NursingPaper Recommends: Best Nursing Schools for 2024

As you can see, nursing education is a lifelong journey, and with the proper choice of school and program, it may be faster and more successful.

Who Certifies the School of Nursing?

We at NursingPaper always treat school accreditation seriously. Our recruiters hire only trusted experts in the field of nursing with top-tier credentials. That’s why we know everything about the best nursing schools, both in the US and across the globe.

So, what is nursing school accreditation? What credentials should a school have to belong to the cream of the crop? Two entities decide whether the school is worth your time and money.

• The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). This entity evaluates the quality of education and fosters continuous improvement of educational programs. Its accreditation helps students receive financial aid and transfer credits toward the chosen program. The U.S. Department of Education officially recognizes ACEN. The Council for Higher Education Accreditation also supports its evaluation. ACEN covers all levels of education, from clinical doctorate to DNP and practical nursing programs.
• The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). This entity is the national accreditation agency. The U.S. Secretary of Education recognizes its authority. Thus, it’s a serious autonomous agency with a recognized contribution to the improvement of public health. It covers baccalaureate and graduate education programs. It also issues accreditation to residency and fellowship programs.

Which one is better? There’s no single answer to this question. Every school chooses an accrediting agency based on their program’s specifics, aims, and budget. One thing is for sure: you should choose an accredited school to receive effective education and good employment prospects.

Key Nursing School Prerequisites to Follow

So, what are the typical nursing school prerequisites? Here is the list of mandatory requirements you should follow. Check your eligibility with this simple list.

• A GED diploma. You can’t apply for a spot in a nursing school before completing general education at high school.
• Academic prerequisites. Students are accepted with 1+ years of high school biology and chemistry credentials. The school grade should be no less than a C. You should also have two years of math with a school grade of no less than a C.
• Reasonable GPA. Those who want to get into an ADN program should strive for a GPA of 2.75+. A BSN program never accepts learners with a GPA below 3.0. You also need an SAT or TEAS certificate.

Please keep in mind that the country’s top schools may place an even higher entry bar for their programs. For instance, Ivy League schools have a GPA of 3.2 as an entry threshold.

Tips for Fitting Nursing School Requirements and Avoid Rejection

Your desire to study in the best schools for nursing is totally reasonable. Yet, the high demand for nursing education inevitably leaves some school applicants overboard. What risk factors increase your rejection chances, and how to minimize them? Here are some tips.

1. Take care of your GPA. Even if you’re good in chemistry and biology, your school GPA may be too low in other subjects. So, take proper care of studying well in high school. Though you believe all those disciplines are useless, the reality may be too different from that.
2. Double-check documentation requirements. Every school has a clear list of documents needed for the application. Missing or confusing some of them may end up in a rejection, so review the list of documents thoroughly before sending the application for the chosen school program.
3. Secure refs from teachers. Your candidacy may be rejected if your professor gives you a bad reference. No references at all also look suspicious in the student’s school application. Thus, you should take care of collecting an impressive list of refs to impress the committee.
4. Make sure your background is spotless. Most colleges perform background checks, and issues like positive drug testing or other legal problems may reduce your enrolment chances. Try to keep your reputation spotless and engage in positive community work to ensure that your background check yields only positive results.

Use this list of nursing school requirements to make sure you qualify for a spot this year. Rectify the points in which you’re weak. Take this process seriously to maximize your admission chances.

Best Schools for Nursing Students to Consider in 2024

Based on the thorough research and evaluation done in partnership with other NursingPaper experts, I can recommend these nursing schools and programs.

