The Best RN-to-BSN Programs in Arkansas (2026 Rankings)

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing's R.N. to B.S.N. online program is built specifically for registered nurses who already hold an associate's degree or diploma and want to finish their bachelor's without leaving the workforce. It runs fully online, one of three B.S.N. tracks at the university alongside the on-campus pre-licensure option and an LPN-to-BSN online track, so a working RN never has to relocate to Fayetteville or step away from clinical shifts to finish.

In-state tuition runs $7,896 a year, a fraction of the $27,758 out-of-state rate, and University of Arkansas posts a 71% overall undergraduate completion rate. That combination of low in-state cost and fully online delivery earns it the top Hakia Score of 83.5 among Arkansas's ranked RN-to-BSN programs. The national median RN salary sits at $97,550 a year per BLS wage data, the same whether or not you hold a BSN; the real payoff here is eligibility for Magnet-hospital hiring and management tracks that ask for the bachelor's on paper, plus a straight line into an MSN or NP program later.

It fits the Arkansas RN who wants the least expensive path to a BSN without giving up full-time work, and who is comfortable managing an online course load without a hybrid campus component.

Harding's completion track is an individualized degree-completion plan for registered nurses (and LPNs) who already hold an unencumbered license but not a bachelor's. Faculty build a full-time or part-time schedule with the student rather than dropping them into a fixed cohort, and Harding runs a separate accelerated hybrid track at a satellite site in Rogers, Arkansas for RNs who want blended online and in-person coursework instead of the primarily on-campus format in Searcy.

Tuition is a flat $25,290 a year, the same for every student since Harding is private nonprofit and does not charge separately by residency. Harding markets its BSN program, completion track included, as Arkansas's No. 1 nursing program since 2018, and the school's 69% overall completion rate and Hakia Score of 81.9 place it second among the state's ranked RN-to-BSN options, just behind University of Arkansas's cheaper online track.

It suits an RN who wants a faculty-designed, flexible-pace plan and access to the Rogers hybrid site, and who values Harding's Christian-mission identity enough to pay private tuition instead of a public in-state rate.

UA Little Rock's RN to BSN Completion, B.S.N. track is built for working nurses and recent associate or diploma graduates who want to keep working while finishing their bachelor's. It runs fully online, distinct from the school's on-campus Traditional A.A.S. and B.S.N. pre-licensure options, so a licensed RN completes coursework without adding campus commutes to an already full shift schedule.

In-state tuition is $6,810 a year, the lowest sticker price of any fully online RN-to-BSN program in this Arkansas ranking, versus $19,620 out-of-state. UA Little Rock lists direct ties to Arkansas Heart Hospital, Baptist Health, CHI St. Vincent, Saline Memorial, and UAMS as employers of its nursing graduates, a practical hint at where a completion grad's BSN could open doors locally. Its 42% overall completion rate weighs down the school's Hakia Score of 75.7, third among the four ranked programs.

It fits a budget-focused RN in central Arkansas who wants the cheapest fully online completion option and already has ties to one of the Little Rock-area hospital systems on that employer list.

University of Arkansas at Monticello calls its completion pathway the RN to BSN Degree Advanced Placement Program, built for RNs who already hold an ADN or diploma. The published plan runs 8 semesters and is coordinated with National Park College, which handles part of the coursework before students finish the major requirements at UAM. Every prerequisite and nursing course needs a grade of C or better; a D, F, or W means repeating the course, so this program tracks grades more strictly than a typical degree-completion track. The scraped program page does not list this option as online, so plan on a campus-based schedule in Monticello.

In-state tuition is $5,685 a year, versus $11,250 out-of-state, meaning an out-of-state RN pays nearly double to enroll here. There is no CCNE or ACEN accreditation statement on UAM's RN-to-BSN page, so that detail is not confirmed for this specific track. UAM carries a Hakia Score of 72.3, the highest of the three Arkansas RN-to-BSN programs in this ranking, driven largely by that low in-state cost against a 49% graduation rate. It is the strongest fit for an Arkansas-resident RN who wants the lowest sticker price and does not need a fully online format.

UAPB's RN to BSN program is a separate track from the school's pre-licensure BSN, which stopped taking new pre-licensure students as of May 1, 2026, while it works through conditional state approval; that freeze does not affect RNs pursuing the completion program since they already hold a license. The completion track runs on the Pine Bluff campus rather than online.

In-state tuition is $6,330 a year, the lowest of any program in this Arkansas ranking, against $14,910 out-of-state. UAPB's nursing department is a candidate for initial ACEN accreditation, with candidacy status running through April 22, 2027. That pending status, paired with a 40% overall completion rate, gives it the group's lowest Hakia Score of 71.9.

It fits an RN near Pine Bluff who wants the lowest-cost completion option in the state, is comfortable on campus rather than online, and is not deterred by enrolling while ACEN candidacy is still pending.

University of Arkansas Grantham delivers its RN-to-BSN as one of its fully online bachelor's-completion degrees, structured in 8-week courses with monthly start dates rather than a fixed fall or spring term; the next listed start is July 8. Grantham's published transfer policy for undergraduate completion accepts up to 75% of the 120 credits a bachelor's requires, so an RN's ADN coursework and prior clinical credits count toward the degree instead of retaking general education. There is no application fee, and Grantham adds a 1-credit onboarding course at no extra cost to ease new students back into coursework.

Tuition is a flat $7,320 a year regardless of home state, which actually beats the out-of-state rate at both other Arkansas programs in this ranking: about $1,464 a year less than Henderson State's $8,784 out-of-state rate, and about $3,930 a year less than UAM's $11,250 out-of-state rate. Grantham's Hakia Score sits at 71, slightly behind UAM's 70, reflecting a 43% graduation rate weighed against that flat, low-cost tuition. The scraped page does not name CCNE or ACEN for this specific program. This option fits an RN living outside Arkansas, or one juggling shift work, who needs 8-week terms that start whenever they are ready rather than waiting on a semester calendar.

Henderson State University lists its RN to BSN track as online and post-licensure, a separate pathway from the on-campus pre-licensure BSN it also runs in Arkadelphia. It is built specifically for nurses who already hold an RN license and want to finish the bachelor's without relocating or sitting in campus classrooms alongside pre-licensure students.

The baccalaureate nursing program at Henderson State is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), a distinction that matters for RNs targeting Magnet-designated hospital systems, many of which specifically prefer or require CCNE-accredited BSNs. Tuition runs $6,408 a year in-state and $8,784 out-of-state, a $2,376 annual gap between the two. Henderson's graduation rate of 37% is the lowest of the three programs here, and its Hakia Score of 69.7 reflects that alongside the CCNE credential. The BLS reports a national median RN salary of $97,550; a BSN from an accredited program like this one does not automatically raise that number, but it is the credential most hospitals now require to move into charge, management, or a future MSN or nurse practitioner track. This program fits an RN who wants a CCNE-accredited, fully online finish at a public university without leaving Arkansas.