Best ADN Programs in Nevada (2026)

Carrington College's Las Vegas campus offers an Associate Degree in Nursing built around sequenced coursework and in-person clinical rotations, preparing graduates to sit for the NCLEX-RN and enter registered nursing. The program includes a formal LVN-to-RN Bridge pathway: licensed vocational nurses can challenge LVN coursework and licensure requirements by passing an ATI Fundamentals Proctored Assessment benchmark and scoring 75% or better on the RN10 final exam, compressing their time to the RN credential. Military-trained healthcare personnel (Navy HM, Army 68W, Air Force IMDT) may also earn advanced placement by documenting their occupation and passing challenge and dosage calculation exams, making Carrington one of the few Nevada ADN programs with a structured military-entry lane.

Carrington College-Las Vegas carries a Hakia Score of 79, the highest among Nevada ADN programs in this ranking, reflecting a strong outcome profile relative to its enrollment of 396 nursing students. The reported graduation rate is 59%, which leads this Nevada ADN cohort. Tuition specifics are not published on the program page; applicants should request the current Academic Catalog for exact figures. The program holds ACEN accreditation at select Carrington campuses (Albuquerque and Phoenix are named); prospective Las Vegas students should confirm the Las Vegas campus accreditation status directly with ACEN. This program fits career-changers, LVNs, and veterans who want the fastest credentialed path to RN licensure in the Las Vegas metro.

Western Nevada College's Associate of Applied Science in Nursing is a four-semester, sequenced curriculum that integrates coursework from the biological, psychological, and social sciences with mathematics and humanities, then places students in clinical rotations at acute care facilities, long-term care settings, and other community sites. The program is approved by the Nevada State Board of Nursing and ACEN-accredited. Admission is competitive and limited: applicants are ranked on a 17-point scale that rewards science GPA, overall prerequisite GPA, ATI TEAS scores, and Nevada residency. CNA certification or completion of NURS 129/130 within the prior five years is required to apply, and all science prerequisite courses must have been completed within five years of the application date. Applications open January 2 each year with an April 1 deadline for fall admission.

In-state tuition runs $3,713/year according to IPEDS data, making WNC a strong value play for Nevada residents. The graduation rate is 41% and WNC holds a Hakia Score of 77.9. Admit-rate data is not published, but the point-based selection process signals real competition for limited seats. NCLEX-RN pass rates are not stated on the program page; contact the nursing department directly for current first-attempt pass data. This program suits Nevada residents who are already CNA-certified or willing to become so, want ACEN accreditation at a low community-college tuition, and can handle a competitive, prerequisite-heavy application cycle in the Carson City area.

Carrington College's Reno campus delivers an Associate Degree in Nursing through a curriculum centered on evidence-based practice, lifespan patient care, and professional communication, all backed by mandatory in-person clinical rotations. The structure mirrors Carrington's system-wide model: an LVN-to-RN Bridge pathway lets licensed vocational nurses challenge prior coursework by passing an ATI Fundamentals benchmark and scoring 75% or higher on the RN10 final exam. Military-trained healthcare personnel, specifically Navy corpsmen, Army 68W medics, and Air Force IMDT technicians, may qualify for advanced placement by documenting their occupation and completing challenge, dosage calculation, and skills competency exams. Both tracks shorten the calendar for candidates who enter with existing clinical credentials.

Carrington College-Reno carries a Hakia Score of 77.4 and reports a 42% graduation rate across its 551-student nursing enrollment. Tuition is not posted on the program page; the Academic Catalog holds current figures and applicants should request it directly. NCLEX-RN pass rates are not published on the program page; ask admissions for campus-specific first-attempt pass data before enrolling. This program is a practical fit for Reno-area LVNs ready to bridge to RN, military veterans with documented clinical experience, and career-changers who prefer a campus-based ADN with a private-college support structure over the community-college application lottery. Graduates sit for the same NCLEX-RN and earn the identical RN license as a BSN graduate.

Great Basin College's Associate of Applied Science in Nursing is built specifically for rural Nevada, using synchronized interactive video to connect theory courses across campuses in Elko, Ely, Pahrump, and Winnemucca, while placing simulation labs and clinical experiences locally at each site so students never leave their communities for hands-on training. The standard pathway is a four-semester sequence starting each fall; a Paramedic/LPN Bridge pathway compresses that to two semesters for licensed paramedics and LPNs who meet separate admission criteria. Selection for both tracks uses a point system weighted toward prerequisite and general education course grades and TEAS entrance exam scores, with preference given to GBC service-area residents and veterans. Applications open in January and close in early April for fall admission.

