The Best Online Nursing Programs in 2026
If you’ve ever wanted to go to nursing school, or to further your education as a registered nurse, the time has never been better. Here’s your full guide to the best online nursing programs of 2026.
Nurse.org's Top Online Nursing Programs for 2026
Our ranking criteria is based on factors such as tuition, acceptance rate, student-to-faculty ratio, and accreditation and uses the latest and most robust U.S. government data sets, specifically the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and College Scorecard.
Popular Online RN-to-BSN Programs
Chamberlain University is the #1 largest school of nursing with a community of more than 177,000 students, faculty, and alumni. The school offers BSN programs online and has a long history of successfully delivering top quality education. Save up to 30%* on tuition with the RN-to-BSN Tuition Advantage Grant (*see Chamberlain website for details).
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide except CT, NY, RI
When you earn an ASU nursing degree, you are gaining skills from a respected and accredited institution. Our online nursing degrees are accredited by the Arizona State Board of Nursing and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide
WGU's award-winning online programs are created to help you succeed while graduating faster and with less debt. WGU is a CCNE-accredited, nonprofit university offering bachelor's and master's degrees in nursing, with the additional distinction of being named a Center of Excellence in Nursing Education by the National League for Nursing. Join a trusted, accredited online university to accelerate your nursing career on your schedule. Scholarships and financial aid are available.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide
GCU’s RN-BSN program is tailored to meet the needs of the RN adult learner and to maximize the strengths that the working RN already possesses. Transfer up to 90 credits and earn a BSN in as little as 12 months. GCU’s online classes allow you to study at the times that work for your schedule while still enjoying a close connection with your classmates and instructor via online discussions.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide
The University of Texas at Arlington’s online programs are designed to help you achieve more in your nursing practice with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. They offer convenient, flexible options for completing your RN to BSN online, designed to fit into your busy schedule.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide
This online Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program is flexible for working nurses but requires two Saturday in-person orientation dates per year. It also has optional monthly on-campus sessions. Students can complete the program in as little as nine months, but it can be completed part-time.
2. University of Central Florida
This online RN to BSN program consists of 30 credit hours, which can be completed in three semesters at a full-time pace or as slowly as ten semesters or five years. Students can also take up to nine credit hours of graduate-level work to apply toward an MSN degree.
- Tuition
- Resident: $179.19 per credit hour
- Non-Resident Tuition: $769.45 per credit hour
- Application Deadline:
- Fall: May 1st
- Spring: November 1st
- Summer: March 1st
- Contact Info:
- Phone Number: (855) 903-8576
- Email Address: ucfnurse@ucf.edu
Designed by nurses, this for-profit university program is designed in 10-week courses. Capella University boasts an impressive graduation rate and generous transfer credit allowance from other nursing programs.
Students can also apply to the Accelerated Master’s Pathway (AMP) option. This allows you to take master's-level courses that apply toward your BSN. Once applied and accepted to the MSN program, those master’s courses can be applied toward the degree, potentially saving time and money.
- Application Deadline: Rolling Admission
- Contact Info:
- Phone Number: (877) 884-0733
- Email Address: info@capella.edu
In this program, students take 10 classes that each last 7.5 weeks. Current RNs can finish this program in approximately 15 to 18 months. The program is 39 credits, longer than most other online programs, but students take classes that are considered more innovative than other traditional BSN programs.
- Application Deadline: Rolling Admission
- Contact Information
- Phone Number: (866) 277-6589
- Email Information: asuonline@asu.edu
- Website*
This program is unique because it offers rolling admission, allowing students to apply whenever is most convenient. It also allows students to start the program at their own pace.
Classes are 8 weeks long, and the degree can be finished in as little as 12 months. Students can take master's degree classes while completing the online BSN degree, saving time and money.
