In our Minnesota RN program guide, find rankings for both ADN and BSN Degree programs, tuition costs, NCLEX passing rates, and more. Research key Minnesota 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 Minnesota, 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.
Minnesota RN Program Comparisons: ADN vs BSN
| Compare RN Programs | ADN | BSN |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Nursing Programs | 25 | 25 |
| Average NCLEX Passing Rate | 81.98% | 85.04% |
| NCLEX Passing Rate Range | 61.99% to 91.59% | 61.88% to 95.65% |
| Average Net Price | $12,185.24 | $19,283.76 |
| Average Net Price Range | $8,463.00 to $23,994.00 | $12,269.00 to $26,915.00 |
| Average Student Loan | $10,748.60 | $18,017.42 |
| Average Student Loan Range | $8,000.00 to $25,000.00 | $8,549.00 to $26,457.00 |
| See Additional Detail | ADN Rankings for Minnesota State | BSN Rankings for Minnesota State |
Best Ranked RN Programs in Minnesota
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 Minnesota and the country. Schools ranked on our list have proven their ability to educate highly competent nurses.
To create our rankings, we evaluated 24 ADN degree programs and 18 BSN degree programs in Minnesota. 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 Minnesota to provide our state rankings. View our methodology.
Grade | Degree | University | MN Rank | US Rank | City | Type: | Offered As: | Accreditor(s): | More: | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 92.85 | ADN | Alexandria Technical & Community College | 1 | 249 | Alexandria | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
| 92.19 | ADN | Inver Hills Community College | 2 | 278 | Inver Grove Heights | Inver Hills Community College is located in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota. They offer an ADN and a BSN degree. Inver Hills Community College helped to develop the Minnesota Alliance for Nursing Education (MANE) curriculum, which “encourages a deep understanding of key nursing concepts while addressing the changing health care environment.” | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | |
| 91.70 | ADN | Pine Technical College | 3 | 294 | Pine City | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
| 91.00 | ADN | North Hennepin Community College | 4 | 322 | Brooklyn Park | North Hennepin Community College is located in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. They offer an ASN and an ASN – Advanced Standing. The Advanced Standing is their LPN to RN program. NHCC students may enroll in a partner school with the Minnesota Alliance for Nursing Education, which would enable them to complete three semesters post-graduation, allowing them to earn their BSN. | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | |
| 90.34 | ADN | Century Community College | 5 | 347 | White Bear Lake | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
| 88.42 | ADN | Lake Superior College | 6 | 417 | Duluth | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
| 87.94 | ADN | Ridgewater College | 7 | 439 | Willmar | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
| 86.94 | ADN | Northwest Technical College | 8 | 477 | Bemidji | Public | Campus, Online | See School Details | |||
| 86.93 | ADN | Rochester Community and Technical College | 9 | 478 | Rochester | Rochester Community and Technical College is located in Rochester, Minnesota. They offer an ADN degree. There is not a separate LPN to RN program, but LPNs are given advanced placement based on their past education and licensure. | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | |
| 86.42 | ADN | South Central College | 10 | 495 | North Mankato | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
| 86.30 | ADN | Normandale Community College | 11 | 500 | Bloomington | Normandale Community College is located in Bloomington, Minnesota. They offer an ADN program. While there is not a specific LPN to RN program, LPNs do take a separate transitions course in place of a 9 credit foundations course. Normandale nursing students can also earn their BSN in conjunction with various partnerships with neighboring colleges. | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | |
| 86.15 | ADN | Hibbing Community College | 12 | 502 | Hibbing | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
| 84.00 | ADN | St Cloud Technical and Community College | 13 | 553 | Saint Cloud | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
| 83.85 | ADN | Central Lakes College-Brainerd | 14 | 557 | Brainerd | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
| 83.54 | ADN | Minnesota State Community and Technical College | 15 | 563 | Fergus Falls | Public | Campus, Online | See School Details | |||
| 83.52 | ADN | Rasmussen College | 16 | 564 | St. Cloud | Private For-Profit | Campus, Online | ACEN | See School Details | ||
