Best ADN Programs in Arkansas, Ranked (2026)

UA Little Rock's Associate of Applied Science in Nursing operates within a full university setting rather than a standalone community college, connecting ADN students to a broader institutional network. Two entry tracks are available: a traditional AAS option requiring no prior nursing credential, and an LPN/Paramedic-to-RN option that grants advanced placement to working practical nurses and paramedics, reducing time to the RN license. Both tracks are built around in-person clinical rotations at partner sites including Arkansas Heart Hospital, Baptist Health, CHI St. Vincent, and UAMS. Graduates sit for the NCLEX-RN and, upon passing, hold the same registered nurse license as a BSN graduate. The university also offers a fully online RN-to-BSN completion program, giving ADN graduates a structured bridge to a bachelor's degree while already earning as RNs.

In-state tuition is $6,810 per year per IPEDS, higher than Arkansas technical college options but substantially below the $19,620 out-of-state rate. The program admits roughly 59% of applicants and posts a 42% graduation rate, a figure common in competitive health science programs where clinical eligibility requirements and prerequisite screens thin the cohort before completion. UA Little Rock earned a Hakia Score of 84.6, the top score among Arkansas ADN programs in this ranking. The LPN/Paramedic track makes this the strongest fit for healthcare workers already in the field who want a faster path to the RN without repeating practical-nursing coursework.

Arkansas State University's Associate of Applied Science in Nursing is a 66-credit-hour program housed in the College of Nursing and Health Professions. The curriculum covers human anatomy and physiology, medical-surgical nursing, mental health care, and health assessment, with graduates prepared to work across intensive care units, emergency departments, medical-surgical floors, clinics, and research facilities. Clinical instruction is hands-on and in person; the program is not completable online. A-State also operates a satellite nursing presence at its West Memphis campus, expanding clinical access in eastern Arkansas. Graduates are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN. The program holds accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) and approval from the Arkansas State Board of Nursing, with the most recent ACEN Board decision granting continuing accreditation.

In-state tuition is $7,488 per year per IPEDS, with an added $46 per credit hour for nursing-specific courses. The program admits 82% of applicants, making it the most accessible entry point among the top-ranked Arkansas ADN programs, and posts a 55% graduation rate. A-State's Hakia Score of 84.1 reflects strong accreditation standing, program size, and outcomes data. The high admit rate combined with ACEN accreditation makes this program well-suited to students who need a clear, accessible path to the RN license without facing a highly competitive selection process.

Black River Technical College's Registered Nursing program is an associate degree requiring between one and two years depending on the track. The traditional option is held entirely on the Pocahontas campus, with in-person classroom instruction and clinical rotations contracted at sites across northeast Arkansas and southeast Missouri. No nursing background is required to enter the traditional track. BRTC also offers an LPN-to-RN Transitional Pathway, a 12-month program where classroom theory meets Tuesday and Thursday evenings at Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Paragould, simulation lab days occur at the Pocahontas campus, and clinical requirements are fulfilled on weekends and occasional weekdays. The LPN-to-RN track is spring-admission only. Both tracks require prerequisite coursework including Anatomy and Physiology I and II, Microbiology, and a TEAS 7 entrance exam with a minimum overall score of 58.7%. After graduation, students are eligible to apply for the NCLEX-RN; BRTC does not guarantee NCLEX eligibility, which is determined by the state Board of Nursing.

In-state tuition is $2,712 per year per IPEDS, the lowest among the four programs in this ranking and a significant cost advantage for students prioritizing debt minimization. The program posts a 55% graduation rate. No admit rate is reported in IPEDS for this program, which is typical for smaller technical colleges. BRTC earned a Hakia Score of 82.5. The combination of rock-bottom tuition, a working-LPN-friendly evening track, and fall and spring cohort starts makes BRTC the clearest fit for cost-conscious students and currently employed LPNs in rural northeast Arkansas.

