Good, Reasonably Priced RN To BSN Programs Online

Click To A Select List Of Online RN to BSN Degree Schools

October 29, 2012: Online RN to BSN degrees are known as “completion” or “bridge” programs, that allow you to get add a bachelor of science in nursing credential to your RN qualifications. They're actually some of the most popular of all online degree programs, since employers look favorably on them in a market where there is a growing shortage of qualified nurses.

The BSN is a degree is worth considering if you already have an associate’s in nursing and an RN license. Doing it online can give you the option of studying while you continue to work - the only realistic approach for most nurses. This degree is designed to can give you more advanced skills that can either be applied to more specialized kinds of nursing or a job as a hospital supervisor or administratorl. It should also provide you with the kind of broader learning that's typical with any bachelor’s degree, and the credibility the goes with having a diploma from a full four-year college program (even if you use an accelerated nursing programs to "cram" your learning into a shorter time period). Over the longer haul, a BSN can also give you a foundation for a master’s degree in nursing later on, if you decide to set your sites on becomine a nurse trainer, informatics specialist or other type of highly specialized nursing professional.

RN to BSN degree programs work online because they don't require as much hands-on clinical work as a nursing AS or LPN training program. But like other bachelor’s degrees, they can be pricey. Stepping from an ASN to a BSN, which usually takes from 18 months to 2 years to complete, can cost you about the same as the second half of any undergraduate degree – well over $60,000. Fortunately, there have been more and more accredited RN to BSN programs being offered in recent years at a cheaper price.

Online Options
State schools and community colleges might be a good place to start looking for a low cost BSN degree. Unfortunately, though, many of them don’t offer online programs, which means you need to figure out a way to fit classroom trips into your busy schedule. Online nursing programs are designed to cater to the nurse who has a full work schedule, may have a family to take care of, and who may want to either get the BSN done on an accelerated schedule or take breaks from school now and then to attend to life responsibilities. And while many online nursing schools may be a bit more expensive than public colleges, they tend to be very aggressive about helping their students transfer credits from previous school work toward their BSN and working to get as many grants and loans for students as possible - both of which can bring down the cost a good deal.

About one-third of all BSN’s in the U.S. come out of RN to BSN completion programs. It’s a widely accepted credential that can help you earn a position in administration (an important goal as you get older and want to limit physical work) earn more and, even make it easier to get a new position if you decide to move to another geographic area. If you shop intelligently, you can find the cheapest BSN program online to help you toward your career goals and not break the bank. Below is a list of lower-priced RN to BSN programs online, which you can learn more about by requesting free information. Estimates shown here are for the most recent school year numbers were published for, which is 2011 in most cases. Be aware that all of these programs are designed for registered nurses who have either an associates degree or most of the credits toward an AS in nursing. Most schools will also give credits for your work experience as a nurse.

A Word On State School Online BSN's
Historically, state university systems have been a good place to find low-cost BSN programs. But although more public universities now offer online programs, there are a few issues that can make it complicated to shop for a degree program from them.

Several forum websites on nursing mention The University of Wyoming as an example of a very cheap online BSN program. The $106. cost per credit does, indeed, sound low. But a closer look shows that, like other state universities, Wyoming charges a $40. additional per credit fee to anyone using it's "outreach" or online programs. Also, a BSN program that's designed for students who have a bachelor's degree in a non-nursing specialty is priced higher - $243. per credit. And to add one last complication, U of Wyoming's nursing school does not accept students from Arkansas, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts or Minnesota into it's online program because of legal restrictions.

Good, Reasonably Priced Online RN to BSN Programs
American Sentinel University offers the lowest-priced online RN to BSN program we could find. If you are a registered nurse who graduated within the past 3 years, you can enroll in this program with no work experience. Courses include nursing management, public health and two clinical practice projects. The school's nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). AS allows significant transfer credits to incoming bachelor's and master's degree students.
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Walden University Walden University is an accredited institution with over 40 years of experience and more than 40,000 students. It offers over 60 online degree programs with more than 300 specializations and concentrations, including:
- Business
- Criminal Justice
- Education and Leadership
- Nursing
- Health Sciences
- Psychology
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Indiana State University
ISU is the state university of Indiana, located in Terre Haute. It has received high ratings for many years from Princeton Review and other publications. Right now it's one of the most progressive state schools in terms of online learning, with a variety of degree progams. It's nursing program offers up to 10 hours of credit via a "professional portfolio evaluation," a mechanism through which experienced nurses can demonstrate their knowledge to receive credit in certain areas. Indiana State offers LPN to BSN and RN to BSN programs online.
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Kaplan University
Kaplan is a large school specializing in online career training, owned by the Washington Post Company. It offers degrees in many different areas. For licensed nurses, if offers an RN to BS program, or an RN to MS "bridge" degree. Nursing master's degrees are also offered in:
- Gerontology
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- MS Nurse Educator
- Informatics
- Nursing Administration
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Georgetown University
Georgetown, located in Washington D.C., is one of the oldest and most famous private universities in the country. In the online world, it specializes in masters of science programs for nurses:
- MS Adult Gerontology
- MS Family Nurse Practitioner
- MS Nurse Educator
- MS Nurse Midwifery
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American Sentinel University
ASU is a popular choice among our readers, partly due to the great affordability of it's online RN to BSN program. RNs can enroll with no work experience, and may get credit transfer for any previous courses they have taken. American Sentinal's nursing programs have accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
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