Best ADN Programs in Ohio for 2026

Good Samaritan College of Nursing and Health Science offers the Associate of Applied Science in Nursing (AASN) in Cincinnati, a five-semester, 72-credit-hour pre-licensure program accredited by ACEN and approved by the Ohio Board of Nursing. The curriculum is concept-based, moving from foundational sciences through increasingly complex clinical nursing courses (Nursing I through V), with mandatory in-person clinical rotations embedded throughout. Licensed Practical Nurses can enter through a dedicated LPN-to-RN advanced-standing option (next cohort starting Summer 2026), which grants credit for prior nursing coursework after passing competency checkpoints in vital signs, head-to-toe assessment, and catheter insertion.

Admission requires a TEAS score of 58.7 or higher and a 2.75 GPA. The program admits students at a 46% admit rate, and 73% of students complete the program within 150% of normal time. Tuition runs $13,605 per year, which is higher than a typical community college but reflects the private nonprofit specialty-college model. The school sets a formal program outcome target: first-time NCLEX-RN pass rates at or above 95% of the national mean for the same 12-month period. Hakia ranks it first among Ohio ADN programs (Score: 88.1), making it the strongest choice for students who want a highly structured, accreditation-accountable program with an LPN bridge lane and a Cincinnati clinical network.

Ohio Medical Career College in Dayton runs a "One Plus One" Associate of Applied Science in Nursing structured across 90 weeks (133 credit hours) in five ten-week terms. The distinctive design means students become eligible to sit for the NCLEX-PN after completing the first 40-week component, giving them an early off-ramp to LPN employment if needed. Students who continue through the second year become eligible for the NCLEX-RN. Current Licensed Practical Nurses from other approved programs can transfer up to 60 credit hours of PN coursework under an advanced-placement option and proceed directly into the RN-completion year. Both day and evening cohorts are available, with multiple start dates per calendar year.

Enrollment is small at 129 students, and the graduation rate is 79%, the highest among these four programs. No admit-rate data is available. Tuition figures were not published on the scraped program page; prospective students should contact OMCC directly. One important caveat: the Ohio Board of Nursing granted only provisional approval as of March 2025 because first-time NCLEX-RN pass rates fell below the national average; students should verify that full approval has been restored before enrolling. Hakia scores it 84.0, ranking it second in Ohio. It is the best fit for career-changers who want scheduling flexibility and the option to earn LPN income while completing the RN credential, provided they monitor the program's OBN approval status closely.

Galen College of Nursing's Cincinnati campus offers a two-year, on-campus ADN program with a fully clinical-focused curriculum designed to prepare graduates to pass the NCLEX-RN. The program launches four times per year, so students are not locked into a single annual admission window. Clinical training is in-person and central to the degree. Galen also offers an LVN/LPN-to-ADN bridge pathway for licensed practical nurses who want to advance to the RN credential. Application is free and takes roughly 10 minutes, with no essay required; an entrance assessment (TEAS or equivalent) and proof of high school graduation are the core requirements. Applicants with a bachelor's degree in any field may use that degree as the assessment equivalent.

Tuition is $16,848 per year, the highest of the four programs reviewed here, reflecting the private for-profit model. The graduation rate is 57%, the lowest in this group, which prospective students should weigh seriously. No admit-rate data is published, and the program page does not state a specific NCLEX-RN pass rate. Hakia scores it 82.0, ranking it third in Ohio. Galen makes sense for students who need a start date soon and value a structured, enrollment-team-supported admissions process, but the completion rate means students should ask the school for current NCLEX outcomes before committing at this tuition level.

James A. Rhodes State College in Lima offers an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing (AAS-RN) delivered across five semesters (two years) and approved by the Ohio Board of Nursing and fully accredited by ACEN. The program accepts up to 108 students each fall and spring semester, with clinical components woven throughout and a preceptorship and role-transition experience built into the capstone course. Skills labs use high-fidelity, mid-fidelity, and low-fidelity simulators. Nursing faculty hold master's and doctorate-level preparation and collectively bring over 200 years of clinical experience. Graduates are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN and practice within the full RN Scope of Practice upon passing. Rhodes State participates in the Choose Ohio First scholarship program, which can reduce net cost further for qualifying STEMM students.

