There are endless reasons for registered nurses to pursue higher education in the form of a bachelor’s degree. Nurses who do this will find college programs designed to meet their needs. Programs expose nurses to curriculum while preparing them for roles that are not currently covered by their certification. Registered nurses understand the important of staying updated and fresh in nursing knowledge and the effect it has on the care they provide. Nurses are encouraged to search multiple schools to ensure they find a program that best fits their needs. Schools offer online and distance education programs that allow nurses to earn a bachelor’s degree without stepping foot in a classroom.
In our Oregon RN program guide, find rankings for both ADN and BSN Degree programs, tuition costs, NCLEX passing rates, and more. Research key Oregon 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 Oregon, 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.
Oregon RN Program Comparisons: ADN vs BSN
| Compare RN Programs | ADN | BSN |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Nursing Programs | 15 | 5 |
| Average NCLEX Passing Rate | 92.93% | 88.99% |
| NCLEX Passing Rate Range | 86.44% to 97.70% | 84.88% to 92.01% |
| Average Net Price | $8,126.33 | $25,178.00 |
| Average Net Price Range | $3,553.00 to $10,464.00 | $20,857.00 to $30,273.00 |
| Average Student Loan | $8,948.80 | $22,860.00 |
| Average Student Loan Range | $6,334.00 to $12,113.00 | $20,748.00 to $27,000.00 |
| See Additional Detail | ADN Rankings for Oregon State | BSN Rankings for Oregon State |
Best Ranked RN Programs in Oregon
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 Oregon and the country. Schools ranked on our list have proven their ability to educate highly competent nurses.
To create our rankings, we evaluated 15 ADN degree programs and 4 BSN degree programs in Oregon. 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 Oregon to provide our state rankings. View our methodology.
Grade | Degree | University | OR Rank | US Rank | City | Type: | Offered As: | Accreditor(s): | More: | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100.00 | ADN | Clatsop Community College | 1 | 1 | Astoria | Clatsop Community College is located in Astoria, Oregon. They currently offer an ADN program. Effective as of Fall 2016, they no longer offer an LPN program and are subsequently no longer offering advanced placement for their RN program. | Public | Campus | See School Details | ||
| 98.44 | ADN | Chemeketa Community College | 2 | 27 | Salem | Chemeketa Community College is located in Salem, Oregon. Their program is a ladder program, where first the student earns their LPN and then their RN degree. They also have an LPN to RN entry option, should a spot open up in the program for an eligible LPN. They also have inter-institutional agreements with Oregon Health Sciences University, University of Wisconsin at Green Bay and Linfield College for students seeking RN to BSN programs. | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | |
| 97.09 | ADN | Rogue Community College | 3 | 64 | Grants Pass | Rogue Community College is locate in Grants Pass, Oregon. They offer an ADN degree; they also offer an advanced placement option for LPNs for the second year of the nursing program. In order to be eligible for advanced placement, you must have worked at least 500 hours as an LPN. The program reserves at least 4 spots for LPNs. | Public | Campus | See School Details | ||
| 96.88 | ADN | Lane Community College | 4 | 73 | Eugene | Lane Community College is located in Eugene, Oregon. They offer an LPN certificate, an ADN degree and an LPN to RN bridge option. The bridge option allows LPNs to enter the into the second year of the ADN program. | Public | Campus | See School Details | ||
| 95.75 | ADN | Clackamas Community College | 5 | 119 | Oregon City | Clackamas Community College is located in Eugene, Oregon. CCC offers an ADN degree. CCC opened in 1966 and has evolved into a school with 3 campuses and more than 38,000 students, with over 1,300 classes taught each term. | Public | Campus | See School Details | ||
| 94.96 | ADN | Portland Community College | 6 | 153 | Portland | Portland Community College is located in Portland, Oregon. PCC offers an ADN program that is highly competitive; they receive anywhere from 500 to 800 applications per year, when they have approximately 80 spots in their program. Entrance is based on a points system and students can earn more points based on prior healthcare experience, such as working as an LPN or a paramedic. | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | |
| 94.18 | ADN | Southwestern Oregon Community College | 7 | 186 | Coos Bay | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
| 93.97 | ADN | Central Oregon Community College | 8 | 196 | Bend | Central Oregon Community College is located in Bend, Oregon. COCC offers ADN program. Their program is a career ladder program, with an exit point that at the Practical Nurse (PN) and Registered Nurse (RN) levels. Their program is highly competitive. | Public | Campus | See School Details | ||
| 92.76 | ADN | Umpqua Community College | 9 | 256 | Roseburg | Umpqua Community College is located in Roseburg, Oregon. They offer an ADN degree. Students may also elect to co-enroll inn Oregon Health Sciences University, meaning that they will attend both schools simultaneously, one for their ADN, the other for their BSN. | Public | Campus | See School Details | ||
| 91.79 | ADN | Treasure Valley Community College | 10 | 289 | Ontario | Treasure Valley Community College is located in Ontario, Oregon. Their offer an ADN program. Admission into their program is based on a points system; students with healthcare experience, such as LPNs, paramedics, and nurses aides, can earn more points based on the number of hours they have practiced nursing. | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | |
| 91.47 | ADN | Linn-Benton Community College | 11 | 304 | Albany | Linn-Benton Community College is located in Albany, Oregon. They have an ADN program. LPNs may be accepted for advanced placement, on a space available basis. Linn-Benton Community College does have articulation agreements with Oregon Health Sciences University and Linfield College for students to enroll in to complete their BSN after graduation. | Public | Campus | See School Details | ||
