Nursing Programs in Charleston, WV

2027 Best Nursing Schools in Charleston

Rankings empower prospective nursing students by offering objective insights into program quality. Our Best Nursing Schools in Charleston list is created by Registerednursing.org using NCLEX pass rates as the sole ranking criterion, providing a trusted benchmark. Learn more about our methodology: https://www.registerednursing.org/rn-ranking-methodology/

Yearly Pass Rate Trends in Charleston

Pass rates in Charleston demonstrated strong performance, with a slight decline from 2023 to 2024. The number of students remained consistent across both years.

• 2023: 100% average pass rate (17 students)
• 2024: 94.12% average pass rate (17 students)

Yearly Nursing Graduates in Charleston

The annual number of nursing graduates remained stable over the two-year period.

• 2023: 17 graduates
• 2024: 17 graduates

Top Performing Nursing Schools in Charleston

West Virginia State University leads with a consistently high average pass rate across two years of data.

• West Virginia State University: 97.06% average pass rate (34 students over 2 years)

Pass Rate by Program Size

The program included in this analysis is classified as small, with fewer than 50 students per year, and demonstrates a strong pass rate.

• Small (<50 students/year): 94.12% average pass rate (17 students)

#1

West Virginia State University

Institute, WV - Public 4-Year - wvstateu.edu

Bachelor's - Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Campus Based - Visit Website

West Virginia State University offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) that prepares nurse generalists for diverse healthcare settings, including hospitals, clinics, and communities. The curriculum combines liberal arts and sciences with professional nursing coursework, focusing on patient-centered care, evidence-based practice, interprofessional collaboration, and ethical decision-making. Students build a strong foundation for specialized areas like pediatrics, obstetrics, oncology, and psychiatry, as well as for graduate education. Delivered through traditional classroom instruction enhanced by modern technology, the program emphasizes health promotion and disease prevention. As an HBCU and military-friendly institution, it serves students in Institute, WV, near Charleston. NCLEX pass rates were 100% in 2023 and 94.12% in 2024, each with 17 graduates.

• Prepares nurse generalist for diverse settings
• Traditional classroom with state-of-the-art technology
• Liberal arts and science foundation
• Opportunities in pediatrics, obstetrics, oncology
• Pathway to advanced practice nursing
• Career advancement platform

#2

BridgeValley Community & Technical College

South Charleston, WV - Public 2-Year - bridgevalley.edu

Associate - Nursing AAS

Campus Based - Visit Website

BridgeValley Community & Technical College's Associate of Applied Science in Nursing is a two-year campus program blending nursing theory, general education, and clinical practice via local hospital partnerships. Graduates qualify for the NCLEX-RN and diverse registered nursing roles. Flexible pathways include a 16-month accelerated option, LPN/paramedic advanced placement, and a VoTech-RN track. The program is ACEN-accredited and approved by the West Virginia Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses. Admission requires a high school diploma, minimum GPA, and TEAS VII score of 60% or higher; fall and spring starts are available. The program is military-friendly. Recent NCLEX pass rates reached 98% in 2023 and 93.75% for a 2024 cohort, reflecting strong preparation.

• ACEN, West Virginia Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses accredited
• 6 concentration options
• Entrance exam required
• Exams: TEAS
• 2-Year program
• Starts fall/spring
• Prepares for NCLEX-RN
• 16-Month Accelerated Option available
• LPN and Paramedic advanced placement
• ACEN accredited since 2007

#3

University of Charleston

Charleston, WV - Private 4-year - ucwv.edu

Bachelor's - Nursing (BSN)

Campus Based - Visit Website

University of Charleston offers a four-year, on-campus BSN with clinical training at West Virginia's only Level I trauma center and a women's and children's hospital. The curriculum covers health assessment, pharmacology, pathophysiology, medical-surgical, maternal-child, mental health, and community nursing, emphasizing evidence-based clinical judgment. A low 1:8-10 faculty-to-student ratio enhances learning. This ACEN-accredited program requires prerequisites and the TEAS entrance exam (not ACT/SAT). West Virginia Board of Nursing data shows BSN first-time NCLEX-RN pass rates of 64% (2022), 100% (2023), and 87% (2024).

• ACEN accredited
• Entrance exam required
• Exams: TEAS
• 4-Year program
• 96% licensure pass rate
• 2.0 GPA minimum
• Prerequisite courses required
• Prepares for NCLEX-RN
• Clinical experiences at Level I trauma center
• Over 50 years of nursing education

*U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2025 institutional data.

Entry-Level ADN & BSN Programs in Charleston, WV

The place to begin your career as a registered nurse is an entry-level program. There are several entry-level program types to choose from, including LPN to RN programs, which are designed for licensed practical nurses who wish to become registered nurses, as well as Associate’s Degree in Nursing programs (ADN) and of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs. All three of these program types prepare students for the NCLEX licensing exam and for their first jobs are RNs, though there are some differences in curriculum and outcomes.

LPN to RN Programs

For experienced LPNs who would like to advance their careers in nursing and earn a higher salary, an LPN to RN program may be a good fit. LPN to RN “bridge” programs take into account previous LPN coursework and professional experience and provide a streamlined pathway to either an ADN or BSN degree for students. Bridge Valley Community & Technical College offers an advanced placement LPN to ADN program that prepares students for the licensing exam and for entry-level RN positions in a variety of settings.

ADN Programs

ADN programs provide students with a solid foundation of nursing principles and clinical practice skills, generally over the course of two years of study. Bridge Valley Community & Technical College offers an ADN program with a combination of general education courses with nursing major courses, such as health assessment and diagnostics, nursing pharmacology, drug and dosage calculations, and professional nursing and health system concepts.

Direct-Entry BSN Programs

Increasingly, healthcare employers are looking for entry level nurses with a bachelor’s degree in nursing. As such, BSN programs are rising in popularity as entry-level nursing education programs. BSN programs, such as the one offered at the University of Charleston, are generally four-year full-time programs, and provide additional curriculum not typically included in ADN programs, such as mental health care, nursing research, pediatrics, medical/surgical and preventative care.

Find out more about West Virginia Accelerated BSN Programs.

RN to BSN/MSN Programs in Charleston, WV

RN to BSN Programs in Charleston, WV

Many nurses with their ADN degree are interested in going back to school to earn their BSN in order to secure a higher paying job or move into a more advanced role in their organization. These nurses would benefit from specially designed RN to BSN “bridge programs,” which provide an accelerated pathway to a BSN degree for experienced RNs.

RN to BSN Programs

While there are no traditional on-campus RN to BSN programs in the Charleston area, there are a number of online options, which provide students with the flexibility to take classes and complete assignments whenever it is convenient for them. This flexibility is especially valuable to working nurses who need to fit in schoolwork around their busy work schedules, which may include nights and/or weekend hours. The University of Charleston offers an online RN to BSN program that includes 8 week-long courses, with a combination of core, foundational and nursing courses that may be completed in one year (3 semesters) of study.

Find out more about West Virginia RN to BSN Programs.

APRN & Nurse Practitioner Programs in Charleston, WV