Nursing Schools in Charleston, SC

Can you become a registered nurse in Charleston without a four-year degree? Yes, and the commute often decides it. Nursing programs in Charleston, SC, divide along one line: the ADN at Trident Technical College in North Charleston leads to licensure in two years at a net price far below BSN tuition, while MUSC and Charleston Southern run four-year and accelerated BSN tracks.

Students commute in from Mount Pleasant, Summerville and Goose Creek. Compare first-attempt NCLEX-RN pass rates before anything else, and remember that clinical seats are finite, so timing matters as much as cost.

Top NCLEX-RN Outcomes: Charleston Nursing Schools at a Glance

Below is the ranked list of nursing programs serving Charleston students, with first-attempt NCLEX-RN results doing most of the work. Passing that exam on the first try is the clearest signal a program prepares nurses for the bedside, and accreditation plus completion outcomes separate programs that land in the same range. Each entry names the credential awarded, the usual time to finish, and how the campus sits relative to the metro.

What Do the Most Affordable Nursing Programs Near Charleston Cost?

Trident Technical College's ADN stands far below the rest at a $1,406 average yearly net price, which is what students pay on average after grants and scholarships, not a quote; median program debt is $21,050 at Trident, $25,000 at The Citadel and $29,750 at Charleston Southern, and College of Charleston's figure applies to an online RN to BSN that requires an active RN license. No Charleston nursing program is free outright, but at Trident, Lottery Tuition Assistance can cover tuition for South Carolina residents taking at least 6 credit hours once federal and state need-based grants are applied, and SC WINS adds up to $5,000 a year (generally $2,500 per semester) for eligible residents in the 2026-27 Nursing ADN and LPN to ADN programs. Because SC WINS is applied after Pell and other aid, uniforms, NCLEX and licensing fees, and any costs left uncovered still come out of your pocket.

ADN Programs and LPN-to-RN Bridges at Lowcountry Technical Colleges

The associate degree is the affordable route into Lowcountry nursing, and it is also the one students most often finish in stages while they keep working.

The two-year ADN at Trident Technical College

Trident Technical College in Charleston awards an Associate in Applied Science in Nursing, a 24-month program approved by the South Carolina Board of Nursing. Coursework combines classroom instruction, campus lab simulation and in-person clinical practicums at hospitals, clinics and community health centers, where students care for patients across ages and conditions. Prerequisites come first, typically anatomy and physiology, microbiology, and composition, and admission is competitive. The college sets the current entrance exam requirement (TEAS or HESI) and its own points formula, so confirm both with an advisor before you pay for a test. Ask about ACEN accreditation as well, since it affects licensure and later BSN transfer.

The ADN suits career-starters who want RN licensure at the lowest tuition, and LPNs who want to keep earning while they advance. For 2026-2027, the annual cost of attendance for Nursing-ADN runs from $16,905 for Tri-County residents living with family to $26,097 for out-of-state students living off campus. Those are full student budgets, not tuition alone. Textbooks and supplies add about $2,800 across the whole program.

The LPN-to-RN bridge

Trident's advanced placement option admits licensed practical nurses at advanced standing; by one published timeline, it finishes about 12 months after enrollment in the first nursing course. How much credit the LPN license earns is described differently across sources, from a transition nursing course and second-level entry to a prior-learning award of roughly 15 credits. Get the structure for the current cohort in writing before you plan your schedule. General education and theory work may be available online or in hybrid form; labs, simulation, and clinical practicums are in person.

Galen College of Nursing has announced a Charleston campus with a planned ADN and LPN/LVN-to-ADN bridge, but it is listed as coming soon, with no confirmed start date.

Counting the calendar

Starting from scratch, budget about a year of prerequisites plus 24 months of nursing, roughly three years to the NCLEX. An LPN who already holds the science prerequisites can be licensed in about a year.

After the ADN

Many Charleston-area systems, MUSC Health and Roper St. Francis among them, encourage ADN-prepared nurses to earn a BSN within a few years of hire. Charleston's RN-to-BSN programs pick up from there.

Career Changers: Accelerated BSN and Entry-Level MSN Options in the Lowcountry

Career changers who already hold a non-nursing bachelor's degree have two confirmed accelerated BSN routes near Charleston: MUSC and Charleston Southern University. Both are demanding, but they differ in format, length and how much each school publishes.

MUSC Accelerated BSN

Yes, MUSC has an accelerated nursing program. It runs four semesters and 61 nursing credits. Applicants need 60 prerequisite credits finished before enrollment, with a C minimum in each course, and three of the four required sciences completed at the time they apply.

