2022 - Best Nursing Schools in South Carolina

The University of South Carolina is a public institution in Columbia, South Carolina. It is one of the best nursing colleges in the state and a prime destination for out-of-state students as well.

Admission to this public institution is competitive, with different application processes for undergraduate and graduate programs.

The College of Nursing employs the most cutting-edge teaching techniques and tools available through simulation—an immersive teaching modality that replicates clinical scenarios in realistic practice environments. The students learn from skilled educators, clinicians, and researchers in every aspect of the curriculum from classroom study to clinical practice.

The College of Nursing at the University of South Carolina offers a variety of donor/departmental scholarships and fellowships. Scholarships are highly competitive and limited in number. The number and amounts of scholarships awarded vary depending on available funds.

Undergraduate Programs: The bachelor's degree in the nursing curriculum at USC is divided into two levels or divisions: pre-nursing lower-division and upper-division.

Students in the pre-nursing lower division must take a core of general education classes as well as nursing courses focusing on health and wellness, nursing history, nutrition, and pathophysiology.

Upper-division students work in the college's patient simulation lab and complete clinical hours in a variety of settings. Students must attend school full-time and complete the courses in the order they are offered.

Graduate Programs: The Master's Entry to Practice Nursing (MEPN) program at USC will prepare non-nurse baccalaureate graduates to enter the nursing profession as master's degree graduates.

The degree types available at USC College of Nursing include Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, and Registered Nursing, and the school offers its programs on campus, in hybrid, and online formats.

York Technical College is a public college located in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Nursing at YTC is a collaborative effort with the University of South Carolina Lancaster, and students (including LPN students earning an AAS degree) prepare for advanced degrees at the university.

The nursing program at York Technical College prepares students for the practice of nurse generalists to provide direct patient care across the life span. The rigorous curriculum prepares students to address the acute and chronic health care needs of patients. The graduates of the program are employed in a variety of healthcare facilities including hospitals, long-term care facilities, and community health agencies.

Furthermore, The South Carolina General Assembly established an income tax credit for tuition paid to South Carolina colleges and universities to help ease the financial burden on South Carolina college students and their families. There are numerous scholarship opportunities available to York Tech students which are awarded differently depending on the availability of funds and the eligibility requirements of each scholarship.

Undergraduate Programs: Registered Nursing or Associate Degree in Nursing is one of the degree types available at York Technical College/USC Lancaster, and the school offers its services to students on campus.

Academic programs include AAS Degree - Nursing (ADN), AAS Degree - Gen Tech-Nursing (ADN), AAS Degree - Gen Tech-Nursing (Practical), and DAS (Diploma) Nursing (Practical).

In addition to the Associate Degree Nursing Program, the Nursing Department houses the following programs: Certificate in Nursing Care (CT.NURNC), Diploma in Applied Science with a concentration in Practical Nursing (DAS.NURPN), and Associate of Applied Science in General Technology with a specialization in Practical Nursing (AAS.GT.HSPN). All these programs aim to help students develop into expert healthcare providers and build a foundation for further academic advancement.

Lander University at Greenwood, South Carolina is a public institution. The nursing program at Lander University is ranked among the very best in the state and has been acting as a leader in nursing education for more than 50 years.

Lander University provides high-demand, market-driven programs to ambitious and talented students in South Carolina and elsewhere. These programs are taught in a rich liberal arts environment, resulting in highly qualified and marketable graduates. Lander University’s graduate program prepares clinical nurse leaders to address the healthcare needs of the twenty-first century by implementing outcome-based practice through care system management, quality improvement strategies, technology utilization, and advanced clinical reasoning. The curriculum based on Newman Systems Model, which is an innovative, holistic approach to health care, also focuses on providing health teaching on disease prevention and health promotion. 

Undergraduate Programs: Lander University offers CNL and Registered Nursing degrees, and the school provides its services to students on campus and online. Apart from the traditional BSN degree, the college also offers an online RN to BSN completion option that allows students to gain professional-level knowledge and skills to practice nursing in traditional and diverse settings.

Graduate Programs: Programs available are Masters and RN to BN level degrees. The online Master of Science in Nursing, Clinical Nurse Leader program offered by Lander prepares nurse generalists to meet healthcare and leadership needs in the ever-changing healthcare environment. Clinical nurse leaders are expert clinicians who are prepared to lead and manage health care outcomes for client groups within the care environment by designing, implementing, and evaluating care using evidence-based knowledge.

