Nursing Schools in Boise, ID

A commute, not a move, is what most Treasure Valley nursing students are actually planning. From Meridian, Nampa, Caldwell or Eagle, the question is which ADN or BSN program sits inside a workable drive, and what it costs once grants and scholarships are counted.

The schools ranked below are ordered by NCLEX-RN first-time pass rate, with each labeled ADN or BSN, length and net price alongside. Pass rates separate programs that otherwise look alike on paper, and the gap between them is rarely explained by tuition.

Cost is the second filter. The lowest-cost options sit beside one another in the table, and the spread is wide enough to change a borrowing decision.

Where Boise Nursing Graduates Get Hired: St. Luke's, Saint Alphonsus, and Beyond

Boise-area nursing graduates enter a metro with three major hospital employers, and each one runs a formal first-year program for newly licensed RNs. Knowing where those programs sit, and when their applications open, matters as much as any ranking.

St. Luke's Health System

St. Luke's Treasure Valley locations include Boise, Meridian, Nampa, Mountain Home (Elmore Hospital), and a stand-alone emergency department in Fruitland. New graduate RNs enter the STAR Nurse Residency, a 12-month, ACEN-accredited program described as applying to all new-grad RNs. RN job postings list tuition reimbursement up to $5,250 per calendar year. Published system materials do not set a systemwide BSN hiring preference, so an ADN graduate should read each posting rather than assume.

Saint Alphonsus and the Boise VA

Saint Alphonsus runs a Graduate Nurse Residency with Emergency, Critical Care, Periop 101, and General tracks. Stated application windows are December 1 to 15 and July 1 to 15, with July 1 named for fall and winter graduates.

The Boise VA Medical Center hires through two routes. The RN Transition-to-Practice runs a mandatory 12 months for every first-year RN in a professional nursing role and accepts ADN, BSN, and MSN graduates. It pairs biweekly didactic sessions with clinical-area exploration. The Post-Baccalaureate RN Residency offers 100% protected learning time across 12 months in ambulatory, acute, critical, perioperative, and mental-health settings. Its requirements are steep: a CCNE- or ACEN-accredited BSN or MSN, U.S. citizenship, a 3.0 nursing GPA, graduation within the prior 12 months, and a first RN position.

What This Means for School Choice

Clinical rotations work as an extended audition: preceptors remember the students who arrive prepared, and residency coordinators often recruit from the units where students trained. Check each system's application windows before your final semester, since a December deadline lands during finals week.

Top NCLEX-RN Pass Rates Among Boise-Area Nursing Schools

Below are the top five nursing programs serving Boise students, ranked by NCLEX-RN first-time pass rates across the Idaho Board of Nursing's three most recent reporting years, with accreditation status and completion outcomes separating programs that finish close together. Each card lists the credential awarded, in-state tuition, the approximate average net price after aid, and whether the program runs on campus or in a hybrid format. Every school here sits within commuting distance of the Treasure Valley, from downtown Boise to Nampa.

ADN or BSN: Matching Treasure Valley Programs to Your Timeline and Goals

An ADN and a BSN take different routes to one credential: the Idaho RN license, which requires passing the NCLEX-RN. What differs is how long you study, what you pay, how hard the seat is to win, and where the credential can take you later.

The Two Routes Side by Side

• Length: ADN programs typically take about two years of nursing coursework after prerequisites. A traditional BSN is a university degree built around a longer course of study.
• Cost level: Community college tuition is usually the lower of the two. The cost comparison table shows the cheapest options near Boise.
• Where offered: College of Western Idaho (CWI) is the community college anchor for the ADN route. Boise State University anchors the university BSN route.
• Hiring and advancement: Both graduates can be hired as staff RNs. Leadership, case management, and graduate study generally call for a BSN, which is why many ADN nurses add one later.

Boise State's Traditional BSN

Boise State's pre-licensure BSN is for students who are not yet RNs. You must first be admitted to the university, work through the pre-nursing checklist with a College of Health Sciences advisor, and finish the prerequisites. Those include BIOL 227, BIOL 228, BIOL 205, PSYC 101, HLTH 300, HLTH 110, and SOC 101. BIOL 227 needs a C or better before you apply. A 3.0 prerequisite GPA in key science courses is expected, along with a cumulative GPA of 2.5.

