Online Nursing Programs and Degrees in 2026
Quick answer: Online nursing programs come in two very different kinds. Post-licensure degrees such as RN-to-BSN run fully online. Pre-licensure ADN and BSN programs put lectures online but keep skills labs and clinical hours in person, because no state board licenses a nurse who has never touched a patient. Registered nurses earn a median $97,550 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Online Nursing Programs at a Glance
| Item | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Registered nurse median wage | $97,550 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Registered nurse employment | 3,379,720 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| RN projected change (2024-34) | 4.9%, about 189,100 openings per year | BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34 |
| Nurse practitioner median wage | $132,300 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Licensing exam | NCLEX-RN, administered through NCSBN | NCSBN |
| Program accreditation | CCNE or ACEN | CCNE / ACEN |
| Fully online option | Post-licensure only (RN-to-BSN, RN-to-MSN) | Program structure |
Which Nursing Rung Are You Aiming At?
Nursing is a ladder, and the rungs are separate occupations with separate licenses, separate schooling, and very different pay. Before you shop for a program, decide which rung you are climbing to. The Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks each one under its own SOC code.
| Rung | SOC code | Median annual wage | Employment | Projected change 2024-34 | Annual openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing assistant (CNA) | 31-1131 | $42,260 | 1,448,910 | 2.3% | 204,100 |
| Licensed practical nurse (LPN/LVN) | 29-2061 | $64,400 | 648,410 | 2.6% | 54,400 |
| Registered nurse (RN) | 29-1141 | $97,550 | 3,379,720 | 4.9% | 189,100 |
| Nurse practitioner (NP) | 29-1171 | $132,300 | 323,040 | 40.1% | 29,500 |
Wage and employment figures are BLS OEWS, May 2025; change and openings are BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34.
Two things jump out. First, the jump from CNA to LPN to RN is the largest pay movement in the whole ladder, and each step is a real school program, not an in-house promotion. Second, the nurse practitioner line is the outlier: a projected 40.1 percent change from 2024 to 2034, from 320,400 to 448,800 jobs (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34). That is the fastest growth anywhere on this page, and it is gated behind a BSN plus a graduate degree.
Note also that openings are not the same as growth. Nursing assistants show only a 2.3 percent projected change but about 204,100 openings a year, because turnover in that role is enormous. Registered nursing shows about 189,100 openings a year against a 3,379,720-person workforce, which is steady replacement hiring rather than a boom.
Can Nursing School Really Be Done Online?
Partly. Be skeptical of any page that says otherwise.
Pre-licensure nursing - the first program that makes you eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN and get a state license - always contains three components:
- Didactic coursework. Pathophysiology, pharmacology, nursing theory, statistics. This part genuinely works online, asynchronously, at night, and that is what schools mean when they advertise an online nursing program.
- Skills and simulation lab. Injections, catheters, sterile technique, assessment. Done on campus, in person, on scheduled days.
- Supervised clinical rotations. Real patients, real facilities, a licensed preceptor signing off. Boards of nursing set the required clinical experience, and it cannot be simulated away.
So a “hybrid” or “online-friendly” pre-licensure program means you drive to campus less, not never. Plan on daytime clinical blocks that will collide with a full-time job.
Post-licensure degrees are the genuinely online ones. In an RN-to-BSN or RN-to-MSN you already hold a license and usually already work in a hospital, so the clinical requirement is either satisfied by your employment or handled as a practicum arranged near you. Those programs run in 8-week terms, asynchronously, and are the reason so many working nurses finish a bachelor’s without leaving the floor.
ADN vs BSN: Which Pre-Licensure Route?
Both routes end at the same exam and the same license. An RN with an ADN and an RN with a BSN have identical legal scope in every state.
| ADN | BSN | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical length | About two years full time | About four years full time |
| Where offered | Community and technical colleges | Universities |
| Licensing exam | NCLEX-RN | NCLEX-RN |
| Accreditation | ACEN (commonly) | CCNE or ACEN |
| Adds | Core clinical nursing | Research, leadership, community health, statistics |
| Employer preference | Accepted widely; some hospitals require a BSN within a set period after hire | Preferred or required by many hospital systems |
| Graduate school | Requires a bridge or completion degree first | Direct prerequisite for MSN/DNP |
The pragmatic play for a working adult is often the ADN first - it is shorter and cheaper in relative terms - then an online RN-to-BSN once you are licensed, employed, and possibly using an employer education benefit. The counterargument is that you sit through two admissions cycles instead of one. Our BSN vs ADN comparison works through both cases in detail, and the broader associate vs bachelor degree guide covers the same tradeoff outside nursing.
