Bachelor of Nursing in USA is a degree in the field of health science. This degree produces qualified nurses who have a tremendous role in ensuring quality care and promoting good health. 

BSN is becoming a new educational standard for registered nurses and is being specifically asked by many hospitals and health care organizations. 

The potential career options for nurses extends from neonatal intensive care units, surgery rooms to community health clinics and academic units. Depending upon where they want to serve, nurses can work in emergency rooms in hospitals, deliver home health care, work as travelling nurses or nurses of Armed forces and Peace corps and so on. 

There are variations of Bachelor in Nursing in the USA to fit students of diverse backgrounds and interests. 

For instance, if you are a high school graduate, there are bachelor of Science in Nursing programs for you. 

On the other hand, if you are a student with a bachelor degree in some other field, then there are also bachelor nursing programs such as Second Degree Bachelor of Science in Nursing. One of the universities to offer such a program is Purdue University. 

So, in short, if you are a domestic or international student wondering whether you can study bachelor of nursing in the USA after a bachelor in some other field, the answer is Yes!

The variations of Bachelor of Nursing programs in the USA are: 

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)

• Accelerate Bachelor of Nursing/ Accelerated BSN/ ABSN

Why Study Bachelor of Nursing in USA?

• BSN will help you build foundations of patient care with optimum patient care experience- Some universities offer over 1000 hours of hands-on patient care experience under the expertise and mentorship of licensed care providers. 

• With a bachelor degree in Nursing, fresh graduates can earn around USD 48,000 per year. The experienced RNs, on the other hand, can earn more than USD 65,000.

• Even if you have completed a bachelor of nursing in some other field, you can pursue a bachelor degree in Nursing in the USA.

•  If you wish to, you can take a program like Accelerated BSN at a more expensive cost which is shorter and just as effective and recognized as BSN. 

• You can practice nursing anywhere in the world with a BSN Degree obtained from the USA.

Top Universities to study Bachelor of Nursing in USA

Taking into account factors such as program outcomes, NCLEX Pass rate, tuition fees, accreditation, student to faculty ratio and program quality, these are some of the best universities in the USA for Bachelor of Nursing. 

• Duke University

• Georgetown University

• New York University

• University of Michigan

• University of California Los Angeles

• University of Washington

• Emory University of Atlanta, Georgia

• University of Maryland, Baltimore

• Purdue University

• Arizona State University

• The University of Texas at Austin

Apart from the traditional BSN in the USA, these and other nursing schools also offer programs such as Diploma in Practical Nursing (PN), Associate in Nursing (ASN), Masters in Nursing (MSN), and Post Master’s nursing Certificates (PMC).

For your information, a Diploma in Practical Nursing is one of the fastest way to be a licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) and kickstart your nursing career. 

Bachelor of Nursing Fees in USA

The fees to study BSN in USA ranges from USD 8,000 to USD 90,000 per year.

Affordable universities for BSN in USA

Fees of the nursing schools can often be a major concern for international students considering Bachelor of Nursing in the Universities of USA. These are some of the cheapest nursing schools in USA for international students: 

1. Illinois Eastern Community College

2. Abilene Christian University

3. Dillard University

4. Baker University

5. Baldwin Wallace University

6. Ball State University

7. Fitchburg State University

8. Colorado Christian University

Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to BSN)

To study RN-BSN program in US Universities, students must have earned a nursing diploma with a minimum GPA OF 2.0. Note that this is an absolute threshold, and for better universities, the minimum requirement could be higher than this. 

RN to BSN program is targeted for those nursing aspirants who already hold some sort of diploma in nursing and are registered as nurses, Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), to be specific. 

This program is also referred to as the bridge program and is from 1 to 2 years long. Since the basic nursing courses are already covered in the ADN program students will learn about higher-level nursing courses such as nursing ethics, community health, nursing management and leadership, innovations in healthcare and informatics in nursing during this course. 

