Best ADN Programs in Maryland for 2026

Harford Community College's Associate of Science in Nursing is a 70-credit program that requires a minimum of four semesters of sequential clinical nursing coursework after selective admission. The program is approved by the Maryland Board of Nursing and ACEN-accredited. Admission is competitive: applicants must score at least 58.7 on the ATI TEAS, hold a 2.50 GPA in prerequisite science and general education courses, and complete 16 qualifying credits including Anatomy and Physiology I, English Composition, and General Psychology before a February 15 (fall/summer) or September 15 (spring) deadline. There is no fully online path; clinical rotations are conducted in person at area healthcare facilities.

In-state tuition runs $5,760 per year, making the total program cost among the lowest in the region. The graduation rate stands at 39%, reflecting the program's selective and sequential structure. Admit rate data is not reported. Graduates sit for the NCLEX-RN and earn the same registered nurse license as a BSN graduate; the program also provides articulation pathways to Maryland baccalaureate nursing programs for those who later pursue an RN-to-BSN bridge. Hakia's ranking methodology placed Harford first in Maryland for 2026, scoring 78.5, on the basis of cost efficiency, accreditation standing, and outcome data. This program fits budget-conscious applicants who are academically ready to enter nursing courses without delay and want a clear transfer-to-BSN route built in.

Allegany College of Maryland offers an Associate of Science in Nursing built around a ladder model: completing the first year plus a five-week summer course makes a student eligible for the NCLEX-PN (Licensed Practical Nurse), and completing the second year opens the path to the NCLEX-RN. Students accumulate approximately 1,400 supervised clinical hours across four semesters in rotating off-campus settings. The program is ACEN-accredited and approved by both the Maryland Board of Nursing and the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing, which matters for graduates who live or work near the state line. Multiple entry tracks exist: traditional in-person day and evening, LPN-to-RN online, Certified Medical Assistant to LPN or RN, a weekend hybrid cohort, and cohorts at the Bedford County Campus and a Garrett County location on a biannual basis. Clinical experience through ACM's Nurse Managed Wellness Clinic adds an interprofessional dimension not common at every community college.

In-state tuition is $8,640 per year, higher than some Maryland community colleges but offset by the program's breadth of entry tracks and embedded ladder credentials. The graduation rate is 40%. Admit rate is not published. No NCLEX pass rate is stated on the program page; graduates are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN upon completion. Hakia scored ACM at 76.9, second in Maryland for 2026, weighting accreditation, outcome data, and track flexibility. This program is the right fit for LPNs looking to complete an RN online, CMAs seeking an accelerated path, or working adults who need evening or weekend scheduling to stay employed during training.

Hagerstown Community College's Registered Nursing program leads to an Associate of Science and eligibility for the NCLEX-RN. The program runs two distinct pathways: a three-year path that allows students to complete general education courses in year one before entering two years of nursing courses, and an accelerated two-year path in which students carry up to 16 credits per semester and complete general education concurrently with nursing coursework. A weekend/evening option follows the three-year structure with clinical instruction occurring on weekends at Meritus Medical Center and partner facilities. Transition tracks exist for LPNs, paramedics, and military medics and corpsmen, providing credit recognition for prior clinical training. HCC also maintains an Associate-to-Bachelor dual-enrollment arrangement with Frostburg State University, Towson University, and the University of Maryland, where competitive students can pursue BSN credits simultaneously with the associate degree and finish both in as few as four years.

In-state tuition is $5,760 per year, tied for the lowest rate among Maryland's ranked programs. The graduation rate is 39% and admit rate is not published. No NCLEX pass rate is stated on the program page. Hakia scored HCC at 76.3, ranking it third in Maryland for 2026, on the strength of cost, track variety, and articulation infrastructure. The two-year intensive format is best for students who are academically prepared, can manage a heavier course load, and want to reach RN licensure as fast as possible; the three-year option suits those balancing work or family obligations while still planning to avoid a separate RN-to-BSN step later through the dual-enrollment option.

Frederick Community College's Nursing program leads to an associate degree and eligibility for the NCLEX-RN. The curriculum is structured to train students for competent, safe care in hospitals, nursing homes, and comparable health agencies, with increasing clinical responsibility as students progress. Frederick is the largest school in this ranking by enrollment at 7,293 students. Clinical placements are conducted in person at off-campus sites; no fully online prelicensure path exists. The program page does not specify a standalone LPN-to-RN or transition track, nor does it publish a specific NCLEX pass rate, so claims beyond what the catalog states are not warranted here.

