The nursing field continues to evolve with medical technology and healthcare reforms that change the influences it has on health and wellness. Nurses who wish to help influence the challenges of modern nursing care can add to their knowledge easily. Now is a better time than ever to pursue nursing programs to help fill gaps in clinical and academic settings through higher education. You can complete a program online, on campus, or a combination of both. It is best to seek out multiple nursing schools in Georgia to ensure you find the program that best fits your needs.
In our Georgia RN program guide, find rankings for both ADN and BSN Degree programs, tuition costs, NCLEX passing rates, and more. Research key Georgia RN Program information to help you compare program metrics and to apply to best RN program for your career in nursing.
In the State of Georgia, nurses are helping to change the face of healthcare. To ensure that they have the best education and preparation for future health care challenges, registered nurses need to graduate from a state-approved associate's degree in nursing program or a BSN degree program.
Nurses who graduate from an RN program can obtain certification in over 100 nursing specialties, go on to earn an RN to BSN or RN to MSN degree.
BSN degree holders have options to earn an Advance Practice Register Nursing (APRN) degree and become a Nurse Practitioner (NP), or earn an advanced degree for a career in any number of nursing leadership roles such Nurse Educator or Clinical Nurse Specialist.
Georgia RN Program Comparisons: ADN vs BSN
| Compare RN Programs | ADN | BSN |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Nursing Programs | 21 | 32 |
| Average NCLEX Passing Rate | 87.25% | 87.86% |
| NCLEX Passing Rate Range | 59.02% to 97.56% | 72.34% to 95.99% |
| Average Net Price | $6,369.38 | $14,347.41 |
| Average Net Price Range | $462.00 to $12,673.00 | $2,323.00 to $27,412.00 |
| Average Student Loan | $7,197.37 | $15,793.63 |
| Average Student Loan Range | $1,927.00 to $25,006.00 | $5,500.00 to $25,563.00 |
| See Additional Detail | ADN Rankings for Georgia State | BSN Rankings for Georgia State |
Best Ranked RN Programs in Georgia
To help nursing students in their search for a top RN program, the education experts at RNCareers.org publish their annual findings of the best nursing schools for both Georgia and the country. Schools ranked on our list have proven their ability to educate highly competent nurses.
To create our rankings, we evaluated 19 ADN degree programs and 25 BSN degree programs in Georgia. We obtained each institution’s first-time NCLEX-RN passing rates, the number of students taking the test, the program nursing accreditation and more. We then compared the results against other nursing programs in Georgia to provide our state rankings. View our methodology.
Grade | Degree | University | GA Rank | US Rank | City | Type: | Offered As: | Accreditor(s): | More: | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 98.88 | ADN | College of Coastal Georgia | 1 | 18 | Brunswick | College of Coastal Georgia is located in Brunswick, Georgia. Their nursing department offers an ASN program, a prelicensure BSN program, which is designed for student without an RN license and an RN to BSN program, designed for students already holding their RN license. | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | |
| 97.08 | ADN | South Georgia State College | 2 | 64 | Douglas | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
| 96.87 | ADN | Chattahoochee Technical College | 3 | 73 | Marietta | Chattahoochee Technical College is located in Marietta, Georgia. They offer a variety of nursing options, from a practical nursing option, to an ASN option, to an LPN to RN bridge option. The ASN program can be completed in four months, whereas the LPN to RN bridge program can be completed in three months. | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | |
| 96.72 | ADN | Gordon State College | 4 | 78 | Barnesville | Gordon State College is located in Barnesville, Georgia. Their nursing deparment offers a couple of unique options. They have a traditional ASN program and an LPN to RN program. In addition, they have an RN-BSN completion degree, which allows their RN students to obtain a BSN degree. | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | |
| 95.46 | ADN | Gwinnett Technical College | 5 | 129 | Lawrenceville | Gwinnett Technical College is located in Lawrenceville, Georgia. They offer a variety of options for their students – a traditional ADN program, an LPN-RN bridge program and a paramedic bridge program, which allows paramedics to bridge to their RN degree. | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | |
| 95.15 | ADN | Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College | 6 | 140 | Tifton | Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College is located in Tifton, Georgia. While their college majors focus primarily on agriculture, wildlife and resource management, they do have an ASN program. Their ASN program offers a traditional program for students without a nursing license and a bridge program for students holding an LPN license. | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | |
| 94.69 | ADN | Wiregrass Georgia Technical College | 7 | 161 | Valdosta | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
