Top Online Nursing Schools in South Carolina for RNs Earning a BSN

RN to BSN programs are degree-completion tracks for nurses who already hold an active RN license through an associate degree or diploma. Your prior nursing coursework transfers in, and the remaining upper-division work typically totals 28 to 33 credit hours at the South Carolina schools that publish that figure.

Every program ranked here is delivered fully online. Hybrid formats with campus days were excluded. Online is not the same as clinical-free, though: USC Aiken, for one, still requires 40 clinical hours.

The six-month finish many working nurses hope for does not appear among these schools. Anderson University's nine-month fast track is the shortest published timeline, and most others run a year or more.

Best 100% Online RN to BSN Programs in South Carolina for 2027

Every program on this list is delivered fully online, so no campus visits, lab days or hybrid meetings are required; hybrid formats were excluded. The order reflects a blend of cost, student outcomes, program completions and the strength of each online pathway, with South Carolina's public universities and private colleges side by side.

Behind the List: What Earned a South Carolina Program Its Spot

What actually separates the program at the top of this list from one a few spots down? Four things, and none of them are marketing copy.

What moved a program up

• Cost to the student: published tuition alongside average net price, so a school with a high sticker price but strong aid isn't unfairly punished.
• How the institution performs: graduation and retention figures, which say something about whether students who start actually finish.
• Program volume: how many nursing degrees the school confers, a rough signal of an established pipeline rather than a brand-new offering.
• Fully online delivery: a program had to be deliverable without regular campus attendance to appear here at all.

What the list cannot tell you

None of these numbers speak to clinical or practicum arrangements, which vary widely by program and often depend on your employer. They say nothing about faculty, course design, or advising. And they cannot predict how your specific ADN coursework will transfer, which is the single biggest variable in your cost and timeline. Later sections address admissions requirements, out-of-state enrollment rules, and accreditation directly.

Two honest limits are worth naming. Graduation rates here are institution-wide, not nursing-specific, so a large university's figure reflects undergraduates across every major. Net price is an average across aided students; your actual bill depends on your income, residency, and any tuition benefit from your hospital.

Use it as a shortlist

Pick two or three programs that fit your budget and schedule, then call each one. Confirm the accreditor and get a written transfer credit evaluation before you commit.

The Real Price of an Online BSN in South Carolina After Transfer Credits

Sticker tuition means little until you subtract the credits your ADN already covers.

Lowest and Highest Net Price

The University of South Carolina Aiken has the lowest average net price among the schools here at $11,641 per year. Columbia International University sits at the top at $26,036, more than double. Net price is a school-wide average for full-time students after grants. A working RN taking a few courses each term will usually pay less in any single year.

Doing the Real Math

After your ADN and general education courses transfer, most RN to BSN tracks leave about 30 nursing credits. Multiply that by the per-credit rate, then add required fees:

• USC Aiken: $306 per credit across 31 credit hours, listed as $9,486 in total program tuition.
• USC Upstate: $433.25 per credit for 2026-27 across 32 nursing credits comes to about $13,864, plus a one-time $75 matriculation fee. Students taking 12 to 16 credits pay a flat $5,199 per semester instead.
• Clemson: $550 per credit for 2026-27, or about $16,500 at 30 credits. RN to BS students skip the $1,000-per-semester nursing program fee charged to traditional BSN students.¹
• Newberry College: $405 per credit across 33 credit hours, roughly $13,365.

Request each school's full list of technology, nursing, and graduation fees before comparing totals.

Out-of-State Students

USC Upstate charges online RN to BSN students in-state tuition no matter where they live, even though its general nonresident rate is $869 per credit. Clemson lists the same $550 rate for residents and nonresidents. At other public schools, confirm whether the online program has its own rate. College of Charleston's standard published tuition, for example, is $12,978 in-state versus $38,296 out-of-state.

Public vs. Private Gaps

Public universities fill the low end, with USC Aiken and Lander ($15,363) leading. Private schools start higher, from Claflin at $17,800 to Anderson at $23,544, though they charge one tuition rate regardless of residency. Per-credit pricing can blur the line: Newberry's $405 rate undercuts Clemson's.

Employer tuition reimbursement can shrink any of these totals. Many hospitals help fund BSN coursework, and College of Charleston notes it supports employer reimbursement. Check your benefits policy for annual caps and service commitments before you enroll.

Net Price Gap Among the Five Lowest-Cost Online Options

University of South Carolina Aiken posts the lowest average annual net price among the fully online options here at $11,641, while Coker University comes in fifth at $20,286, a gap of $8,645 per year. Net price is an institution-wide average for all aided undergraduates after grants and scholarships, not a quote for the RN to BSN program itself. Your own cost will depend on transfer credits, aid eligibility, and per-credit tuition, so use these figures to compare schools rather than to budget.

What SC Online RN to BSN Programs Ask of Applicants

Admission requirements vary by school, so confirm details with each program's admissions office. USC Upstate's published RN-BSN requirements and South Carolina's statewide transfer policy show what applicants should have ready.

1. An active, unrestricted RN license

   USC Upstate requires an active, clear, unrestricted U.S. nursing license. The state transfer policy also assumes you have passed the NCLEX and are licensed. Plan to have your license in hand before you apply.
2. A diploma or ADN from an accredited program

   USC Upstate asks for a nursing diploma or associate degree from an ACEN-accredited institution. South Carolina's transfer guarantee applies to graduates of NLN-accredited ADN programs, so check your school's accreditation status.
3. Prerequisites completed with a C or better

   Official transcripts must show completed prerequisites with grades of C or higher. USC Upstate reviews each applicant's prerequisites individually. Contact an advisor early to find any gaps in your general education or science coursework.
4. Your academic record and GPA

   Minimum GPA expectations differ from school to school. Ask each program directly instead of assuming one standard applies everywhere.
5. Transfer credit toward the degree

   Under state policy, a South Carolina public four-year institution must accept at least 60 semester hours from a qualifying ADN graduate, and transfer coursework generally must be a C or higher. The exact credit total still depends on a review of your prior coursework.
6. Total credits to finish

   USC Upstate's BSN requires 126 total credit hours. The RN-BSN track itself covers 32 semester hours of nursing courses and is designed for one calendar year of full-time study.

Enrolling From Outside South Carolina: Licensure and Authorization Rules

CCNE or ACEN? Accreditation Status of Each Ranked Program

Every school ranked here holds program-level accreditation for its baccalaureate nursing program from either CCNE or ACEN, and that credential matters well beyond the diploma. Many MSN and nurse practitioner programs admit only graduates of CCNE- or ACEN-accredited BSN programs, military nurse corps and VA nursing roles generally expect an accredited degree, and Magnet-designated hospitals often prefer or require one for hiring and advancement. Coastal Carolina's most recent ACEN decision was continuing accreditation with conditions, and several terms below are worth a fresh check, so search the school name in the CCNE accredited programs directory or the ACEN accredited program search and confirm the baccalaureate program shows active status and a next review date before you apply.

What Registered Nurses Earn in South Carolina

As you weigh the cost of an online BSN, national pay data offers a useful benchmark for what registered nurses earn.

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