There are two application cycles a year, with 100 seats in each. Fall applications open January 1 and close February 20. Spring applications open July 15 and close August 20. The fee is $20. Selection combines GPA with interviews, and current Boise State students and Idaho residents get preference. Grades alone do not decide it, so interview preparation counts.

Boise State does not offer an accelerated or second-degree pre-licensure BSN, so students who already hold another bachelor's degree need to look to other programs.

Checking the CWI Route

CWI's ADN has its own prerequisites, testing, and application calendar. Confirm the current details with the nursing department before you plan your semesters, and do not assume they match the practical nursing requirements.

A Common Local Path

Many Boise RNs start with an ADN, begin working, and finish an RN-to-BSN part-time while employed. If that fits your budget and timeline, see the RN to BSN and MSN options later on this page.

Lowest-Cost Nursing Programs Near Boise, Compared

The table below sorts the lowest-cost nursing programs in the Boise area from least to most expensive. The cost figure for each row is the school's approximate average annual net price after grants and scholarships, drawn from 2024 IPEDS and College Scorecard data. Median debt, monthly payment and earnings figures describe each school's registered nursing program, with earnings measured one year after finishing. College of Western Idaho's ADN combines the lowest net price here (about $8,500 a year) with the lowest median debt ($13,000) and the highest NCLEX-RN pass rate on this list (96.4%). Because an ADN costs less and leads to RN licensure sooner, finishing one and then completing an RN-to-BSN while earning a nurse's paycheck can cost less overall than paying for a four-year BSN up front.

LPN to RN Bridge Options at College of Western Idaho and Other Treasure Valley Colleges

For a working LPN, a bridge program promises credit for skills already used every shift and a shorter path to the RN license, which brings hospital staff nurse roles and a wider range of schedules. In the Treasure Valley, that shortcut is harder to find than the name suggests, and the honest tradeoff is speed versus certainty.

What College of Western Idaho Offers LPNs

CWI's route for licensed practical nurses is its Registered Nursing AS, an associate program with both spring and fall starts. The college does not offer a separate LPN-to-RN bridge or an advanced-placement ADN entry. The LPN credential satisfies the health-provider certification requirement for RN admission, and CNA, EMT, or phlebotomy credentials satisfy it too.

Applicants need high school or college chemistry, college-level math, and computer skills (CSA or CISA 101 with a C or better), plus the Kaplan Nursing Admissions Exam. CWI's 2026 materials name Kaplan specifically, not the TEAS. Reported length varies by document: the catalog lists six semesters, the clinical major four, and a 2026 listing describes a three-year ADN. Whether earlier LPN coursework earns transfer or challenge credit is not spelled out, so confirm that with the department before you plan a start date.

Cost at 2026-2027 Rates

• In-district and out-of-district Idaho: $172 per credit
• Out-of-district surcharge: $50 per credit, capped at $500 per semester
• Nonresident and international: $336 per credit
• Twelve credits: $2,064 in-district, $2,564 out-of-district Idaho, $4,032 nonresident

The Application Window, and One Practical Step

No other LPN-to-RN bridge is confirmed among the Treasure Valley schools on this page. CWI's next deadline is October 31, 2026, with one listing showing an October 1 through 31, 2026 window for a Spring 2027 start and March 1 through 31, 2027 for Fall 2027.

Before you apply, ask the nursing department in writing whether your LPN coursework earns transfer or challenge credit, then confirm the application window for your target term. Requirements shift with each admission cycle, and a semester you did not plan for costs far more than any application fee.

Questions to Ask Yourself

RN to BSN/MSN Programs in Boise, ID

Registered nurses in the Treasure Valley can finish a bachelor's degree while staying employed. Each program below is designed around an active RN license and delivers coursework online, so clinical or preceptorship hours are the main thing you schedule around your shifts.

APRN & Nurse Practitioner Programs in Boise, ID

Advanced practice study for Treasure Valley nurses runs through Boise State and Northwest Nazarene, with online MSN tracks available from a Boise campus as well. Each entry below lists degree level, concentration, format, and graduate tuition where the program publishes it.

Idaho RN Licensure at a Glance

Comprehensive List of Nursing Schools Near Boise, ID

5 schools within 40 miles, grouped by city. Select a program to see its highlights, and use the Website link for the school's own program page.

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