| 94.28 | ADN | Middle Georgia State University | 8 | 175 | Macon | Middle Georgia State College is located in Macon, Georgia. Their nursing department offers a BSN program and an RN-BSN Completion Program. They also have an MSN program, which is a nurse practitioner program and is specific to adult/gerontology acute care. | Public | Campus, Online | ACEN | See School Details | |
| 92.83 | ADN | Georgia Highlands College | 9 | 245 | Rome | Public | Campus, Online | ACEN | See School Details | ||
| 91.36 | ADN | Dalton State College | 10 | 305 | Dalton | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
| 88.16 | ADN | Albany Technical College | 12 | 421 | Albany | Albany Technical College is located in Albany, Georgia. Their RN nursing program is relatively new – it opened its doors in 2012. They had an existing LPN nursing program in place. Their nursing program has a traditional RN program and an LPN-RN bridge path. | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | |
| 87.26 | ADN | Columbus Technical College | 13 | 458 | Columbus | Columbus Technical College is located in Columbus, Georgia. Their nursing department offers an LPN program, an ADN program and an LPN-ADN program. Columbus Technical College has agreements with both Columbus State University and Troy University for graduates to attend their RN-BSN programs after graduation. | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | |
| 87.20 | ADN | Athens Technical College | 14 | 460 | Athens | Athens Technical College is located in Athens, Georgia. Their nursing department offers an ASN degree and a bridge program, which is an LPN to RN program. Their LPN to RN program allows the student to graduate in three semesters as opposed to four. | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | |
| 86.97 | ADN | Augusta Technical College | 15 | 466 | Augusta | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
| 84.50 | ADN | Atlanta Technical College | 16 | 524 | Atlanta | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
| 84.10 | ADN | Albany State University | 17 | 538 | Albany | Public | Campus, Online | ACEN, ACME, CCNE, COA | See School Details | ||
| 82.69 | ADN | Georgia Northwestern Technical College | 18 | 569 | Rome | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
| 82.31 | ADN | West Georgia Technical College | 19 | 578 | Waco | West Georgia Technical College is located in Waco, Georgia. They currently offer an LPN program and an RN program. Their RN programs graduate 70 students per year, 35 in the spring and 35 in the fall. They currently do not offer an LPN-RN bridge program. | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | |
| 98.48 | BSN | Kennesaw State University | 1 | 23 | Kennesaw | Public | Campus, Hybrid | ACEN, ACME, CCNE, COA | See School Details | ||
| 98.45 | BSN | Georgia College and State University | 2 | 24 | Milledgeville | Public | Hybrid, Online | ACEN, ACME, CCNE, COA | See School Details | ||
| 97.50 | BSN | Emory University | 3 | 55 | Atlanta | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus, Hybrid | ACEN, ACME, CCNE, COA | See School Details | ||
| 96.40 | BSN | University of North Georgia | 4 | 90 | Dahlonega | Public | Campus, Online | See School Details | |||
| 95.16 | BSN | College of Coastal Georgia | 5 | 136 | Brunswick | College of Coastal Georgia is located in Brunswick, Georgia. Their nursing department offers an ASN program, a prelicensure BSN program, which is designed for student without an RN license and an RN to BSN program, designed for students already holding their RN license. | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | |
| 94.91 | BSN | Piedmont College | 6 | 147 | Demorest | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus | ACME, COA | See School Details | ||
| 93.35 | BSN | Georgia Southwestern State University | 7 | 223 | Americus | Public | Campus, Online | ACEN, ACME, CCNE, COA | See School Details | ||
| 92.18 | BSN | Berry College | 8 | 261 | Mount Berry | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus | CCNE | See School Details | ||
| 91.74 | BSN | LaGrange College | 9 | 274 | Lagrange | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus, Online | ACME, COA | See School Details | ||
| 91.49 | BSN | Clayton State University | 10 | 283 | Morrow | Public | Campus, Online | CCNE | See School Details | ||
| 91.32 | BSN | Valdosta State University | 11 | 291 | Valdosta | Public | Campus, Hybrid | ACEN, ACME, CCNE, COA | See School Details | ||
| 90.23 | BSN | Brenau University | 12 | 317 | Gainesville | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus, Hybrid, Online | ACEN, ACME, CCNE, COA | See School Details | ||
| 90.17 | BSN | Georgia Baptist College of Nursing at Mercer University | 13 | 320 | Macon | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus, Online | ACME, COA | See School Details | ||
| 89.88 | BSN | Middle Georgia State University | 14 | 326 | Macon | Middle Georgia State College is located in Macon, Georgia. Their nursing department offers a BSN program and an RN-BSN Completion Program. They also have an MSN program, which is a nurse practitioner program and is specific to adult/gerontology acute care. | Public | Campus, Online | ACEN | See School Details | |
| 89.02 | BSN | Wesleyan College | 15 | 345 | Macon | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus | CCNE | See School Details | ||
| 88.87 | BSN | Augusta University | 16 | 349 | Augusta | Augusta University is located in Augusta, Georgia. Their College of Nursing offers a traditional BSN program and an RN-BSN program, which is designed for students already holding a RN license. They also have a master’s program and have a clinical nurse leader degree designed for non-nursing bachelor’s degrees. | Public | Campus | ACME, COA | See School Details | |
