Seven of the 10 most affordable online RN-to-BSN programs are based in Florida, according to a Jan. 1 ranking from Forbes Advisor.
The publication reviewed data from the National Center for Education Statistics, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and education providers' websites to determine the online nursing programs that offer the best value for their price point. Fifty-eight colleges were evaluated across 18 metrics in five categories:
- Student outcomes (including overall graduation rate and median earnings 10 years after graduation)
- Affordability (including average annual net price for students receiving federal aid, and percentage of students who take out federal loans)
- Student experience (including student-to-faculty ratio and in-person coursework requirements)
- Credibility (accounting for the school's accreditation and nonprofit status)
- Application process (including if the school uses Common App and its acceptance rate)
These 10 colleges were determined to have the best affordable online RN-to-BSN programs:
1. Florida Gateway College (Lake City)
2. University of Florida (Gainesville)
3. Pensacola (Fla.) State College
4. Indian River State College (Fort Pierce, Fla.)
5. Vincennes (Ind.) University
6. Daytona State College (Daytona Beach, Fla.)
7. Northeastern State University (Tahlequah, Okla.)
8. State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota (Venice, Fla.)
9. SUNY Polytechnic Institute (Utica, N.Y.)
10. Northwest Florida State College (Niceville)