Top HBCU Nursing Schools for Future BSN and ADN Nurses

A public HBCU like Florida A&M charges about $5,785 a year in-state tuition and fees, while a private one like Tuskegee runs $25,386. Both prepare students for the same NCLEX-RN, so the real question is which school pairs strong outcomes with a price that holds up after graduation.

Our ranked list draws on 29 HBCUs with 40 nursing program listings. Published counts of how many HBCUs offer nursing disagree, and the answer depends on whether you count BSN, ADN, and graduate programs, such as DNP programs, together.

Most programs still admit to the university first and the nursing major second, which is where many applicants stall.

Best HBCU Nursing Schools Ranked for 2027

Howard University takes the top spot among HBCU nursing schools, pairing a CCNE-accredited BSN with clinical placements at Howard University Hospital and across the Washington, DC region. The schools that follow span public and private HBCUs from Florida to Delaware and Texas, with average net prices after aid that range from roughly $7,900 to about $50,500. Every school on this list offers a campus-based BSN, and several add accelerated, LPN to BSN, or online RN to BSN options for students who already hold a license.

How We Ranked HBCU Nursing Schools and How Many HBCUs Offer Nursing

Choosing an HBCU nursing program usually means weighing what you pay now against what graduates earn in the first years after licensure. This comparison focuses on that practical tradeoff rather than on prestige or campus name alone.

What we compare

To keep the list useful for working students, we looked at four student-facing signals: average net price, institution-wide graduation and retention, program-level median earnings and debt from College Scorecard, and degree type. Net price matters more than sticker tuition because it reflects the published cost after financial aid for nursing students such as grants and scholarships for a typical student at that institution. Because nursing-specific graduation rates are not consistently reported, we use the school's overall graduation and first-year retention rates as a proxy for academic support and student momentum. Degree type matters because an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) can get you into the workforce sooner, while a BSN often opens broader career and advancement options. Accreditation status and NCLEX pass rates were checked separately and were not folded into the numeric score.

How many HBCUs offer nursing?

The most current published figure comes from AACN, which counted 102 HBCUs and 32 HBCUs with nursing programs at the baccalaureate level or higher in 2025.¹ That is not an all-level total: it excludes or does not confirm ADN programs at two-year HBCUs such as Shelton State Community College in Alabama² and Southern University at Shreveport in Louisiana³. When sites cite 40, 43, or 45, the differences usually come from adding two-year ADN programs, newly established programs, separately counted campuses, or programs listed on a school website without a verified national list. A campus with both an ADN and a BSN can also be counted twice in some tallies, which adds to the confusion. We did not find a current all-level total from AACN, NCES, TMCF, or UNCF.

Why this list is shorter

This ranking covers 29 HBCUs with 40 program listings, not every HBCU nursing program in the country. The narrower count reflects programs that have enough comparable cost, graduation, earnings, and debt data to evaluate fairly. Some institutions may appear with more than one program entry when they offer separate ADN, BSN, and RN to BSN programs, and programs that are too new to report outcomes or that admit through a partner college may be absent from this list even if they appear in a broader HBCU nursing count. The 40 program listings are therefore not the same thing as 40 HBCUs, because one campus can produce more than one listing.

Read the numbers with this limit

Graduation and retention figures are school-wide, not specific to nursing majors. Net price is an average estimate, not an individual cost quote, so use it for comparison and confirm your own aid package with the school. Use the list as a starting point, then verify current tuition, clinical placements, and NCLEX support directly with each program.

Are HBCU Nursing Programs Accredited? CCNE vs ACEN Explained

The top-ranked HBCU nursing program, Howard University, holds accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), and that pattern holds across most of the schools in our rankings. As a rule of thumb, CCNE accreditation covers BSN and graduate (MSN, DNP) programs, while the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) is more common for associate-level programs and some BSNs. A few HBCUs carry both, depending on which degrees they offer.

Why Accreditation Matters

Accreditation is not a formality. State boards generally require graduation from an accredited program before you can sit for the NCLEX. It also governs whether your credits transfer if you change schools, and whether a graduate program will accept your BSN. Choosing an unaccredited program can quietly limit your options later.

Verified Status at Top Schools

Among the leading programs, several confirm CCNE accreditation for their nursing degrees:

• Hampton University: CCNE (School of Nursing)
• Winston-Salem State University: CCNE (Department of Nursing)
• Morgan State University: CCNE (School of Nursing)
• Prairie View A&M University: CCNE, bachelor's and master's
• Howard University: CCNE, bachelor's and master's
• Fayetteville State University: CCNE
• Grambling State University: listed with both CCNE and ACEN

Our sources did not surface any warning, probation, or adverse-status flags for these programs, but that does not guarantee current good standing. Accreditation status can change between reviews.

