Best ADN Programs in New York, Ranked for 2026

Touro University's New York School of Career and Applied Studies (NYSCAS) awards an Associate in Applied Science in Nursing (AAS) through two scheduling tracks: a five-semester day program with summers off, and a highly competitive evening/weekend program that compresses the degree to roughly 15 months of year-round study. Both tracks are in-person and include clinical rotations that begin in the first semester, with students logging at least 120 clinical hours per semester across direct patient care, skills labs, and simulation labs. The final semester caps the program with a seven-week full-time clinical immersion. A standout partnership with VNS Health offers free tuition in exchange for a two-year post-graduation work commitment, eliminating the cost barrier entirely for qualifying students. Graduates can move directly into the Touro network's RN-to-BSN or DNP programs.

NYSCAS is a private nonprofit institution with an enrollment of nearly 12,000 and a 61% admit rate. In-state tuition runs $19,472 per year, and the program's 72% graduation rate reflects its selective clinical cohorts and demanding curriculum. The school reports that more than 90% of its nursing graduates clear the NCLEX-RN on the first try, a figure that anchors its Hakia Score of 90.4 and places it first among New York ADN programs in this ranking. This program fits career-changers and current LPNs who want a NYC-based program with flexible scheduling and a clear on-ramp to a bachelor's degree. BLS data puts the national RN median at $97,550; New York City RNs earn roughly $110,000.

AMG School of Nursing (formerly known as AMG School of LPN) offers an Associate Degree in Registered Nursing from its Brooklyn campus. The program is rooted in clinical skills training and prepares graduates to sit for the NCLEX-RN. AMG also operates an LPN-to-RN bridge track, a useful on-ramp for licensed practical nurses already working in New York City who want to advance to the registered nurse credential without starting from scratch. All clinical components are completed in person. The school's blog and curriculum materials emphasize critical thinking, patient assessment, medication administration, and the interpersonal demands of bedside nursing.

AMG is a private for-profit institution with an enrollment of 552, keeping class sizes small. Its 79% graduation rate is notably strong for a for-profit nursing school and is the primary factor driving its Hakia Score of 87.8 and second-place ranking among New York ADN programs here. No admit rate data is publicly reported, and the scraped program page does not publish a specific NCLEX pass rate figure, so no rate is cited here. Tuition data was not available in the source records; prospective students should contact AMG directly for current cost figures. This program is a practical choice for New York City residents, particularly working LPNs, who want a small-cohort environment and a strong completion track record. BLS data sets the national RN median at $97,550 per year.

Monroe University's School of Nursing in the Bronx offers an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Nursing specifically structured as an LPN-to-RN option. Licensed practical nurses who enroll full time can complete the program in one year, earning the credits and clinical hours needed to sit for the NCLEX-RN exam. The curriculum mixes nursing science courses (anatomy, chemistry, pharmacology, healthcare fundamentals) with required liberal arts coursework, and the School of Nursing Admissions Committee performs holistic review of a limited number of seats, meaning admission is competitive relative to the school's overall 68% admit rate. All study options are on campus, and clinical placements are hands-on and in-person throughout.

Monroe is a private for-profit university with an enrollment of about 8,100. In-state tuition is $16,344 per year, making it one of the more affordable private-institution options in this New York ranking. The 57% graduation rate is the lowest among the four programs listed here, which is worth weighing against the program's clear structural advantage: it is purpose-built for LPNs who already have clinical grounding and want the fastest possible path to an RN license. Monroe's Hakia Score of 86.8 reflects the cost-to-access balance and ranks it third. The scraped program page does not publish a specific NCLEX pass rate, so none is cited. BLS data puts the national registered nurse median at $97,550 per year.

Helene Fuld College of Nursing, located in Manhattan, offers an accelerated 18-month full-time Associate in Applied Science in Nursing (AAS) designed exclusively for licensed practical nurses. This is not an entry-level ADN; admission requires an active LPN license, and the program awards 18 semester credits for prior LPN licensure verified through pre-admission testing, reducing the remaining coursework to four 15-week semesters. Students who need additional time can extend to one and a half or two years on a reduced course load, with a maximum of three years for part-time students. The 70-semester-credit program divides evenly between nursing-specific courses and general education, and all clinical requirements are completed in person. Liberal arts and science courses must precede or run concurrently with nursing courses in a prescribed sequence.

