Yes, you can go to nursing school after completing a college degree, and there are programs specifically designed for people in your situation. Accelerated BSN (ABSN) programs let you earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in as few as 11 to 18 months, compared to the four years a traditional nursing student spends. These programs assume you’ve already completed general education coursework and focus entirely on nursing content and clinical training.
How Accelerated BSN Programs Work
ABSN programs are built for career changers. They compress the nursing curriculum into an intensive, full-time schedule that typically runs 11 to 18 months, though some stretch to 24 months depending on how many prerequisites you still need and how the program structures its coursework. The University of Colorado’s accelerated pathway, for example, is a 12-month program that covers the exact same credits and clinical hours as its traditional four-year track.
The pace is significantly faster than a traditional program. You’ll take nursing courses back to back, often without summer breaks, and clinical rotations are woven into the schedule from early on. At Colorado, students complete about 25 credits’ worth of clinical hours (each clinical credit equals 30 face-to-face hours in a healthcare setting). This is not a part-time commitment. Most programs explicitly discourage or prohibit outside employment while enrolled.
The Direct-Entry MSN Alternative
If you’re thinking longer term, a direct-entry Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program is another option for people who already hold a non-nursing bachelor’s degree. These programs cover the same foundational nursing content as an ABSN but add graduate-level coursework in leadership, quality improvement, and safety. You graduate with a master’s degree instead of a second bachelor’s.
Both pathways qualify you to sit for the NCLEX-RN licensing exam and work as a registered nurse. The difference is positioning. An ABSN prepares you for generalist bedside nursing. A direct-entry MSN gives you a foundation to move into roles like hospital administration, nursing education, or clinical informatics more quickly. Direct-entry MSN graduates can also sit for the Clinical Nurse Leader certification exam, which opens a specific leadership track.
Prerequisites You’ll Need
Having a bachelor’s degree doesn’t automatically mean you’re ready to apply. Most accelerated programs require a set of science prerequisites that you may not have completed during your first degree, especially if you studied something outside the sciences. At Cal State Fullerton, for instance, the required list includes:
- Human anatomy with lab
- Human physiology with lab
- Microbiology with lab
- General, inorganic, organic, or integrated chemistry with lab
- Introduction to psychology
The science courses typically require a B or higher, while non-science prerequisites require at least a C. These aren’t courses you can breeze through. If your undergraduate degree was in English or business, plan on spending six months to a year completing prerequisites at a community college before you can even apply. Programs at schools like Loyola University Chicago require a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 across all prior coursework, so your performance in your first degree matters too.
How Graduates Perform on the Licensing Exam
One common concern is whether a compressed program adequately prepares you for the NCLEX-RN, the licensing exam every new nurse must pass. A study of 235 accelerated BSN graduates found that 84% passed the NCLEX-RN on their first attempt. Interestingly, second-degree students (those who already held a bachelor’s in another field) performed better than first-degree accelerated students, with a statistically significant difference in pass rates. Prior college experience, study habits, and maturity likely play a role.
Paying for a Second Degree
Financing is one of the trickier parts of going back to school. If you’ve already earned a bachelor’s degree, you are classified as a second-degree student for financial aid purposes. That means you’re only eligible for federal loans or private loan options through FAFSA. Pell Grants, which don’t need to be repaid, are off the table. Your loan limits are also capped based on what you’ve already borrowed as an undergraduate, using the third-year-and-beyond borrowing limits.
ABSN programs at private universities can cost $50,000 to $100,000 or more, while public university options tend to be significantly cheaper for in-state residents. Some employers in healthcare offer tuition reimbursement or loan repayment programs for nurses, which can offset costs after graduation. It’s worth factoring in the relatively short time you’ll be out of the workforce (12 to 18 months versus four years) when weighing the financial picture.
What the Job Market Looks Like
The career outlook for registered nurses is strong. The median annual salary was $93,600 in May 2024, and employment is projected to grow 5% from 2024 to 2034, faster than average for all occupations. Demand is especially high in hospitals, outpatient care centers, and home health services. Nurses who hold a BSN or higher generally have more options and earning potential than those with an associate degree, and many hospitals now prefer or require a BSN for new hires.
For someone who already has a college degree and is considering a career change, the math is relatively straightforward: 12 to 18 months of intensive schooling leads to a credential with strong job security and a median salary that exceeds many other fields requiring a bachelor’s degree. The investment is real, both financially and in terms of the grueling pace, but the timeline from “I want to be a nurse” to “I’m working as a nurse” is shorter than most people expect.