Best RN Programs in Alabama for 2024

Coastal Alabama CC (Southern State) provides ADN, LPN, and a Mobility (LPN and paramedic to ADN) degrees similar to its brethren in James H Faulkner State. 

Ranking as one of the top nursing colleges in the state, Coastal Alabama CC aims to provide quality, patient-centered nursing education to produce nurses who can effectively integrate evidence-based practices to provide compassionate, patient-centered care when they graduate. 

The school prides itself in its highly sophisticated simulation labs designed to provide guided yet autonomous learning in a safe and controlled environment. The labs allow nursing students to develop their skills in various areas like critical thinking, clinical judgment, teamwork, communication, prioritization, etc.

The highly competitive nursing program at Coastal Alabama CC encourages students to constantly better themselves and redefine new limits for themselves. The school also provides financial aid in different forms to encourage students and ensure that finance doesn’t interfere with getting a quality education.

Wallace State Community College is located in Hanceville, Alabama, and they offer both an LPN and an RN program. The Wallace State Department of Nursing's goal is to produce nursing graduates "who are dedicated and exceptional healthcare providers committed to transforming the lives of patients, families, and the community."  Wallace State Community College also has an articulation agreement with University of Alabama, which allows its graduates to pursue their bachelor's or master's degree of nursing.

Coastal Alabama Community College is located in Bay Minette, Alabama and is known to have one of the lowest tuition rates in Alabama. It is a is a public community college with nine campuses across southern Alabama. The current nursing school was established in 2017 through the consolidation of Alabama Southern Community College, Faulkner State Community College, and Jefferson Davis Community College.  They offer a number of nursing programs - an LPN program, a nursing mobility program (LPN to RN), and an RN program. Nursing graduates from Faulkner State Community College are prepared to be critical thinkers, practicing safely and effectively in a variety of healthcare settings.

Aiming to provide quality, affordable educational opportunities through a variety of instructional strategies, the nursing school offers two highly sophisticated simulation labs and has integrated Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) and National League of Nursing (NLN) into their philosophy in order to provide quality nursing education that is in-step with the ever-changing global healthcare scenario.

By offering various nursing academic paths to earn an RN degree, Coastal Alabama Community College offers nursing students a way to earn a highly sought after nursing degree from one of the top educational institutions in the state.

Undergraduate Programs - Associate Degree Nursing (RN) is a full-time day course that runs for a total of five semesters. However, students who successfully complete the first three semesters or 45 credit hours are awarded with a Practical Nursing (PN) certificate and can take the licensure examination to become an LPN. After successful completion of the five-semester program, students will be awarded an ADN, and will be eligible to take the licensure exam to become an RN.

The Practical Nursing (LPN) Certificate Program is also a full-time day course, this program runs for three semesters, and students will be eligible to take the licensure exam to become an LPN. Alternatively, graduates of this program can also apply for the Mobility (LPN to RN) program so as to complete the associate degree in nursing after they pass their NCLEX-RN.

Their Mobility LPN and Paramedics to ADN program is a day program designed for current Alabama licensed LPNs and Paramedics who want to complete their ADN.

Lawson State Community College is located in Birmingham, Alabama; there is also a campus in Bessemer, Alabama for an evening RN program.  The school boasts that their nursing program is competitive and prestigious - and difficult to gain entrance.  Although their is a minimum GPA requirement, it is recommended to maintain a high GPA and perform at a high level in all science courses.  It is even recommended that their students take additional biology classes to ready themselves for their nursing program - classes that are not required for the nursing program.

Coastal Alabama CC (Jefferson Davis) is passionate when it comes to developing quality nursing professionals who provide compassionate, patient-centered care and can lead the way when it comes to developing nursing practice. The educational programs here are supportive of the students, inclusive, and affordable.

The high-fidelity simulation labs help students develop high competencies when it comes to nursing skills before they go out to the field. The students also practice in hospitals with highly-trained faculties and further perfect their skills and knowledge before attaining their degree as nursing professionals.

The alumni praise the small class sizes and close knit community at Coastal Alabama CC that helped them develop the much needed confidence and gave them a safe space to learn. Small class sizes mean that the instructors know most if not all the students, and everyone is treated equally, and everyone is welcomed and cared for.