With an enrollment of just 914 and a 17% admit rate, Helene Fuld is among the most selective community-focused nursing colleges in New York. In-state tuition is $23,475 per year, the highest of the four programs in this ranking, which reflects both the specialized accelerated format and the nonprofit institution's Manhattan location. No graduation rate was available in the source data, and the scraped program page does not publish a specific NCLEX pass rate. Helene Fuld's Hakia Score of 85.6 and fourth-place ranking reflect the premium cost against the highly selective, credential-specific mission. This program is the right fit for one type of student: an LPN in New York City who wants the fastest credentialed path to NCLEX-RN eligibility and is prepared for a rigorous, cohort-structured environment. BLS data puts the national RN median at $97,550 per year.

Arnot Ogden Medical Center School of Nursing, part of the Centralus Health system in Elmira, NY, is launching a new Evening Associate Degree in Nursing program in Fall 2026 — the only evening nursing program available in the region. The curriculum totals 60 credits (21 general education, 39 nursing) and spans 33 months with one-week breaks every six to eight weeks. All nursing classes are held in person on the Arnot Ogden Medical Center campus four nights per week; general education courses are delivered online through Elmira College for scheduling flexibility. A second cohort track is available for students who have already completed general education requirements, advancing directly into nursing coursework in a small cohort capped at five students. Sponsorship opportunities may be available to reduce financial barriers for eligible applicants.

With a 100% graduation rate and a 67% admit rate across a tight enrollment of 52 students, Arnot Ogden selects carefully and gets nearly every enrolled student across the finish line. The school earned a Hakia Score of 83.7, placing it fifth among New York ADN programs in this ranking. Tuition data is not published directly; contact arnothealthson.org for current figures and sponsorship eligibility. Graduates sit for the same NCLEX-RN as BSN graduates and earn a full RN license; the national BLS median for registered nurses is $97,550 per year. This program is built for working adults and career-changers who need evenings and cannot do a traditional daytime schedule.

St. Paul's School of Nursing in Rego Park, Queens offers a two-year Associate of Science in Nursing designed for traditional and nontraditional students, including working adults and career-changers. The curriculum combines classroom instruction, hands-on laboratory training, and supervised in-person clinical rotations at acute-care and other facilities. Core coursework includes Foundations of Nursing Concepts, Pharmacology, Obstetric and Neonatal Nursing, Nutritional Therapy, Microbiology for Health-Related Sciences, and Professional Trends in Nursing. The school is institutionally accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES); for programmatic nursing accreditation details, prospective students should confirm directly with the campus. The program is offered at both the Queens (Rego Park) and Staten Island locations.

At $16,751/yr in-state tuition and an enrollment of 1,056 students, St. Paul's Queens is one of the larger ADN programs in New York. The 56% graduation rate is below the top performers in this ranking, which is reflected in its Hakia Score of 83.2 — strong enough for sixth place statewide among ADN programs but worth factoring into your decision. No admit rate is published, and no school-specific NCLEX pass rate appears on the scraped program page. Graduates are fully eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN, earning the same RN license as any BSN graduate; the national BLS median for RNs is $97,550 per year. Financial aid offices operate on every campus and the school's Career Services Center provides job-search support through graduation and beyond.

Pomeroy College of Nursing at Crouse Hospital, located within Crouse Medical Center in East Syracuse, offers three ADN pathways under one roof. The Traditional Day Option follows 16-week semesters and can be completed in two years of full-time study. The Evening/Weekend Option accelerates completion to 16 months for students who have already earned a previous degree or substantial general education credits. The Degree in 3 program is the first dual-matriculation track in Central New York: students simultaneously enroll at Pomeroy and Le Moyne College, graduating with both an Associate in Applied Science in Nursing from Pomeroy and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Le Moyne, with the BSN component CCNE-accredited through Le Moyne. All options emphasize extensive in-person clinical hours and a sophisticated simulation center on the Crouse Medical Center campus; all program requirements must be completed within four years of matriculation.

