Question 1

How many accredited nursing programs are in Ohio?

Accepted Answer

Ohio has dozens of accredited nursing programs across community colleges and four-year universities, listed in full on this page. Every school on this page is verified in the federal IPEDS database and carries either CCNE or ACEN accreditation. The map above plots each program's location and the sortable table below shows in-state tuition, program length, and completion rate for direct comparison.

Question 2

Which Ohio nursing program has the highest NCLEX-RN pass rate?

Accepted Answer

The Ohio Board of Nursing publishes annual first-time NCLEX-RN pass rates for every approved program in the state. Rates fluctuate year to year. Our NCLEX pass rates guide compiles the most recent state-level and top-program data for Ohio and every other state, updated after each board release. Check the current annual report from Ohio Board of Nursing before your final enrollment decision.

Question 3

What is the average cost of nursing school in Ohio?

Accepted Answer

Public community college ADN programs in Ohio typically cost between $3,000 and $8,000 per year for state residents. Public university BSN programs run $8,000 to $15,000 per year in-state and $22,000 to $35,000 per year out-of-state. Private university BSN programs charge $28,000 to $45,000 per year regardless of residency. Institutional aid, state grants, and federal Pell grants substantially reduce out-of-pocket cost for most students.

Question 4

Do Ohio hospitals hire ADN-prepared nurses or require a BSN?

Accepted Answer

Most Ohio hospitals hire ADN registered nurses for medical-surgical, long-term care, and outpatient settings. Larger urban systems and magnet-status facilities increasingly prefer or require a BSN for hospital positions, especially in specialty units like ICU, ER, and OR. If you start at ADN level, plan for an online RN-to-BSN completion within three years of your first job. Most hospitals offer tuition reimbursement for this bridge.

Question 5

How does Ohio RN licensure work?

Accepted Answer

After graduating from a Ohio Board of Nursing approved program, apply for RN licensure through Ohio Board of Nursing, complete a criminal background check, and register for the NCLEX-RN through Pearson VUE. Once approved to test, you have 90 days to schedule your exam. See the how-to-become-a-nurse guide for the complete step-by-step process, including timing, fees, and endorsement rules for nurses moving to Ohio from other states.

Question 6

Is Ohio part of the Nurse Licensure Compact?

Accepted Answer

Compact membership varies by state and changes as legislatures act. Once you hold a compact-state RN license, you can practice in any of the 41 other compact states without additional licensure. Check the current status of Ohio in the Nurse Licensure Compact through Ohio Board of Nursing before assuming multi-state privileges. Non-compact states require endorsement application and fees for each additional state you plan to practice in.

Question 7

What is the RN salary in Ohio?

Accepted Answer

Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows RN median wages in Ohio vary significantly by metro area, hospital type, and specialty. Statewide medians typically fall between $65,000 and $90,000 per year. Urban acute care and specialty units pay above the state median. Rural and long-term care settings pay below. Travel nursing contracts in Ohio commonly pay $2,000 to $2,800 per week. Full salary breakdown by specialty and years of experience is on the nurse salary guide.

Question 8

Are there online nursing programs available to Ohio residents?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Ohio residents can enroll in any CCNE-accredited online BSN, RN-to-BSN, or MSN program that accepts out-of-state students. Six commonly-available accredited online programs are compared on the online nursing programs page, including options that place students at local Ohio hospitals for clinical rotations. Online programs are particularly popular for working nurses in Ohio who need scheduling flexibility around 12-hour shift work.

Question 9

What prerequisite classes do I need before applying to a Ohio nursing program?

Accepted Answer

Nursing programs in Ohio typically require the same core prerequisites: Anatomy and Physiology I and II with lab, Microbiology with lab, General Chemistry, Nutrition, English Composition, College Algebra or Statistics, Introduction to Psychology, Developmental Psychology, and Sociology. Community colleges in Ohio offer these prerequisites at low cost and credits transfer directly to state university BSN programs. Plan for two full semesters to complete prerequisites before applying to your first-choice program.

Question 10

How long does nursing school take in Ohio?

Accepted Answer

Timing depends on the program type. Practical nurse (LPN) diploma programs run 12 to 18 months. Associate degree (ADN) programs at community colleges run two years. Traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs at four-year universities take four years. Accelerated BSN options for students who already hold a bachelor's degree in another field can finish in 12 to 16 months. RN-to-BSN and RN-to-MSN bridge programs for working nurses typically take 12 to 24 months of part-time study.


