Nursing Schools in Milwaukee, WI

Sixty-five credits is the full associate degree in nursing at Milwaukee Area Technical College. A BSN at Marquette University takes four years and $51,170 in annual tuition. Both graduates sit the same NCLEX-RN for the same Wisconsin license.

The difference shows up in the commute and the calendar: an ADN seat in Pewaukee or Kenosha against a university cohort in Milwaukee, with TEAS cutoffs, waitlist queues and clinical placements at Froedtert, Advocate Aurora or Children's Wisconsin sorting applicants.

Employers hire graduates of both programs. The ADN puts a paycheck in hand two years sooner; the BSN opens supervisory and specialty tracks that many hospital systems now prefer.

Milwaukee-Area Nursing Programs With the Best NCLEX-RN Outcomes

Below are the Milwaukee-area pre-licensure nursing programs with the strongest NCLEX-RN results, ordered primarily by each program's 2025 pass rate, with institutional completion rates and accreditation status used to settle close calls. Every entry is a campus-based ADN or BSN that a Milwaukee commuter can realistically attend, and each card notes the credential, the published length where the school states one, and the school's overall graduation rate.

Cheapest Nursing Programs Near Milwaukee: Net Price, Debt and Earnings

Milwaukee Area Technical College's associate degree in nursing is the lowest-cost option, with an average net price after aid of about $9,112 per year. That is roughly $5,746 less than the fifth-cheapest program, the BSN at Bryant & Stratton College-Wauwatosa (about $14,858), based on 2024 IPEDS and College Scorecard data. Net prices are approximate averages, not what every student will pay, and the debt and earnings figures come from each nursing program's own graduates, with the time window shown beside each figure. Technical-college ADN programs usually cost far less, and graduates can add a BSN later through an RN-to-BSN program.

Quick Answers: Milwaukee Nursing School Questions

These answers cover the questions Milwaukee-area applicants ask most. Admission details change from term to term, so confirm current dates and wait times on each school's official nursing page before you plan around them.

ADN vs. BSN in Milwaukee: Which Path Fits You?

An ADN is a two-year associate degree, usually earned at a technical college. A BSN is a four-year bachelor's degree from a university. Either path qualifies you for the NCLEX-RN and for practice as a registered nurse. The differences show up in cost, time to licensure, and how far the credential carries you later. Nationally, the BSN keeps gaining ground. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing's 2024 annual survey counted 267,889 students in BSN programs and 91,541 graduates, with enrollment up 4.9 percent.

Step 1: Compare Programs Side by Side

Work through each school's website and note:

• Accreditation: Confirm Wisconsin Board of Nursing approval and national nursing accreditation.
• Prerequisites and admission: GPA minimums, required science courses, entrance exams and waitlists.
• Cost and length: Total tuition and fees, not just per-credit rates, plus a realistic completion time.
• Outcomes: Completion rates and NCLEX pass rates. The ranking above shows each school's NCLEX figure.

Details change every year, so confirm them with admissions before you apply.

Step 2: Check Wage and Outlook Data at the Source

Search "registered nurses" on BLS.gov and O*NET, then filter to Wisconsin or the Milwaukee-Waukesha metro. Wisconsin's labor market information portal adds state-level detail. These figures usually combine ADN- and BSN-prepared RNs, so they won't isolate a degree premium. Note the date on any number you use.

Step 3: Consult Licensing Bodies and Employers

The Wisconsin Board of Nursing and NCSBN explain licensure rules. The Wisconsin Nurses Association and American Nurses Association cover scope of practice, career ladders and ADN-to-BSN pathways. Then check local hospital career pages or contact HR to learn whether they prefer BSN hires and offer tuition assistance.

Questions to Ask Before You Commit

• Will my ADN credits transfer to an RN to BSN program, and is there a formal articulation agreement?
• How did recent graduates do on the NCLEX on their first attempt?
• Do local employers expect a BSN within a set number of years after hire?
• Will an employer help pay for RN to BSN coursework?

Rely on primary sources and dated data rather than broad claims that one degree is always better. The right choice depends on your budget, your timeline and where you want to work.

LPN to RN Pathways at Milwaukee-Area Technical Colleges

The LPN-to-RN ladder trades a faster paycheck against a longer road to full RN licensure. For many Milwaukee-area students, that trade is the point: you earn a practical nursing license, start working, and finish the associate degree later.

How the Technical College Ladder Works

Wisconsin's technical colleges structure nursing as a series of steps. Students often start with nursing assistant training and placement on the state nurse aide registry. They then move into the practical nursing curriculum and can stop at the LPN exit point to sit for the NCLEX-PN. From there, an LPN can return to complete the remaining associate degree coursework and qualify for the NCLEX-RN. Each step leads to a paid role, so you can work in long-term care, clinics or hospitals while you keep moving up.

