Best RN Programs in Indiana, Ranked (2026)

Purdue's School of Nursing offers a four-year, direct-admit Bachelor of Science in Nursing at its West Lafayette campus. There is no separate application after freshman year: students admitted to the BSN program are admitted directly into nursing. The program pairs coursework with clinical rotations across more than 200 partner agencies, including Riley Children's Hospital and the Roudebush VA Medical Center, plus hands-on simulation in the Nursing Center for Education and Simulation. The page also lists a Second Degree BSN track for students who already hold a non-nursing bachelor's degree.

Purdue's Hakia Score of 95.2 places it first among Indiana nursing programs. The university's 83% graduation rate and 50% admit rate reflect genuine selectivity, the school flags its BSN seats as limited and urges applicants to submit by the November 1 early-action deadline. In-state tuition runs $9,718 per year; out-of-state students pay $28,520. The program page reports a 96% NCLEX pass rate and a 98.3% successful career outcome rate, both figures the school publishes directly. This is the strongest fit for Indiana residents who want a research-university environment with broad clinical placement options and can meet the competitive admissions bar.

Registered nurses nationally earn a median of $97,550 per year according to BLS OEWS data; Purdue's program page separately reports an average starting salary of $64,851 for its HHS graduates, a figure grounded in the school's own outcomes data rather than the national median.

American College of Education offers an online Bachelor of Science in Nursing structured exclusively as an RN-to-BSN degree-completion program. It is not a path to first-time licensure. Applicants must already hold an active, unencumbered RN license and an associate degree or nursing diploma (typically 90 transfer credits). ACE then bridges students to the 120 credits required for a BSN. The school estimates completion in approximately 18 months, though actual time varies based on transfer credit load and course scheduling.

The program's Hakia Score is 82.9. Tuition is $5,160 per year and is the same for all students regardless of location, a meaningful advantage for working nurses outside Indiana who want an affordable online pathway. ACE reports an 84% graduation rate on its program page, citing its Student Right to Know disclosure. No admit rate is published, but admission requires a minimum 2.25 GPA on a 4.0 scale (provisional entry at 2.0). This program is built for practicing RNs who want to move into charge, management, or population health roles without leaving their current jobs, not for prospective nursing students seeking initial licensure preparation.

The curriculum emphasizes leadership, evidence-based practice, research interpretation, and systems-level thinking, skills the school positions as the practical difference between a staff nurse role and advancement into management or graduate study. Accreditation details are not specified on the program page beyond the Higher Learning Commission institutional accreditation.

Ball State University's School of Nursing in Muncie offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing through four distinct concentrations: a traditional four-year on-campus program, an accelerated three-year on-campus track (Degree in 3), and additional pathways for students with prior nursing education. The standard and accelerated concentrations follow the same curriculum structure, five semesters of clinical study beginning in year two, but the three-year track compresses the sequence so students complete clinical rotations in medical-surgical nursing, psychiatric nursing, pediatrics, community health, critical care, and leadership all by the end of year three. Clinical placements are based across east-central Indiana.

Ball State's Hakia Score of 80.9 reflects an 85% admit rate, making it one of the more accessible public nursing programs in the state. The graduation rate is 62%, a real tradeoff worth weighing against the lower selectivity. In-state tuition is $8,948; out-of-state is $27,496. The program page reports a 94% NCLEX pass rate in 2024 (with a stated range of 94 to 100% across years), a figure Ball State publishes directly. The three-year Degree in 3 track is the differentiator here for students who want to enter the workforce a full year earlier without switching to a different institution.

Ball State's nursing labs include high-fidelity simulation equipment, and the school notes strong relationships with clinical partners across east-central Indiana. Students in the final semester complete a critical care capstone working directly with practicing nurses. BLS OEWS data puts the national median RN wage at $97,550 per year.