Clemson University, College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences is a public institution ranked highly in terms of the NCLEX-RN pass rates, graduation rates, and course completion rates. Their nationally recognized nursing program is focused on equipping students to make a significant difference in healthcare.

CU's comprehensive Nursing Program prepares students for a rewarding career in a rapidly growing industry. Nursing concepts, nursing practice principles, pharmacology, health and illness concepts, chronic condition care, and emergency medicine are some of the areas covered in the nursing curriculum. During their clinical rotations, nursing students get the chance to work with real-life patients in Medical/surgical, pediatrics, obstetrics, and other departments in hospitals.

Additionally, the university has collaborated with Prisma Health-Upstate to expand the nursing program in the Clemson University Nursing building in Greenville which has allowed the university to meet the growing need for nurses and bolster health innovation and research efforts in upstate South Carolina. Similarly, the collaboration has also helped to expand the student clinical placements within the Prisma Health-Upstate.

Clemson's School of Nursing is one of only 35 nursing programs in the country to have been designated as a National League for Nursing Center of Excellence in Nursing Education since 2004.

Undergraduate Programs: They provide a BSN program, an accelerated BSN program (a 16-month curriculum for second-degree students), and an online RN to BSN program, and the school offers its services to students on campus, in hybrid & online formats. Data from recent years show that almost all of the graduates are satisfied or very satisfied with their overall experience at the School of Nursing and are confident in their ability to pass the NCLEX and care for diverse patients in a variety of settings.

Graduate Programs: Graduate programs offered by CU include BSN to DNP, Doctor of Nursing, Master, MSN to DNP level degrees. All of these programs intend to produce a specialized workforce in nursing that can become a part of the rapidly advancing health delivery system of the present and the future.

Charleston, South Carolina is home to the Medical University of South Carolina. The Medical University of South Carolina's nursing school is a public institution. As the state’s only comprehensive academic health science center, its purpose is to serve and optimize human life in South Carolina through its vision to lead health innovation for the patients and the community.

The university houses the oldest medical school in the south along with the state’s only integrated academic health sciences center. The faculty and staff aim to serve the state through education, research, and patient care. Nursing professors at the Medical University of South Carolina exhibit exceptional integrity, dedication, and knowledge, which they pass on to their students. Students participate actively in both theoretical and practical classes, gaining a combination of theory and laboratory instruction as well as clinical experience in a variety of healthcare facilities throughout the area. These experiences prepare graduates to provide safe, competent, and patient-centered care in a dynamic healthcare system. The college's goal is to expand individual advancement, develop nursing leaders, and contribute to the development of South Carolina.

Undergraduate Programs: MUSC is unique in that it only offers classes required for the degrees; students must complete their prerequisites elsewhere.

The university provides a BSN program in which students participate in a rigorous academic experience that emphasizes the strong professional values, core nursing competencies, and leadership skills required to practice successfully in any healthcare facility.

Additionally, the accelerated BSN program is a 16-month program that allows students with a bachelor’s degree in a different stream to obtain their BSN degree. Similarly, the RN-BSN is designed for working RNs to get their bachelor’s degrees and expand their scope of practice.

Graduate Programs: The university offers graduate certificates in Adult Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Adult Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, and Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner for licensed nurse practitioners who want to broaden their scope of practice.

The college also offers Master's, BSN to DNP, and BSN to Ph.D. degrees in nursing to prepare nurses to become leaders who can transform practice environments, lead change in complex systems, and evaluate and implement strategies that improve health outcomes.

The University of South Carolina-nursing Aiken's school is a public institution in Aiken, South Carolina. The college creates a welcoming environment that is responsive to the students and their needs. The students here play an active role in their education.

In addition to traditional classroom education and clinical practice, the university also provides hands-on experience to students via a high-fidelity simulation program that allows them to practice their skills. This simulation lab practice begins from the first semester so that by the time students interact with real patients, they are apt in their clinical skills and reasoning. Similarly, in the variety of off-campus healthcare settings students learn practical skills, patient communications, teamwork, inter and intra-departmental coordination, and other critical clinical skills. After graduation, the nurses work in a variety of healthcare settings such as mental health, forensics, oncology, informatics, and others.