Pomeroy posts a 100% graduation rate with a 78% admit rate across 173 enrolled students, and in-state tuition runs $18,435/yr. The combination of outcomes and pathway flexibility earns a Hakia Score of 82.5, placing Pomeroy seventh among New York ADN programs. No school-specific NCLEX pass rate is stated on the program page, but the 100% graduation figure and the structured simulation-center preparation signal strong student outcomes. All graduates sit for the same NCLEX-RN regardless of pathway; BLS data puts the national RN median at $97,550 per year. The Degree in 3 option is particularly worth considering for anyone who already knows they will eventually want a BSN: you complete both credentials in roughly three years instead of paying for two separate programs.

St. Paul's School of Nursing on Staten Island offers a two-year Associate of Science in Nursing built around classroom instruction, laboratory training, and supervised in-person clinical placements at acute-care and sub-acute-care facilities across the local community. Core coursework mirrors the Queens campus: Foundations of Nursing Concepts, Pharmacology, Obstetric and Neonatal Nursing, Nutritional Therapy, Microbiology for Health-Related Sciences, and Professional Trends in Nursing, alongside study of legal, ethical, and evidence-based practice issues in healthcare. The school is institutionally accredited by ABHES; for programmatic nursing accreditation status, verify directly with the campus. No admit rate is published and no school-specific NCLEX pass rate appears on the program page.

In-state tuition is $16,868/yr and enrollment stands at 656 students. The 46% graduation rate is the lowest among these four programs and is the primary driver of the Hakia Score of 77.4, which places Staten Island eighth in this New York ADN ranking. That gap between enrollment and completion is worth honest scrutiny before enrolling. For students who do complete the program, they sit for the same NCLEX-RN exam as any BSN graduate and hold an identical RN license; the BLS national median for registered nurses is $97,550 per year. A Career Services Center on campus provides job-search support, and financial aid advisors are available to help students navigate loans and aid options.

Columbia-Greene Community College's Associate of Science in Nursing in Hudson, NY runs 64 semester hours and seats students through a competitive, points-based process. Applicants must pass the Kaplan Nursing Entrance Exam (minimum score 50) and hold at least a 2.5 GPA; points are then awarded based on Kaplan scores and grades in Anatomy and Physiology I, A&P II, and Microbiology, so academic preparation directly shapes admission odds. Clinical rotations are placed at local hospitals and health facilities in the Hudson Valley, and the program carries continuing ACEN accreditation alongside registration with the New York State Education Department. An LPN-to-RN pathway is also available: LPNs with a prior less-than-C nursing course grade are evaluated on a case-by-case basis separate from the standard competitive pool.

Columbia-Greene's 46% graduation rate reflects the program's genuine academic demands, while in-state tuition of $5,400 per year keeps total cost well below most four-year options. Admit rate data is not published. Graduates sit for the NCLEX-RN and, upon passing, hold the same registered nurse license as a BSN graduate. The program's Hakia Score of 76.9 anchors its rank among New York ADN programs. It fits self-directed students who can handle a competitive seat allocation process and want a low-cost, clinically grounded path to RN licensure in a small-city setting. The standard next move for graduates targeting Magnet hospitals is an online RN-to-BSN bridge taken while working as an RN.

Jamestown Community College's A.A.S. in Nursing is a four-semester, 64-credit program built around National League for Nursing associate-degree competencies and Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) standards. Instruction runs across two campuses, Jamestown and the Cattaraugus County Campus, giving students in the Southern Tier access without a long commute. All clinical hours are in-person at affiliated healthcare agencies, where many faculty also serve as active clinical instructors. The program meets educational requirements for RN licensure in New York and Pennsylvania, and JCC explicitly directs students to NCSBN for multistate licensure guidance. NYS adult learners may qualify for SUNY Reconnect, which can cover tuition, fees, books, and supplies entirely.

Annual tuition is $5,660 for both in-state and out-of-state students, an unusual flat rate that eliminates the residency penalty common at other SUNY schools. JCC's graduation rate is 40%, which the program's rigorous progression standards explain: students must hold a 75% exam average in every nursing course and earn at least a C in all science prerequisites to advance. Admit rate is not published. The program's Hakia Score of 76.2 places it among the top ten ADN programs in New York. Upon completion, graduates sit for the NCLEX-RN and earn the same RN license as any BSN holder. It is a strong fit for working adults in Chautauqua or Cattaraugus counties who want a fully affordable, clinically rigorous two-year path into nursing.