In-state tuition is $4,560 per year, making this the clear cost leader among the four programs. Out-of-state tuition doubles to $9,120. The graduation rate is 47%, the lowest completion figure in this group, which reflects the open-access community college model rather than selective enrollment. No admit-rate or specific NCLEX pass-rate figures were published on the program page. Hakia scores it 81.7. Rhodes State is the strongest choice for Ohio residents who want to minimize debt, can commit to a rigorous two-year clinical schedule in northwest Ohio, and plan to pursue an online RN-to-BSN bridge program after licensure.

Aultman College of Nursing and Health Sciences offers an Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) delivered across five semesters on its Canton campus. The program admits students in both fall and spring, a scheduling flexibility that many competing associate programs do not offer. All clinical experiences are completed under direct nursing faculty supervision at Aultman Health facilities, which means students rotate through a major regional health system rather than scattered community sites. The ASN curriculum is explicitly built to ladder into Aultman's own BSN Completion Program, so the RN-to-BSN bridge stays within the same institution. The program holds ACEN accreditation with a current continuing-accreditation status.

Tuition runs $10,150 per semester for a full-time load. IPEDS data puts graduation rate at 53% and admit rate at 46%, reflecting a selective process at a small, health-sciences-focused college (286 enrolled students). The Hakia Score of 81.2 ranks it fifth among Ohio ADN programs on a composite of cost, outcomes, and accreditation. Like all ADN graduates, Aultman ASN completers sit for the NCLEX-RN and earn the same full RN license as a four-year BSN graduate. The tight faculty-to-student ratio and integrated clinical access inside a real hospital system make this program a strong fit for students who want structured mentorship and a built-in pathway to a BSN without switching schools.

Youngstown State University's Centofanti School of Nursing admits one ADN cohort per year, entering in the spring semester only. The admission process runs in five formal steps: general YSU admission, prerequisite completion (Anatomy & Physiology I, Statistical Literacy, Writing I), an ATI TEAS exam with a minimum overall score of 66%, a faculty review request, and a competitive program application, all within a narrow October window. Students who do not yet meet requirements can enroll at YSU as pre-nursing students to complete prerequisites before applying. The program is housed at a mid-sized public regional university with an enrollment of more than 12,000, which means access to broader campus resources alongside dedicated nursing faculty.

In-state tuition sits at $9,790 per year, making YSU one of the lowest-cost ADN options in Ohio. IPEDS data shows a 50% graduation rate and an 84% admission rate at the university level, though nursing program admission is a separate, more selective process than general YSU admission. The Hakia Score of 80.9 ranks it sixth among Ohio ADN programs. All completers sit for the NCLEX-RN to earn full RN licensure, the same credential awarded to BSN graduates. This program suits disciplined self-starters who can plan around a single annual intake cycle and who want a public-university credential at a community-college price point.

ATA College's Cincinnati campus offered a 19-month Associate of Applied Science in Registered Nursing designed for students seeking a fast track to the RN credential. The program combined some online coursework with on-campus lab sessions and offsite clinical placements, and it targeted working adults who needed scheduling flexibility. However, the program's own website confirms it has entered a voluntary teach-out and is no longer accepting new enrollments. Students currently enrolled will complete the program; prospective students must look elsewhere.

The publicly disclosed 2024 first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate of 49% is well below the national average and is a material data point for any student evaluating outcomes. The Hakia Score of 80.3 and a graduation rate of 63% reflect the broader program record captured at the time of ranking. Tuition was $13,500. Because enrollment is closed, this profile is included for historical reference; prospective Ohio ADN students should consider programs still actively admitting for 2026. The NCLEX-RN pass rate is the clearest outcome signal for any prelicensure nursing program, and the IPEDS graduation and enrollment figures are drawn from federal reporting.

