Best RN Programs in New Jersey: Top BSN Programs Ranked for 2026

Rutgers School of Nursing operates across three New Jersey campuses (Newark, New Brunswick, and Blackwood) and offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs alongside certificate and continuing education tracks. The undergraduate BSN is the foundation of a school the page describes as one of the nation's largest and most comprehensive nursing programs. The school also reports a #4 Doctor of Nursing Practice ranking and #17 nursing master's ranking from U.S. News & World Report (2025), and claims the only dual Primary/Acute Care Pediatric NP DNP in New Jersey.

Rutgers-New Brunswick admits 58% of applicants, making it the most selective program in this group. Its 84% graduation rate and $14,222 in-state tuition deliver strong value for New Jersey residents; out-of-state students pay $33,734. The Hakia Score of 95 reflects the combination of outcomes, selectivity, and institutional depth. This is the right fit for students who want a research-university environment with access to multiple clinical campuses and a nationally recognized graduate pipeline. IPEDS enrollment shows 52,269 students university-wide, giving nursing students access to broad interdisciplinary resources.

The College of New Jersey's Department of Nursing offers a Generic 4-Year BSN that admits both post-high school students and transfer students, including those who hold degrees in other disciplines. Clinical nursing practice courses begin in sophomore year and become progressively more complex. The program page emphasizes relationships with area hospitals, mental health clinics, home health care agencies, schools, and senior citizen centers as the basis for comprehensive clinical placement access. Graduates are qualified to sit for the NCLEX-RN.

TCNJ posts an 86% graduation rate, the best among the four programs here, and a Hakia Score of 89.8. The school admits 62% of applicants. In-state tuition is $15,294; out-of-state students pay $21,414, the smallest in-state/out-of-state gap in this group by a wide margin. With an enrollment of 8,141, TCNJ offers a smaller-campus experience than Rutgers while still carrying public-university pricing. The program is a strong choice for transfer students or career-changers looking for a structured four-year path without the financial penalty of a large research university.

Rutgers University-Camden's BSN is a four-year program that explicitly structures three entry paths: Traditional (incoming freshmen), Internal Transfer (current Rutgers students), and External Transfer (students from other institutions). The program blends liberal arts with clinical and simulation training, and the page highlights immersive service-learning opportunities domestically and internationally, citing placements in Guatemala and South Africa as examples of how the program builds cultural competence. Graduates are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN.

Camden shares Rutgers' in-state tuition rate of $14,222 (out-of-state: $33,734), making it equally affordable to New Brunswick for New Jersey residents. The Hakia Score is 86.1, reflecting a 67% graduation rate and 66% admit rate. The smaller campus (5,675 total enrollment) means more accessible faculty and a tighter cohort experience than the flagship. Students who want a defined transfer pathway, global clinical exposure, or a less competitive admissions threshold than Rutgers-New Brunswick will find Camden a practical and substantive alternative.

Seton Hall University's College of Nursing offers New Jersey's first BSN program by its own account, and its page reports that 84% of full-time faculty hold doctoral degrees. The curriculum is built on a liberal arts foundation and integrates classroom learning, skills lab, high-technology simulation, and patient-care experiences in clinical settings beginning in sophomore year. Clinical sites span hospitals, long-term care, community health, behavioral health, schools, home care, and hospice. The program is accredited by the New Jersey Board of Nursing.

The page cites a 95.1% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate for 2025, the clearest licensure-outcome data point in this group. Seton Hall's Hakia Score is 85.9, with a 69% graduation rate and a 73% admit rate. As a private nonprofit, tuition is $50,380 regardless of residency, making it the highest-cost option here by a substantial margin. That cost is the central tradeoff: the licensure pass rate and doctoral-faculty percentage are strong, but prospective students should model total program cost against outcomes. The national BLS median wage for registered nurses is $97,550, a figure that applies equally regardless of which school you attend.

Thomas Edison State University's BSN is an RN-to-BSN completion program built entirely for working registered nurses. It runs 100% online in asynchronous eight-week courses, accepts up to 90 transfer credits from a community college (or up to 60 credits for diploma-program graduates), and offers rolling admissions with no waitlist, so you can enroll any day of the year. Coursework covers leadership and management in nursing, evidence-based practice and research, advanced health assessment, public health nursing, and health policy. TESU also lets students apply up to 12 BSN credits toward a future MSN, giving career-focused nurses a head start on graduate study. The program is accredited by CCNE (the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education) and the New Jersey Board of Nursing.

The financial case is straightforward. In-state tuition sits at $6,838 per year, and TESU's current undergraduate nursing tuition plan drops the per-credit rate to $311, making it one of the lowest-cost BSN pathways in New Jersey for nurses who already hold an RN license. Out-of-state tuition is $8,856, still competitive for an accredited online program. There is no admission selectivity barrier: full admission requires only an active U.S. RN license and official transcripts. The program earned a Hakia Score of 85, reflecting strong value relative to cost and flexibility. It is the right fit for any licensed RN who needs a BSN for career advancement but cannot leave clinical work to attend a traditional campus program.

Rowan University's BSN operates through a cooperative diploma/BSN model built jointly by the Salva School of Nursing and Health Professions and Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes School of Nursing. Students spend their first year at Rowan completing foundational courses, then apply to the diploma phase at Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes. Acceptance into that phase is competitive and space is limited. After earning the diploma and passing the NCLEX to become licensed RNs, graduates return to complete the RN-to-BSN segment for their bachelor's degree. The diploma portion is accredited by ACEN (Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing); the baccalaureate and master's programs at Rowan are accredited by CCNE (Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education).

