Cheapest States for RN License
50 states ranked by lowest licensing costs for RN licensing, updated for 2026.
#1
Georgia
$282
Georgia ranks #1 for lowest licensing costs among all states for RN licensing. App: $40, Exam: $200.
View Georgia RN requirements →Full Rankings
| # | State | Total Fees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia (GA) | $282 |
| 2 | Colorado (CO) | $283 |
| 3 | Idaho (ID) | $298.25 |
| 4 | West Virginia (WV) | $302 |
| 5 | Illinois (IL) | $310 |
| 6 | Indiana (IN) | $310 |
| 7 | Texas (TX) | $318 |
| 8 | Arkansas (AR) | $320 |
| 9 | Virginia (VA) | $320 |
| 10 | Michigan (MI) | $321.55 |
| 11 | Kansas (KS) | $323 |
| 12 | North Carolina (NC) | $325 |
| 13 | Rhode Island (RI) | $325 |
| 14 | Wisconsin (WI) | $325 |
| 15 | Ohio (OH) | $335 |
| 16 | Oklahoma (OK) | $335 |
| 17 | Montana (MT) | $340 |
| 18 | Utah (UT) | $340 |
| 19 | Iowa (IA) | $343 |
| 20 | New York (NY) | $343 |
| 21 | South Dakota (SD) | $343 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania (PA) | $345 |
| 23 | Alabama (AL) | $348 |
| 24 | Missouri (MO) | $350 |
| 25 | South Carolina (SC) | $350 |
| 26 | Kentucky (KY) | $355 |
| 27 | Louisiana (LA) | $355 |
| 28 | Maine (ME) | $355 |
| 29 | Minnesota (MN) | $355 |
| 30 | North Dakota (ND) | $355 |
| 31 | Maryland (MD) | $360 |
| 32 | Nevada (NV) | $360 |
| 33 | New Mexico (NM) | $360 |
| 34 | Tennessee (TN) | $365 |
| 35 | Nebraska (NE) | $368 |
| 36 | New Hampshire (NH) | $370 |
| 37 | Mississippi (MS) | $375 |
| 38 | Hawaii (HI) | $380 |
| 39 | Washington (WA) | $388 |
| 40 | Wyoming (WY) | $390 |
| 41 | Florida (FL) | $392 |
| 42 | Arizona (AZ) | $400 |
| 43 | Oregon (OR) | $400 |
| 44 | Vermont (VT) | $400 |
| 45 | Delaware (DE) | $406 |
| 46 | Connecticut (CT) | $455 |
| 47 | Massachusetts (MA) | $465 |
| 48 | New Jersey (NJ) | $465 |
| 49 | California (CA) | $549 |
| 50 | Alaska (AK) | $575 |
Methodology
Rankings are based on official state licensing data collected from state nursing boards. Fee data includes application, examination, and fingerprinting costs as published by each state board. Data is verified regularly and updated for 2026.
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