The Bridge Programs: Getting Credit for What You Already Do
If you already work in healthcare, do not start from zero. Bridge programs exist precisely to convert your license and experience into credit, and they are the highest-value route on this page.
| Starting point | Bridge | What it credits | Ends at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed practical nurse | LPN-to-RN | Practical nursing coursework and clinical experience | ADN or BSN, then NCLEX-RN |
| Certified nursing assistant | CNA-to-RN | Patient-care experience, some prerequisites | ADN or BSN, then NCLEX-RN |
| Medical assistant | Medical assistant to RN | Clinical prerequisites, anatomy and physiology | ADN or BSN, then NCLEX-RN |
| Paramedic | Paramedic-to-RN | Emergency and assessment coursework | ADN or BSN, then NCLEX-RN |
| Licensed RN with an ADN | RN-to-BSN | Existing license and clinical hours | BSN, no new exam |
| Bachelor’s in another field | Accelerated BSN | The general education half of a BSN | BSN, then NCLEX-RN |
The accelerated BSN deserves a specific callout, because a lot of career changers do not know it exists. If you already finished any bachelor’s degree - business, biology, criminal justice, anything - you do not repeat general education. An accelerated BSN compresses the nursing core into roughly 12 to 18 months of continuous study. The coursework is frequently online; the clinicals are not, and they are scheduled during business hours. It is the fastest legitimate route into registered nursing for a degree holder, and also the most disruptive to an existing job.
For nurses who stopped partway through a degree years ago, degree completion programs explain how old credit gets re-evaluated before you enroll anywhere.
Accreditation, NCLEX-RN, and State Licensure
Three gates stand between a program and a paycheck. Check all three before you pay anyone.
Accreditation. Nursing programs are accredited by CCNE (Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education) or ACEN (Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing). Separately, the institution itself should hold institutional accreditation from a recognized accreditor such as HLC, SACSCOC, MSCHE, NECHE, NWCCU or WSCUC, or a career-school accreditor such as ACCSC, ABHES or COE. Programmatic accreditation is what boards of nursing and graduate schools look at; regional accreditation is what makes credit transfer. You want both.
NCLEX-RN. The National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses is developed by NCSBN and is the same exam whether you finished an ADN or a BSN. Graduating from an approved program makes you eligible; the exam itself is national.
State licensure. The license comes from your state board of nursing, not from the school. Boards set their own requirements around background checks, approved program lists, and endorsement from another state. If you are enrolling in an out-of-state online program, confirm in writing that the board in your state accepts it. This is the single most common expensive mistake in online nursing.
If your program advertises completion or pass-rate statistics, read them as program-level history rather than a forecast - individual outcomes may vary.
Where Registered Nurses Earn the Most
Nursing pay varies more by state than almost any other licensed occupation, driven by cost of living, union density, and mandated staffing ratios.
| State | RN median annual wage | RN employment |
|---|---|---|
| California | $140,270 | 338,940 |
| Hawaii | $136,320 | 12,940 |
| Oregon | $129,010 | 39,730 |
| Washington | $124,200 | 69,260 |
| Alaska | $109,480 | 7,510 |
Figures: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
The biggest job markets are not identical to the best-paying ones. Texas employs 271,380 registered nurses at a median of $95,970, Florida employs 229,940 at $84,190, New York employs 205,810 at $109,440, and Pennsylvania employs 146,520 at $96,430 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). California leads on both counts with 338,940 nurses.
For LPNs the geographic spread is narrower but real: the national median is $64,400 with the top decile at $83,440, and Washington posts the highest state median at $83,150 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Oregon, Alaska, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island follow closely.
What the Pay Actually Looks Like Across a Career
Percentiles tell you more than a single median, because they show the shape of a nursing career: where you start, and where experience, specialty, and overtime can take you.
| Occupation | 10th percentile | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing assistant | $33,940 | $37,260 | $42,260 | $47,220 | $51,980 |
| LPN/LVN | $49,740 | $59,000 | $64,400 | $76,030 | $83,440 |
| Registered nurse | $68,940 | $80,330 | $97,550 | $112,350 | $137,470 |
| Nurse practitioner | $101,340 | $117,990 | $132,300 | $156,700 | $174,420 |
Figures: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Read the overlaps. A top-decile LPN at $83,440 out-earns a bottom-decile RN at $68,940, which is why the bridge decision is about the long run rather than next year. And the nurse practitioner 10th percentile of $101,340 sits above the RN median of $97,550 - the graduate credential moves the whole distribution up, not just the ceiling.
Is a Nursing Degree Worth It Coming From Another Trade?
Nursing pulls a lot of career changers out of other physical trades, and the honest case for it rests on three things: the occupation is very large at 3,379,720 registered nurses, replacement hiring runs at about 189,100 openings a year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34), and the license is portable across states in a way most trade credentials are not.
The honest case against it: pre-licensure clinicals are hard to schedule around shift work, the job is physical in its own way, and the RN growth rate of 4.9 percent is moderate compared with the nurse practitioner line. If you are weighing this against other adult-friendly routes, our online degrees hub lays out the alternatives, and is college worth it works through the general math for working adults.