| 83.28 | ADN | Northland Community and Technical College | 17 | 571 | Thief River Falls | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
| 82.73 | ADN | Minneapolis Community and Technical College | 18 | 583 | Minneapolis | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
| 80.43 | ADN | Minnesota West Community and Technical College | 19 | 623 | Granite Falls | Public | Campus, Online | ACEN | See School Details | ||
| 79.35 | ADN | Anoka-Ramsey Community College | 20 | 636 | Coon Rapids | Anoka-Rapids Community College is located in Coon Rapids, Minnesota. They offer a traditional RN track and an LPN to RN track. They have articulation agreements with Minnesota State University – Moorhead, Minnesota State University – Mankato, and Winona State University. | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | |
| 76.90 | ADN | Riverland Community College | 21 | 660 | Austin | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
| 72.03 | ADN | Minnesota State College-Southeast Technical | 22 | 689 | Winona | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
| 63.41 | ADN | Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College | 23 | 706 | Cloquet | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
| 94.91 | BSN | Concordia - St. Paul’s | 2 | 148 | St. Paul | Concordia University is located in St. Paul, MN. They have a BSN program. Beginning in 2016, they began an accelerated BSN (ABSN) program, allowing students with prior college credits to earn their BSN in 16 months. A CNA license is required prior to entrance into either BSN program. | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus | CCNE | See School Details | |
| 93.84 | BSN | University of Minnesota, Baccalaureate | 1 | 197 | Minneapolis | Public | Campus, Hybrid | ACEN, ACME, CCNE, COA | See School Details | ||
| 92.59 | BSN | St. Olaf College | 2 | 247 | Northfield | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus | CCNE | See School Details | ||
| 92.26 | BSN | Winona State University | 3 | 258 | Winona | Winona State University is located in Winona, Minnesota. They offer a pre-licensure program (a BSN program) and an RN-BSN completion program. They are proud to note that 96% of their 2012-13 graduates have job placement as RNs. | Public | Campus, Hybrid | ACEN, ACME, CCNE, COA | See School Details | |
| 91.84 | BSN | Concordia College at Moorhead | 4 | 273 | Moorhead | Concordia College is located in Moorhead, Minnesota. They offer both a traditional BSN program and an accelerated BSN program; their accelerated BSN program is offered to students with a prior bachelor’s degree. Their program is unique in that students occasionally get to travel abroad as a nursing outreach program. | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus | CCNE | See School Details | |
| 91.41 | BSN | Bethel University | 5 | 289 | Saint Paul | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus, Online | CCNE | See School Details | ||
| 91.21 | BSN | Minnesota State University-Mankato | 6 | 297 | Mankato | Public | Campus, Hybrid | ACEN, ACME, CCNE, COA | See School Details | ||
| 90.21 | BSN | St Catherine University | 7 | 323 | Saint Paul | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus, Hybrid, Online | ACEN, ACME, CCNE, COA | See School Details | ||
| 89.66 | BSN | Saint Cloud State University | 8 | 336 | Saint Cloud | St. Cloud State University is located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. They offer both a BSN and an RN to BSN program. St. Cloud State University is proud to note that they offer education to over 700 student veterans and active military servicemen and servicewomen. | Public | Campus | CCNE | See School Details | |
| 88.43 | BSN | Herzing University-Minneapolis | 9 | 365 | Minneapolis | Private For-Profit | Campus | CCNE | See School Details | ||
| 87.90 | BSN | College of St Benedict/St John's University | 10 | 381 | Saint Joseph | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus | CCNE | See School Details | ||
| 87.90 | BSN | Gustavus Adolphus | 10 | 381 | Saint Peter | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus | CCNE | See School Details | ||
| 87.58 | BSN | Crown College | 11 | 394 | Saint Bonifacius | Crown College is located in Bonifacius, Minnesota. It is a private Christian College offering a BSN degree. The BSN program is a biblically-based nursing education, including a Christian core of classes, in addition to nursing classes and other core classes. | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus, Online | CCNE | See School Details | |
| 83.36 | BSN | Metropolitan State University | 12 | 460 | Saint Paul | Public | Campus | ACEN, ACME, CCNE, COA | See School Details | ||