Bachelor of Nursing courses for international students in USA

Bachelor of Nursing in USA Requirements for international students

University of South Alabama

• Program name: Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)

• Course duration: 4 years

• English Language Requirement: A minimum of 6.5 in IELTS.

• Academic Requirement: A minimum GPA of 2.75 on all prerequisite courses of high schools. Other than that, students with GPA of 3.5 in intermediate or high school level and 25 ACT Score are offered early admissions. 

Purdue University

• Program name: Bachelor of Science in Nursing

• Course duration: 4 years 

• English Language Requirement: A minimum of 88 in TOEFL, 6.5 in IELTS, and 110 in Duolingo English Test (DET).

• Academic Requirement: Students need to complete prior studies with a minimum of 3.0 GPA in academic coursework such as English, Lab Science, social studies, and maths if needed.

• Other Requirements: A minimum SAT score of 600 or better on Evidence-Based Reading and Writing Section. Or, students need to have an ACT score of 26 or higher on English. Purdue University is flexible and accepts either ACT or SAT. 

University of Washington

• Program name: Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)

• Course duration: 4 years

• English Language Requirement: A minimum IELTS score of 6.0 with no band less than 6.0. Or, a minimum TOEFL score of 76. (However, the recommended IELTS and TOEFL scores are 7.0 and 92 respectively.)

• Academic Requirement: A minimum cumulative of 2.0 GPA in high school levels with a minimum GPA of 3.0 in pre-requisite courses such as general chemistry, organic chemistry, anatomy, nutrition, physiology etc. 

University of Pennsylvania

• Program name: Accelerated Nursing

• Course duration: 2-4 years depending upon the specialization (BSN second degree, BSN/ MSN and Hillsman BSN-PhD.

• English Language Requirement: An international student need not submit IELTS or TOEFL if the primary language of undergraduate study was English and they can provide proof of that. Otherwise, IELTS or TOEFL is needed for non-native English speakers. A minimum of 7.0 in IELTS and equivalent is accepted. 

• Academic Requirement:  A minimum GPA of 3.0 GPA or higher. GRE was required before for accelerated BSN Programs at the University of Pennsylvania, however, it’s no longer a requirement. 

The admit rate for the accelerated nursing Programs at the University of Pennsylvania is 35%.

Application Requirement

For accurate and up to date information on the application requirements of BSN, you will have to check the program website at your desired university. In a nutshell, this is what the requirement will look like with some variation. 

• All academic Transcripts:  Unofficial copies of all your post-secondary transcripts, including transcripts for any classes you might have taken at a community college or while studying abroad must be uploaded for review purposes.

• Two-Three letters of recommendation: One/Two of which must be academic. LOR can be submitted online.

• SAT/ ACT Score: Though not always mandatory, some universities might ask for this.  

• Nursing License if you are applying for RN to BSN Program. 

• Personal Statement/ Statement of Purpose

• English Language Proficiency test- The minimum requirement is 6.0 in IELTS. But, the cut-off score can go as high as 7.5 depending upon the university. 

Scope of Bachelor of Nursing in USA

After international students are done with BSN, they can start their nursing career in an array of healthcare settings such as hospitals, healthcare settings, nursing homes, hospice, and urgent care clinics. 

Though a Bachelor of Nursing/ BSN is not the only way to become a registered nurse in the USA, RN with a BSN are in demand and they are also approached with a better salary. As a result, BSN has an outstanding career outlook since it unlocks the door towards advanced educational opportunities and career growth. 

Day by day the demand for RN With BSN is increasing in the USA. There is also a BSN Program dedicated to RN which is discussed in the above section. 

Look below for the job profiles of BSN graduates and average payscale per annum.

If you want to take your career one step ahead, you can resume your nursing studies at the masters level and discover other career opportunities like Nurse practitioner (NP), Nurse Educator (NE) and other nurse leadership and administrator roles.