Best Online Nursing Programs 2026: RN-to-BSN and MSN
Jump to a section 8 sections
- Six accredited online nursing programs and what their graduates earned
- Scorecard’s figures describe past graduates, not your result
- Online nursing is online coursework plus in-person clinical hours
- What the jobs pay: BLS May 2025 wages
- Four checks before you apply
- Three ways to cut the cost
- Frequently asked questions
- Next step: see what aid covers before you choose
For 2026, six accredited online nursing programs have College Scorecard outcomes you can compare: the RN-to-BSN, a bachelor’s for licensed registered nurses, at Western Governors University (WGU), Chamberlain and Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), and the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) at WGU, Duke and Frontier.
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Check whether a nursing degree pays off for you
Pick a nursing job, enter your pay and the program's tuition, and see your break-even year using BLS May 2025 pay. About a minute, no sign-up.
Run the ROI calculatorTheir nursing graduates’ median earnings ran from $96,132 to $122,410 four years after finishing, and median federal debt from $9,470 to $89,495. Registered nurses earned a median $97,550 and nurse practitioners $132,300 in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
One rule applies to every program here. Online covers the coursework; clinical hours happen in person, and the license comes from your state board.
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Six accredited online nursing programs and what their graduates earned
We picked these six as examples of accredited online RN-to-BSN and MSN, Master of Science in Nursing. A graduate nursing degree, the usual route to advanced roles such as nurse practitioner. programs at schools that report nursing outcomes to College Scorecard. It is an editorial selection, not a ranking. Each accreditation below is stated on the school’s own site.
| School | Program | Nursing accreditor | In-person parts | Fully online in Scorecard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Governors University | RN to BSN | CCNE | Clinical hours near you | Yes |
| Chamberlain University | RN to BSN | CCNE | Practicum; school helps find a site and preceptor | Some credentials |
| Southern New Hampshire University | RN to BSN | CCNE | Clinical hours at an in-person site | Yes |
| Western Governors University | MSN, Family Nurse Practitioner | CCNE | Supervised clinical rotations | Yes |
| Duke University School of Nursing | MSN (distance-based) | CCNE | On-campus intensives; clinicals near home with a placement team | No |
| Frontier Nursing University | MSN, nurse-midwifery or FNP | ACEN; ACME for midwifery | Clinical hours with a preceptor | Yes |
CCNE is the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, ACEN the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing and ACME the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education.
The outcomes table below reads College Scorecard’s June 2026 field-of-study file for Registered Nursing (field 51.38). The bachelor’s rows cover every nursing bachelor’s graduate at the school, RN-to-BSN and pre-licensure together. The WGU master’s row covers all of its nursing master’s graduates, not family nurse practitioner graduates alone.
| School | Program | Scorecard field | Median earnings, 4 yrs after | Median federal debt | Graduates, 2022-23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke University School of Nursing | MSN (distance-based) | Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (master's) | $122,410 | $89,495 | 208 |
| Frontier Nursing University | MSN, nurse-midwifery or FNP | Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (master's) | $117,537 | $66,638 | 665 |
| Western Governors University | MSN, Family Nurse Practitioner | Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (master's) | $111,688 | $13,665 | 1,949 |
| Southern New Hampshire University | RN to BSN | Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (bachelor's) | $98,032 | $16,539 | 623 |
| Western Governors University | RN to BSN | Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (bachelor's) | $97,114 | $9,470 | 7,786 |
| Chamberlain University | RN to BSN | Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (bachelor's) | $96,132 | $22,213 | 5,665 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study data updated June 10, 2026. Earnings and debt cover every graduate of that field and credential at the school, online and on campus together, so they describe the school's graduates, not what any one student will earn. Earnings are the median for graduates working and not enrolled four years after finishing (2017-18 and 2018-19 graduates, in 2024 dollars); debt is the median federal loan debt of graduates (2018-19 and 2019-20); "Not published" means Scorecard suppresses the figure for a small cohort. Scorecard pages: Duke University School of Nursing, Frontier Nursing University, Western Governors University, Southern New Hampshire University, Chamberlain University.
Chamberlain reports to Scorecard as Chamberlain University-Illinois. Scorecard’s own distance flag says Duke’s nursing master’s credentials cannot be finished entirely by distance, which matches Duke’s on-campus intensives. Where the flag says yes, the in-person clinical hours in the first table still apply.
Scorecard’s figures describe past graduates, not your result
Scorecard is the most consistent public source for comparing schools on pay and borrowing. It helps to know exactly what each number covers.
- Earnings are the median pay of graduates who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. They cover 2017-18 and 2018-19 graduates, in 2024 dollars.
- Debt is the median federal loan debt (Stafford and Grad PLUS) of 2018-19 and 2019-20 graduates. Private loans and money paid out of pocket are not in it.
- Scope is every graduate of that field and credential at the school, online and on campus together. It is not a figure for the online program alone.
- Fully online is the school’s own report of whether all, some or none of its credentials in that field can be finished entirely by distance education.
- “Not published” means Scorecard withheld the figure, usually because the group of graduates is small.
The figures leave out current tuition, how long students take to finish, and what any one student will earn. The outcomes table sorts rows by median earnings because Scorecard publishes that figure for most rows. A higher number does not make a program better for you: the mix of jobs graduates take, where they live and who enrolls all move a school’s median.