| 90.93 | ADN | Blue Mountain Community College | 12 | 327 | Pendleton | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
| 90.85 | ADN | Mt Hood Community College | 13 | 329 | Gresham | Mt. Hood Community College is located in Gresham, Oregon. They offer an ADN program. They also accept LPNs into the third quarter of the program, contingent on their being space available. MTCC is a partner in the Oregon Corsortium for Nursing Education (OCNE), which means that students may have co-admission to MTCC and Oregon Health & Science University School of Nursing. | Public | Campus | See School Details | ||
| 89.49 | ADN | Oregon Coast Community College | 14 | 383 | Newport | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
| 84.39 | ADN | Columbia Gorge Community College | 15 | 541 | The Dalles | Columbia Gorge Community College is located in The Dalles, Oregon. CGCC’s nursing program is a career ladder program, meaning that the student first earns their LPN and subsequently their RN. The student may choose to opt out of the RN portion after they earn their LPN if they so choose. | Public | Campus | See School Details | ||
| 98.43 | BSN | OHSU Accelerated Portland | 1 | 25 | Portland | Public | Campus, Hybrid, Online | ACEN, CCNE | See School Details | ||
| 92.49 | BSN | Linfield College-School of Nursing | 3 | 252 | Portland | Linfield College is located in Portland, Oregon. The Good Samaritan School of Nursing has been providing nursing education since 1892. It was originally a diploma program, and became a BSN program in 1982. They offer a BSN program, an accelerated BSN program that can be completed in 15 months and an RN to BSN program, which is offered online. | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus | CCNE | See School Details | |
| 88.80 | BSN | George Fox University | 4 | 356 | Newberg | George Fox University is located in Newberg, Oregon. George Fox University is a nationally ranked Christian university. George Fox offers a BSN program. At this time, they do not offer a separate RN to BSN option. | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus | CCNE | See School Details | |
| 87.90 | BSN | University of Portland | 5 | 381 | Portland | University of Portland is located in Portland, Oregon. NursingSchoolAlmanac.com has rated University of Portland’s nursing program as #4 in the West and #46 nationally. They offer a BSN program; at this time, they do not offer an RN to BSN option. | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus, Hybrid | ACEN, ACME, CCNE, COA | See School Details |
Become an Advance Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) in Oregon
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 Oregon
Learn how to become a Nurse Practitioner (NP) and research schools in Oregon offering the following high paying nurse practitioner specialties: Learn about Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Degree.Oregon RN Licensing Requirements
Oregon State Board of Nursing 17938 SW Upper Boones Ferry Road Portland, OR 97224-7012 (971) 673-0685 Continuing Education Requirements: RNs and LPNs: Complete the one-time Pain Management Continuing Education requirementRN Licensure by Exams
After a candidate has completed the degree requirements, he/she will have the dean or director to sign the appropriate form to verify identity. A Passport-type photograph will be required. Official transcripts will need to be sent to the Board. The candidate must also complete the verification form that is found in the application along with the correct fingerprint card to a fingerprinting facility. That candidate will pay the Oregon State Board of Nurses $52 to process a background check and $160 for the application fee. From here, the candidate will register with Pearson VUE to take the NCLEX exam and pay the $200 fee. When, and only when, the candidate receives authorization to test (ATT) he/she can schedule the test at the most convenient center. Candidates who do not pass the NCLEX on the first attempt will have to apply to retake and pay an additional $25 fee to the Oregon State Board.RN Licensure by Endorsement
Candidates who obtained licensure in one of the other fifty states can apply for licensure in Oregon by endorsement. This application is online. Candidates must submit license verification from the first state of licensure as well as the most recent one. Registered nurses applying by endorsement will be responsible for a $195 fee as well as $52 for fingerprint processing. Nurses who are not currently practicing will be required to complete a reentry course.RN License for Nurses Educated Abroad
Nurses who completed a program outside of the U.S. jurisdiction will need to obtain a CGFNS certificate or VisaScreen. If the nursing program was not in English, candidates will be required to pass an English proficiency exam. Fees for internationally educated nurses vary.RN Salaries in Oregon
There are many nursing positions that are only available to nurses who have obtained a bachelors degree. Becoming a hospice or home health care nurse are both positions that require higher education. There is a huge demand for nurses in Oregon and the need is expected to increase by 109% by the year 2020. Graduates are likely to choose management and administrative options that allow them to work in a hospital setting with a different role. Graduates may also become charge nurses or hospital administrators.Oregon Registered Nursing Salaries
The Portland metropolitan area has the highest amount of registered nurses along with the highest hourly mean wage and annual median wage.| Area name | Employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual median wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bend, OR | 1,620 | $39.89 | $84,590 |
| Eugene-Springfield, OR | 2,980 | $38.61 | $82,860 |
| Medford, OR | 1,790 | $37.65 | $78,400 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 18,650 | $41.08 | $86,390 |
| Salem, OR | 3,110 | $37.43 | $75,780 |
| Coastal Oregon nonmetropolitan area | 1,180 | $37.66 | $79,920 |
| Southern Oregon and Linn County nonmetropolitan area | 1,610 | $36.98 | $77,860 |
| North Central Oregon nonmetropolitan area | 960 | $35.22 | $69,940 |
| Eastern Oregon nonmetropolitan area | 1,160 | $34.64 | $72,330 |