Can you get a nursing degree entirely online?

It depends on the degree level. RN-to-BSN, MSN, and DNP programs can be completed largely online because they assume you already have clinical nursing experience. Pre-licensure programs (the ones that prepare you to become an RN for the first time) cannot be fully online—they require supervised, in-person clinical experiences with qualified faculty, which NCSBN treats as part of any nursing program regardless of delivery format. Some pre-licensure programs offer hybrid formats with online didactic content and in-person clinical components.

Are online nursing degrees respected by employers?

Yes, as long as the program is approved by its state board of nursing (for pre-licensure) and accredited by a nursing accreditor recognized by the U.S. Department of Education: CCNE, ACEN, or CNEA for most nursing programs, ACME for midwifery, or COA for nurse anesthesia. Employers care about accreditation status, NCLEX pass rates (for pre-licensure programs), and whether the program prepared you adequately—not whether you sat in a classroom or watched lectures online. The stigma around online education has largely evaporated, especially for RN-to-BSN and graduate programs where students are already practicing nurses.

How much does an online RN-to-BSN program cost?

It varies widely by school, so compare each program's published per-credit or per-term price and total credits required. As one example of a flat-rate model, Western Governors University lists RN-to-BSN tuition of $5,325 per six-month term plus a $200 e-books and resources fee per term, and you pay the same per term no matter how many courses you finish. Some employers offer full or partial tuition reimbursement for BSN completion.

Online Nursing Degrees: What to Know

Online nursing programs have gone from fringe alternative to mainstream pathway, but the landscape is confusing. Some programs are fully online. Others are hybrid with clinical requirements that tie you to a specific region. Accreditation varies. Costs vary widely by school and format. Here’s how to sort through it without wasting time or money on a program that doesn’t fit.

Which nursing degrees can you get online?

The key distinction is pre-licensure (you’re becoming a nurse for the first time) versus post-licensure (you’re already an RN advancing your education). The online options are very different.

Post-licensure: Mostly online

Program	Typical format
RN-to-BSN	Mostly online
MSN (NP, Educator, Admin)	Hybrid (clinical practica required for NP tracks)
DNP	Hybrid (clinical practica required)
Post-master’s certificates	Hybrid
PhD in Nursing	Mostly online

RN-to-BSN is the most “online-friendly” nursing degree. According to AACN’s degree-completion fact sheet, 701 RN-to-BSN programs are available nationwide, more than 600 of them offered at least partially online, and program length runs 1 to 2 years depending on the school. You’re already a practicing RN, so there’s no clinical skills gap to fill. Most programs require a community health project or leadership practicum that can often be completed at your current workplace.

MSN and DNP programs require clinical practica—supervised practice hours in a relevant setting. These hours must be completed in person, meaning you’ll need to arrange clinical placements in your area. For NP tracks, CCNE’s standards require a minimum of 500 direct patient care clinical hours, and the National Task Force NP standards set 750. This is the “hybrid” part that catches some students off guard. The university provides the didactic content online, but you’re responsible for finding (or being matched with) a clinical preceptor.

Pre-licensure: Not really online

If you’re not yet an RN, a fully online path doesn’t exist. NCSBN’s distance education white paper says that “since nursing is a practice profession, the student will require supervised clinical experiences with qualified faculty,” and those experiences happen in person, where the patients are.

What does exist: hybrid accelerated programs that deliver lectures and coursework online while requiring in-person clinical rotations and lab sessions. According to AACN’s accelerated programs fact sheet, fast-track baccalaureate programs for students with a prior bachelor’s degree in another field take 12 to 18 months, including prerequisites.

If you see a pre-licensure program claiming to be “100% online,” that’s a red flag. Either they’re misleading you about the clinical requirements, or they’re not properly accredited.

How do you evaluate an online program?

Not all online nursing programs are created equal. Here’s what to check before applying.

Accreditation is non-negotiable

Two separate checks apply. First, a pre-licensure program must be approved by the board of nursing in its home state; NCSBN explains that graduating from an approved program is what makes you eligible to take the NCLEX. Second, look for national accreditation from a nursing accreditor recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. There are five:

CCNE (Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education): baccalaureate, graduate, and residency/fellowship programs
ACEN (Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing): all levels of nursing education programs
CNEA (National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation): nursing programs of all types, including distance education programs
ACME (Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education): nurse-midwifery and midwifery programs
COA (Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs): nurse anesthesia programs

Why this matters: many state boards require national accreditation by rule or statute, and NCSBN keeps a map of which ones do. For advanced practice roles, accreditation is required for certification eligibility: CNM candidates need an ACME-accredited (or pre-accredited) program and CRNA candidates need a COA-accredited one.

