Pennsylvania's Best Nursing Schools for 2020

University of Pittsburgh – Bradford is located in Bradford, Pennsylvania.  University of Pittsburgh has received many awards, one of which is one of the “150 Best Value Colleges in the United States” in 2012 by the Princeton Review.  They offer both an ADN degree and a BSN degree.  Their BSN degree is specifically an RN to BSN program.

Mount Aloysius College has multiple campuses in Pennsylvania.  They offer a variety of nursing programs.  Altoona and Johnstown campuses offer an RN to BSN program.  Altoona campus offers the ADN program and a 2+2 program, meaning that students can attend for both their ADN and BSN simultaneously.  The RN to BSN program can also be completed online.

Lehigh Carbon Community College is located in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania.  They offer a practical nursing program and an ADN program.  Entrance into the ADN program is competitive and is based on a points system; students receive points based on multiple different variables.

Reading Area Community College is located in Reading, Pennsylvania.  They offer a practical nursing program and an ADN program.  RACC has a transfer center; the transfer center is where students can go if they know they eventually will want to transfer to a 4-year program.  The transfer center will evaluate and help plan the courses that should be taken.

Saint Francis University is located in Loretto, Pennsylvania.  In terms of undergraduate programs, they offer a BSN program and an RN to BSN program.  They also are extremely proud of the fact that their faculty to student ratio is 8:1 in the clinical setting.  Their faculty and nursing students regularly volunteer in clinics for underserved populations.

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania is located in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania.  They offer a BSN program and an RN to BSN program.  Their RN to BSN program is offered entirely online; at this time, their online program is available only to PA residents but they are seeking to expand to non-PA residents in the very near future.

Cedar Crest College is located in Allentown, Pennsylvania.  They offer a BSN program and an BSN Completion Program for RNs.  Unique to Cedar Crest College is the School Nurse Certification that is offered; it can be completed on-campus, online  or a combination of the two.  It can be completed in 18 months to 2 years.

Drexel University is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Their nursing programs are unique; their traditional BSN option is not so traditional.  Students are eligible for 3 paid, 6-month cooperative education experiences.  They also offer an accelerated BSN option, which is available to students with a prior bachelor’s degree.  This can be completed in 11 months for students attending full-time or 24 months for students attending part-time.

University of Scranton is located in Scranton, Pennsylvania.  BSN students have several options at Scranton University; they offer a traditional BSN degree, an LPN to BSN option, an RN to BSN option, an accelerated BSN (for students with a prior bachelor’s degree) and an RN to MSN option.

Gannon University is located in Erie, Pennsylvania.  The Villa Maria School of Nursing offers a BSN degree, an RN to MSN degree and a School Nurse Certificate.  The RN to MSN program is suggested to RNs with leadership skills and who have advanced experience as a nurse.

Indiana University of Pennsylvania is located in Indiana, Pennsylvania.  They offer a traditional BSN program.  They also offer an LPN to BSN program.  Per their website, “The track for licensed practical nurses provides an alternative curriculum accounting for prior work completed in a practical nursing program.”  This program is an ideal option for LPNs seeking a BSN degree.

University of Pennsylvania is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  The 2017 US News & World Report noted that Penn Nursing was second in the nation, with the university as a whole ranking number nine.  Their undergraduate nursing program offers a BSN degree.  They also offer a second degree program, where students can obtain their BSN degree if they already have a bachelor’s degree.  They also have a unique option – a dual degree, where the student attends for their BSN degree and Healthcare Management degree simultaneously.  The degree in Healthcare Management is obtained through a partnership with The Wharton School.

Temple University is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  They currently offer a BSN program with an RN to BSN option.  Freshman students are eligible for entrance into the BSN program if they are highly qualified.  They also have a DNP option.  Their MSN program is not currently taking applications.

Neumann University is located in Aston, Pennsylvania.  They offer a BSN degree.  Neumann University is proud to note that their student to faculty ratio is 14:1, allowing professors to give personal attention to their students.