| 88.14 | BSN | Albany State University | 17 | 367 | Albany | Public | Campus, Online | ACEN, ACME, CCNE, COA | See School Details | ||
| 88.02 | BSN | Columbus State University | 18 | 373 | Columbus | Public | Campus, Online | ACEN, ACME, CCNE, COA | See School Details | ||
| 87.89 | BSN | Chamberlain College of Nursing-Georgia | 19 | 376 | Atlanta | Private For-Profit | Campus | ACME, COA | See School Details | ||
| 87.24 | BSN | Georgia Southern University | 20 | 396 | Statesboro | Public | Campus, Hybrid, Online | ACEN, ACME, CCNE, COA | See School Details | ||
| 86.36 | BSN | Georgia State University | 21 | 413 | Atlanta | Public | Campus, Hybrid | ACEN, ACME, CCNE, COA | See School Details | ||
| 86.03 | BSN | University of West Georgia | 22 | 418 | Carrollton | Public | Campus, Online | CCNE | See School Details | ||
| 82.58 | BSN | Shorter University | 23 | 462 | Rome | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus | CCNE | See School Details |
Become an Advance Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) in Georgia
RNs who wish to become advanced practice registered nurses will want to pursue any number of avenues to earn Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree. Earning a Master of Science in Nursing consists of graduate-level coursework and clinical practice for those nurses who wish to direct patient roles such as a nurse practitioner. You can also pursue indirect patient roles such as teaching or leadership roles, or become involved in policy, state-wide health initiatives or community engagement. There are many clinical and non-clinical avenues that an RN with MSN can pursue.Become a Nurse Practitioner (NP) in Georgia
Learn how to become a Nurse Practitioner (NP) and research schools in Georgia offering the following high paying nurse practitioner specialties:- Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
- Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
- Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
- Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
- Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)
- Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP)
Georgia RN Licensing Requirements
Georgia has strict guidelines that all candidates must follow in order to gain licensure. There are also strict guidelines that must be followed in order to renew a nursing license. As of January 31, 2016, all registered nurses will be require to complete continuing education requirements to meet the needs to the new licensure standards.RN Licensure by Exam
Before a candidate can register for the NCLEX-RN exam, he/she must initiate a background check using the correct ORI number (GA922931Z). This process can be completed online. When this was completed, the candidate should register for the NCLEX exam through Pearson promptly. The Board can note that this was not done when the application is review and processing may be delayed. Candidates who apply by examination may also complete the application process online. In addition, the following should be submitted:- Official transcripts
- Fingerprinting
- $40 fee made payable to the state of Georgia
- $200 fee paid to Pearson Vue for participating in the exam
RN Licensure by Endorsement
Candidates who are licensed in one of the other 50 states are able to apply for licensure through an endorsement. There are some requirements that need to be met:- At least three months or 500 hours of work unless graduation occurred in the past four months
- Application and supplemental material which includes an email address to help track the application
- $60 fee to apply by endorsement
RN License for Nurses Educated Abroad
Candidates from countries outside of the United States are eligible for licensing but there are additional requirements. They must demonstrate a proficiency in the English language.Georgia Board of Nursing
214 State Capitol Atlanta, Georgia 30334 404.656.2881RN Salaries in Georgia
Georgia offers one of the highest rates of RN employment in the United States. When you earn your Bachelor’s in nursing degree in Georgia, you will position yourself as a leader. This will help nurses prepare for challenges in their expanding roles in healthcare by pursuing higher education beyond the hospital.Georgia Registered Nursing Salaries
RN Salaries in Georgia
The Atlanta-Sandy-Springs-Marietta, Georgia metropolitan area has the highest annual median wage as well as the largest amount of employees.| Area name | Employment | Hourly median wage | Annual median wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albany, GA | 1,250 | $28.75 | $59,800 |
| Athens-Clarke County, GA | 1,990 | $28.94 | $60,190 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA | 36,370 | $31.79 | $66,120 |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | 5,860 | $31.16 | $64,810 |
| Brunswick, GA | 810 | $27.05 | $56,260 |
| Columbus, GA-AL | 2,310 | $28.18 | $58,620 |
| Dalton, GA | 780 | $24.78 | $51,540 |
| Hinesville-Fort Stewart, GA | 230 | $31.26 | $65,010 |
| Macon, GA | 2,060 | $28.51 | $59,290 |
| Rome, GA | 1,650 | $26.83 | $55,800 |
| Savannah, GA | 2,820 | $28.82 | $59,950 |
| Valdosta, GA | 1,100 | $25.31 | $52,650 |
| Warner Robins, GA | 760 | $27.28 | $56,730 |
| North Georgia nonmetropolitan area | 1,770 | $28.04 | $58,320 |
| Middle Georgia nonmetropolitan area | 2,380 | $27.23 | $56,640 |
| East Georgia nonmetropolitan area | 1,730 | $26.61 | $55,360 |
| South Georgia nonmetropolitan area | 3,090 | $25.50 | $53,030 |