For how board approval, accreditation, and federal disclosure rules apply to RN, NP, CNM, and CRNA programs, see does an online nursing degree qualify you for licensure?

NCLEX pass rates (for pre-licensure only)

If you’re in a pre-licensure program, check the program’s NCLEX pass rates. State boards of nursing publish these annually, and many set a minimum pass rate that programs must maintain, so check your state board’s standard. For a national benchmark, NCSBN’s 2025 NCLEX statistics report an 86.7% pass rate for first-time, U.S.-educated NCLEX-RN candidates in 2025. A program that sits well below both is struggling to prepare students.

Clinical placement support

For MSN and DNP programs that require clinical practica, ask specifically: does the program help you find a preceptor, or are you on your own? This is a bigger deal than it sounds. Finding a qualified preceptor willing to take students is competitive, and some students delay graduation by semesters because they can’t secure a placement.

Programs with established clinical partner networks in your region are significantly easier to complete on time.

Faculty accessibility

Online doesn’t mean disconnected. Good programs provide regular faculty interaction through virtual office hours, discussion forums, and timely feedback. Ask current students about their experience with faculty responsiveness before enrolling.

What does an online nursing program actually look like week to week?

The “online” experience varies by program, but here’s a typical week in an RN-to-BSN program.

Typical weekly workload (RN-to-BSN)

Pre-recorded lectures on topics like evidence-based practice, nursing informatics, or community health
Required readings from textbooks and journal articles
Discussion board posts: an initial post responding to a prompt plus replies to classmates
Written assignments: regular papers or projects
Group projects: periodic collaborative assignments (often frustrating logistically)

Your weekly time commitment depends on the program, your course load, and your reading speed. Ask each program how many hours per week it expects per course.

Most programs are asynchronous—you complete the week’s work on your own schedule within a defined window. This is what makes online programs workable for nurses juggling long shifts. You’re not logging into a live lecture at 2 PM on Tuesday while you’re in the middle of a shift.

Typical weekly workload (MSN-NP)

MSN programs are more intensive:

Didactic content: lectures and readings
Clinical practicum (when in clinical semesters): supervised direct patient care toward the program’s required hours (at least 500 under CCNE standards)
Clinical documentation: logging hours, writing case studies
Exams and projects: periodic, cumulative

The clinical semesters are where the time commitment spikes. Balancing a clinical practicum with a full-time nursing job requires either reducing your work hours or having an employer that accommodates your schedule.

How much should you pay?

Cost varies dramatically, and the most expensive program isn’t necessarily the best.

Comparing program costs

There’s no reliable national price range for online nursing programs, so compare programs directly:

Total cost, not sticker price. Multiply the per-credit (or per-term) rate by the credits (or terms) you’ll actually need after transfer credit, then add fees.
Program type. Public, private nonprofit, and for-profit schools price very differently for the same degree. Check outcomes before paying more.
Pricing model. Per-credit programs charge for each course. Flat-rate programs charge per term.

Factors that affect true cost

Employer tuition reimbursement. Many healthcare employers offer tuition reimbursement; ask HR what your employer covers per year. This can significantly reduce your out-of-pocket cost for an RN-to-BSN or MSN program.

Flat-rate tuition models. Schools like Western Governors University charge per term rather than per credit. WGU lists its RN-to-BSN at $5,325 per six-month term plus a $200 e-books and resources fee per term. If you can accelerate through coursework—transferring credits, testing out of competencies—you can complete the degree for less than the sticker price.

Clinical travel costs. For hybrid programs, budget for travel to clinical sites if your placements aren’t in your immediate area. This hidden cost catches graduate students off guard.

Lost income. If you need to reduce your work hours during clinical semesters, factor in the income reduction. This is often the largest hidden cost of graduate nursing education.

Key takeaways

RN-to-BSN is genuinely doable online; MSN and DNP are hybrid with required clinical components
Pre-licensure programs cannot be fully online—be wary of any that claim otherwise
Check state board approval and accreditation by a U.S. Department of Education–recognized nursing accreditor (CCNE, ACEN, CNEA, ACME, or COA)
Costs vary widely; employer reimbursement and program format dramatically affect true cost
Clinical placement support is the hidden variable that determines whether you finish on time

If you’re exploring program options, our program finder lets you search by state, degree level, and format. For nurses considering whether to pursue a BSN, our ADN vs BSN guide breaks down the career and salary implications.