By Iris Stone
In a perfect world, we'd all go straight from high school to four-year bachelor's degree programs, after which we could start working or move on to graduate school. The truth of the matter, however, is that not everyone has the opportunity to spend four uninterrupted years studying without worrying about work or family obligations. Luckily, many colleges and universities recognize the needs of nontraditional students and have created specialized programs in response. One such program is the RN-BSN completion major – a perfect choice for aspiring nurses. Students who have completed Associate degrees in Nursing and have passed the NCLEX, thus becoming registered nurses, can apply to RN-BSN programs and earn a full Bachelor's degree in an accelerated time frame – sometimes just a year! These students can work as registered nurses while in school and obtain a higher degree to increase their career prospects.
Methodology
Below, you'll find a list of the top 30 affordable RN-BSN programs in the South. We started by researching all the schools in the Southern United States (defined as Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas) and then narrowing down the list to include only those with net price (according to College Navigator) less than $22,000.
We then did research on several points, including freshmen retention rate, graduation rate, student-to-faculty ratio, percentage of courses taught by teaching assistants, and undergraduate GPA required for admission. We also took into account how flexible the schools' delivery formats are; in other words, schools that let students choose between taking classes online or in person according to what fits their schedule were rated more highly than schools that require students to visit campus. We also considered the schools' NCLEX pass rates, which serve as reliable indicators of the quality of each university's nursing courses and instruction.
After rating the colleges in each category, we determined the top 30 and listed them below. We included information about their quality ranking but listed them according to their affordability for your convenience.
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Featured Online Programs
Figuring out where to apply? These top, accredited schools offer a variety of online degrees. Consider one of these accredited programs, and discover their value today.
Sources:
College Navigator
Nursing Degree Guide
Princeton Review
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Wikipedia – Southern U.S.
About the Author:
Iris Stone got her start in the industry when she began working as a freelance writer and researcher in 2011. Her freelance business soon took off and she now owns and operates a writing and editing firm that works with clients all across the country. Despite the time it takes to run a business she still does much of the writing herself, and her work has included a variety of content related to education policy, colleges and universities, academic programs, and graduates' careers. Check out her Google+ Profile.
