The nursing field is distinct in that it includes scientific knowledge, technical expertise, and a seasoned intuition. Current registered nurses who are seeking to expand their practice may want to consider a bachelor of science in nursing degree. The RN programs in Ohio are expanding and offering a seamless route towards advanced practice nursing. There has been an ongoing debate and proposed legislation that would require all registered nurses to seek out higher education and obtain an RN or BSN. The Institute of Medicine has requested that the nursing profession achieves 80% baccalaureate preparation by the year 2020. There are many benefits that can be gained from earning a BSN degree in terms of long-term success and security in the nursing industry.
In our Ohio RN program guide, find rankings for both ADN and BSN Degree programs, tuition costs, NCLEX passing rates, and more. Research key Ohio 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 Ohio, 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.
Ohio RN Program Comparisons: ADN vs BSN
| Compare RN Programs | ADN | BSN |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Nursing Programs | 49 | 41 |
| Average NCLEX Passing Rate | 80.58% | 85.82% |
| NCLEX Passing Rate Range | 39.07% to 94.77% | 76.11% to 97.59% |
| Average Net Price | $13,001.21 | $19,337.28 |
| Average Net Price Range | $3,137.00 to $32,312.00 | $8,419.00 to $28,182.00 |
| Average Student Loan | $12,735.56 | $20,380.20 |
| Average Student Loan Range | $4,666.00 to $23,500.00 | $10,500.00 to $27,000.00 |
| See Additional Detail | ADN Rankings for Ohio State | BSN Rankings for Ohio State |
Best Ranked RN Programs in Ohio
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 Ohio and the country. Schools ranked on our list have proven their ability to educate highly competent nurses.
To create our rankings, we evaluated 39 ADN degree programs and 32 BSN degree programs in Ohio. 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 Ohio to provide our state rankings. View our methodology.
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| 98.72 | ADN | Washington State Community College | 1 | 13 | Marietta | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
| 95.75 | ADN | Northwest State Community College | 2 | 75 | Archbold | Northwest State Community College is located in Archbold, Ohio. They offer an RN program and an LPN to RN program. While the RN program is available only at the Archbold campus, the LPN to RN program can be found at both the Archbold campus and the Van Wert campus. |
Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | |
| 94.68 | ADN | Ohio Valley College of Technology | 3 | 112 | East Liverpool | Private For-Profit | Campus | See School Details | |||
| 94.17 | ADN | Owens Community College | 4 | 134 | Perrysburg | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
| 91.68 | ADN | Edison State Community College | 5 | 232 | Piqua | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
| 91.37 | ADN | Cincinnati State Technical and Community College | 6 | 243 | Cincinnati | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
| 91.26 | ADN | Aultman College of Nursing and Health Sciences | 7 | 248 | Canton | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus | ACEN, CCNE | See School Details | ||
| 88.95 | ADN | Hocking College | 9 | 328 | Nelsonville | Hocking College is located in Nelsonville, Ohio. They offer an LPN program, an RN program and a “PN2RN” option- a nursing transition option. This allows the LPN entrance into the RN program after a “transition” semester, then joins the RN students for the final 2 semesters. |
Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | |
| 88.55 | ADN | Lorain County Community College | 10 | 345 | Elyria | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
| 87.99 | ADN | Galen College of Nursing-Cincinnati | 11 | 367 | Cincinnati | Private For-Profit | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
| 87.55 | ADN | Terra State Community College | 13 | 385 | Fremont | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
| 87.11 | ADN | Akron Institute of Herzing University | 14 | 403 | Akron | Private For-Profit | Campus | ACEN, CCNE | See School Details | ||
| 87.02 | ADN | North Central State College | 15 | 407 | Mansfield | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
| 86.93 | ADN | Lakeland Community College | 16 | 412 | Kirtland | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
| 86.59 | ADN | Marion Technical College | 17 | 425 | Marion | Marion Technical College is located in Marion, Ohio. They offer an RN program and an LPN to RN program. They also offer dual degree programs, where the students completes requirements for both their ADN and BSN subsequently; they can choose to complete the dual degree option in conjunction with Ohio State University – Marion or Ohio University. |
Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | |
| 85.99 | ADN | Cuyahoga Community College District | 18 | 451 | Cleveland | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
| 85.16 | ADN | Central Ohio Technical College | 19 | 474 | Newark | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
| 85.07 | ADN | Ohio University-Main Campus | 20 | 478 | Athens | Public | Campus, Hybrid, Online | ACEN, CCNE | See School Details | ||
| 84.76 | ADN | Mercy College | 21 | 487 | Toledo | Mercy College is located in Toledo, Ohio. They are a college that educates strictly healthcare professionals. They offer various nursing options – they have both a day and an evening/weekend ADN program, a pre-licensure BSN program and an RN to BSN program, which is offered online. |
Private Not-For-Profit | Campus, Online | ACEN, CCNE | See School Details | |
| 84.24 | ADN | Stark State College | 22 | 506 | North Canton | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
| 83.84 | ADN | Columbus State Community College | 23 | 514 | Columbus | Public | Campus, Online | ACEN | See School Details | ||
| 83.76 | ADN | Clark State Community College | 24 | 518 | Springfield | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
| 83.48 | ADN | University of Rio Grande | 25 | 522 | Rio Grande | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus, Online | ACEN | See School Details | ||
| 82.99 | ADN | Southern State Community College | 26 | 541 | Hillsboro | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
| 82.13 | ADN | Rhodes State College | 27 | 556 | Lima | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
| 82.01 | ADN | Good Samaritan College of Nursing & Health Science | 28 | 558 | Cincinnati | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus | See School Details | |||
| 80.70 | ADN | Sinclair Community College | 29 | 583 | Dayton | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
| 76.60 | ADN | Shawnee State University | 31 | 644 | Portsmouth | Public | Campus, Online | ACEN | See School Details | ||
| 71.83 | ADN | The Christ College of Nursing and Health Sciences | 32 | 685 | Cincinnati | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus, Online | ACEN, CCNE | See School Details | ||
| 70.04 | ADN | Chamberlain College of Nursing-Ohio | 33 | 695 | Columbus | Private For-Profit | Campus, Online | See School Details | |||
| 69.49 | ADN | Hondros College | 34 | 696 | Westerville | Private For-Profit | Campus, Online | CCNE | See School Details | ||
| 68.28 | ADN | University of Cincinnati-Blue Ash College | 35 | 698 | Blue Ash | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
| 64.86 | ADN | Belmont College | 36 | 710 | Saint Clairsville | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
| 62.54 | ADN | Fortis College-Centerville | 37 | 714 | Centerville | Private For-Profit | Campus, Online | ACEN | See School Details | ||
| 53.63 | ADN | Bryant & Stratton College-Akron | 38 | 724 | Copley | Private For-Profit | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
| 100.00 | BSN | Ohio Northern University | 1 | 1 | Ada | Ohio Northern University is located in Ada, Ohio. They offer a BSN program and an RN to BSN completion program. Their RN to BSN program is just 12 months; students meet once weekly for 4 12-week terms, in addition to two clinical experiences. |
Private Not-For-Profit | Campus | CCNE | See School Details | |
| 97.31 | BSN | Muskingum University | 2 | 34 | New Concord | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus | CCNE | See School Details | ||
| 96.36 | BSN | Baldwin Wallace University | 3 | 59 | Berea | Baldwin Wallace University is located in Berea, Ohio. BWU offers an accelerated BSN program; this program is offered to students with prior college credits. Their program is designed to be completed in 12 months, 3 semesters. It is described as intense and students are advised that they will have little time for working during this timeframe. |
Private Not-For-Profit | Campus | CCNE | See School Details | |
| 94.72 | BSN | Walsh University | 4 | 105 | North Canton | Walsh University is located in North Canton, Ohio. The Byers School of Nursing offers a pre-licensure BSN program, an accelerated BSN program and an RN to BSN program. They also offer an RN to MSN program; this program is offered in a hybrid format. Students may elect to return to the RN to BSN program at any time. |
Private Not-For-Profit | Campus, Hybrid | ACEN, CCNE | See School Details | |
| 93.66 | BSN | Ohio State University-Main Campus | 5 | 148 | Columbus | Ohio State University is located in Columbus, Ohio. OSU offers a BSN program and an online RN to BSN program for students with a Diploma inn Nursing or an ADN degree. OSU’s RN to BSN accepts students into their program twice yearly, Spring and Autumn semesters. |
