Best RN Programs in Massachusetts for 2026

Northeastern's BSN, housed in the Bouvé College of Health Sciences, runs as a four-year traditional program with two six-month co-ops built into the degree. The school also offers an Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) track for students who already hold a bachelor's degree in another field, and a Direct Entry Nursing program for those pursuing master's-level preparation. Traditional undergraduates are admitted directly into the nursing program through the standard application; no separate nursing supplement is required. Clinical faculty come from affiliated sites including Boston Children's, Massachusetts General, Tufts Medical, and Brigham and Women's.

The numbers reflect a highly selective, high-performing program. Northeastern's overall admit rate sits at 5%, and the program posts a 91% graduation rate. Tuition is $64,990 regardless of state residency. That price tag places this squarely in the premium tier, and the tradeoff is a co-op network that most BSN programs cannot match. The Hakia Score of 94.7 ranks it first among Massachusetts nursing programs on this list. It fits students who want Boston-area hospital connections wired directly into the curriculum and can compete for admission at one of the country's most selective universities.

The Connell School of Nursing at Boston College offers a four-year BSN grounded in a Jesuit liberal arts curriculum. The program integrates nursing essentials with coursework in the natural sciences, social sciences, and the arts. Juniors and seniors become eligible to take graduate-level electives, and the school reports that one-third of students study abroad during the junior year while another third of seniors participate in global clinical placements. The scraped page notes a US News and World Report ranking of #13 for undergraduate nursing programs, attributed to that source.

Boston College is selective at a 16% admit rate and graduates 91% of its students. Tuition is $69,400 with no distinction between in-state and out-of-state students. That is the highest sticker price among the four programs here, and the tradeoff is a well-resourced private university environment with strong liberal arts integration and international clinical access. The Hakia Score of 94.0 places it second in Massachusetts on this list. It fits students who want a rigorous academic culture paired with global exposure and are prepared to compete at a selective private university.

The Elaine Marieb College of Nursing at UMass Amherst offers a traditional four-year BSN and an Accelerated BSN for students who already hold a degree. The traditional program is direct admission from high school only; the school does not accept transfer students or change-of-major applicants into the undergraduate BS track. The curriculum uses a simulation lab, interprofessional team-based learning, and clinical placements at regional health facilities. The college has also built in study-abroad options for undergraduates since 2019 without requiring students to fall behind in the nursing sequence.

UMass Amherst is the clear value choice on this list. In-state tuition is $17,006; out-of-state rises to $39,683. The admit rate is 60%, making it the most accessible of the four programs, though the nursing track itself is noted as highly competitive due to limited clinical placement capacity. The graduation rate is 83%, the lowest among these four programs, and worth factoring in alongside the lower price. The Hakia Score of 93.1 ranks it third. It fits Massachusetts residents who want a large research-university environment at a public-school price and can navigate a direct-admission, high-demand program.

Laboure College of Healthcare in Milton, MA offers a 100% online RN-to-BSN designed exclusively for working registered nurses. Classes run in seven-week terms with six start dates per year, and the program is structured to finish in 16 months or less. Students can transfer up to 90 prior college credits. The program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Note that Laboure has announced it will cease academic operations on August 31, 2026, with its mission continuing through the Laboure Center at Curry College; prospective students should verify current enrollment status before applying.

At $384 per credit and a flat $27,038 tuition rate regardless of residency, this is the most affordable path on this list for nurses already holding an RN license. The program posts a 100% graduation rate and a 50% admit rate, reflecting a focused, completion-oriented student body. Enrollment is 530 total students, making it the smallest institution here by a wide margin. The Hakia Score is 87.7. The impending closure is the dominant consideration: this program fits working RNs who can enroll and complete the 16-month track before the August 2026 operational deadline, or who plan to transition to Curry College's RN-to-BSN continuation.

Endicott College's BSN program in Beverly offers three distinct tracks under one roof: a traditional four-year BSN built on a 126-credit liberal arts core, an accelerated BSN for career changers, and an online RN-to-BSN for working registered nurses. The traditional program sequences clinical work from the sophomore year forward, and the curriculum explicitly includes a dedicated NCLEX-RN preparation course (NU 420) in the final year. The school reports partnerships with NLNAC-accredited associate degree programs to ease the RN-to-BSN transition. All three tracks are designed around preparing graduates to pass the NCLEX-RN and pursue advanced nursing education.