Southern Arkansas University Tech offers an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing at its Camden campus, with in-person instruction, simulation labs, skills labs, and hands-on clinical rotations. The RN program is one credential in a stacked pathway: students can enter as a Certified Nursing Assistant, advance to a Technical Certificate in Practical Nursing (LPN), and then complete the AAS-RN, building work experience and income at each stage. The AAS-RN specifically earns the full registered nurse credential, and graduates are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN. Admission is competitive: applicants complete prerequisites with a C or better, submit a TEAS exam score, prepare a resume, and RN applicants must also submit a work history form. The program is approved by the Arkansas State Board of Nursing. The 2026 admissions cycle ran January through June 2026.

In-state tuition is $3,450 per year per IPEDS, and the out-of-state rate is $4,890, one of the narrowest in-state/out-of-state gaps in the state. SAU Tech's 62% graduation rate is the strongest of the four programs in this ranking, a meaningful signal that students who are admitted tend to complete. Enrollment of 991 means smaller class sizes and a more hands-on environment than a regional university. SAU Tech earned a Hakia Score of 81.7. This program fits students in southwest Arkansas who want an affordable, completion-focused path to the RN, particularly those who plan to build a healthcare career through stackable credentials rather than entering the four-year track directly.

Arkansas State University-Newport runs its Associate of Applied Science in Nursing on the Newport campus in two tracks. The Traditional Pathway delivers a full prelicensure curriculum of classroom, lab, and hands-on clinical rotations to students entering nursing for the first time. The LPN-to-RN Transition Pathway is built for licensed practical nurses who want to advance; it recognizes prior clinical training and accelerates the route to RN licensure. Both tracks award the AAS in Nursing and qualify graduates to sit for the NCLEX-RN, the same licensure exam taken by BSN graduates. All nursing applicants must clear a separate program-level application before enrolling in any nursing coursework.

ASUN draws from a small enrollment base of roughly 1,868 students, which keeps class sizes manageable in a community-college setting. In-state tuition runs $2,760 per year according to IPEDS, placing the all-in cost of an RN credential well below a four-year university. The program-level graduation rate is 46%, a figure common in selective allied-health cohorts where clinical competency standards gate progression. ASUN did not publish a specific NCLEX first-time pass rate on its program page. The school earned a Hakia Score of 80.9, the highest among this Arkansas ADN group, reflecting the dual-track flexibility and cost efficiency. This program fits pre-nursing students who want a traditional on-campus path to the RN license and working LPNs ready to step up, both on a Northeast Arkansas community-college budget.

Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas offers a 63-credit Associate of Applied Science in Nursing at two in-person sites: the Helena-West Helena campus and the Stuttgart campus. The curriculum covers the full scope of prelicensure nursing education, including patient-centered care, clinical judgment, quality improvement, and interprofessional collaboration. All instruction and clinical rotations are completed in person; graduates are eligible to take the NCLEX-RN and earn the same registered nurse license awarded to BSN graduates. The program explicitly targets an NCLEX first-time pass rate of at least 80% across any rolling 12-month window, a benchmark the faculty tracks as a formal program outcome.

A second published outcome sets a goal of 80% of graduates employed in an RN-required position within six months of completing the program, signaling that the Helena and Stuttgart regions carry real demand for community-college-trained nurses. In-state tuition is $2,730 per year per IPEDS, among the lowest in Arkansas. The program-level graduation rate is 55%, and the school carries a Hakia Score of 80.2. PCCUA is a strong fit for Eastern Arkansas residents who want a defined, affordable path to RN licensure with documented placement expectations and multiple campus options.

Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas participates in the Arkansas Rural Nursing Education Consortium (ARNEC), an eight-college partnership that delivers the LPN-to-RN transition pathway to working licensed practical nurses across rural Southwest Arkansas. Nursing theory is delivered via interactive video on Tuesday and Thursday evenings (3:30 to 8:30 PM), and clinical hours are scheduled on weekends, a format designed so students can maintain employment during the 12-month program. Graduates receive an Associate of Applied Science degree and become eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN. The college also runs a standalone Practical Nursing (LPN) Technical Certificate for students entering healthcare from scratch, with both an 11-month day format and an 18-month evening format available.

UA Cossatot enrolls approximately 1,312 students and charges $2,940 per year in-state tuition per IPEDS. The program-level graduation rate is 54%. No first-time NCLEX pass rate was published on the program page. The college earned a Hakia Score of 79.5. This is the right choice for LPNs already working in the De Queen area or surrounding Southwest Arkansas communities who want to earn the RN credential without leaving their jobs, using a consortium curriculum built specifically for rural healthcare workforce needs.