The University of Indianapolis School of Nursing offers three undergraduate tracks under its BSN umbrella. Track One is a traditional four-year BSN for first-time college students, with a liberal arts foundation and faculty-supervised clinical rotations starting in the junior year. Track Two is an on-campus Accelerated BSN (ABSN) for students who already hold a bachelor's degree in any field, completable in as few as 15 months using Indiana clinical placement sites. Track Three is an online ABSN for career-changers who prefer remote coursework, requiring two on-campus skills weeks and local clinical placements near the student's home. The three-track structure means UIndy serves a broader range of entry points than most Indiana programs.

UIndy's Hakia Score is 80.9, tied with Ball State but with a notably different profile: 66% admit rate versus Ball State's 85%, a 56% graduation rate, and private nonprofit tuition of $35,448 per year (the same for all students, since there is no in-state/out-of-state distinction). The higher price and lower graduation rate are the core tradeoffs. What the program offers in return is small-cohort intensity: the school reports an 8:1 student-to-clinical-supervisor ratio, a figure it applies to both on-campus and online nursing students. The ABSN tracks are the strongest reason to choose UIndy over a lower-cost public option, no other Indiana program on this list offers a sub-16-month path to a BSN for career-changers.

Admissions are handled separately for traditional BSN and ABSN applicants, with specific GPA and prerequisite requirements listed per track. The program page does not publish a specific NCLEX pass rate. National median RN pay stands at $97,550 per year per BLS OEWS.

The IU Indianapolis School of Nursing is embedded in a large public research university with stated connections to a major regional healthcare system. The school's program page describes options for students entering nursing for the first time and for working professionals seeking to advance, with continuing education offered through a Center for Professional Development and Lifelong Learning. Community outreach, study abroad, and nurse-led research are also featured. The page does not specify individual track names such as traditional BSN or ABSN, so prospective students should confirm current pathway offerings directly with the school.

IU Indianapolis earns a Hakia Score of 80.6, placing it 5th among Indiana programs ranked here. In-state tuition is $9,518, one of the most accessible price points in the state for Indiana residents. Out-of-state students pay $33,647, a significant difference worth weighing before applying. The graduation rate is 54% and the admit rate is 76%, meaning the program accepts most applicants but retains roughly half to completion. With an enrollment of 22,534, this is a large institution with wide clinical and research infrastructure. It is the best fit for Indiana residents who want a public price point, urban clinical exposure, and do not mind navigating a major university system.

Saint Mary's College offers a traditional four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing requiring 87 credit hours. The curriculum is structured with all prerequisite sciences completed at Saint Mary's itself, including Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II, Microbiology, Pathophysiology, and Integrated General, Organic, and Bio-Chemistry. Core nursing courses span psychiatric and mental health nursing, perinatal nursing, acute and chronic adult care, community health, pharmacotherapeutics, nursing research, and a leadership capstone. A minimum prerequisite science GPA of 2.8 is required. The program closes with a senior comprehensive exam modeled on the NCLEX-RN licensure examination, administered as a computer-based simulation.

Saint Mary's earns a Hakia Score of 80.2, ranking 6th in Indiana in this index. It is a private nonprofit institution with a single tuition rate of $52,110 regardless of residency, which is a clear cost tradeoff compared to in-state public options. The graduation rate is 69% and the admit rate is 76%. Enrollment is 1,601 total students, which means small class sizes and close faculty relationships. This program fits students who want a structured, rigorous prereq-to-capstone curriculum at a small liberal arts college and can absorb the private tuition. The NCLEX-style senior exam is a concrete indicator of how directly the program aligns coursework with licensure readiness.

Purdue Global offers a fully online RN-to-BSN program designed exclusively for working registered nurses holding a current, unencumbered RN license. The program page states it is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Nurses enter with 119 articulation credits applied for RN licensure and can transfer up to 16 additional general education credits, leaving 12 courses covering leadership, evidence-based practice, health assessment, community and public health nursing, and a four-spheres capstone practicum. There are no mandatory login times, continuous start dates are available, and practicum experience is completed at a location and time of the student's choosing. Residents of Tennessee are not eligible to enroll.