In-state tuition is $6,903 per year, the highest among the four ranked Maryland programs but still well below the cost of a four-year BSN. The graduation rate is 37% and admit rate is not published. Hakia scored FCC at 74.9, placing it fourth in Maryland for 2026. The program suits students in the Frederick metro area who want a community-college cost structure and a direct path to sitting for the NCLEX-RN, with the expectation of pursuing an online RN-to-BSN later once employed as a registered nurse. BLS data shows the national median for registered nurses at $97,550 per year regardless of whether the RN holds an ADN or BSN, making the lower upfront cost of an associate-degree route a defensible financial choice.

Carroll Community College's Associate of Science in Registered Nursing is a 70-credit, selective-admission program based in Westminster, MD. Coursework pairs classroom instruction and patient-care simulation labs with hands-on clinical rotations at regional hospitals in Carroll, Frederick, and Baltimore Counties and Baltimore City. The program holds continuing accreditation from the NLN Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (NLN CNEA). Licensed practical nurses, nationally registered paramedics, and military medics with appropriate credentials may apply through a dedicated advanced-placement track rather than starting from scratch. Carroll also offers an Associate-to-Bachelor (ATB) concurrent enrollment pathway that lets admitted ADN students take BSN coursework at a partner four-year institution simultaneously, compressing the time to a bachelor's degree.

In-state tuition runs $5,784 per year, keeping total program cost well below a four-year university. Carroll's IPEDS graduation rate is 39% and the program's competitive admissions window runs November through February for a single annual cohort start. Carroll earned a Hakia Score of 74.4, the highest among Maryland ADN programs in this ranking, reflecting a combination of affordability and outcomes data. Completers are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN — the same licensure exam taken by BSN graduates — and enter the workforce as fully licensed registered nurses. The BLS projects strong RN demand nationally, with a median annual wage of $97,550 for registered nurses.

Carroll is a strong fit for career-changers in the Carroll-Frederick-Baltimore corridor who want a low-cost, regionally connected program, and especially for working LPNs or medics who can leverage the advanced-placement track to shorten their path to RN licensure.

Montgomery College offers its Associate of Science in Nursing exclusively at the Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus in the Washington, DC metro area. The two-year program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) and prepares graduates to sit for the NCLEX-RN and enter practice as licensed registered nurses in hospitals, nursing homes, and outpatient settings. Clinical placements are conducted in person at healthcare facilities in the region. MC also offers a Transition to Nursing course for LPNs and military medics, providing an on-ramp into the ADN program for credentialed applicants, and an ADN-to-BSN pathway for graduates who want to advance after earning their RN license.

In-state tuition is $8,190 per year — higher than other Maryland community colleges in this ranking, reflecting Montgomery County's cost structure, but still a fraction of four-year university costs. IPEDS data show a 32% graduation rate. Montgomery College's 18,835-student enrollment means a well-resourced campus with academic support services including tutoring and learning centers. The program earned a Hakia Score of 73.6. The BLS national median wage for registered nurses is $97,550 per year, the same credential ADN graduates earn through NCLEX passage.

MC fits students in the DC suburbs who want an ACEN-accredited community college program with institutional support services and a clear path from LPN or medic to RN, then optionally to BSN without interrupting employment.

Anne Arundel Community College's Associate of Science in Nursing is a 70-credit program accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) and approved by the Maryland Board of Nursing. Students complete simulated skills practice in state-of-the-art on-campus labs and then rotate through clinical sites including acute medical-surgical, obstetrical, and pediatric units at area hospitals, as well as extended care, rehabilitation, home health, community health, and outpatient psychiatric settings. Full-time students should plan on a three-year timeline to completion. AACC also offers an advanced-placement track for LPNs, paramedics, and veterans: through a dual-enrollment partnership with American Public University System (APUS), qualified applicants can enter the second year of the nursing program directly, bypassing the first year entirely. A separate Nursing Transfer A.S. is available for students whose goal is to transfer to a four-year BSN program rather than entering practice immediately.

In-county tuition keeps the full 70-credit degree under $12,000; in-state tuition is $7,032 per year. AACC's nursing page states that graduates achieve a higher-than-average NCLEX-RN pass rate at both the state and national level. IPEDS data show a 31% graduation rate. The program earned a Hakia Score of 73.4. AACC was ranked #1 in Maryland and #1 in the Northeast for associate-degree nursing programs by two independent directories in 2024. The BLS national median for RNs is $97,550 per year.