Undergraduate Programs: The University of South Carolina offers one of the best Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs in the state. Graduates of this program are qualified to sit for the NCLEX-RN exam and work as successful nurses.

They can also enroll in the RN to a BSN program where students with an associate degree or diploma in nursing can complete their bachelor’s degree in as little as 12 months for an affordable price.

Greenville Technical College of the nursing program is a public institution in Greenville, South Carolina. They have been in operation since 1971 and are one of the largest nursing programs in South Carolina.

Employers express confidence in the program and the skills new nurses bring to the job, which is known for its emphasis on clinical proficiency in a variety of health care settings. Graduates' licensure examination passing rates are consistently at or above national and state averages.

Scholarships are a type of financial aid provided by GTC in the form of a monetary award or other assistance to students as they pursue their studies. The recipients are not required to repay the funds. Scholarships may be given based on academic achievement, talent, or financial need. Types of scholarships offered are life scholarship, palmettos fellow scholarship, SC Wins, Greenville Tech Foundation Scholarship, Private or sponsored/external scholarships, scholarship search resources, ETTA Gray memorial scholarships, Lillian Simpson scholarship, Laurel Scholarship, and Business Scholarship.

Undergraduate Programs: The associate degree program covers all aspects of the nursing profession and is designed to integrate theory as well as practical "hands-on" educational experiences. As full-time students, nursing students can complete the program in two to three years and practice as RNs after passing the licensure exam.

Post-RN Specialty Courses offered by GTC like the Dysrhythmia Interpretation and Physical Assessment, enable current RNs, other healthcare professionals, or nursing students with Instructor Permission to develop the specialist skills required to care for patients with critical conditions. The courses teach students the fundamental knowledge and skills required for safe, competent, and effective nursing practice in critical care and other specialty units.

The University of South Carolina-nursing Aiken's school is a public institution in Aiken, South Carolina. The college creates a welcoming environment that is responsive to the students and their needs. The students here play an active role in their education.

In addition to traditional classroom education and clinical practice, the university also provides hands-on experience to students via a high-fidelity simulation program that allows them to practice their skills. This simulation lab practice begins from the first semester so that by the time students interact with real patients, they are apt in their clinical skills and reasoning. Similarly, in the variety of off-campus healthcare settings students learn practical skills, patient communications, teamwork, inter and intra-departmental coordination, and other critical clinical skills. After graduation, the nurses work in a variety of healthcare settings such as mental health, forensics, oncology, informatics, and others.

Undergraduate Programs: The University of South Carolina offers one of the best Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs in the state. Graduates of this program are qualified to sit for the NCLEX-RN exam and work as successful nurses.

They can also enroll in the RN to a BSN program where students with an associate degree or diploma in nursing can complete their bachelor’s degree in as little as 12 months for an affordable price.

Anderson University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Anderson, South Carolina. Ranked among the top universities for nursing in the state, Anderson University delivers nursing education that is rooted in its Christ-centered ethos.

To prepare the next generation of quality healthcare providers and leaders, the university houses faculty made up entirely of working nurses, and a new, state-of-the-art facility. Nursing students at Anderson learn how to meet spiritual as well as physical needs, whether it's by offering to pray for a patient—or their family members—or by serving on a medical mission team in places like Nicaragua. In either case, the professors will both train and inspire them: they will train students to become skilled nurses while also inspiring them to use their skills to serve others in the spirit of Christ. In addition to this, Anderson University is also the only nursing school in the state that has a cadaver lab that is designed exclusively for nursing students. Similarly, along with the most sophisticated and advanced technology, the students are also offered hands-on experience in a state-of-the-art, full-body simulator lab and in the 13 clinical training sites across the state.

Undergraduate Programs: Anderson University offers two undergraduate programs i.e ABSN and RN to BN.

The Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program, which lasts 15 months, prepares adults with 59 hours of previous college credit or bachelor's degrees in fields other than nursing to become registered nurses (RNs). It will prepare students for careers in pediatric, surgical, adult, geriatric, and other nursing fields. It also qualifies them to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN. Students who become registered nurses can work in hospitals, hospices, homes, nursing homes, workplaces, schools, medical missions, the military, and other medical settings.

The FLEX RN to BSN program at AU provides working nurses with a faster path to professional advancement by allowing them to use their nursing knowledge to earn their degrees at their own pace.

