The Best RN-to-BSN Programs in Virginia for 2026

UVA's RN-to-BSN pathway is separate from its four-year traditional BSN and its 3-Year Transfer BSN; it is built specifically for licensed RNs with an associate's degree or nursing diploma who are working while they finish the bachelor's. It runs as a two-year, part-time hybrid program with one in-person class per month at one of three Virginia sites, Charlottesville, Fairfax, or Richmond, and the rest of the coursework completed online. An embedded peer mentoring buddy system pairs students for support through the program. Applications are due March 1 for fall entry.

In-state tuition is $19,472 a year, well under the $57,261 out-of-state rate, and UVA's overall graduation rate sits at 96%. That combination, plus program strength, gives it a Hakia Score of 92.7, the top score among Virginia's RN-to-BSN completion programs. National RN pay is a median $97,550 a year regardless of degree, per BLS; the payoff for a working RN here is Magnet-system eligibility and a direct on-ramp to graduate study for nurse practitioner, nurse scientist, or faculty roles.

Riverside runs several nursing tracks, but the RN-to-BSN bridge is the one built for readers who already hold their RN license: it is a 1 to 2 year, flexible online program requiring 18 credits of prerequisites, distinct from Riverside's pre-licensure AAS, traditional BSN, accelerated transfer, and LPN-to-RN tracks, all of which lead to the NCLEX rather than assume it is already passed.

Program tuition and fees for the RN-to-BSN bridge run $11,300 total, the cheapest full-program price of the four schools here; spread over the 1 to 2 year window, that is roughly $5,650 to $11,300 a year depending on pace. The school's broader published in-state tuition figure is $14,000 a year, a separate number from the bridge-specific price. Riverside's overall graduation rate is 100%, and its Hakia Score of 85.1 reflects a strong cost-to-outcome ratio for a private nonprofit college. It fits an RN who wants the fastest, cheapest bachelor's finish without leaving a current job; national RN pay stays at the $97,550 median (BLS) with or without the degree, so the return here is measured in tuition saved, not a guaranteed raise.

George Mason's RN-to-BSN pathway is one of several routes into its BSN, alongside Direct Entry, Accelerated Second Degree, and a co-enrollment option for AAS students at partner community colleges; this is the one built for readers who already hold a US-based RN license. It is fully online, completed in as little as two full-time semesters, with full- or part-time options and most classes run in a seven-week format. Students must submit a copy of their current RN license before the first day of class and maintain licensure throughout. Entry is offered in Fall or Spring.

In-state tuition runs $10,392 a year against $34,860 out-of-state, and the university's overall graduation rate is 68%, the lowest grad-rate figure among these four schools. That mix earns a Hakia Score of 81.6. It suits an RN who wants the fastest, cheapest fully-online finish and does not need the in-person touchpoints UVA's hybrid model builds in. National RN pay remains a median $97,550 a year (BLS) regardless of the credential; the bachelor's is about hospital preference and graduate eligibility, not a pay bump on its own.

Regent's RN to B.S. in Nursing program is built for a nurse who is already licensed and working. Coursework runs 100% online in 8-week sessions, with the next cohort starting August 24, 2026. The degree totals 120 credit hours, and the school's approved degree plan documents how your prior nursing credits apply toward that total. Core courses stack in sequence, starting with NURS 301 (Transitions to Professional Nursing, the required first course) and ending with the NURS 498 capstone, so you know the on-ramp and the finish line before you enroll.

Tuition runs $19,950 a year, the same rate whether you live in Virginia or out of state. The baccalaureate program carries CCNE accreditation, the standard hospitals check for when they set BSN hiring preferences or Magnet staffing targets. A Hakia Score of 81.1, the highest among the Virginia RN to BSN options in this ranking, reflects that combination: a defined accreditation, a real credit total, and a published start date rather than a vague apply-anytime pitch. It fits a working RN who wants a structured, faith-based online track with a hard deadline to build a schedule around.

UMW's BSN Completion Program is a 100% online track for RNs holding an associate's degree or hospital diploma and a Virginia RN license, with a minimum 3.0 GPA (lower GPAs may be considered with documentation). Students receive 41 credits automatically for gaining RN licensure and may transfer up to 90 credits total from prior coursework, needing only 30 credits earned at UMW itself: three liberal arts courses plus seven advanced nursing courses, taught in eight-week blocks. Full-time students finish in about one year; part-time students set their own pace. Applications are due April 1 for fall, October 15 for spring, and March 1 for summer entry.

In-state tuition is $9,117 a year, the lowest annual in-state rate of the four schools here, so a full-time student finishing in one year is looking at roughly that figure for the entire completion degree. UMW's overall graduation rate is 66%, and its Hakia Score of 80.5 reflects strong value for a working RN carrying substantial transfer credit. National RN pay holds at a $97,550 median (BLS) either way; the case for this program is credit-for-licensure plus the lowest sticker price on this list.

VCU's School of Nursing runs its R.N. to B.S. in Nursing as a dedicated pathway alongside the traditional pre-licensure track, built to expand a working RN's existing clinical experience rather than repeat it. The nursing school keeps the R.N. to B.S. degree details, application steps, and cost information on their own page, separate from the first-time student track, so a licensed RN isn't wading through pre-licensure admission requirements that no longer apply.

The number that matters most here is tuition: $13,200 a year in-state versus $35,674 out-of-state, a $22,474 annual gap. For a Virginia-licensed RN, that in-state rate makes VCU one of the cheaper public completion options in the state. A 63% overall graduation rate and a Hakia Score of 76.2 reflect a large public research university, enrollment above 28,000, with an established nursing school, though its R.N. to B.S. page is lighter on specifics like credit transfer and time to complete than some other Virginia programs, so confirm those details directly with an advisor before applying.

Hampton University's RN-BS pathway is described on its own page as accelerated and built for people working as registered nurses who want the bachelor's without leaving the job. It's offered online, and Hampton gives you a choice between part-time and full-time enrollment, so you set the pace against your work schedule instead of fitting a fixed cohort calendar.

Tuition runs $27,482 a year, the highest sticker price among Virginia's ranked RN to BSN programs here, and Hampton doesn't publish a separate out-of-state rate, so distant RNs pay the same figure as Virginia residents. The program page doesn't state CCNE or ACEN accreditation status directly, so confirm that with admissions before enrolling if your employer's tuition reimbursement depends on it. Nationally, RNs earn a median $97,550 a year per BLS wage data regardless of degree; a BSN doesn't change that figure so much as it changes whether Magnet hospitals and leadership tracks will consider you. A Hakia Score of 75.6 and a 57% overall graduation rate place Hampton behind Regent and VCU in this ranking, but its part-time option is the most flexible schedule structure among the four.

UVA Wise runs its RN to BSN track as a fully online program built for registered nurses who already hold a diploma or associate degree and are working while they finish the bachelor's. The school states that the program has been specifically designed for the working registered nurse student and is offered completely online, distinct from the on-campus pre-licensure BSN track run by the same department. Total degree requirements run 120 hours combining prior coursework with the RN to BSN curriculum.

In-state tuition is $6,160 a year, the lowest of any Virginia RN to BSN program in this group, versus $21,662 for out-of-state students. The baccalaureate program is CCNE-accredited. With a Hakia Score of 75.2 and a 47% overall graduation rate, UVA Wise trades name recognition for the cheapest in-state price tag here, making it the pick for a Virginia RN focused on getting the BSN credential at the lowest cost.