Top 10 Best Nursing Schools in Ohio

Not only is this one of the top BSN programs in the nation, but Case Western Reserve University also puts students on a nursing fast track. Nursing classes and clinicals begin in the first month of freshman year for nursing students, so you’ll get exposed to nursing very early on.

The price is steep, but Case’s nurses graduate with over 1,300 clinical hours, an exceptionally high NCLEX pass rate, and an excellent undergraduate education. Case Western also offers a wide variety of MSN/NP programs that students interested in advancing their degrees will find impressive. Oh, and you’ll get to enjoy living in Cleveland, one of the biggest cities in Ohio. 

Ursuline is a small, private school in Pepper Pike that specializes in liberal arts programs, business, and, most importantly, nursing. The traditional BSN matches the quality of other great schools, but Ursuline prepares their students for life after college by sending them to national conferences for networking and real-world nursing education while also focusing on holistic, value-based education.

After finishing their degree and passing the NCLEX, 100% of their nurses find work – a great prospect for anyone worried about finding a job after college. Nursing program graduates are recruited into top positions at research hospitals in Cleveland. 

Ohio University* may be a public school, but its 17:1 student-to-faculty ratio can make it feel much more like a small, private college. This means that extra attention is paid to students, a huge bonus for students interested in earning a BSN.

The tuition rate for Ohio residents is great, but a major downside is that clinicals aren’t available in Athens, where Ohio University is located. This means you’ll need to commute to different cities for clinicals; fortunately, they aren’t too far away.

Nothing beats tradition and history, and the University of Cincinnati has both. As one of the first ever schools in the US to offer a BSN*, Cincinnati has one of the most established nursing programs in the nation.

The university offers one of the best BSN programs in Ohio, all at a very reasonable in-state cost. This is an excellent school for students interested in a career related to pediatrics or trauma. It partners with a Level I trauma center, Level III obstetric unit, the nation's No. 3 pediatric hospital, and multiple outpatient surgery centers and community hospitals for clinical rotations.

The University of Mount Union, often referred to as Mount, takes a lot of the stress out of applying to colleges and nursing schools. Students will find out if they’ve been accepted into the nursing school upon being accepted into Mount, making the process of picking the right school that much easier. Mount’s first-ever nurses graduated in 2017, so this program is relatively new.

That being said, all of their graduates have passed the NCLEX (some on the second attempt), something that not every school can boast. Also, the University of Mount Union’s direct-entry Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program was recently ranked as the best prelicensure BSN program in Ohio for 2021 by Nursing Schools Almanac.

The Christ College of Nursing and Health Sciences is exactly what it sounds like – a nursing and health sciences school. They’re among the best at their specialty, too. The traditional BSN program has affordable tuition for students from across the nation.

Despite the tuition already being very affordable, 100% of students in 2021 received some financial aid. The final year of clinicals can be intense, but the outcome is a nationally recognized nursing school degree. For current RNs, their RN-BSN program can be completed in just three semesters, which can be as little as one year if you choose to study during the summer.

Founded by the Church of the United Brethren, Otterbein University has always been one of the most inclusive schools in the nation. While inclusivity doesn’t directly affect the quality of their BSN program, the culture permeates through all of Otterbein’s programs.

Regardless, this is an excellent nursing program. Admission can be tough, but some high school applicants can gain guaranteed admission into the nursing school. Guaranteed admittance comes with its own set of requirements. 

Mount Carmel College of Nursing is a private school, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at their nursing program. Over 1,000 undergraduate nurses currently study at Mount Carmel, which means it can be easier to get into than more restrictive programs.

Despite the high attendance, the BSN is still among the best in Ohio, and they have connections with local health systems that nursing students can take advantage of. As a private school, no in-state tuition is available, but 80% of students receive some form of financial aid.  Students also get to utilize Mount Carmel Health System’s state-of-the-art $1.1 million Center of Innovative Learning to practice real-life skills on computer-driven, high-fidelity human patient simulators. 

Ohio State University is consistently ranked as one of the best public schools in the nation and is often considered the best all-around school in Ohio. Unsurprisingly, the quality of OSU extends to their traditional BSN degree. While they aren’t perfectly clear with their acceptance rate, the majority of applicants from last year’s pre-nursing track were admitted into the school of nursing.

Ohio residents also get to take advantage of a low tuition rate – but it’s safe to say that anyone living in Ohio has already seriously considered OSU. OSU also offers its global experience initiatives to nursing students allowing them to study abroad in either Cyprus, Honduras, Norway, or the United Kingdom while still staying on track towards their nursing degree.

The Toledo-based Mercy College of Ohio is currently experiencing growth, and they’ve been increasing the number of students they admit into their pre-licensure nursing program. This is excellent news for any applicants who are worried about tight admission standards. Mercy College is also a private Catholic school, so students can take advantage of smaller class sizes. One great aspect of Mercy College is that they have a relatively low tuition rate despite being a private school.