolina

#30 – University of Arkansas

Fayetteville, Arkansas

#29 – University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Little Rock, Arkansas

#28 – University of Arkansas – Fort Smith

Fort Smith, Arkansas

#27 – Florida International University

Miami, Florida

#26 – Stephen F Austin State University

Nacogdoches, Texas

#25 – University at Buffalo

Buffalo, New York

#24 – Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing

Richmond, Virginia

#23 – Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky

#22 – University of North Carolina Wilmington

Wilmington, North Carolina

#21 – University of North Florida

Jacksonville, Florida

#20 – Oklahoma Panhandle State University

Goodwell, Oklahoma

#19 – SUNY College of Technology at Delhi

Delhi, New York

#18 – Indiana University – East

Richmond, Indiana

#17 – Southeastern Louisiana University

Hammond, Louisiana

#16 – SUNY College at Plattsburgh

Plattsburgh, New York

#15 – Minot State University

Minot, North Dakota

#14 – University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida

#13 – Frostburg State University

Frostburg, Maryland

#12 – Texas A & M University – Texarkana

Texarkana, Texas

#11 – Cabarrus College of Health Sciences

Concord, North Carolina