How to Verify It Yourself

Before you apply, verify nursing school accreditation directly. Search the CCNE directory (which covers accredited programs from 1997 to the present) or the ACEN directory for the exact school and degree level, since CCNE accreditation is program-specific, not institution-wide. Finally, check that the program holds approval from your state board of nursing, which is a separate requirement from national accreditation.

Which HBCU Has the Highest NCLEX Pass Rate?

Among the HBCU nursing programs with current state board of nursing disclosures, Morgan State University holds the highest verified first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate in our data at a 100% NCLEX Pass Rate in 2025; North Carolina's HBCU cohort posted 87%.¹ Morgan State's school-level rate was available in the state board materials reviewed for this section; for most programs, statewide HBCU aggregates like North Carolina's 87% are the strongest verified answer.

How It Compares to the National Rate

The National Council of State Boards of Nursing reported an 88.4% first-time pass rate for U.S.-educated NCLEX-RN candidates in 2025.² That puts North Carolina's HBCU nursing programs about 1.4 percentage points below the national average. Texas Board of Nursing data shows a statewide first-time pass rate of 89.12% for nursing programs in fiscal year 2025³, but that total includes all Texas programs and does not isolate HBCU schools. For context, East Texas Baptist University's Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree program reported a 94.59% first-time pass rate in 2024⁴, but it is not an HBCU and uses a different reporting year, so it should not be mixed with the 2025 HBCU figures. Because each state publishes pass rates differently, students should always check whether a number covers a specific school, a program type, or a statewide aggregate, and should note the reporting year before comparing; see How to Read NCLEX-RN Pass Rate Data When Evaluating Nursing Schools.

Why Pass Rates Swing From Year to Year

First-time NCLEX-RN results can move by several percentage points from one graduating class to the next, especially in small cohorts. A handful of students retesting or a shift in admission patterns can change a program's rate without signaling a drop in teaching quality. The Next Generation NCLEX that debuted in April 2023 added new item types and a revised scoring approach, and many programs saw short-term pass rate changes while faculty and students adjusted. By 2025, most schools had adapted their curricula and practice testing, which is reflected in the more stable figures now appearing in board reports.

What to Ask Before You Enroll

• Ask for the school's first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate for the last three years, not just the latest cycle.
• Ask whether the reported number includes repeat test takers, because first-time pass rates are the most common comparison.
• Ask what remediation support is offered after a first unsuccessful attempt.

For prospective nursing students, a single year's pass rate is one useful signal, not the whole picture. Pair it with accreditation, clinical placements, NCLEX remediation support, and first-time pass rate trends over three or more years. A program that slightly trails the state average but offers strong tutoring and realistic simulation may be the better fit for your study style.

HBCU Nursing Admission Requirements Checklist

Getting into the university is not the same as getting into the nursing major. Many BSN programs have their own GPA, prerequisite, and entrance-exam requirements on top of general admission, so confirm the nursing department's rules before you apply. Use these typical ranges as a starting point.

1. Minimum GPA

   Traditional BSN programs commonly require a 2.6–3.1 GPA. Bethune-Cookman requires 3.00, and RN-to-BSN programs often require 2.5.
2. Prerequisite courses

   Expect English, college algebra, biology, anatomy and physiology I and II, chemistry, and psychology. Some programs also require statistics.
3. Entrance exam

   Programs use the ATI TEAS, HESI A2, or NLN NEX. Bethune-Cookman's NEX benchmarks range from 69% to 72.5% by section, with two attempts allowed and scores valid for three years.
4. Minimum course grades

   Plan on earning at least a C. Southern University at New Orleans requires a C or higher in all general education courses.
5. Background check and immunizations

   Programs require a criminal background check, current immunizations, and clinical compliance documents.
6. Transfer and RN-to-BSN eligibility

   RN-to-BSN programs typically require an ADN from an ACEN- or CCNE-accredited program and an unencumbered RN license. Transfer-credit rules vary, so verify them directly with each school.
7. Application timing

   Deadlines vary by school. Albany State's RN-to-BSN accepts applications for fall from January 1 to June 1, for spring from June 2 to November 1, and for summer from November 2 to April 1.

HBCU Nursing Schools by State: More Programs to Consider

The HBCU nursing programs below appear beyond the top ten ranked schools. This directory is not ranked. Entries are grouped by state, labeled by degree level, and listed with city, format, and average net price where the data is available.

Georgia

North Carolina

Virginia

Maryland

Alabama

West Virginia

Texas

West Virginia

Georgia

Louisiana

Tennessee

Louisiana

Kentucky

Alabama

Florida

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