| 83.34 | BSN | Rasmussen College | 13 | 461 | St. Cloud | Private For-Profit | Campus, Online | ACEN | See School Details | ||
| 83.01 | BSN | The College of Saint Scholastica | 14 | 463 | Duluth | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus, Hybrid, Online | ACEN, ACME, CCNE, COA | See School Details | ||
| 75.97 | BSN | Bemidji State University | 15 | 510 | Bemidji | Bemidji State University is located in Bemidji, Minnesota. They offer a BSN program and an RN to BSN program. They also offer a study abroad program in May, where students have the ability to travel to South Africa, in conjunction with Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. | Public | Campus, Online | CCNE | See School Details |
Become an Advance Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) in Minnesota
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 Minnesota
Learn how to become a Nurse Practitioner (NP) and research schools in Minnesota 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)
Minnesota RN Licensing Requirements
Minnesota State Board of Nursing 2829 University Avenue SE Suite 200 Minneapolis, MN 55414 Phone: (612) 617-2270 Website: http://www.nursingboard.state.mn.us/ Fees: Initial licensing fee, RN: $115.50 License renewal (every two years), RN: $93.50 Continuing Education Requirements: RNs: 24 contact hours every renewal period LPNs: 12 contact hours every renewal period A candidate is required to complete a professional nursing program that has been approved in Minnesota or the board in one of the other 50 states. As of 2016, nursing programs in Minnesota will be required to hold programmatic accreditation or candidate status. There are several resources available to nurses who are looking for the best nursing program possible. One resource is the Minnesota Student Nurses Association and membership is not required.RN Licensure by Exam
Before a candidate can apply for the NCLEX exam, he/she must submit a Registered Nurse Licensure by Examination Application and submit the necessary non-refundable fee. Candidates must also provide evidence that they have not engaged in conduct, which warranted disciplinary action. The school must submit a completed Confirmation of Program Completion from a nursing program. When these steps have been completed, register to take the NCLEX through the Pearson VUE website and schedule a test when an authorization to test has been received. This authorization is valid for 90 days.RN Licensure by Endorsement
Registered nurses who have obtained licensure in one of the other 50 states may obtain licensure in the state of Minnesota by endorsement. In order to be granted licensure by endorsement, candidates must complete the following:- Submit a Licensure by Endorsement Application form and fee
- Verification of Licensure
- Confirmation of Nursing Employment for Licensure by Endorsement
RN License for Nurses Educated Abroad
In some cases, nurses can gain licensure after being trained in a foreign country. In order to do so, the following tasks must be completed:- Pass an approved English proficiency test such as TOEFL unless the candidate has graduated from a nursing education program in an English-speaking country
- Successfully pass the NCLEX exam
- Acceptable non-refundable application fee
RN Salaries in Minnesota
There are many options available to nurses who have obtained a bachelor’s degree. Some of the options include: long-term care facilities, hospice, occupational, public health departments, clinics, schools, and home health. This degree will prove to be worth the time and hard work that are used in obtaining a bachelor’s degree. There are currently more than 57,000 registered nurses working in Minnesota earning a mean average income of $67,930 annually. Salaries are dependent on years of experience, education, and specialization area. The management positions tend to pay a higher salary.Minnesota Registered Nursing Salaries
The Minneapolis metropolitan area has the largest amount of registered nurses employed than any other area. However, the St. Cloud metropolitan area has the highest hourly mean wage and annual median wage.| Area name | Employment | Hourly median wage | Annual median wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duluth, MN-WI | 3,430 | $30.98 | $64,430 |
| Mankato-North Mankato, MN | 1,470 | $25.93 | $53,940 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 33,410 | $36.21 | $75,330 |
| Rochester, MN | 6,720 | $29.85 | $62,090 |
| St. Cloud, MN | 2,320 | $38.89 | $80,900 |
| Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | 3,680 | $31.74 | $66,020 |
| Northeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | 940 | $29.25 | $60,840 |
| Southwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | 2,250 | $28.50 | $59,270 |
| Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | 2,240 | $27.13 | $56,430 |