MUSC prefers a 3.0 cumulative GPA, but priority review requires at least a 3.5 overall and a 3.8 in prerequisites. No acceptance rate or class-size figure is published, so treat those priority numbers as the real benchmark.

• Spring 2027: Opens July 1, 2026. Priority deadline was September 1, 2026, and the final deadline is October 1, 2026.
• Fall 2027: Opens August 15, 2026. Priority deadline is January 31, 2027, and the final deadline is March 15, 2027.

Charleston Southern University Accelerated BSN

Charleston Southern's program takes 18 months. You need an associate or bachelor's degree, or roughly 58 to 60 applicable prior credits, plus a 3.0 GPA in the prerequisites. Nursing courses require a C or better. Applications open August 1 the year before the cohort begins and close March 1. Published credit totals vary by listing, and current tuition is not posted with them, so confirm both with the school before you budget.

Cost and Reality Check

MUSC's 2026-27 tuition comes to $31,244 for South Carolina residents and $58,060 for out-of-state students, and listed lab and program fees bring the in-state total to about $33,644. Second-degree students generally cannot count on grants, so federal aid is mostly limited to loans. Plan your borrowing carefully.

Both programs are full-time and intensive, with classes, labs and clinical rotations stacked into a compressed schedule. Working more than a few hours a week is very difficult, so save before you start or line up family support.

A direct-entry MSN for non-nurses within commuting distance could not be confirmed. If you want a graduate-level entry route, ask each school's admissions office directly rather than assuming one exists.

Accelerated BSN and Entry-Level MSN Programs Near Charleston

For second-degree students, an accelerated path compresses nursing school into a shorter, full-time sequence. The Charleston options below differ in length, format and cost, so weigh the schedule against your work and family commitments before you apply. This is a practical directory, not a ranking, and every option here assumes you already hold a bachelor's degree or substantial prior college credit.

Where Charleston Nursing Graduates Work: MUSC Health, Roper St. Francis and Trident

Most Charleston nursing graduates start their careers at one of a few large systems, and every one of them is within a reasonable commute of the others.

Hospital Systems Across the Metro

MUSC Health anchors downtown Charleston and also has a hospital presence in Berkeley County, near Moncks Corner. Roper St. Francis Healthcare runs hospitals on the peninsula and in the surrounding area. Trident Health covers North Charleston through Trident Medical Center and Summerville through Summerville Medical Center. East Cooper Medical Center serves Mount Pleasant and the east side of the Cooper River. Campus lists change, so check each system's current locations before you plan a commute.

New-Graduate Residencies

MUSC Health's Transition in Nursing Practice Residency Program is the best documented option. It is for newly licensed RNs with less than a year of experience, and you enter it after you are hired and pass the NCLEX. Graduates of accredited ADN and BSN programs are both eligible. MUSC's new-graduate page describes a 12-month program, though other MUSC pages give a different length, so confirm the current format with the recruiter when you apply.

For Roper St. Francis, Trident Health and East Cooper Medical Center, check each system's careers page for current new-graduate postings, residency structure and application steps. Do not assume they match MUSC's.

The VA and School Partnerships

The Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center does hire new graduates through its Post-Baccalaureate Nurse Residency Program.¹ It runs one year, is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and belongs to the Veterans Health Administration's national residency network.¹ Residents move through four precepted phases: primary care, acute care, critical or specialty care, and leadership.¹ The VA names the MUSC College of Nursing as its academic partner for the Charleston program.²

That tie matters because clinical placements often shape where students end up. A school with rotations at a hospital gives you a working look at its units and managers before you apply. Ask each program which sites it uses, then pursue residency openings at the systems where you rotated.

What RNs Earn in the Charleston–North Charleston Metro

Registered nurses in the Charleston–North Charleston metro earn a median of $92,800 a year, based on 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data.

RN to BSN/MSN Programs in Charleston, SC

Working nurses who already hold an RN license can finish a bachelor's degree without leaving the bedside. The Charleston options below are designed around practicing RNs, with online coursework, part-time pacing, and credit awarded for the nursing education you already completed.

APRN & Nurse Practitioner Programs in Charleston, SC

Charleston's advanced practice options center on the Medical University of South Carolina, which offers five nurse practitioner specialty tracks at both the master's and doctoral level. Charleston Southern University's graduate nursing degrees focus on education and leadership rather than advanced practice. Details below come from each school.

How Charleston Graduates Earn an SC RN License

Comprehensive List of Nursing Schools Near Charleston, SC

6 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.

Charleston Nursing School Questions, Answered

These answers cover the questions Charleston-area applicants ask most often. Costs and deadlines can change, so confirm current figures with each school before you apply.

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