Online nursing is online coursework plus in-person clinical hours
BLS, Bureau of Labor Statistics. The U.S. Department of Labor agency that publishes pay and job outlook figures for each occupation. is plain about it: every nursing education program includes supervised clinical experience, and registered nurses must be licensed. Source · BLS OOH, Registered Nurses Earning the degree online changes where you study, not where you practice.
For RN-to-BSN students, the clinical piece is usually smaller because you already hold an RN, Registered nurse. A nurse licensed by a state board after passing the NCLEX-RN exam. license. For nurse practitioner, midwife and anesthetist roles, BLS says you need at least a master’s degree, a state RN license, a national certification exam and a state advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) license.
State rules can narrow what an online program can offer you. Frontier Nursing University, for example, states that New York lets it offer clinical experiences in New York to only six MSN nurse-midwifery students who live there each academic year.
The Nurse Licensure Compact covers RNs in 43 jurisdictions
The Nurse Licensure Compact lets an RN or LPN licensed in one member state practice in other member states. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) lists 43 jurisdictions that have enacted it, some still awaiting full implementation. Advanced practice licenses (nurse practitioner, nurse anesthetist and nurse midwife) are not covered, so check each state’s APRN rules separately.
What the jobs pay: BLS May 2025 wages
The degree matters less than the license it leads to. These are national BLS wages for May 2025.
| Job | Credential | Lowest 10% earn under | Median | Top 10% earn over |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nurse anesthetist (29-1151) | Graduate degree, RN, national certification | $155,250 | $236,590 | $339,500 |
| Nurse midwife (29-1161) | Graduate degree, RN, national certification | $93,620 | $134,040 | $188,320 |
| Nurse practitioner (29-1171) | MSN or DNP, RN, national certification | $101,340 | $132,300 | $174,420 |
| Registered nurse (29-1141) | ADN or BSN plus NCLEX-RN | $68,940 | $97,550 | $137,470 |
| LPN or LVN (29-2061) | Certificate plus NCLEX-PN | $49,740 | $64,400 | $83,440 |
BLS projects nurse practitioner jobs to grow 41% from 2025 to 2035, against 5.6% for registered nurses. Nurse anesthetist programs also require at least one year of RN work in critical care before admission, per BLS.
Four checks before you apply
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Confirm the nursing accreditation
Look the program up in the CCNE or ACEN directory. The university’s regional accreditation is not the same as accreditation of the nursing program.
-
Confirm your state is covered
Ask the school whether the program meets your state board’s education requirements for the license you want, and check the board’s own list.
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Ask who arranges clinical placements
Some schools find sites and preceptors for you; others approve sites you find. Chamberlain, for example, says it will help you find a practicum site if you cannot.
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Price it with this year's tuition
Scorecard debt is not the price. Get the current tuition and fees, then subtract any employer benefit.
Three ways to cut the cost
Employer tuition help. BLS notes that some employers offer tuition reimbursement to nurses going back for a BSN, Bachelor of Science in Nursing. A bachelor’s degree in nursing. Registered nurses can earn it in an RN-to-BSN program.. Up to $5,250 a year of employer-paid education can be tax-free under IRS Section 127.
Federal aid for the bachelor’s. An RN with an associate degree and no bachelor’s can qualify for a Pell Grant, which pays up to $7,395 for 2026-27.
Federal loans for the master’s. Most graduate students can borrow up to $20,500 a year in Direct Unsubsidized Loans, and Grad PLUS loans are no longer available to new borrowers after July 1, 2026, per Federal Student Aid.
Since a June 24, 2026 court order, the Department of Education treats MSN programs as professional degrees with a higher limit, though your school can still hold you to the graduate limit, and the Department says that may change.
The guide to nursing master’s loan limits explains both outcomes, and the Grad Loan Gap Check shows the gap for your program.
Frequently asked questions
Can you become a nurse entirely online?
No. BLS says every nursing education program includes supervised clinical experience, and you must pass the NCLEX licensing exam and hold a state license to practice. Online programs deliver the coursework; the clinical hours are in person.
Is an RN-to-BSN worth it if I already have my license?
BLS reports that employers, particularly hospitals, may require a bachelor’s degree. A BSN is also the usual entry point for MSN programs that lead to nurse practitioner roles, which paid a median $132,300 in May 2025.
Does the Nurse Licensure Compact cover nurse practitioners?
No. The compact covers RN and LPN licenses. Nurse practitioners need a state APRN license in each state where they practice.
Next step: see what aid covers before you choose
Shortlist two or three programs from the tables, then get this year’s tuition from each. The aid check shows what Pell, state grants and federal loans could cover for your situation before you commit to one.
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Sources
Every figure in this guide comes from one of these pages. How we check sources
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data (updated June 10, 2026)
- BLS OEWS May 2025, Registered Nurses (29-1141)
- BLS OEWS May 2025, Nurse Anesthetists (29-1151)
- BLS OEWS May 2025, Nurse Midwives (29-1161)
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Registered Nurses: How to Become One
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives, and Nurse Practitioners
- BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, occupational projections and worker characteristics
- 34 CFR 668.14(b)(32), program licensure requirements by state (eCFR)
- NCSBN, Nurse Licensure Compact participating jurisdictions
- Frontier Nursing University, Accreditation and State Authorization
- Duke University School of Nursing, MSN program
- Chamberlain University, RN to BSN Online
- Federal Student Aid, OBBBA loan limit definitions (updated Aug. 24, 2026)
- Federal Student Aid, GENERAL-26-42: Update to List of Professional Degree Programs Due to Court Order (updated July 10, 2026)
- IRS Publication 5993, employer educational assistance
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