Public | Campus, Hybrid, Online | ACEN, CCNE | See School Details | |
| 92.90 | BSN | Mount Carmel College of Nursing | 6 | 175 | Columbus | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus, Hybrid, Online | ACEN, CCNE | See School Details | ||
| 91.53 | BSN | Case Western Reserve University | 7 | 227 | Cleveland | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus, Hybrid | ACEN, CCNE | See School Details | ||
| 90.65 | BSN | Malone University | 8 | 251 | Canton | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus, Hybrid, Online | ACEN, CCNE | See School Details | ||
| 90.64 | BSN | Capital University | 9 | 252 | Columbus | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus | CCNE | See School Details | ||
| 90.49 | BSN | Kent State University at Kent | 10 | 259 | Kent | Public | Campus, Hybrid, Online | ACEN, CCNE | See School Details | ||
| 90.42 | BSN | Cleveland State University | 11 | 263 | Cleveland | Public | Campus, Online | CCNE | See School Details | ||
| 89.95 | BSN | Wright State University-Lake Campus | 12 | 270 | Celina | Public | Campus, Online | See School Details | |||
| 89.47 | BSN | Chamberlain College of Nursing-Ohio | 14 | 285 | Columbus | Private For-Profit | Campus, Online | See School Details | |||
| 88.64 | BSN | Ohio University-Main Campus | 15 | 304 | Athens | Public | Campus, Hybrid, Online | ACEN, CCNE | See School Details | ||
| 87.45 | BSN | University of Akron Main Campus | 16 | 335 | Akron | Public | Campus, Hybrid, Online | ACEN, CCNE | See School Details | ||
| 86.79 | BSN | Cedarville University | 17 | 356 | Cedarville | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus, Hybrid | ACEN, CCNE | See School Details | ||
| 86.61 | BSN | Kettering College | 19 | 362 | Kettering | Kettering College is located in Kettering, Ohio. Kettering College is located at Kettering Medical Center and educates healthcare professionals. They offer several BSN programs – a prelicensure program, an LPN to BSN program, an online bachelor completion program, which is designed for the working RN who holds their associate’s degree. |
Private Not-For-Profit | Campus, Online | See School Details | ||
| 86.51 | BSN | Ursuline College | 20 | 365 | Pepper Pike | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus, Hybrid, Online | ACEN, CCNE | See School Details | ||
| 86.33 | BSN | College of Mount St Joseph | 21 | 370 | Cincinnati | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus, Online | CCNE | See School Details | ||
| 85.89 | BSN | Youngstown State University | 22 | 375 | Youngstown | Public | Campus, Online | ACEN, CCNE | See School Details | ||
| 85.54 | BSN | Franciscan University of Steubenville | 23 | 386 | Steubenville | Franciscan University of Steubenville is located in Steubenville, Ohio. Franciscan University is a Catholic university where students integrate Catholic studies with their academic studies. Their nursing department seeks to educate their nurses to treat the whole patient holistically. They offer a BSN program, an RN to BSN program, an LPN to BSN program and an RN to MSN program. |
Private Not-For-Profit | Campus | CCNE | See School Details | |
| 85.52 | BSN | University of Cincinnati-Main Campus | 24 | 387 | Cincinnati | Public | Campus, Hybrid | ACEN, CCNE | See School Details | ||
| 84.59 | BSN | University of Toledo | 25 | 403 | Toledo | Public | Campus, Hybrid, Online | ACEN, CCNE | See School Details | ||
| 83.99 | BSN | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | 26 | 413 | Bowling Green | Public | Campus, Online | See School Details | |||
| 83.87 | BSN | Mercy College | 27 | 417 | Toledo | Mercy College is located in Toledo, Ohio. They are a college that educates strictly healthcare professionals. They offer various nursing options – they have both a day and an evening/weekend ADN program, a pre-licensure BSN program and an RN to BSN program, which is offered online. |
Private Not-For-Profit | Campus, Online | ACEN, CCNE | See School Details | |
| 83.44 | BSN | Notre Dame College | 28 | 429 | Cleveland | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus, Online | CCNE | See School Details | ||
| 81.61 | BSN | Xavier University | 30 | 455 | Cincinnati | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus, Online | ACEN, CCNE | See School Details | ||
| 80.80 | BSN | Mount Vernon Nazarene University | 31 | 467 | Mount Vernon | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus, Online | CCNE | See School Details | ||
| 80.02 | BSN | Hiram College | 32 | 475 | Hiram | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus | CCNE | See School Details | ||
| 77.17 | BSN | Lourdes University | 34 | 493 | Sylvania | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus | CCNE | See School Details |