Endicott admits 71% of applicants, but the nursing program carries its own stricter bar: a minimum 3.0 high school GPA is required, and the program notes that the middle 50% of accepted nursing students have GPAs between 3.7 and 4.0. Tuition is $39,750 and applies equally to all students since Endicott does not differentiate by state residency. The graduation rate is 76%, and the program earned a Hakia Score of 86.8. With 4,394 enrolled students, this is a mid-size private college where nursing sits within a dedicated school rather than a large university system.

This program fits students who want structured clinical exposure early (sophomore year), an identifiable path to graduate work, or the flexibility of an online RN-to-BSN while already employed. The tradeoff versus public options in Massachusetts is straightforward: no in-state tuition break, but more direct access to a dedicated nursing faculty and multiple program formats in one institution. BLS data shows the national median wage for registered nurses at $97,550 annually.

Simmons University offers a traditional four-year BSN in Boston alongside several accelerated and graduate-entry options: a two-year BSN sequence for transfer students, a 4+1 BSN/MSN, a 4+2 BSN/MSN/DNP, and a BSN-to-MSN path. The school describes itself as one of the nation's first university-based nursing programs. Clinical training takes place at named Boston-area institutions including Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston Children's Hospital, and Brigham and Women's Hospital. The program also operates an 11,000-square-foot Nursing Simulation Center and includes the Dotson Bridge and Mentoring Program targeting students from diverse backgrounds.

Simmons admits 70% of applicants and has a 72% graduation rate, placing it on par with Regis College but at a higher price: tuition is $45,534 with no in-state discount. The Hakia Score of 86.7 ranks it sixth among Massachusetts BSN programs in this dataset. Progression in the nursing major requires a minimum C+ in all science prerequisites and maintenance of academic and clinical standards before advancing to the next nursing course sequence. Students meeting outstanding academic benchmarks may be invited into Sigma Theta Tau, the international nursing honor society.

Simmons is best suited for students who want access to elite Boston hospital systems, a historically established nursing program, and a built-in pathway to graduate nursing credentials without switching institutions. The cost premium over public alternatives like UMass Lowell is significant: $45,534 versus $16,246 in-state at UMass Lowell. In exchange, students get direct placement at nationally recognized clinical sites and a structured 4+1 or 4+2 graduate ladder. BLS OEWS data puts the national median RN wage at $97,550 per year.

Regis College's BSN program in Weston operates through what the school calls the Young School of Nursing. The program offers a traditional four-year BSN and a 16-month Accelerated BSN (ABSN) for students who already hold a non-nursing degree or an associate's degree in nursing. The ABSN is Regis's explicit answer to career-changers and those pursuing multiple credentials. Clinical placements include Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Boston Children's Hospital. Admission to the nursing major is selective within the college: direct-accept entry is available for first-year students who meet the criteria, but students who do not meet the bar must complete the first-year curriculum and pass a faculty evaluation at the end of sophomore year to formally enter the major.

Both the overall admit rate (70%) and graduation rate (72%) match Simmons University exactly, but Regis costs more: $49,680 in tuition with no residency discount. That is the highest tuition in this group of four programs. The Hakia Score is 84.0. Regis is smaller than the other schools in this set, with 2,517 enrolled students, which tends to mean smaller cohort sizes in clinical courses. To stay in the nursing major, students must maintain a 2.7 GPA overall and a B-minus or better in every nursing course, which is a stricter academic retention standard than many programs state explicitly.

Regis fits students who want the 16-month ABSN route or who prefer a smaller-enrollment private nursing school with Boston-area hospital access. The cost is the primary tradeoff: at $49,680, it is $33,000 more per year than UMass Lowell's in-state tuition. Students who qualify for the ABSN track can offset some of that by compressing the program to 16 months. BLS data reports the national median RN wage at $97,550 per year.

UMass Lowell's BS in Nursing runs through the Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences and is structured as a 3.5-year program for students entering fall 2025 and beyond, completing in 120 credits. The program is campus-based and is not available to transfer students, which the school states explicitly. Core infrastructure includes the Donna Manning Simulation Laboratories, which use high-fidelity adult, pediatric, and maternal manikins as well as simulated patients (trained actors). Interprofessional Education (IPE) activities run throughout the curriculum, pairing nursing students with peers in dietetics, public health, exercise physiology, physical therapy, and pharmacy. Clinical placement sites include Beth Israel Deaconess, Boston Children's Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and more than a dozen other regional facilities.