Students can move through the program quickly by using online courses, allowing them to get the promotion and raise they deserve without having to attend classes on campus. 

Graduate Programs: Graduate programs offered by AU include Master’s, MSN to DNP, and RN to BSN. Specialty subjects are Doctor of Nursing Practice - Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (DNP), Master of Science in Nursing - Family Nurse Practitioner (MSN), and Master of Science in Nursing - Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. The programs are fully online with on-campus intensives once per semester.

Bob Jones University is a private for-profit university in Greenville, South Carolina. Through practice and research, Bob Jones University of Nursing seeks to prepare exemplary nurse leaders who integrate education, service, and scholarship. 

The graduates are committed to improving the lives of rural and diverse populations. BJU is a Christian university that provides a biblical approach to nursing education. Their education is primarily clinical in nature, with a three-year clinical program. Students can also serve on mission trips to places like Peru or Africa. Students will be equipped with the skills and confidence they need to succeed as a result of BJU's challenging classes and clinical program. Beyond that, students will be inspired to see nursing as a calling rather than just a job. The university provides high-quality nursing education where students participate in a rigorous academic experience that emphasizes the strong professional values, core nursing competencies, and leadership skills required to practice successfully in any healthcare facility.

For more than a decade, BJU nursing graduates have consistently outperformed state and national NCLEX pass rates.

Undergraduate Programs: The Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program is designed to prepare graduates to use critical thinking and clinical judgment to provide evidence-based care. In addition, there is an online RN-BS program for working RNs who want to get their bachelor's degree.

Bob Jones University's BS in nursing program is highly regarded by both students and healthcare employers. Students who complete the program will go on to work as compassionate and skilled caregivers across the state and country.

Trident Technical College is a public college in Charleston, South Carolina. They provide several degree options for students interested in pursuing a career in nursing, including a practical nursing program and an ADN program. Trident Technical College is the Lowcountry's largest provider of quality nursing education.

The college houses a state-of-the-art nursing simulation center in the new 90,000 square-foot Nursing and Science Building. Students participate in learning activities in the simulation center to develop competencies in a variety of areas, in addition to gaining clinical experience in local health care settings. The center employs programmable adult, pediatric, and newborn mannequins, as well as maternal mannequins that give birth and the same equipment and supplies found in a clinical setting. TTC's program provides a curriculum that allows students to earn a diploma or an associate degree. The sequential program levels prepare students for the roles of entry-level nurse generalists in a variety of healthcare facilities such as schools, clinics, as well as government and military offices.

Aside from all of the educational resources and low tuition, the college also assists students with their career searches, from resume writing to job search support to interview tips.

Undergraduate Programs: The Associate Degree and Practical Nursing program at Trident Technical College are one of the state’s best programs in the entire state. The graduates of the ADN program are eligible to take their NCLEX-RN examination and work as successful nurses. They can also transition to a BSN program should they wish to further advance their academic and professional career.

Spartanburg Community College's nursing school is a public institution in Spartanburg, South Carolina that ranks among the top five nursing colleges in the state and among the best in the country as well.

At SCC, nursing students are taught to focus on improving health outcomes and patient conditions through education, practice, and service. The curriculum teaches the students to be accountable, competent, responsible, and technologically prepared nurses who will be able to provide quality nursing care in a diverse healthcare setting. The clinical practice also allows them to develop as leaders who can advance the nursing practice and function as integral members of the healthcare team. Nursing education at this university is highly affordable and is provided by highly trained healthcare professionals. In addition to that, students are eligible to apply for a plethora of grants, lottery, or scholarships, in addition to part-time employment to fund their education.

Undergraduate Programs: Spartanburg Community College offers Registered Nursing via an Associate level degree which prepares them for their NCLEX-RN examination. Graduates of the program will have a solid foundation for entry into practice at the appropriate level. Acute care hospitals, physician's offices, clinics, long-term care settings, health departments, home health care agencies, and hospice care units are some examples of nursing opportunities.

Additionally, the students can also transfer their ADN credits to any university to complete their bachelor’s degrees.

Francis Marion University is located in Florence, South Carolina.  They offer a traditional BSN program.  They also offer several RN to BSN options - they offer an online program, a hybrid program a their Mount Pleasant campus, and also an RN to BSN Veterans program.  The veterans program is for honorably or generally discharged veterans to complete their nursing education; not only does this program give credit for nursing experience, but also military experience.