In 2022, Bachelor of Science in nursing programs rejected nearly 66,300 applications not because of lacking qualifications, according to American Association of Colleges of Nursing data CNN cited in an Oct. 5 report.
The AACN found that nursing schools did not accept 78,191 total applications — not applicants, since they might have applied to more than one school. Most of these applications included BSN programs, and about 10,000 DNP, master's and PhD in nursing programs accounted for the rest.
The report concluded the tallest barrier to accepting hopeful nursing students was a lack of clinical placement sites, faculty, preceptors and classroom space, as well as budget cuts.