Best Low-Cost Online RN to BSN Schools, Compared by Total Cost

Hospitals chasing Magnet designation keep pushing for BSN-prepared staff, yet the cost of earning that degree online swings widely. Among the fully online programs reviewed here, average annual net price after aid runs from roughly $1,100 at Chipola College in Florida to about $7,800 at Tallahassee Community College, with Northwest Florida State College and Pasco-Hernando State College in between.

Tuition alone is a poor estimate. Course fees, technology charges, textbooks, and how many credits a school accepts in transfer can shift the total by thousands.

Credit count matters as much as the rate: a 33-credit completion track like Laredo College's costs far less than a 48-credit one priced identically per credit.

5 Affordable 100% Online RN to BSN Programs for 2027

Every school below delivers its entire RN to BSN curriculum online, and each one consistently lands among the lowest-cost options in the country for working nurses. Because published rates shift from term to term, this page does not repeat tuition, fee, or credit-hour numbers for any of the five programs. Instead, use these entries as a shortlist, then confirm current 2025-26 or 2026-27 costs, accreditation status, and admission requirements on each school's own tuition and fees page before you apply.

How We Ranked the Cheapest Online RN to BSN Schools

Sticker price and net price can tell very different stories, and this ranking is built around the second. A program that looks cheap on its tuition page can cost more once fees pile up, while a school with a higher listed rate may land lower after grants and aid.

Who Qualified

Only fully online RN to BSN programs made the list. Hybrid programs that require campus attendance for coursework were excluded, even when their tuition was competitive. If you work rotating shifts, that distinction matters.

What Carried the Most Weight

Net price after financial aid, along with related financial aid measures, drove most of each school's score. Low cost alone wasn't enough, though. Each program also had to clear a baseline quality composite that factors in graduation rate and outcomes reported through the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

Where the Numbers Fall Short

Net price and graduation rate are reported for the whole institution, not for the RN to BSN program itself. A college's overall net price reflects every student, including first-time freshmen whose aid picture looks nothing like a working RN's. That's why we also researched per-credit tuition rates for the programs themselves.

How to Run the Math Yourself

You can check any school, ranked or not, with one formula:

• Credits: Count the credits you still need after your ADN transfers in. Programs on this list range from 33 to 48 total credit hours.
• Rate: Multiply that number by the per-credit tuition.
• Fees: Add technology, course, graduation, and book costs.

As a hypothetical, 30 credits at $150 per credit equals $4,500 before fees. Request a written transfer credit evaluation before you compare schools, since it changes the first number more than anything else.

How Much Does an Online RN to BSN Program Cost?

Most nurses pay far less for an online RN to BSN than they expect, and the school type you choose drives most of the difference. Recent 2026 cost guides put the typical online total at roughly $8,000 to $15,000, with one national median landing near $15,400 across all RN to BSN formats. Per-credit rates usually run from about $300 to $500 at public schools and $500 to $1,200 at private ones.

Public vs. Private Pricing

Public universities usually win on price in a Private vs Public Nursing School comparison because state funding offsets part of the cost of instruction. Private schools rely mainly on tuition, so the sticker price is higher. Expect public online totals of about $8,000 to $15,000 and private online totals of about $15,000 to $35,000. Some guides break it down further: in-state public students often pay $7,000 to $12,000, while out-of-state public students may pay $13,000 to $22,000. The sources use different categories, so treat the ranges as guideposts, not guarantees.

Real programs fall inside these bands. OHSU lists a total of $10,593, University of Maryland lists $17,146, and WGU charges a flat rate of about $5,325 per six-month term.

The Formula

Your cost is the credits you actually take at that school, multiplied by the per-credit rate, plus fees. Here is a simple example with a 30-credit program:

• Tuition: 30 credits at $350 per credit equals $10,500.
• Fees: Assume $750 in technology and course fees (an illustrative figure, so check each school's fee schedule).
• Estimated total: $11,250, before books.

At a private school charging $700 per credit, the same 30 credits would cost $21,000 in tuition alone.

Why Totals Can Run So Low

Most RN to BSN programs require only about 30 upper-division nursing credits at the school itself. Your prior associate degree coursework and your RN license are typically credited toward the rest. That is why the total can land far below the cost of a traditional four-year BSN. Always confirm how many credits the school will accept, since every extra credit you must take adds to the bill.

Where Do Your RN to BSN Dollars Actually Go?

Per-Credit vs. Flat-Rate Tuition: When Competency-Based Programs Like WGU Cost Less

A "6-month RN to BSN" is realistic only on a flat-rate plan, and only if you can finish a heavy course load in one term. WGU reports that most RN to BSN students finish in 18 months or less, so budget for two or three terms rather than one. As a rule of thumb, flat-rate pricing wins for fast, self-directed nurses, while per-credit pricing usually wins if you take one or two courses at a time around shift work.

Which Affordable Online Programs Leave Nurses With the Least Debt

Debt figures reflect the median federal loan debt of each program's own BSN completers, along with the estimated monthly payment on a standard 10-year repayment plan, as reported in the U.S. Department of Education's IPEDS and College Scorecard data (2024). Tuition is the program's published rate, and net price is the institution-wide average annual cost after grants. Many RN to BSN students borrow little or nothing because they keep working as licensed nurses while studying part-time, so low tuition often matters more than loan terms.

Before You Enroll: Accreditation, Clinicals, and State Authorization Checklist

A low sticker price only pays off if the degree counts and you can actually finish it. Check these five items before you commit.

1. CCNE or ACEN accreditation

   Confirm the BSN program holds programmatic accreditation. Verify it on the accreditor's own website rather than relying on the school's marketing pages.
2. Practicum hours and who arranges placements

   Most RN to BSN programs skip traditional bedside rotations, but many require community health, leadership, or capstone practicum hours. These range from zero at schools like UIC and UT Arlington to 112 at the University of Oklahoma. Ask who finds your site. St. Thomas students arrange their own preceptors, while Defiance College faculty arrange placements. Your preceptor usually can't be your direct supervisor.
3. State authorization

   Online enrollment isn't automatic in every state, and some programs exclude certain states. Even under SARA, the nursing board in the state where you complete practicum hours still has oversight. California, for example, requires Board of Registered Nursing approval for clinical placements.
4. License, GPA, and timing rules

   Expect to need an active, unencumbered RN license and a minimum GPA. If you're a new graduate, ask whether you must pass the NCLEX by a specific term.
5. Transfer credits in writing

   Get written confirmation of your total remaining credits after the transfer evaluation, and do this before you pay a deposit.

More Affordable Fully Online RN to BSN Programs to Consider

The five ranked programs above are not the only affordable, fully online options for nurses who already hold an RN license. Below is a flat directory of additional RN to BSN programs, each listed with its location, delivery format, and a short note on curriculum, credit requirements, and admissions. Costs, start dates, and clinical expectations vary, so check each program against your own state authorization and practicum needs before applying.