East Ohio College in East Liverpool delivers its Associate Degree in Nursing over 66 weeks using a blended format, some coursework is delivered online through a consortium arrangement with West Virginia Junior College, while labs and all clinical rotations remain on-site and in-person. The curriculum is sequentially structured: students move through fundamentals, pharmacology, maternal-child, critical care, and a capstone preceptorship (NUR 208, 168 contact hours). A mandatory NCLEX-RN review course is required after completing all coursework and before graduation, and students must also hit an ATI Comprehensive Predictor benchmark, either a 90% predicted pass probability or ATI Green Light status, before they can sit for licensure. Community service (two verified projects) is also a graduation requirement.

The academic bar is high by design: any nursing course grade below a B (80%) results in academic dismissal and requires reapplication. That standard filters the cohort, which contributes to a 74% graduation rate, the highest among this group of ranked Ohio ADN programs. Tuition is $13,196 for the full program. The Hakia Score of 78.4 ranks it eighth among Ohio ADN programs. Enrollment stands at 118 students, making it a small-cohort program with close faculty contact. Graduates sit for the NCLEX-RN and earn full RN licensure; the BLS median wage for registered nurses is $97,550 per year nationally.

ETI Technical College of Niles is a small private college in northeast Ohio offering an Associate Degree of Applied Science in Nursing across five 15-week semesters, plus finals, for a total of 80 weeks of study. The curriculum covers medical-surgical nursing, complex care, behavioral health, pediatrics, obstetrics, geriatrics, pharmacology, and nursing leadership, with classroom instruction paired to hands-on clinical rotations at local nursing homes, hospitals, and healthcare agencies Monday through Friday. A separate advanced-standing track compresses the program to 60-75 weeks (64-80 weeks total) for students who already hold LPN credentials, eliminating redundant coursework. Admission is competitive: applicants must pass the HESI entrance exam at 75% or better in reading, grammar, and math, and the school admits only as many qualified students as its clinical resources support.

ETI ranks ninth on this list of the best ADN programs in Ohio for 2026 with a Hakia Score of 78.1, drawn from a 63% graduation rate and cost data sourced from IPEDS. In-state tuition runs $10,310 per year, higher than most public community colleges on this ranking, reflecting ETI's private-college operating model. The school does not publish an NCLEX-RN first-time pass rate on its program page, so that figure is not reported here; confirm current outcomes directly with the nursing department. Graduates who pass the NCLEX-RN earn the same full RN license as a BSN graduate. ETI also notes articulation agreements with regional RN-to-BSN programs under Ohio's Technical Credit Transfer framework, giving graduates a documented bridge pathway if they choose to continue. This program fits working adults who need cohort-entry flexibility and prefer a focused, career-technical environment over a large community-college campus.

Owens Community College in Perrysburg, Ohio offers a Registered Nurse Program leading to an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree, completed across four semesters and 65-67 credit hours. The program is a traditional two-year, in-person track; prelicensure clinicals are conducted at healthcare facilities throughout northwest Ohio and cannot be completed online. Simulation technology is woven into the curriculum from semester one, and class sizes are kept small to allow direct faculty mentorship. The sequence moves from foundational sciences and nutrition in semester one through adult health concepts, microbiology, and ethics in later semesters, culminating in an immersive clinical practicum. Owens holds full approval from the Ohio Board of Nursing and is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).

Owens ranks tenth on this list of the best ADN programs in Ohio for 2026 with a Hakia Score of 77.7. In-state tuition is $4,632 per year, among the lowest on this ranking and typical of an Ohio public community college. The program's 35% graduation rate is below the state average for ADN programs, a figure worth discussing with an admissions advisor before enrolling. The school does not state an NCLEX-RN first-time pass rate on its program page, so that figure is not reported here. Owens does report that 98% of graduates find employment within 6-12 months of finishing. All graduates who pass the NCLEX-RN earn a full RN license, the same credential held by every BSN graduate in Ohio. The BLS national median for registered nurses is $97,550 per year regardless of whether the RN holds an ADN or BSN. This program is a strong fit for price-conscious students in northwest Ohio who want ACEN accreditation, small classes, and a clear employment pipeline.