The University of Arkansas Community College at Rich Mountain in Mena offers a 12-month Registered Nursing program exclusively through the Arkansas Rural Nursing Education Consortium (ARNEC), a coalition of eight rural Arkansas colleges. The program is designed specifically for licensed practical nurses and licensed vocational nurses making the transition to RN. Nursing theory runs on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 3:30 to 8:30 PM via interactive video, and clinical experiences are scheduled on weekends, allowing LPN/LVNs to keep working during the program. Graduates earn an Associate of Applied Science degree and are eligible for the NCLEX-RN examination. The program meets Arkansas State Board of Nursing requirements, and competency in clinical tasks is assessed throughout every course.

UA Rich Mountain is the smallest school in this group, with an enrollment of roughly 786 students, and charges $2,448 per year in-state tuition per IPEDS, the lowest figure in this Arkansas ADN ranking. The graduation rate is 55% and the school earned a Hakia Score of 79.4. No specific NCLEX first-time pass rate was published on the program page. For LPN/LVNs in the Mena region or rural West-Central Arkansas who want the fastest, cheapest route from LPN to RN without uprooting their current job, this ARNEC cohort delivers a structured 12-month path at community-college cost. Once licensed, RNs nationally earn a median wage of $97,550 per year according to BLS.

East Arkansas Community College in Forrest City awards an Associate of Applied Science in Registered Nursing upon completion of its 62-credit traditional track. The program runs competitive admissions through a timed HESI A2 testing window each spring, giving applicants two scored attempts at roughly $70 each. Practical nursing students who already hold an LPN license can enter via a separate LPN-to-RN track with its own HESI entrance exam, skipping the standard application queue. All students complete in-person clinical rotations; the prelicensure program cannot be finished online. EACC is approved by the Arkansas State Board of Nursing.

The approximately $12,070 all-in program cost covers in-county tuition, fees, textbooks, uniforms, malpractice insurance, NCLEX-RN registration, background checks, and licensure. At $3,270 per year in-state tuition, this is one of the most cost-contained paths to an RN license in eastern Arkansas. The program's 51% graduation rate reflects the selective admissions process and the clinical intensity common to community-college ADN programs. The scraped program page does not publish a specific NCLEX pass rate; prospective students should request current first-time pass data directly from the Allied Health office at (870) 633-4480 ext. 408. Hakia's 78.8 score weights cost efficiency and regional access heavily, placing EACC among the top ADN programs in Arkansas for students seeking the fastest, least expensive route to the same RN license a BSN produces. Graduates sit for the NCLEX-RN, and passing it confers a full registered nurse license. National median RN pay is $97,550 per year according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Arkansas Northeastern College in Blytheville offers the Associate of Applied Science in Nursing through its Division of Allied Health, taught at the ANC Main Campus. The program carries ACEN accreditation under an Initial Accreditation decision, the national benchmark for associate-level nursing programs and a credential many employers verify before hiring new graduates. Two entry tracks exist: the traditional ADN option for pre-nursing students, and an LPN-to-RN option for currently licensed practical nurses seeking to advance. Both require selective admissions; full admission criteria and curriculum details are published in the respective Information Guidelines packets on the ANC website. Clinical rotations are mandatory and in-person; no prelicensure nursing program can be completed entirely online.

At $2,380 per year in-state tuition, ANC is among the most affordable ADN programs in Arkansas. The 49% graduation rate is consistent with the clinical rigor and selective admissions typical of community-college nursing programs statewide. The program page does not publish a specific NCLEX first-time pass rate; contact the nursing office at 870-838-2984 for current outcomes data. ANC's page notes a third-party ranking of #1 among Arkansas community colleges for RN programs. Hakia's 78.8 score, which anchors this ranking, reflects the combination of ACEN accreditation, low tuition, and regional access for students in the Mississippi Delta. Graduates sit for the NCLEX-RN and earn the same RN license as a four-year BSN graduate. National median pay for registered nurses is $97,550 per year. The common strategy is ADN first, then an online RN-to-BSN bridge while working, to meet hospital BSN preferences over time.