- Application Deadline: Rolling Admission
- Contact Information
- Phone Number: (800) 596-0724
- Website
Popular Online RN-to-BSN Programs
Chamberlain University is the #1 largest school of nursing with a community of more than 177,000 students, faculty, and alumni. The school offers BSN programs online and has a long history of successfully delivering top quality education. Save up to 30%* on tuition with the RN-to-BSN Tuition Advantage Grant (*see Chamberlain website for details).
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide except CT, NY, RI
When you earn an ASU nursing degree, you are gaining skills from a respected and accredited institution. Our online nursing degrees are accredited by the Arizona State Board of Nursing and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide
WGU's award-winning online programs are created to help you succeed while graduating faster and with less debt. WGU is a CCNE-accredited, nonprofit university offering bachelor's and master's degrees in nursing, with the additional distinction of being named a Center of Excellence in Nursing Education by the National League for Nursing. Join a trusted, accredited online university to accelerate your nursing career on your schedule. Scholarships and financial aid are available.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide
GCU’s RN-BSN program is tailored to meet the needs of the RN adult learner and to maximize the strengths that the working RN already possesses. Transfer up to 90 credits and earn a BSN in as little as 12 months. GCU’s online classes allow you to study at the times that work for your schedule while still enjoying a close connection with your classmates and instructor via online discussions.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide
Walden’s online programs for nursing meet rigorous standards for academic quality and integrity, and 100% of our College of Nursing didactic faculty are doctorally trained. With multiple degree completion options, you can choose a bachelor’s in nursing path that makes sense for your busy, unpredictable schedule.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide, excluding CT, ND, NY and RI. Certain programs have additional state restrictions. Check with Walden for details.
What to Expect in an Online Nursing Program
Online nursing programs operate in different formats. Some schools may feature live instruction from a teacher that you watch virtually or a later, recorded version, while others may use a virtual classroom with self-paced instructional videos and educational materials like slideshows for presentations that you work through on your own.
All online nursing school programs will require written work from you in the form of research papers, essays, and online discussion boards to collaborate with your classmates. If your program requires any on-campus days, those will be clearly outlined before you begin. For instance, some online programs require an “immersion” weekend at the beginning of the semester or even halfway through.
Some programs--like a BSN or a non-clinical MSN or an MPH--can be completed 100% online. Any nursing program that requires clinicals, practicums, or internships, however, will require in-person time as well.
Depending on your school’s policy, these can be arranged locally for you, or may be required at hospitals or facilities the school already has an arrangement with. It’s important to know the school’s policy for in-person requirements, especially if you are not local to the school.
Online Nursing Program Cost
The cost of an online nursing program can obviously vary quite a bit, depending on the degree you're pursuing.
The final cost will also depend on what type of financial aid package you receive, if you can secure any scholarships, and if you have any other type of tuition assistance (for instance, such as if your employer offers any help paying for your degree.)
In general, the costs for online nursing programs are:
- RN-ADN: $10,000 - $20,000
- RN-BSN: $10,000 - $80,000
Online Nursing Program Accreditation
When choosing an online nursing program, the single most important thing you need to do is ensure that the program you pick is accredited. Especially with online programs, accreditation is necessary to ensure that the program you enroll in meets all the requirements you need to graduate and pass any licensing exams you will need.
Without accreditation, there is no standard that the program has to meet, which means that the education you receive could be subpar and equally as troublesome, not actually giving you what you need to pass an exam at the end. Additionally, if you are using financial aid to attend school, you might not be able to use your entire financial aid package unless you attend an accredited school, so it’s very important.
You’ll want to look for schools that have at least one of the following accreditations, depending on the specialty you’re choosing:
- Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
- The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
Overall, if you are interested in pursuing any aspect of nursing, from your RN all the way up to your DNP, know that a large majority of your nursing degree can be completed totally online. And depending on what degree you pick, the entire program can be done 100% online.
Nursing school has never been easier to complete online, and this nation needs nurses more than ever, so get started today by reaching out to an accredited school to see what type of online nursing programs they offer.
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