It is important for nurses to remember that education is a lifelong endeavor. Continuing in education can help nurses provide the highest quality care possible. Nursing continues to involve in the fields of bedside care, case management and healthcare delivery. It is because of this that nurses are able to aid patients in navigating the increasingly complex system. Registered nurses are seeking out high education more than ever. There are many nursing programs in New Jersey with RN and BSN programs. The programs offer a way to earn your baccalaureate degree while maintaining a busy work schedule. Now is a better time than ever to pursue a BSN as lawmakers have been pushing higher education to meet increasing demands and for healthier patient outcomes.
In our New Jersey RN program guide, find rankings for both ADN and BSN Degree programs, tuition costs, NCLEX passing rates, and more. Research key New Jersey 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 New Jersey, 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.
New Jersey RN Program Comparisons: ADN vs BSN
Compare RN Programs | ADN | BSN |
---|---|---|
Number of Nursing Programs | 20 | 16 |
Average NCLEX Passing Rate | 83.01% | 83.63% |
NCLEX Passing Rate Range | 34.05% to 98.37% | 73.96% to 93.70% |
Average Net Price | $8,016.94 | $18,101.60 |
Average Net Price Range | $2,933.00 to $30,006.00 | $9,596.00 to $28,884.00 |
Average Student Loan | $6,817.29 | $19,988.69 |
Average Student Loan Range | $4,542.00 to $13,666.00 | $9,876.00 to $25,000.00 |
See Additional Detail | ADN Rankings for New Jersey State | BSN Rankings for New Jersey State |
Best Ranked RN Programs in New Jersey
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 New Jersey and the country. Schools ranked on our list have proven their ability to educate highly competent nurses.
To create our rankings, we evaluated 18 ADN degree programs and 13 BSN degree programs in New Jersey. 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 New Jersey to provide our state rankings. View our methodology.
Grade | Degree | University | NJ Rank | US Rank | City | Type: | Offered As: | Accreditor(s): | More: | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
94.97 | ADN | Mercer County Community College | 1 | 152 | West Windsor | Public | Campus, Online | ACEN | See School Details | ||
94.36 | ADN | Essex County College | 2 | 177 | Newark | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
94.20 | ADN | Rowan College at Gloucester County | 3 | 185 | Sewell | Rowan College at Gloucester County (formerly Gloucester County College) is located in Sewell, New Jersey. They offer a generic nursing track and an LPN to RN track. Rowan College has partnerships with other universities, such as Rowan University, Drexel University an Wilmington University, allowing nursing students to attend both schools simultaneously, earning credits for both their RN an BSN degrees. | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | |
94.11 | ADN | Passaic County Community College | 4 | 190 | Paterson | Passaic County Community College is located in Patterson, New Jersey. They offer a nurse education (RN) and an LPN mobility (LPN to RN) program. The RN program is offered as a “day” or “evening” option, making it flexible for various types of learners. | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | |
93.66 | ADN | Raritan Valley Community College | 5 | 214 | Branchburg | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
93.17 | ADN | County College of Morris | 6 | 234 | Randolph | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
91.75 | ADN | Ocean County College | 7 | 291 | Toms River | Ocean County College is located in Toms River, New Jersey. Ocean County College has multiple options for its nursing students; they do offer a traditional nursing program. They also offer a career mobility program, which is an LPN to RN program. Unique to their college is the On-site Online Nursing program – this program requires students to attend class one day per week on-site, with the rest being online. Students must have prior healthcare experience to be accepted into this program. | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | |
90.16 | ADN | Hudson County Community College | 8 | 355 | Jersey City | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
88.55 | ADN | Jersey College - Teterboro | 9 | 411 | Teterboro | Private For-Profit | Campus | See School Details | |||
88.17 | ADN | Bergen Community College | 11 | 428 | Paramus | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
87.77 | ADN | Middlesex County College | 12 | 445 | Edison | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
85.80 | ADN | Salem Community College | 14 | 510 | Carneys Point | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
83.70 | ADN | Brookdale Community College | 15 | 560 | Lincroft | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
83.12 | ADN | Cumberland County College | 16 | 575 | Vineland | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
82.10 | ADN | Eastern International College-Belleville | 17 | 596 | Belleville | Eastern International College is located in Belleville, New Jersey. They offer an associate’s degree in nursing. At this time, they do not have an LPN to RN option. The college itself began in 1990 as Micro Tech Training Center, training students in computer-related topics. The school evolved into healthcare training programs in 2002. | Private For-Profit | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | |
81.38 | ADN | Atlantic Cape Community College | 18 | 609 | Mays Landing | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
69.11 | ADN | Rowan College at Burlington County | 19 | 699 | Pemberton | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
47.70 | ADN | Eastwick College-Ramsey PN TO RN | 20 | 716 | Ramsey | Private For-Profit | Campus | See School Details | |||
99.15 | BSN | Thomas Edison State College | 1 | 7 | Trenton | Thomas Edison State College is located in Trenton, New Jersey. They have several degree options; there is a BSN option, an RN to BSN option, an RN to MSN option and an accelerated BSN option (available for students with a prior bachelor’s degree). Thomas Edison State College has a rolling admission, meaning that students can enter any time of the year and go at their own pace through their chosen program. | Public | Campus, Online | CCNE | See School Details | |
96.91 | BSN | Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus | 2 | 72 | Teaneck | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus, Hybrid | ACEN, ACME, CCNE, COA | See School Details | ||
