Best RN-to-BSN Programs in Georgia, Ranked for 2026

Mercer University's Georgia Baptist College of Nursing runs an RN to BSN Completion Track built specifically for nurses who graduated from an accredited associate degree or diploma program, already passed the NCLEX-RN, and hold a current unencumbered Georgia RN license. Mercer participates in the Georgia RN-BSN Articulation Model, the state's standard agreement for carrying ADN coursework into a bachelor's completion track, and RNs licensed outside Georgia can be considered case-by-case under the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement. The track is offered on Mercer's Macon and Atlanta campuses.

Tuition runs $31,265 a year, the highest of the four Georgia programs here, which comes with Mercer's private nonprofit status. The tradeoff is a Hakia Score of 85.7, the top mark in this Georgia group, built on an institutional graduation rate of 70%, the strongest completion track record among these schools. It fits an RN who wants an established private college of nursing and is willing to pay for that name and campus infrastructure rather than chase the lowest sticker price in the state.

Thomas University's RN-BSN is built for the working RN who wants the shortest calendar path to a bachelor's: the school states nurses can finish "in as little as 12 months online while continuing to work." The track is delivered fully online, with a parallel RN-MSN option for nurses who want to move past a standalone BSN straight into graduate study.

Tuition is $11,400 a year and does not change with residency, so an out-of-state RN pays the same rate as a Georgia RN. That flat pricing plus the 12-month online timeline earns Thomas a Hakia Score of 72.3, tied with Augusta for second in this Georgia group. It fits a working RN who wants the shortest realistic timeline to a BSN and does not want tuition to hinge on where they hold licensure.

Augusta University delivers its RN-to-BSN through Augusta University Online, built for RNs who already hold an Associate Degree in Nursing and a Georgia license. The program page states there are no set class times, aimed at nurses advancing in a current role or moving toward healthcare leadership without stepping away from work. Application deadlines are fixed: May 15 for fall admission, September 11 for spring.

In-state tuition is $7,064 a year; out-of-state runs $23,384, more than three times as much, so a Georgia-licensed RN captures roughly $16,320 a year in savings over the out-of-state rate. Augusta's College of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). It earns a Hakia Score of 71.7 on a 49% institutional graduation rate, and fits a Georgia RN who wants a public-university price with a fully online, asynchronous schedule.

South University's nursing page centers on its CCNE-accredited Bachelor of Science in Nursing, delivered with in-person instruction at the Savannah campus. The school describes hands-on simulation labs and clinical settings as core to the program, with faculty support through the professional phase of the degree. The page does not spell out a distinct online RN-to-BSN completion track, a credit-transfer policy, or a stated time-to-complete for nurses entering with an ADN, so a working RN should ask admissions directly how prior ADN coursework and an active license apply toward the 180 total credits listed for the BSN.

Tuition is a flat $17,100, the same in-state or out, and it is the priciest program in this Georgia group by roughly $14,676 over Georgia Highlands' $2,424 in-state rate. CCNE accredits the BSN here, per the school's own page, which matters if you are eyeing MSN or DNP study later at a CCNE school. It carries a Hakia Score of 69.8 in this ranking, but that score sits alongside an IPEDS graduation rate of just 7%, a figure worth weighing hard against that price tag. This is a fit only if you specifically want CCNE credentialing with in-person clinical access in Savannah and you have confirmed, in writing, exactly how your existing RN license and ADN credits are applied.

Dalton State College delivers its RN-to-BSN nursing courses in an online format, with required clinical rotations completed off-line near the student. The program page states the major coursework is completed in 2 to 3 semesters, and the college admits new RN-to-BSN students in both fall and spring.

In-state tuition is $2,616 a year, the lowest of any Georgia RN-to-BSN program in this group; at that rate, 2 to 3 semesters of major coursework, roughly 1 to 1.5 years, lands between about $2,616 and $3,924 total. Out-of-state tuition is $9,936, nearly four times the in-state rate, so Georgia licensure is where the real savings sit. Dalton's Hakia Score of 69.1 reflects a 25% institutional graduation rate, the lowest completion rate here, and it fits an RN prioritizing the lowest sticker price and a short 2-3 semester timeline over a stronger institutional track record.

Georgia Highlands College's RN-to-BSN Completion track is built for nurses who already hold a license. Full-time students finish in two consecutive semesters; part-time students spread the same 120-credit-hour degree across four or more semesters. The entire program runs online and at your own pace, starting with a one-hour virtual orientation. You need a 2.5 GPA to enroll, and you can still have up to three general education courses left to finish since the RN-to-BSN major courses (NURS) are the real focus. The one in-person requirement is a 45-hour Leadership Practicum, and you pick the site, often your own workplace.

In-state tuition runs $2,424 a year, the cheapest RN-to-BSN option on this Georgia list by a wide margin: a full-time student finishing the two-semester track pays close to that figure for the entire completion year, versus $17,100 flat at a private option like South University-Savannah. The program page does not state CCNE or ACEN accreditation for the RN-to-BSN track specifically, so confirm current status directly with the school before you commit. Georgia Highlands earns a Hakia Score of 68.9 in this ranking on the strength of that low, verified in-state cost and the fully online, self-paced format. It fits an RN who wants the fastest, cheapest route to a BSN and needs to study around shift work; the payoff is less about the $97,550 national median RN wage BLS reports, which will not change with the degree alone, and more about qualifying for Magnet-hospital and leadership tracks that require a bachelor's.

South Georgia State's RN-BSN is a credit-mapped completion path: 60 credit hours of core Core IMPACTS general education, 30 credit hours awarded for your prior ASN coursework, and 30 more semester credit hours of BSN-level nursing work, totaling 120 hours for the degree. The school delivers the program online. To get in, you need three or fewer core classes left, a C or better in all core and science coursework, and an active, unrestricted Georgia RN license verified against the state roster. There is no HESI A2 exam required for this pathway, a hurdle some competing RN-to-BSN programs still make applicants clear.

In-state tuition is $2,424 a year, tied with Georgia Highlands as the cheapest in this group and $14,676 below South University-Savannah's flat $17,100. With only 30 nursing-major credit hours standing between your ASN and the BSN once core requirements are done, this is the leanest remaining coursework load of the three programs here, though the school does not publish an overall weeks-to-completion figure. The page does not cite CCNE or ACEN accreditation for the RN-BSN track, so verify current status before applying. South Georgia State's Hakia Score of 67.2 reflects that low in-state cost and lean credit-transfer structure. Early decision applications are due April 15, with a second review on May 15, so plan ahead if you want a specific start term.