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If you’re looking at college, you’re probably wondering how much does nursing school cost?
It can be difficult to say just how much nursing school will cost because it is different for everyone. However, we will do our best to go over the fees, tuition and associated costs of nursing school.
Nursing School Costs
So, if you’re looking at nursing schools, you know that nursing school can be hard. And, to make matters worse, nursing school can be expensive. But, how expensive is nursing school? Nursing school can be upwards of $100,000 if you pay for housing, school and supplies.
What is the Average Cost of Nursing School?
On average, nursing school can cost anywhere from $40,000.00 to $75,000.00 depending on what school and program you attend. However, there are several other variables that can affect your individual nursing school cost.
What Are the Types of Nursing Degrees? And How Much Do They Cost?
To first understand how much nursing school costs, you need to know that their are different types of nursing degrees. While a being a registered nurse means that you have passed your state board examination, there is different types of RN’s.
We have a full guide on how to get into nursing school along with some of the differences between programs!
Bachelor’s Degree Nursing Program (BSN)
Bachelor’s Degree Nurses are registered nurses who have gone through a 3-5 year BSN program. These programs typically involve taking nursing courses in addition to other courses required by the university. While it does involve more work, these programs set you up to be able to go to graduate school or further education.
How much does a BSN nursing program cost? You can expect bachelor’s nursing degrees to cost anywhere from $20,000 to $100,000. This can vary depending on living expenses and the type of university.
Associate’s Degree Nursing Program (ADN)
Associate’s Degree Nurses are registered nurses who have gone through a 1.5-2 year ADN program. While you are a registered nurse, you don’t have your BSN, which a lot of hospitals are starting to require.
There isn’t many pay differences, but a lot of hospitals are starting to require you achieve your BSN within a certain time period. Additionally, you won’t be able to further your education as far as master’s programs are concerned until you earn a Bachelor’s degree.
How much does an ADN nursing program cost? Typically associate’s nursing programs will cost anywhere from $5,000 to $40,000 depending on what type of college you attend (public vs private vs state).
Licensed Practical Nurse Program (LPN)
Licensed Practical or Vocational Nurses are different than a registered nurse. LPN’s or LVN’s have a certificate rather than a diploma and don’t have as many responsibilities. LPN’s also usually are on a lower pay scale than registered nurses.
How much does a LPN nursing program cost? LPN nursing programs can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $20,000. However, there might be incentives to get into an even cheaper program.
While LPN’s aren’t used much in hospitals anymore, it is a viable route to go. You can easily go through an LPN to BSN program for a much cheaper cost than just doing a straight-up BSN program. In addition, you should be able to work for $20-$25 an hour while in that transitional program.
Online Nursing Programs
There are some nursing programs that offer online courses. However, nursing is one of those degrees that requires in-person clinical experiences. So, at some point you will have to take in-person courses.
Although if you’re an ADN nurse transitioning to a BSN, it is completely viable to take strictly online courses. Typically courses can run anywhere from $50 to $1700 per credit hour for in-state students. And, $200 to $2000 per credit hour for out-of-state students.
However, with online courses, you shouldn’t have any extra traveling expenses or extra expenses related to in-person courses. There are a lot of pros to taking online nursing courses, but there are some students who might struggle with a purely online course.
So, before you get into an online nursing program, you should consider what type of learning you do best with!
What Costs Are Associated With Nursing School?
On top of credit hour costs, you’ll also be responsible for books, scrubs, accessories and white nursing shoes. Depending on what school you attend, you can expect a variety of different expenses that can include:
- Scrubs: $50-100
- Lab Coat: $25-50
- Books: $2000-10,000
- Medical Supplies: $100-200+
- Clinical Supplies: $100-200+
- Stethoscope: $50-100
- Nursing Shoes: $50-200
- Liability Insurance: $35 per year
- Vaccines: Free-$100 per year
How to Pay for Nursing School?
When considering how to pay for nursing school, you can look at personal loans, government loans, or parent loans. A lot of students won’t have the option of a parental loan, so government or personal loans are their only options.
When taking loans out, we’d recommend to get as many subsidized loans as possible. And, pay back any debts as soon as you can! Interest on student loans can build up very quickly and it’s definitely worth tackling in the short-term!
We have a guide on how to start paying back your student loans, along with some tips to help nurses start paying down their debt.
Are Nursing School Student Loans Worth it?
Should student loans or the cost of nursing school stop you from going? Absolutely not. Nursing is one of the degree’s that you can’t really avoid getting. So if that’s what you truly want to do, then you shouldn’t let having student loans stop you from attending nursing school!
Nurses make pretty good money, and you have the potential to attend graduate school to improve your income further. A nursing degree can unlock a lot of potential job opportunities.