In-state tuition is $3,758/year per IPEDS, keeping GBC competitive with other Nevada public options. The graduation rate is 41% and the Hakia Score is 74.9. Admit-rate data is not published. NCLEX-RN pass rates are listed under the Student Outcome Data section of GBC's nursing site; check that page for the current figure before applying. The program is approved by the Nevada State Board of Nursing. GBC is the right pick for rural Nevadans who want a low-cost, publicly accredited ADN without relocating, or for working paramedics and LPNs who want a fast two-semester bridge to full RN licensure. Graduates sit for the same NCLEX-RN as every other RN candidate and earn an identical license.

Truckee Meadows Community College's Maxine S. Jacobs Nursing Program awards an Associate of Science in Nursing and prepares graduates to sit for the NCLEX-RN. The program is full-time and structured: all core nursing courses must be taken in sequence, and students must earn a C or better in every class to advance. There are no shortcuts through the sequence, and re-entry after a failed progression is allowed only once, on a space-available basis. Clinical training takes place in-person at hospitals, long-term care facilities, clinics, and community agencies in the Reno area. TMCC operates on a differential tuition model, adding $120 per credit on top of the standard community-college rate for nursing students specifically.

In-state tuition runs $2,970 per year (base rate), making TMCC one of the lower-cost entry points to an RN license in Nevada. The program's IPEDS graduation rate is 32%, reflecting the realities of a selective, full-time sequence at a large open-access college. The scraped program page does not publish a specific NCLEX pass rate; for current outcomes data, prospective students should request figures directly from the nursing department. TMCC earned a Hakia Score of 73.7, the basis for its No. 5 ranking among Nevada ADN programs. The ADN is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), and graduates are eligible to apply for NCLEX-RN through the NCSBN. This program fits a student who can commit fully to a structured, sequential schedule and wants the fastest affordable path to an RN license in the Reno-Sparks region.

Once licensed, TMCC ADN graduates hold the same RN credential as a BSN graduate and can compete for the same bedside positions. The common next step is an online RN-to-BSN bridge while working, a path TMCC itself supports through its listed RN to BSN program. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a national median wage of $97,550 per year for registered nurses, regardless of whether the RN earned an ADN or a BSN.

The College of Southern Nevada offers a Nursing AAS that functions as the associate-degree pathway to RN licensure in Las Vegas, the largest nursing job market in the state. CSN is a Limited Entry program, meaning applicants must submit a formal application to the Limited Entry office, meet all prerequisite deadlines, and complete TEAS assessment testing with scores no older than five years. Two curriculum tracks are available, Regular and Extended, giving working adults or students who need more time a structured alternative to the standard full-time sequence. All clinical rotations are in-person, and accepted students must document CPR certification, immunizations (including Hepatitis B and MMR), and a negative TB test before the first week of classes. The program is approved by the Nevada State Board of Nursing and meets licensure education requirements in Nevada, California, Utah, Virginia, and Washington.

CSN publishes detailed outcomes data on its program page. First-time NCLEX pass rates were 96.49% in 2023, 96.91% in 2024, and 90.07% in 2025, producing a three-year average of 94.64% across 489 candidates, per the school's own reporting. Job placement ran 96-98% across those same cohorts. On-time program completion rates held between 83.3% and 86.6%, based on students who enrolled in the first nursing course. The IPEDS institution-wide graduation rate is 19%, a figure that reflects CSN's large open-access enrollment of 28,313 rather than nursing-specific outcomes. In-state tuition is $3,713 per year. CSN earned a Hakia Score of 70.7, placing it No. 6 among Nevada ADN programs. The program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), and graduates sit for the NCLEX-RN through the NCSBN.

CSN's consistent NCLEX outcomes make it a strong choice for Las Vegas-area students who want documented evidence of licensure-exam performance before committing to a program. Graduates earn the same RN license as a four-year BSN holder and can move into any of the large hospital systems that anchor the Las Vegas metro. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a national median of $97,550 per year for registered nurses; from there, an employer-sponsored or online RN-to-BSN bridge is the standard move for nurses who eventually want to pursue management or Magnet-hospital roles.