Undergraduate Programs: The college offers an Associate Degree Nursing program that prepares students to practice as competent RNs after successfully completing their NCLEX-RN exam.

There is also a Practical Nursing (LPN) program that can either be studied on its own or students can take their Practical Nursing Certificate upon the completion of their third semester. The students with this certificate are eligible to take the practical nursing licensure exam for LPNs.

What’s more is that Coastal Alabama offers a mobility LPN to ADN degree for those with a LPN or other paramedic license who want to take a chance and become RNs.

Southern Union State Community College has multiple campuses in Alabama- Wadley, Opelika, and Valley.  The RN school is housed on the Opelika campus.  Their RN program is unique in that it offers mobility programs for not just LPNs seeking to become RNs, but also paramedics seeking to become RNs.

This non-profit, private institution has committed itself to meet the growing demand for credible registered nurses in the state of Alabama. With its state-of-the art technologies that nursing students use to garner competence nursing skills, and high-fidelity simulation labs, Herzing University is well on its way to bridge the gap between demand and supply of skilled nursing personnel in the area. The simulation labs mimic real-life scenarios so that students learn to develop nursing core competencies in a controlled environment before moving on to clinical practice.

The university also offers clinical education opportunities at multiple sites for the students so that they can put the skills they learn in labs and knowledge they get in class to use in real health care sites under the guidance of skilled instructors. They also offer grants and financial aid to help students attain quality education without financial burden.

Undergraduate programs: Herzing offers an Associate of Science in Nursing degree in addition to its two year Birmingham Associate in Nursing Program. The Associate in Nursing Program allows students to take both online general education classes with core on-campus courses to prepare for the NCLEX-RN and become a licensed RN. Along with that they also have a Bachelor of Science in Nursing course. All of these courses prepare students to become highly skilled and credible licensed RNs.

The University also has a 16 months long LPN-to-RN bridge program that elevates the competency level of LPN nurses so that they can get their license to practice as RNs as well.

Established in 1965, the Jefferson State Community College Nursing aims to provide full and equal access to opportunities for education so that the graduates go on to practice safe, competent, patient-centred care in the ever-changing global health care system.

Jefferson State CC uses educational methods that are current and supportive of the students in the teaching and learning environment. The nursing students here are guided by the values and philosophy that reflect the competencies from the QSEN and NLN.

The college houses a state-of-the art simulation lab where students learn to practice the real-life skills they learnt in the classroom, ranging from giving injections to patient handling and communication. They also go on to practice at actual hospitals under the guidance of experienced facilitators to ensure that they are competent enough to tackle most if not all kinds of situations pertaining to healthcare.

Undergraduate programs: The college offers the Associated Nursing Program at four locations; Birmingham, Hoover, Clanton, and Pell City, Alabama.

In addition to that, they also offer a traditional BSN program and also a joint enrolment program with UAB which allows you to graduate with a double degree from a single course.

This community college also believes that finance should not act as a barrier between a great mind and quality education. Jefferson State CC offers a wide variety of aid, grants, scholarships, loans, and work studies to assist students overcome their financial barrier and focus on learning to serve the community better.

This community college is fueled by the need of competent nurses in the community. It was estimated that the need for RNs is expected to grow by 15% in the next five years, and the recent pandemic has taught us exactly how important it is to have adequate nurses working to save lives every day. 

The nursing program at John C Calhoun Stat CC is designed to teach the students how to think critically and adapt to the ever-changing healthcare environment. They are taught life-saving skills that enable them to provide the best compassionate care possible. The nursing graduates from this college have gone on to work in several healthcare settings including hospitals, physicians’ offices, schools, home health, and community. The multiple courses comprising a plethora of subjects and skill sets enable the students to tackle any kind of situation and bring out the best in them.

Undergraduate programs: The college has teamed up with the University of Alabama in Huntsville to create a dual degree program (ADN/BSN) which awards the students with both the degrees in a span of nine semesters if they are eligible to enroll at both the colleges.

There is also a Practical Nursing (PN) certificate that is awarded to students who successfully complete the first three semesters of the ADN curriculum plan and they are eligible to give the NCLEX-PN exam.

The associate degree takes a total of five semesters, upon the completion of which the students can give the NCLEX-RN exam and practice as licensed RNs.

In addition to this, they also offer a RN bridge program for registered LPNs who wish to get their RN license.