Academia Medical Institute	Columbus, OH	$19,150	Private for-profit	Not reported
American Institute of Alternative Medicine	Columbus, OH	$22,947	Private for-profit	60%
Arizona College of Nursing-Cincinnati	Cincinnati, OH	$23,760	Private for-profit	Not reported
Arizona College of Nursing-Cleveland	Beachwood, OH	$23,760	Private for-profit	Not reported
Ashland University	Ashland, OH	$31,210	Private non-profit	61%
Ashtabula County Technical and Career Campus	Jefferson, OH	Not reported	Public	58%
ATA College-Cincinnati	Cincinnati, OH	$14,250	Private for-profit	63%
Athena Career Academy	Toledo, OH	Not reported	Private for-profit	52%
Aultman College of Nursing and Health Sciences	Canton, OH	$20,230	Private non-profit	53%
Baldwin Wallace University	Berea, OH	$39,832	Private non-profit	67%
Belmont College	St Clairsville, OH	$4,698	Public	43%
Bluffton University	Bluffton, OH	$37,362	Private non-profit	53%
Bowling Green State University-Main Campus	Bowling Green, OH	$14,460	Public	64%
Bryant & Stratton College-Parma	Parma, OH	$19,580	Private non-profit	19%
Capital University	Columbus, OH	$43,234	Private non-profit	60%
Case Western Reserve University	Cleveland, OH	$66,608	Private non-profit	87%
Cedarville University	Cedarville, OH	$37,150	Private non-profit	73%
Central Ohio Technical College	Newark, OH	$5,256	Public	30%
Chamberlain University-Ohio	Columbus, OH	$19,975	Private for-profit	29%
Cincinnati State Technical and Community College	Cincinnati, OH	$5,517	Public	16%
Clark State College	Springfield, OH	$4,393	Public	22%
Cleveland State University	Cleveland, OH	$12,988	Public	51%
Collins Career Technical Center	Chesapeake, OH	Not reported	Public	55%
Columbiana County Career and Technical Center	Lisbon, OH	Not reported	Public	75%
Columbus State Community College	Columbus, OH	$5,488	Public	28%
Cuyahoga Community College District	Cleveland, OH	$3,249	Public	31%
Defiance College	Defiance, OH	$29,320	Private non-profit	31%
East Ohio College	East Liverpool, OH	$14,798	Private for-profit	74%
Edison State Community College	Piqua, OH	$4,499	Public	38%
EHOVE Career Center	Milan, OH	Not reported	Public	96%
ETI Technical College of Niles	Niles, OH	$11,350	Private for-profit	63%
Felbry College	Columbus, OH	$29,731	Private for-profit	91%
Firelands Regional Medical Center School of Nursing	Sandusky, OH	Not reported	Private non-profit	Not reported
Fortis College-Centerville	Centerville, OH	$14,440	Private for-profit	44%
Fortis College-Cincinnati	Cincinnati, OH	$14,763	Private for-profit	50%
Fortis College-Columbus	Westerville, OH	$14,935	Private for-profit	40%
Fortis College-Cuyahoga Falls	Cuyahoga Falls, OH	$14,596	Private for-profit	47%
Franciscan University of Steubenville	Steubenville, OH	$34,100	Private non-profit	75%
Franklin University	Columbus, OH	$9,577	Private non-profit	11%
Galen College of Nursing-Cincinnati	Cincinnati, OH	$18,048	Private for-profit	57%
Good Samaritan College of Nursing and Health Science	Cincinnati, OH	$15,470	Private non-profit	73%
Heidelberg University	Tiffin, OH	$33,650	Private non-profit	52%
Herzing University-Akron	Akron, OH	$13,450	Private non-profit	19%
Hiram College	Hiram, OH	$27,600	Private non-profit	55%
Hocking College	Nelsonville, OH	$5,540	Public	37%
Hondros College of Nursing	Columbus, OH	$14,817	Private for-profit	21%
James A. Rhodes State College	Lima, OH	$4,560	Public	47%
Kent State University at Ashtabula	Ashtabula, OH	$7,492	Public	25%
Kent State University at East Liverpool	East Liverpool, OH	$7,492	Public	26%
Kent State University at Geauga	Burton, OH	$7,492	Public	20%
Kent State University at Kent	Kent, OH	$13,232	Public	64%
Kent State University at Salem	Salem, OH	$7,492	Public	31%
Kent State University at Stark	North Canton, OH	$7,492	Public	37%
Kent State University at Trumbull	Warren, OH	$7,492	Public	32%
Kent State University at Tuscarawas	New Philadelphia, OH	$7,492	Public	38%
Kettering College	Kettering, OH	$16,320	Private non-profit	65%
Knox County Career Center	Mount Vernon, OH	Not reported	Public	100%
Lakeland Community College	Kirtland, OH	$3,872	Public	24%
Lorain County Community College	Elyria, OH	$4,265	Public	31%
Lourdes University	Sylvania, OH	$29,500	Private non-profit	32%
Malone University	Canton, OH	$37,160	Private non-profit	45%
