Nursing Programs in Charleston, SC

2027 Best Nursing Schools in Charleston

Rankings help prospective students evaluate nursing programs by highlighting key metrics such as NCLEX pass rates, enabling informed decisions about where to pursue their education. In this ranking of the Best Nursing Schools in Charleston, Registerednursing.org utilizes NCLEX pass rates as the sole criterion to objectively assess program effectiveness and student success. https://www.registerednursing.org/rn-ranking-methodology/

Yearly Pass Rate Trends

Technical College of the Lowcountry demonstrated steady improvement in average pass rates across three years.

• 2022: 78.95% (38 students)
• 2023: 91.89% (37 students)
• 2024: 97.62% (42 students)

Yearly Nursing Graduates

Graduate counts remained stable, with a small increase in the most recent year.

• 2022: 38 graduates
• 2023: 37 graduates
• 2024: 42 graduates

Biggest Improvements

Pass rates improved by 18.67 percentage points from the earliest to the latest year.

• Improvement: +18.67%
• Starting pass rate: 78.95%
• Ending pass rate: 97.62%

#1

Charleston Southern University

Charleston, SC - Private 4-year - charlestonsouthern.edu

Bachelor's - Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Online & Campus Based - Visit Website

Charleston Southern University offers an 18-month Accelerated BSN (ABSN) for prior degree holders, requiring 67 credit hours in a hybrid format: asynchronous online coursework, weekday evening campus labs, and weekend clinicals at Charleston-area hospitals. The curriculum includes pathophysiology, pharmacology, adult/psychiatric/maternal-child health, gerontology, community health, and leadership, plus a capstone. Prerequisites need a 3.0 GPA within five years; applications open Aug. 1 and close April 1. This Baptist-affiliated, military-friendly school reports NCLEX pass rates of 84.44% (2022), 89.87% (2023), and 97.10% (2024), demonstrating strong recent outcomes. No ACT/SAT is required for this post-bachelor’s entry pathway; admission focuses on prior college performance.

• 18-Month program
• 67 total credit hours
• Asynchronous online classes
• 3.0 GPA minimum
• Prerequisite courses required
• Capstone required
• Clinical rotations on weekends
• On-campus labs weekday evenings
• Application opens August 1
• Application closes April 1

#2

Citadel Military College of South Carolina

Charleston, SC - Public 4-Year - citadel.edu

Bachelor's - Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Campus Based - Visit Website

The Citadel’s four-year, campus-based BSN program—open to Corps of Cadets and veterans—integrates rigorous sciences (chemistry, biology, anatomy, microbiology) with progressive nursing coursework, high-fidelity simulation, and clinical rotations. CCNE accreditation underscores its quality. Students can study abroad in their sophomore year on a planned track. Progression demands a 2.7 minimum GPA and C or better in required sciences. ACT/SAT scores are not explicitly listed among admission criteria. NCLEX pass rates for the BSN program were 48.15% (2022), 86.67% (2023), and 75% (2024), based on 12–27 students per cohort. Graduates are prepared for registered nursing in hospitals, clinics, and community health.

• CCNE accredited
• 4-Year program
• 2.7 GPA minimum
• Prerequisite courses required
• High-fidelity simulation training
• Study abroad in sophomore fall
• Program for cadets and veterans

Bachelor's - Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Online & Campus Based - Visit Website

This hybrid BSN degree completion program at The Citadel serves adult learners with 60 credits in general education and nursing prerequisites. Evening classes and clinical experiences allow full-time students to graduate in five semesters. The curriculum emphasizes leadership, evidence-based practice, and patient-centered care. Transferable prerequisites from technical colleges are accepted, and rolling admissions start each May. A supportive cohort model assigns each student a faculty advisor; limited cohort sizes ensure personalized attention. Applicants need a minimum 2.7 GPA, a nursing questionnaire, and an essay; no ACT/SAT is explicitly required. Citadel’s BSN graduates had NCLEX pass rates of 86.67% in 2023, 75% in 2024, and 48.15% in 2022.

• 5-Semester program
• Rolling admissions
• 1 start dates per year
• Starts summer
• Cohort-based structure
• 2.7 GPA minimum
• Prerequisite courses required
• $40 application fee
• Evening classes for working adults
• Faculty advisor assigned after acceptance

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*Data source: NCES IPEDS survey, 2025.

Entry-Level ADN & BSN Programs in Charleston, SC

Become a nurse by taking the pathway that is best for you and your individual situation. Whether you want to start out as an LPN or begin your career with an associate’s or bachelor’s degree, Charleston, South Carolina has colleges and universities that offer a range of education programs to meet your needs.

LPN to RN Programs

Looking out for the health and well being of patients is what Licensed Practical Nurses do every day when they care for patients. LPNs can take on higher-level job duties and bring home a more lucrative salary, however, by becoming Registered Nurses. Trident Technical College in Charleston, South Carolina offers an LPN to RN bridge track that enables working LPNs to leverage their education and field experience to earn their associate’s degree. College credits are most likely to transfer if they have been earned within the past five years.

ADN Programs

Unlike many professional fields that require a bachelor’s degree for entry-level positions, you can enter the nursing profession as a licensed Registered Nurse with only an associate’s degree. Medical Careers Institute’s (MCI) offers a quick-moving Associate of Science in Nursing at its Charleston, SC campus. The nursing curriculum covers Anatomy and Physiology, Acute Care, Medical/Surgical Nursing and more so students are ready to care for patients in a clinical setting.

Direct-Entry BSN Programs

Members of the armed forces and military veterans bring a unique perspective to the field of nursing and healthcare. The Citadel, a top-ranked and highly competitive military college of South Carolina, offers its students a superior nursing curriculum for its Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. The intensive, critical-thinking, science-based program recognizes nursing as both a call to serve and a duty; students are expected to uphold the Citadel’s values of honor, duty, and respect in all aspects of their educational experience.

Find out more about South Carolina Accelerated BSN Programs.

RN to BSN/MSN Programs in Charleston, SC

APRN & Nurse Practitioner Programs in Charleston, SC

By becoming patients’ primary care providers, Nurse Practitioners in Charleston, SC can see them grow and develop year after year through physicals and wellness exams. By earning your Master of Science in Nursing, Post-Master's Certificate or Doctorate degree, often part-time and in online formats, you can have a greater impact on the lives of your patients across their entire lifecycle.

MSN Programs

Advanced practice nurses in Charleston, SC continue to take on higher-level patient care roles, including prescribing authority with minimal physician oversight. To achieve status as an advanced practice professional in the field, nurses must earn their MSN. Charleston Southern University, a Christian school, offers a rigorous, one class at a time format so students can hone-in on one core competency at a time. Hands-on clinicals are required as part of the program.

Find out more about South Carolina Nurse Practitioner Programs.

Post-Master's Certificate Programs

Inspire the younger generation to enter the profession you’ve served for years by becoming a Nursing Educator via a Post-Master's Certificate Program. The current nursing shortage is being addressed by nursing colleges in Charleston. But to fully meet the demand, they need dedicated nursing instructors to teach and encourage students. Charleston Southern University’s online nursing education cert readies veteran nurses to leverage their clinical expertise for the classroom.

Find out more about South Carolina Post-Master's Certificate Programs.

DNP Programs

Bring your patient-care focused nursing experience to a leadership or administration role by pursuing your Doctor of Nursing Practice. The Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston offers a modern DNP program that incorporates leadership coursework as well as clinical intensives. Students also gain an understanding of healthcare policy development and design that they can apply in a real-world setting. The mostly-online degree offering, which does require some on-campus participation, can typically be completed in two years.

Find out more about South Carolina DNP Programs.