AACC is the standout pick for Anne Arundel County residents who want the lowest possible cost, a nationally recognized program outcome record, and the flexibility of an LPN or veteran advanced-placement track that skips a full year of coursework.

College of Southern Maryland has delivered its Associate Degree in Nursing from the state-of-the-art Center for Health Sciences at the Regional Hughesville Campus for more than 30 years. The AS in Nursing prepares graduates to sit for the NCLEX-RN and enter practice as licensed registered nurses. Students complete a mix of lectures, independent and web-enhanced study, skills simulation, and in-person clinical rotations at off-campus healthcare facilities in acute care, long-term care, and community-based settings. CSM also offers an RN Transition Pathway designed as a part-time sequence for working adults, allowing LPNs and others to enter the AS program with advanced standing. Unlike most community college ADN programs in Maryland, CSM admits nursing students for both fall and spring semesters, giving applicants two entry points per year and more flexibility in start timing.

In-state tuition is $5,880 per year, the second-lowest among programs in this ranking. IPEDS data show a 33% graduation rate. The program earned a Hakia Score of 72.4. CSM also maintains a Practical Nursing Certificate program with 40+ years of history, and graduates of either program are eligible to test for the appropriate NCLEX credential. The BLS national median wage for registered nurses is $97,550 per year, the same credential all NCLEX-RN passers earn regardless of ADN or BSN pathway.

CSM fits Southern Maryland residents in Charles, Calvert, and St. Mary's Counties who want low tuition, twice-yearly intake windows, and a part-time RN Transition Pathway that accommodates working adults already in healthcare.

Cecil College, a community college on Maryland's upper Eastern Shore, runs an ACEN-accredited Associate of Science in Nursing out of its North East campus. The traditional track is four semesters across two years, with in-person theory and required clinical rotations at partner sites in Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. For career-changers holding a non-nursing bachelor's degree, the college offers an accelerated 13-month format using compressed 8-to-12-week semesters with hybrid delivery (labs and clinicals on-site, theory synchronous online). The program also has articulation agreements with four-year partners so graduates can pursue an RN-to-BSN while working, and traditional-track students can begin dual enrollment in a BSN before they finish the ADN.

Cecil's in-state tuition is $7,500 per year, reflecting its community college cost structure. IPEDS reports a 37% graduation rate and the program does not publish a standalone NCLEX-RN pass rate on its admissions page; the NCLEX-RN is the same licensing exam every ADN and BSN graduate sits, and passing it makes you a fully licensed registered nurse. The Hakia Score of 69.1 places Cecil ninth among Maryland ADN programs, driven by cost efficiency relative to outcomes. The accelerated 13-month track is the program's clearest differentiator: no Maryland community college ADN reviewed here matches that compressed timeline for degree-holders pivoting into nursing.

The Community College of Baltimore County runs its Associate of Science in Nursing out of its Catonsville and Essex campuses. The program is a selective School of Health Professions offering that requires a separate application beyond standard college admission. The full-time course sequence spans two years, requiring 35 credits per year, and covers fundamentals, health assessment, microbiology, maternal-newborn, pediatric, and mental health nursing concepts, all with integrated clinical and high-fidelity simulation lab components. A CCBC LPN-to-RN Transition Course lets licensed practical nurses enter the associate degree program with advanced standing, and a dual-enrollment ATB Option is available for students seeking concurrent enrollment pathways. Every clinical and lab course is completed in person at the Catonsville or Essex campus.

In-state tuition runs $5,856 per year, the lowest of the Maryland programs reviewed here, and CCBC's enrollment of more than 16,000 reflects the scale of resources typical of a large community college system. IPEDS reports a 19% graduation rate for the institution, which reflects the broad open-access population CCBC serves rather than nursing-program-specific completion. The program does not publish a standalone NCLEX-RN first-attempt pass rate on its public admissions page; all ADN graduates sit the same NCLEX-RN as BSN graduates and earn an identical registered nurse license. A Hakia Score of 68.6 ranks CCBC tenth in Maryland. The program is best suited to Baltimore-area students who want the lowest-cost path to an RN license and who can commit to the selective admissions process and the in-person schedule at Catonsville or Essex.