Nurses can hold several different degrees, from a two-year associate degree all the way to a doctorate. The most common entry point into registered nursing is either an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), and the degree you choose shapes your career options, earning potential, and how quickly you can start working.
Entry-Level Degrees for Registered Nurses
Two degrees qualify you to become a registered nurse (RN): the ADN and the BSN. Both lead to the same licensing exam, called the NCLEX-RN, and both let you work as a registered nurse once you pass it. The difference is time, depth, and what doors open afterward.
The Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) is a two-year program typically offered at community colleges, though some accelerated versions can be finished in about 18 months. The curriculum covers prerequisites like chemistry, anatomy, biology, and psychology, then moves into hands-on nursing skills: fundamentals of nursing care, medical-surgical nursing, pediatric nursing, psychiatric nursing, and community health. This is the fastest and most affordable route to becoming an RN.
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is a four-year program at a college or university. It covers everything in an ADN plus additional coursework in leadership and management, public health, nursing ethics, and pathophysiology. These extra courses prepare graduates for supervisory roles, specialty positions, and graduate school. Many hospitals, especially large medical centers and magnet-designated facilities, prefer or require a BSN for hiring.
The industry is trending toward the bachelor’s degree as the standard. New York State now requires registered nurses who don’t meet certain exemption conditions to earn a BSN or higher within 10 years of becoming licensed. Other states have discussed similar mandates. If you’re weighing which degree to pursue, the BSN offers more flexibility over the course of a career, even though the ADN gets you working sooner.
Practical Nursing Certificates and Diplomas
Below the RN level, Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) complete a certificate or diploma program that typically takes about 12 months. LPN programs are offered at community colleges and vocational schools. Graduates sit for a separate licensing exam, the NCLEX-PN, and work under the supervision of registered nurses or physicians. LPNs handle basic patient care like checking vital signs, administering certain medications, and assisting with daily living activities. This path works well for people who want to enter healthcare quickly, and many LPNs later pursue an ADN or BSN to expand their scope of practice.
Bridge Programs for Working Nurses
If you already hold an ADN and work as an RN, you don’t have to start over to get a bachelor’s degree. RN-to-BSN bridge programs let you build on your existing education with roughly 30 credit hours of upper-level nursing coursework. Most of these programs are offered online, making them manageable alongside a work schedule.
Career changers have a different option. If you already hold a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field, accelerated BSN programs condense the full nursing curriculum into as little as 12 months. These programs are intense and full-time, but they’re designed for people who have already completed general education requirements. Prerequisites typically include natural science courses, a statistics course, and a lifespan development course, each with a minimum grade of B.
Master of Science in Nursing
A Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) is a graduate degree that opens the door to advanced practice roles and higher pay. MSN programs typically take two to three years beyond a BSN and prepare nurses for specialized positions:
- Nurse Practitioner (NP): diagnoses conditions, prescribes medications, and manages patient care independently in many states
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA): administers anesthesia for surgeries and procedures
- Clinical Nurse Specialist: focuses on improving care within a specific patient population or clinical area
- Nurse Midwife: provides prenatal, labor, and postpartum care
- Nurse Educator: teaches in nursing schools or trains staff within healthcare systems
These roles are collectively known as Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs), and each requires passing a national certification exam in that specialty after completing the degree.
Doctoral Degrees in Nursing
Nursing has two doctoral paths, and they serve very different purposes.
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is a clinical doctorate focused on translating research into better patient outcomes, leading healthcare systems, influencing policy, and improving care quality. DNP graduates often work as clinical directors, healthcare executives, policy consultants, or in the same advanced practice roles as MSN graduates but with deeper preparation in systems-level leadership. The nursing profession has been moving toward the DNP as the standard entry degree for certain advanced roles. The Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs now requires new CRNA students to enter a doctoral program, and the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties has called for the DNP to become the entry degree for nurse practitioners.
The PhD in Nursing is a research doctorate. Where the DNP focuses on applying existing knowledge to improve practice, the PhD prepares nurses to generate new knowledge through original research. PhD-prepared nurses typically work in academic or research settings, designing studies, securing grants, and publishing findings that shape the future of patient care. The title “nurse scientist” is reserved for those with PhD preparation.
Which Degree Is Right for You
Your choice depends on how quickly you need to start working, how far you want to advance, and what kind of nursing role appeals to you. An ADN is the most practical choice if cost and speed matter most, and you can always bridge to a BSN later. A BSN is the stronger long-term investment, qualifying you for more positions and serving as the foundation for graduate school. An MSN or DNP is necessary if you want to practice independently as a nurse practitioner, administer anesthesia, or move into executive leadership.
One thing holds true across every path: your program needs to be accredited by a recognized body (either the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education) for your degree to count toward licensure. Unaccredited programs can leave graduates unable to sit for the NCLEX, regardless of how many courses they completed.