96.57 | BSN | William Paterson University of New Jersey | 3 | 83 | Wayne | Public | Campus, Hybrid | ACEN, CCNE | See School Details | ||
96.54 | BSN | The College of New Jersey | 4 | 84 | Ewing | The College of New Jersey is located in Ewing, New Jersey. The College offers a BSN program and an RN to BSN program. Their programs are traditional programs, meaning they are offered on-site. They are currently evaluating the need for distance learning and online programs. | Public | Campus, Hybrid | ACEN, ACME, CCNE, COA | See School Details | |
96.05 | BSN | New Jersey City University-Fast Track Jersey City | 5 | 105 | Jersey City | Public | Campus | CCNE | See School Details | ||
95.07 | BSN | Bloomfield College | 6 | 141 | Bloomfield | Bloomfield College is located in Bloomfield, New Jersey. They offer a BSN program and an RN to BSN program; the RN to BSN program is an accelerated program that has one day of on-site coursework, with the rest of the work being completed online. They also offer a certificate in gerontology, which is a six credit certificate that can be completed after a BSN is earned. | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus | CCNE | See School Details | |
93.61 | BSN | Rutgers University-Camden | 8 | 211 | Camden | Public | Campus, Hybrid, Online | ACEN, ACME, CCNE, COA | See School Details | ||
93.27 | BSN | St Peter's University (St Peter's College) | 9 | 226 | Jersey City | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus, Hybrid, Online | ACEN, CCNE | See School Details | ||
91.32 | BSN | Seton Hall University | 10 | 293 | South Orange | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus, Hybrid, Online | ACEN, ACME, CCNE, COA | See School Details | ||
90.37 | BSN | Caldwell College | 11 | 316 | Caldwell | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus, Online | CCNE | See School Details | ||
89.03 | BSN | Felician College | 12 | 349 | Lodi | Felician College is located in Lodi, New Jersey. They offer a BSN program, an ABSN program (accelerated program for adult learners with a prior bachelor’s degree) and an RN to BSN program. Felician College is a Catholic, Franciscan, private, independent institution for students representing diverse religious, racial, and ethnic backgrounds. It originated in 1923 as a Normal School to train teachers. | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus, Online | ACME, COA | See School Details | |
88.12 | BSN | Stockton University | 13 | 374 | Galloway | Stockton University is located in Galloway, New Jersey. Stockton University offers a BSN program, an accelerated BSN program (for students with a prior bachelor’s degree) and an RN to BSN program. This program is offered online, with the exception of the clinical component, which is requires time in the clinical setting. | Public | Campus, Hybrid | ACEN, ACME, CCNE, COA | See School Details | |
85.94 | BSN | Georgian Court University | 14 | 427 | Lakewood | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus | CCNE | See School Details |
Become an Advance Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) in New Jersey
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 New Jersey
Learn how to become a Nurse Practitioner (NP) and research schools in New Jersey 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
- Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner
New Jersey RN Licensing Requirements
New Jersey State Board of Nursing P.O. Box 45010 Newark, NJ 07101 (973) 504-6430 Fees: Initial licensing fee, RN: $200 License renewal (every two years), RN: $120 Continuing Education Requirements: RNs and LPNs: 30 contact hours every renewal periodRN Licensure by Exam
Candidates can fill out an application online on the Board website. The application includes questions about education, student loan and child support status, and medical conditions that could interfere with practice. There is a $200 fee to apply to the New Jersey Board. In addition, candidates will be required to complete a criminal background check and pay $67.50 to MorphoTrak electronically. Candidates who have submitted fingerprinting by the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs after November 2003 but will have to pay $22.55 for another background check. Following this, the candidate will be required to register with Pearson VUE to take the NCLEX-RN exam and pay the $200 testing fee. The candidate will be able to schedule the exam when Authorization to Test (ATT) has been received. Last but not least, registered nurses must apply for sexual assault certification and pay a $200 fee. There is a $100 fee for the application and an additional $100 fee for certification.RN Licensure by Endorsement
Registered Nurses who are licensed in one of the other 50 states may apply for licensure by endorsement. Candidates must have their fingerprints done and submit verification of licensure.RN License for Nurses Educated Abroad
Nurses who were educated in a foreign country have two preliminary steps that must be completed before the application can be completed with the background check and the NCLEX. Candidates must have their coursework evaluated by the Commission of Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) and complete an English proficiency exam. There is a $225 fee due to the New Jersey Board for international candidates who are applying for licensure by examination.RN Salaries in New Jersey
There are several opportunities available for nurses who have obtained a Bachelor’s degree. In addition to positions available in bedside care, there are also positions available in specialty nursing areas. Nurses who wish to pursue other opportunities may be able to fill administrative and nursing management positions. Registered nurses in New Jersey earn an annual mean wage of $77,360, which is much higher than the national average. This is, in part, because of the push by legislation for higher education.New Jersey Registered Nursing Salaries
The Edwin metropolitan area has the highest amount of registered nurses employed across the state. However, it is the Newark metropolitan area that has the highest hourly mean wage and annual median wage.Area name | Employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual median wage |
---|---|---|---|
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | 2,860 | $35.57 | $74,500 |
Camden, NJ Metropolitan Division | 11,460 | $36.72 | $77,010 |
Edison-New Brunswick, NJ Metropolitan Division | 19,440 | $37.26 | $77,470 |
Newark-Union, NJ-PA Metropolitan Division | 18,770 | $39.09 | $80,880 |
Ocean City, NJ | 700 | $31.72 | $66,590 |
Trenton-Ewing, NJ | 4,750 | $33.68 | $70,860 |
Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton, NJ | 1,810 | $34.29 | $70,810 |