Marion Technical College	Marion, OH	$6,595	Public	31%
Mercy College of Ohio	Toledo, OH	$19,470	Private non-profit	56%
Miami University-Hamilton	Hamilton, OH	$7,491	Public	25%
Miami University-Middletown	Middletown, OH	$7,491	Public	32%
Miami University-Oxford	Oxford, OH	$18,161	Public	80%
Mid-EastCTC-Adult Education	Zanesville, OH	Not reported	Public	72%
Mount Carmel College of Nursing	Columbus, OH	$22,080	Private non-profit	54%
Mount St. Joseph University	Cincinnati, OH	$38,150	Private non-profit	56%
Mount Vernon Nazarene University	Mount Vernon, OH	$37,158	Private non-profit	68%
Muskingum University	New Concord, OH	$32,665	Private non-profit	56%
North Central State College	Mansfield, OH	$4,624	Public	36%
Northwest State Community College	Archbold, OH	$4,698	Public	46%
Ohio Christian University	Circleville, OH	$24,600	Private non-profit	34%
Ohio Institute of Allied Health	Huber Heights, OH	$27,408	Private non-profit	100%
Ohio Medical Career College	Dayton, OH	Not reported	Private for-profit	79%
Ohio Northern University	Ada, OH	$39,800	Private non-profit	75%
Ohio State University-Main Campus	Columbus, OH	$13,244	Public	88%
Ohio State University-Mansfield Campus	Mansfield, OH	$9,488	Public	15%
Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus	Chillicothe, OH	$6,362	Public	14%
Ohio University-Eastern Campus	Saint Clairsville, OH	$6,362	Public	21%
Ohio University-Lancaster Campus	Lancaster, OH	$6,362	Public	14%
Ohio University-Main Campus	Athens, OH	$14,158	Public	65%
Ohio University-Southern Campus	Ironton, OH	$6,362	Public	21%
Ohio University-Zanesville Campus	Zanesville, OH	$6,362	Public	22%
Otterbein University	Westerville, OH	$35,548	Private non-profit	68%
Owens Community College	Perrysburg, OH	$5,870	Public	35%
Pickaway Ross Joint Vocational School District	Chillicothe, OH	Not reported	Public	100%
Professional Skills Institute	Maumee, OH	$15,884	Private for-profit	43%
Ross College-Canton	Canton, OH	Not reported	Private for-profit	46%
Sandusky Career Center	Sandusky, OH	Not reported	Public	100%
Shawnee State University	Portsmouth, OH	$10,626	Public	48%
Sinclair Community College	Dayton, OH	$3,675	Public	41%
Southern State Community College	Hillsboro, OH	$5,912	Public	37%
Stark State College	North Canton, OH	$4,790	Public	23%
Terra State Community College	Fremont, OH	$5,748	Public	39%
The Christ College of Nursing and Health Sciences	Cincinnati, OH	$16,836	Private non-profit	56%
The University of Findlay	Findlay, OH	$41,164	Private non-profit	58%
Tiffin University	Tiffin, OH	$34,790	Private non-profit	40%
Tri-Rivers Career Center	Marion, OH	Not reported	Public	71%
Trinity Health System School of Nursing	Steubenville, OH	$9,619	Private non-profit	75%
University of Akron Main Campus	Akron, OH	$13,135	Public	52%
University of Cincinnati-Blue Ash College	Blue Ash, OH	$7,200	Public	16%
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus	Cincinnati, OH	$13,976	Public	75%
University of Dayton	Dayton, OH	$49,140	Private non-profit	80%
University of Mount Union	Alliance, OH	$36,600	Private non-profit	59%
University of Rio Grande	Rio Grande, OH	$20,560	Private non-profit	36%
University of Toledo	Toledo, OH	$12,744	Public	57%
Ursuline College	Pepper Pike, OH	$38,990	Private non-profit	67%
Walsh University	North Canton, OH	$35,745	Private non-profit	59%
Washington State College of Ohio	Marietta, OH	$4,128	Public	32%
Wittenberg University	Springfield, OH	$45,940	Private non-profit	53%
Wright State University-Lake Campus	Celina, OH	$7,728	Public	41%
Wright State University-Main Campus	Dayton, OH	$11,522	Public	42%
Xavier University	Cincinnati, OH	$50,640	Private non-profit	69%
Youngstown State University	Youngstown, OH	$11,113	Public	50%

Nursing Programs in Ohio

All accredited programs in Ohio

Top-completion nursing programs in Ohio

Knox County Career Center

Sandusky Career Center

Pickaway Ross Joint Vocational School District

Ohio Institute of Allied Health

EHOVE Career Center

Becoming an RN in Ohio

Paying for nursing school in Ohio

Prefer to start online this month? Ohio residents qualify for these programs.

Questions about nursing school in Ohio

Compare programs in nearby states

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