At a Hakia Score of 79.4, Purdue Global ranks 7th among Indiana programs in this index. In-state tuition is $10,080 and out-of-state tuition is $13,356, with a per-credit cost of $315. The graduation rate is 50%, and no admit rate figure is available in the data. Enrollment is 45,588, making this the largest institution in the group by a wide margin. A master's bridge option allows students to complete one graduate course during the BSN and shorten the path to an MSN. This program is built for one audience: working RNs who need a flexible, accredited BSN completion without relocating or pausing their nursing career.

Valparaiso University's College of Nursing and Health Professions operates a CCNE-accredited BSN program with three distinct entry points: a direct-admit traditional four-year BSN, an accelerated BSN, and an online RN-to-BSN option. All first-year students, transfer students, and RNs declaring nursing as their major are directly admitted into the program without a separate application. The 59-credit nursing core covers health assessment, therapeutic interventions, adult medical-surgical care across two levels, psychiatric mental health nursing, pediatric care, gerontological nursing, public health nursing, evidence-based research, and a professional role practicum. Six interprofessional education credits in social determinants of health and global health issues are also required. The school reports a US News ranking among the nation's best for 2026 and a 97.1% graduate outcomes rate (employed or enrolled in graduate school within nine months), both figures attributed to Valparaiso's own reporting.

Valparaiso earns a Hakia Score of 76.6, placing it 8th in Indiana in this index. Tuition is $46,940 regardless of residency, the cost of a private nonprofit institution. The graduation rate is 70% and the admit rate is 89%, making this one of the more accessible programs in the state by selectivity. Total enrollment is 2,579. The direct-admit structure removes the barrier of a competitive nursing-school application after freshman year, which is a meaningful practical advantage. Students who want a small-campus environment, multiple degree pathway options, and a structured liberal arts nursing curriculum will find this a strong match, provided they can manage private tuition costs.

The University of Evansville's Dunigan Family School of Nursing offers a direct-entry Bachelor of Science in Nursing through its traditional BSN track. Qualified students enter the nursing program at admission rather than competing for a limited cohort later. The program also accepts internal and external transfer students, placing them at the first or second year based on transferable credits. Coursework spans the natural, behavioral, and social sciences, and clinical rotations run alongside classroom instruction. The program is accredited by ACEN and approved by the Indiana State Board of Nursing; graduates sit for the NCLEX-RN, and UE reports a pass rate at or above the national average.

UE carries a Hakia Score of 75.9, ranking it 9th among Indiana BSN programs in this analysis. The school admits 78% of applicants, and 64% of enrolled students graduate. Tuition is $42,800 regardless of residency, which is the full sticker price, though the program page notes scholarship and financial aid packages have brought some students to costs comparable to in-state public rates. With an enrollment of 2,114, class sizes stay small enough for faculty mentorship. The program fits students who want guaranteed nursing admission from day one and are willing to pay private-school tuition in exchange for avoiding waitlist risk.

The national median wage for registered nurses is $97,550 per year according to BLS OEWS data. UE adds a study-abroad component through its Harlaxton campus in England, a concrete differentiator for students interested in global health exposure before graduation.

The Leighton School of Nursing at Marian University delivers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing through two distinct tracks: a Traditional Track and an Accelerated Track. The traditional path is also offered at a Plymouth, Indiana campus for students who prefer a smaller-town setting. Both tracks are built around a six-semester clinical rotation sequence that places students in hands-on nursing experiences across Indianapolis healthcare facilities. The program grounds its general education curriculum in the liberal arts, emphasizing communication, critical thinking, and collaboration alongside clinical training.

Marian holds a Hakia Score of 74.2, placing it 10th among Indiana BSN programs here. It is one of the more accessible programs in this ranking, with a 95% admit rate. Of enrolled students, 67% graduate. Tuition is $40,664 with no difference between in-state and out-of-state students, consistent with its private nonprofit status. Enrollment sits at 3,486. The high admit rate and the option to declare nursing as a major at the point of university admission make this a lower-barrier entry point for students who may not meet the stricter test-score thresholds at more selective programs. Students seeking an accelerated path to the RN credential have a dedicated track without switching institutions.

Registered nurses earn a national median of $97,550 annually per BLS OEWS. Marian's downtown Indianapolis location provides direct access to major hospital systems for clinical placements, a practical advantage for building professional networks before graduation.