Cost varies widely by institution type and route, and community college ADN programs are generally the lower-cost entry. Get a written credit-transfer evaluation before you enroll anywhere, especially if you hold prior college credit or a healthcare certificate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you get a nursing degree completely online?
Not for a first nursing license. Pre-licensure ADN and BSN programs deliver lectures online, but skills labs and supervised clinical hours must happen in person at a hospital or clinic. The genuinely online nursing degrees are post-licensure: RN-to-BSN and RN-to-MSN, where the student already holds a license and works in a clinical setting.
How much do registered nurses make?
The national median annual wage for registered nurses is $97,550 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The bottom 10 percent earn $68,940 or less and the top 10 percent earn $137,470 or more. Employment stands at 3,379,720 registered nurses nationwide, making it one of the largest licensed occupations in the country.
Is an RN-to-BSN worth it if I already have my license?
The BSN does not change your license or scope, so pay does not jump automatically. It matters because many hospitals prefer or require a BSN for staff roles, charge and management tracks, and specialty units, and because it is the prerequisite for graduate nursing. Registered nurses earn a median $97,550 (BLS OEWS, May 2025) regardless of degree level.
What is the difference between an ADN and a BSN?
Both prepare you to sit for the NCLEX-RN and work as a registered nurse with the same license and legal scope. The ADN is a two-year community college route; the BSN is a four-year degree adding research, leadership, community health, and statistics. Many nurses start with the ADN, get hired, then finish an online RN-to-BSN later.
How long does an accelerated BSN take?
Accelerated BSN programs are built for people who already hold a bachelor's degree in another field and typically run about 12 to 18 months of continuous full-time study. Coursework is often online, but clinical rotations are in person and scheduled during the day, which makes holding a full-time job during the program difficult for most students.
Do I need CCNE or ACEN accreditation?
Yes, treat it as non-negotiable. Nursing programs are accredited by CCNE or ACEN, and state boards of nursing, employers, and graduate programs check for it. A program without CCNE or ACEN accreditation can leave you unable to sit for licensure in some states or unable to transfer credit into a later degree. Verify accreditation before enrolling.
What is the fastest way from LPN to RN?
An LPN-to-RN bridge is the shortest path because it grants credit for the practical nursing education and experience you already have. Bridges lead to either an ADN or a BSN, and both end at the same NCLEX-RN exam. Licensed practical nurses earn a median $64,400 versus $97,550 for registered nurses (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Is nurse practitioner a good career move for an RN?
The numbers are strong. Nurse practitioners earn a median $132,300 (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and BLS projects employment to change by 40.1 percent from 2024 to 2034 with about 29,500 openings a year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34). The route requires a BSN first, then a graduate nursing degree and national certification.
Related Guides and Degree Paths
- Registered Nurse - the full career profile, licensing steps, and state-by-state pay
- LPN / Licensed Practical Nurse - the one-year entry license and what it does and does not allow
- Certified Nursing Assistant - the fastest way into patient care and onto the ladder
- RN-to-BSN - the genuinely online degree for nurses who already hold a license
- LPN-to-RN - the shortest bridge if you are already a practical nurse
- CNA-to-RN - how aide experience converts into RN prerequisites
- Medical Assistant to RN - credit transfer from a medical assisting background
- Paramedic-to-RN - the EMS bridge, and where the two scopes differ
- Accelerated BSN Programs - for anyone who already holds a bachelor’s in another field
- BSN vs ADN - a direct comparison of the two pre-licensure routes
- Associate vs Bachelor Degree - the same tradeoff outside of nursing
- Degree Completion Programs - finishing a degree you already started
- Online Degrees for Tradespeople - every online route we cover, nursing and otherwise
- Trade Careers That Require a Degree - which careers actually need the four-year credential
Nursing Degree Programs by State
State pay, licensing and metro-level data for this degree. Wage and employment figures on every state page come from BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Alabama * Alaska * Arizona * Arkansas * California * Colorado * Connecticut * Delaware * District of Columbia * Florida * Georgia * Hawaii * Idaho * Illinois * Indiana * Iowa * Kansas * Kentucky * Louisiana * Maine * Maryland * Massachusetts * Michigan * Minnesota * Mississippi * Missouri * Montana * Nebraska * Nevada * New Hampshire * New Jersey * New Mexico * New York * North Carolina * North Dakota * Ohio * Oklahoma * Oregon * Pennsylvania * Rhode Island * South Carolina * South Dakota * Tennessee * Texas * Utah * Vermont * Virginia * Washington * West Virginia * Wisconsin * Wyoming
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Registered Nurses (SOC 29-1141), Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses (SOC 29-2061), Nursing Assistants (SOC 31-1131), Nurse Practitioners (SOC 29-1171)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
- National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) - NCLEX-RN examination
- Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) - nursing program accreditation
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.