Top 10 Best Nursing Schools in Nebraska

Herzing University has several campuses nationwide. Primarily an online school, Nebraska residents can attend BSN classes fully online while attending in-person clinicals in their local areas.

Herzing BSN students attend classes year-round, allowing them to earn their degrees in as little as three years. The university also offers other nursing programs, including an online RN-to-BSN, RN-to-MSN, and several MSN specialties.

Based in Lincoln, Bryan College of Health Sciences focuses solely on degrees that lead to healthcare professions. Most degrees offered by Bryan Health College are in nursing, including a traditional BSN with excellent outcomes.

Students in the BSN earn more clinical experience hours than students in any other Nebraska BSN, which is part of the reason graduates do so well on the NCLEX. Other nursing degrees at Bryan Health College include an RN-BSN completion program, a traditional Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), an RN-MSN, a Ph.D., and a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). 

Union College-Nebraska was founded in 1891 by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Despite being a private and religious school, U College "encourages students from all faith backgrounds" to find their calling and develop their skills. Undergraduate students have three BSN options: a traditional BSN, an RN-BSN, and an LPN-BSN.

Students can complete some or all of the courses in these programs online. Union College boosts small class sizes, which gives students more personal attention, leading to high NCLEX pass rates. In addition to running a monthly foot clinic at a local homeless shelter, nursing students also travel to a developing nation (it varies) each year to run medical clinics in remote areas of the country that receive little modern medical care. 

Often considered one of the best private schools in the region, Creighton University comes from a Jesuit-Catholic background. Creighton is home to just over 4,000 undergraduate students and 4,300 graduate students, 98% of whom find a job or enroll in graduate school within six months of graduating. Of course, most BSN graduates will find a position as an RN after completing their degree and passing the NCLEX. Along with a traditional BSN, Creighton offers an accelerated second-degree BSN, and an MSN and DNP that can be completed partially online. BSN students can complete a four-year degree in Omaha or Hastings, giving students a little more flexibility than in other schools. 

With just over 1,100 students, Nebraska Methodist College is one of the smallest schools to offer nursing degrees. NMC offers plenty of degree options for students, including four different BSNs (including a 3-4 year traditional BSN), eight different MSN options, five DNP choices, and various certificates.

There are countless programs available to students, and it is a great college to continue your education at a higher level.  Also, NMC is part of the larger Methodist Health System, meaning students can expect to gain experience at a related healthcare facility. 

The University of Nebraska Medical Center is the only public health sciences college in the state, meaning Nebraska residents can take advantage of a lower in-state tuition rate. Founded as the Omaha Medical College in 1881, UNMC provides Nebraska with roughly half of its dentists, pharmacists, physicians, and BSN-educated nurses.

The College of Nursing offers a traditional, accelerated, and RN-BSN option for undergraduate nurses across five campuses and online. UNMC College of Nursing BSN program was ranked 15th (tie) by the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges 2022-2023. 

Nebraska Wesleyan University is a private school based in Lincoln and Omaha with Methodist roots. While Nebraska Wesleyan still maintains a close relationship with the Methodist church, nursing students receive a holistic education that doesn't emphasize religion. The main nursing degree -- the traditional BSN -- offers accelerated eight-week courses and requires over 900 clinical hours. In addition, students will first complete prerequisite coursework totaling 34-36 credits before admission to the program. Other nursing degree options include an RN-BSN and three different MSN degrees. 

While Clarkson College has grown over the past 130 years, the school remembers how it began as a small school of nursing. Nursing remains the primary focus at Clarkson College, and nursing students have plenty of options to choose from. The main program, the traditional BSN, has excellent outcomes, and students perform well on the NCLEX. After completing the BSN and working for one year, students become eligible to immediately enroll in Clarkson's MSN to further their careers. Clarkson College’s online graduate nursing program is also ranked one of the top programs by U.S. News & World Report. 

Another small college with a religious background, College of St. Mary doesn't offer low in-state tuition rates to Nebraska residents. However, the College of St. Mary does have an excellent location in the middle of Omaha which gives nursing students access to some of the top hospitals for clinicals. The only nursing program offered by CSM is a traditional BSN. The BSN comes standard as a three-year degree, though students can choose to take four years to complete the program. 

Another school well-known for its online programs, Aspen University hosts one of the best online RN-BSN options. This quick program takes just 12 months to complete thanks to the implementation of accelerated eight-week courses. Aspen also has a traditional BSN program (not available in Wyoming) and other online nursing degrees, such as an MSN, an RN-MSN, and a DNP, all of which can come with different specializations. For nurses who completed their ADN, Aspen might be the fastest, most flexible, and most affordable route to completing a BSN.