MATC's LPN-to-ADN Progression

Milwaukee Area Technical College posts detailed bridge requirements:

• License and education: a high school diploma or equivalent and a current Wisconsin LPN license.
• Grades: an MATC GPA of at least 2.5. You need B- or better in BIOSCI-177 or 201, BIOSCI-179 or 202, and BIOSCI-197, and C or better in other prerequisites. Science courses must be no more than five years old.
• Testing: a HESI or PN Exit Exam score of at least 900. HESI is limited to three lifetime attempts.
• Length and starts: 48 credits, with starts in August or January.

Admission runs through a waiting list. Sign-up windows open in September and February, and the program offers 24 seats a year, split evenly between fall and spring. MATC currently lists no waiting time, though that can change. Being selected is not final admission. You still have to clear a background check, a drug test, health and immunization records, and CPR. The bridge page does not list nursing assistant training as a prerequisite, unlike MATC's generic RN program.

Comparing Options in Waukesha, Kenosha and Milwaukee

Commuters from Waukesha, Racine or Kenosha can also look at Waukesha County Technical College in Pewaukee, Gateway Technical College in Kenosha and Bryant & Stratton College Milwaukee. Ask each admissions office about CNA registry rules, entrance testing and bridge length. Also ask whether seats are filled by wait list or by selective admission.

Plan for the BSN Now

If a bachelor's degree is your long-term goal, confirm before you enroll that your ADN credits will transfer into the RN-to-BSN programs you are considering.

LPN to RN Programs Near Milwaukee

These bridge programs let licensed practical nurses build on their existing license and clinical experience to earn registered nurse eligibility without starting over. Offerings below range from associate degree bridges at area technical colleges to BSN bridge options for LPNs who want the bachelor's credential.

Accelerated BSN and Entry-Level MSN Options for Second-Degree Students

A 12-month accelerated BSN and an 18-to-24-month entry-level MSN both take a career changer to the NCLEX-RN. The difference is the credential you hold at the end, and how much time and tuition you spend to get it.

Accelerated BSN: The Shortest Route

• UW-Milwaukee: 12 months over four consecutive quarters, with spring and autumn cohorts. Applications for the 2026 cycle close October 15, with decisions in December. Admission requires a non-nursing bachelor's completed before the start date, a 2.8 GPA, three natural-science courses, and 100 hours of healthcare experience.
• MSOE: rolling admission until capacity fills, with January and August/September starts. The 2026-27 rate is $14,650 per term plus an $881 technology package each term.

Entry-Level MSN: Graduate Credential at Licensure

• Marquette University: the Direct Entry MSN runs five to eight semesters, and the five-semester option is based at the Milwaukee campus. It requires a non-nursing bachelor's, a 3.0 GPA, and anatomy and physiology; deadlines fall between mid-November and mid-February depending on campus and start term.
• Herzing University Wisconsin: an MSN Direct Entry of 20 to 24 months and 60 to 77 credits, with a 3.0 GPA, a TEAS score of at least 66, and no GRE or prior nursing background.
• Alverno College: a combined accelerated BSN and MSN in 18 to 20 months, with science prerequisites taken within seven years at a C+ or better, and a B in inferential statistics.

Which Path Fits You

The prerequisites overlap almost everywhere: a non-nursing bachelor's, anatomy and physiology, microbiology, and a minimum GPA. Every one of these formats stacks clinicals and coursework into back-to-back terms, so plan on little or no outside employment.

Choose the entry-level MSN if you want the graduate credential in hand the moment you sit for licensure, which shortens the road to leadership, education, or advanced practice. Choose the ABSN if speed and lower total tuition matter most and you are content to add a master's later.

Accelerated BSN and Entry-Level MSN Programs Near Milwaukee

Career changers who already hold a bachelor's degree in another field have several routes into nursing around Milwaukee, from compressed second-degree BSNs to direct entry master's programs that prepare students for the NCLEX-RN. The options below vary in length, delivery format, and campus location, so weigh each one against your commute and work schedule before you apply.

What Registered Nurses Earn in the Milwaukee-Waukesha Metro

Milwaukee is one of Wisconsin's largest nursing job markets, and pay reflects that demand.

RN to BSN/MSN Programs in Milwaukee, WI

If you already hold a Wisconsin RN license, this directory covers degree completion: the RN to BSN programs that take you from an associate degree or diploma to a bachelor's. The APRN list that follows covers nurse practitioner and other advanced practice tracks for nurses ready to move beyond the baccalaureate. Most of what follows is delivered online, which matters when you are fitting coursework around 12-hour shifts.

APRN & Nurse Practitioner Programs in Milwaukee, WI

BSN-prepared RNs weighing an MSN or DNP nurse practitioner track will find Milwaukee-area options close to home and online. Marquette University offers a broad set of advanced practice specialties, including nurse midwifery. Herzing, Concordia, Alverno, and UWM add family, adult-gerontology, pediatric, and psychiatric pathways. Most programs expect an unencumbered RN license and a BSN, and several build clinical hours into the degree.

Wisconsin RN Licensure at a Glance

Comprehensive List of Nursing Schools Near Milwaukee, WI

16 schools within 35 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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