Best Nursing Schools in the US

• Emory University. This school is a global leader in nursing education. It’s located in Emory, GA, and has a 19% acceptance rate. The facility has 500+ clinical partners to deliver top-quality practical education to students. Its median SAT prerequisites are 1430-1530. The ACT scores you can apply with are 32-34.
• St. Paul’s School of Nursing. This educational establishment is located in Queens, NY. The school has an ACEN accreditation and boasts of a 100% acceptance rate. One year of education costs $20,000+ here. You can apply to become a Nurse or a Medical Assistant and study on one of four NYC campuses.
• Goldfarb School of Nursing. The full name of this school is Barnes-Jewish College’s Goldfarb School of Nursing. It currently accepts applications for bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in nursing. The school’s website states that 60%+ of students receive scholarships and grants with financial support. Besides, all graduates are offered exciting career opportunities at the BJC HealthCare division.
• Duke School of Nursing. This one is also referred to as the Duke University School of Nursing. The entity is located in Durham, NC, and is currently rated as the #3 nursing education provider in the USA. It ranks very high in terms of education, research, and clinical practice quality. It has almost a century of glorious history, as its doors opened in 1931 for the first time. Students can apply for Master’s and DNP programs here. The facility receives solid support in its research activities. For instance, in 2021, it got $8.4 million from NIH in funding.
• Grand Canyon University. This is the best nursing school in Utah, and it has CCNE accreditation and offers a variety of nursing programs. You may receive a BSN degree there if you already possess an RN degree. It has a high NCLEX pass rate and a fair tuition cost.
• University of Michigan. Another top-performing educational provider in the USA is located in Ann Arbor, MI. Its acceptance rate stands only at 26%. This means that only a quarter of applicants manage to get a dream spot here.
• University of Washington. This one has a higher acceptance rate of 56%; it is one of the strongest BSN programs in the USA. Students have to complete a two-year course to get certified. They graduate with over 1,000 hours of clinical experience and can be employed by one of the university’s 700+ partners. The University of Washington also has a very high completion rate—currently at 98%. This means that the program is largely manageable, with a low percentage of dropouts.

Online Nursing Schools for US Students

• University of Maryland School of Nursing. The university offers plenty of nursing programs that students from the US and other countries may complete online. It features an RN-to-BSM program and an extensive MSN program. Nurses can also upgrade their professional qualifications at the Nursing Leadership and Management (NLM) Master’s program.
• University of South Carolina. This university has a star team of world-class educators, clinicians, and researchers and applies 21st-century technology in teaching. The USC Nursing program prepares the cream of the crop of the nursing profession, with the top 1% NCLEX pass rates coming from this institution. The USC also holds the glorious titles of the top MSN and BSN programs in Palmetto State, thus being one of the top nursing schools worth considering.
• Saint Xavier University. This educational establishment offers a very impressive online nursing program and is ranked #3 among all online nursing education providers across the US. Its school of nursing is part of the College of Nursing, Health Sciences, and Business (CNHSB), which educates nurses across multiple programs, such as accelerated BSN program, LPN to BSN, gerontology studies for nurses, and the traditional BSN course.
• Ohio University Online. This university offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing to Doctor of Nursing Practice (BSN to DNP) course, which can be completed via distance learning. It’s a 9-semester course in one of the country’s best online educational institutions that guarantees a robust boost to any nurse’s career.
• Caldwell University Online. A part-time BSN program may be completed via distance learning to let a nursing student or practitioner reach greater professional heights. It takes only one year and gives a student a valuable credential for the competitive nursing labor market.

How to Survive the Whole Course in Your Schools for Nursing?

So, you’re in, my congrats! Yet, it’s only the beginning of a long, rocky path that not all learners manage to cover. After you get accepted to a school of nursing of your choice, you will need to work hard to progress through the course. Endless lectures, workshops, projects, and home tasks may exhaust you or even cause you to burn out.

My tip to all students who feel down about chronic stress and overload is to opt for smart solutions. Sometimes, it makes sense to delegate a part of your workload to stay sane. Partner with a qualified expert and get nursing papers online to make your studies more manageable. This way, you can enjoy access to many years of nursing science expertise and writing professionalism. Expert assistance will enable you to handle all stress and study challenges on the path to your dream degree in nursing.