Rowan is a large public university with an enrollment of 21,026 and an admit rate of 78%, making initial entry to the university accessible. Graduation rate stands at 67%, a figure worth weighing given the competitive gateway into the diploma phase mid-program. In-state tuition is $11,812, rising to $22,170 out of state. The program earned a Hakia Score of 84. It suits students who want hospital-grounded clinical training woven directly into a degree path and are prepared to compete for limited spots in the diploma phase after their first year.

Caldwell University's BSN is a 124-125 credit program at a private Catholic university in Caldwell, NJ, structured around three entrance tracks: a traditional track for high school graduates, a transfer track for students moving from other institutions, and a second-degree track for students who already hold a non-nursing bachelor's degree. The second-degree track requires 25 credits of prerequisites followed by 62 credits of nursing coursework. Clinical experience runs across a variety of healthcare agencies and community centers in the region, and simulation activities are integrated throughout using advanced simulation technology funded through the Healthcare Foundation of NJ. The program is accredited by CCNE (Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education) and the New Jersey Board of Nursing.

Caldwell is a smaller institution with 2,005 students enrolled. Admission selectivity is moderate at a 71% admit rate, though the second-degree track sets a tougher bar with a minimum 3.5 cumulative GPA. Graduation rate is 57%, which is the lowest among this ranked group and worth factoring into your decision. Tuition is $38,470 per year regardless of residency, reflecting its private nonprofit status. The program earned a Hakia Score of 79.4. It is a strong fit for career-changers with strong academic records who want a structured, campus-based program with simulation resources, but the cost-to-graduation-rate ratio demands honest comparison against public alternatives.

Eastwick College's BSN is structured as an LPN-to-BSN program, with the primary pathway targeting licensed practical nurses who want to advance to a registered nurse credential. The 30-month bachelor's program is offered at three New Jersey campuses: Ramsey, Hackensack, and Nutley. Coursework is grounded in science, mathematics, and the humanities, with clinical rotations at local hospitals included in the schedule and hands-on simulation in a fully equipped hospital laboratory setting using high-tech patient simulators. Current RNs are noted on the program page as having a shortened, direct path to the BSN. After completing the program, graduates are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN.

Eastwick is a private for-profit institution with 1,203 students enrolled. Its graduation rate of 75% is the highest among this ranked group, which is notable context for prospective students evaluating completion likelihood. Tuition is $17,957 per year with no difference for in- or out-of-state students. Admissions selectivity data is not publicly reported. The program earned a Hakia Score of 79.3. It fits LPNs or career-changers who need multi-campus scheduling flexibility in northern New Jersey and want a defined 30-month timeline. As with any for-profit institution, prospective students should verify current NCLEX pass rates directly with the school and confirm accreditation status before enrolling.

Monmouth University's Bachelor of Science in Nursing is a traditional, direct-admit program structured for students entering straight from high school. The curriculum begins with sciences and general education in the first year, introduces nursing coursework in the second year, and moves into clinical and lab rotations starting in the third year. Cohorts open each fall semester only. Clinical placements run at area hospitals, health care centers, and community settings beginning sophomore year, and high-fidelity simulation is built into the curriculum through The Linda Grunin Simulation Lab and Learning Center. The program does not advertise an accelerated or RN-to-BSN track on its program page.

With a Hakia Score of 78.4 and a 72% graduation rate, the program lands ninth among New Jersey BSN programs in this ranking. Admission is listed as competitive despite an 89% university-wide admit rate; applicants must submit a nursing-specific essay and meet a high school chemistry requirement. The program is private and charges a single tuition rate of $45,752 regardless of residency, so cost comparison with in-state public options is essential. Total enrollment at the university sits at 4,767, supporting the small-cohort model the school describes. The program page reports above-national-average NCLEX first-time pass rates and a 100% employment rate for graduates, though those figures are self-reported and not independently verified here. National context: BLS data puts the median annual wage for registered nurses at $97,550.

This program fits a student who wants structured faculty advising, small cohorts, and simulation-heavy preparation, and who can absorb private-school tuition or offset it through aid. The requirement for personal transportation to all clinical sites is a practical consideration. Students should weigh the higher sticker price against the program's reported completion and pass-rate outcomes before committing.

Stockton University's Prelicensure BSN is a four-year, entry-level baccalaureate program designed to take a student from no prior nursing background to eligibility for the NCLEX-RN. The program page describes an integrated curriculum drawing from physical, social, and behavioral sciences and the humanities, with ethics, communication, and altruism woven throughout. Students are expected to take an active role in their own learning under faculty preceptor guidance. The program launched its first four-year graduating class in 2010. No accelerated or RN-to-BSN pathway is listed on the program page.

Stockton earns a Hakia Score of 78.1 and a 69% graduation rate, placing it tenth in this New Jersey ranking. Admission is described as highly competitive on the program page: the school wants a combined SAT of 1190 or higher, an ACT Math score of at least 24, and a high school GPA of 3.5 or above, plus two teacher letters of recommendation and a strong honors or AP course load. Despite that selectivity profile, the university-wide admit rate sits at 89%. As a public institution with 8,631 enrolled students, Stockton offers a meaningful cost advantage: $13,606 per year for New Jersey residents versus $21,864 for out-of-state students. Both figures are significantly lower than comparable private programs in the state. National wage context: BLS data puts the median annual wage for registered nurses at $97,550.

Stockton is the right fit for a New Jersey resident who meets the academic benchmarks and wants a rigorous, accreditation-bound nursing education at a public price point. Out-of-state applicants face a $8,258 annual premium and should weigh that against in-state options elsewhere. All students must clear annual criminal background checks and 10-panel drug screens as a condition of clinical placement, and those costs fall to the student.