The numbers here are what separate UMass Lowell from the private programs in this ranking. In-state tuition is $16,246, less than a third of Regis's $49,680. The school reports that its 2025 graduates achieved a 94.6% first-time NCLEX pass rate, compared to a national average of 87.6%. The Hakia Score is 83.3. The graduation rate is 65%, the lowest of these four programs, and the admit rate is 83%, the highest, reflecting the public university's broader access mission. Out-of-state students pay $35,544, which remains competitive against the private nonprofit programs in this group.

UMass Lowell is the clear value pick for Massachusetts residents who can gain admission and are committed to the full four-year traditional path. The 65% graduation rate is worth watching: it is 11 points below Endicott and 7 points below Simmons and Regis. Students should ask the program directly about attrition patterns. The no-transfer-students policy is a hard constraint. BLS OEWS data sets the national median RN wage at $97,550 per year regardless of which program a graduate attended.

MCPHS University offers an Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) at its Boston campus in the Longwood Medical Area, one of the country's densest concentrations of hospitals and research institutions. The program runs on a fast-track, sub-three-year schedule and admits students each fall. Clinical rotations span inpatient facilities, skilled nursing centers, schools, and community sites across New England, supplemented by on-campus simulation and patient assessment labs that cover medication administration, wound care, and comprehensive physical exams. The program holds CCNE accreditation and Full Approval from the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing, as stated on the program page. The school's page also reports being ranked among the top 10% of U.S. nursing programs and #5 in Massachusetts according to College Factual.

The numbers tell a specific story. The Boston campus reported a 90% NCLEX first-time pass rate in 2025, consistent with 2023 results and below the Manchester campus (100%) but on par with Worcester. Tuition runs $39,240 per year with no in-state/out-of-state differential, and all admitted postbaccalaureate students receive a merit scholarship worth up to $32,000, which meaningfully reduces net cost. The program's Hakia Score of 81.1 places it 9th among Massachusetts RN programs in this ranking. With an 85% admit rate, selectivity is not the primary filter here; preparation for clinical rigor is. The 62% graduation rate is worth noting and suggests the accelerated pace produces real attrition. Students who thrive in compressed, hands-on formats and want a Boston-based health sciences environment will find the setting and clinical network hard to match at this price point post-scholarship.

Registered nurses nationally earn a median of $97,550 per year according to BLS OEWS data. That figure is a national field median, not a program-specific outcome, but it anchors the return-on-investment calculation against MCPHS's tuition and scholarship combination.

Northeastern University's Bouvé College of Health Sciences offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) at its Boston campus with a standard four-year path that incorporates two six-month co-ops, six clinical courses, and a senior practicum. The program also offers an Accelerated BSN (ABSN) pathway for transfer students and those who already hold a non-nursing bachelor's degree, and a Direct Entry program for degree-holders aiming for master's-level preparation. High school applicants enter directly into the nursing program without a separate supplement; transfer students connect through the ABSN track. Faculty are drawn from clinical environments including Boston Children's, Mass General, Brigham and Women's, and Tufts Medical, as stated on the program page. The prelicensure program holds approval from the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing.

Co-op sets this program apart structurally. Students graduate with what the program page describes as over a year of full-time work experience accumulated across two six-month co-op placements, in addition to graded clinical courses and the senior practicum. That is a concrete differentiator in a competitive Boston hiring market. Tuition is $50,243 per year with no in-state/out-of-state split, the highest of the top-10 Massachusetts programs in this ranking. The Hakia Score of 79.9 places it 10th. Enrollment stands at 7,411, making it a substantially larger institution than most health-sciences-focused programs. No admit rate was available in the program data, so selectivity cannot be compared numerically. Students who can absorb the higher price point and want structured, employer-connected clinical experience in a major research university network will find the co-op model genuinely differentiated from a traditional clinical-rotation-only BSN.

The national median salary for registered nurses is $97,550 per year per BLS OEWS. At $50,243 in annual tuition, the cost-to-outcome calculation is the central tradeoff to weigh against the co-op experience and the Northeastern clinical network. For more on NCLEX structure and requirements, see NCSBN.