4 Best ADN Programs in Indiana – (2-Year RN Programs)
Written By: Pattie Trumble, MPP, MPH
Why are ADN programs in Indiana a great option for someone contemplating a professional nursing career? Because associate degrees in nursing take two years or less to complete, you’ll be earning a salary more quickly, and you won’t rack up as much school debt earning your degree. ADN-prepared RNs in the Hoosier State make $75,580 a year on average, and their employment opportunities are projected to increase by 8 percent in just 10 years. If, at a later date, you decide to go on with your professional education, your ADN credits should be easily transferable. Want to find out more? Get started with this list of the 4 best ADN programs in Indiana.
WHAT ARE THE BEST ADN PROGRAMS IN INDIANA (ONLINE AND CAMPUS)?
Based on our Ranking Methodology, the following are the 4 best nursing schools for ADN Programs in Indiana. You can complete most of these programs in 2 years.
1. Ivy Tech Community College-Terre Haute - Terre Haute
About The School: Ivy Tech Community College is the nation’s largest accredited community college system, with more than 40 campuses throughout Indiana. Its School of Nursing uses the metaparadigm framework, which focuses on the individual, the environment, health, and nursing, to teach students how to provide holistic, patient-centered care.
Program Details: Ivy Tech Community College offers its ADN program in Indiana at 23 locations throughout the Hoosier State, including Terre Haute, Bloomington, Indianapolis, South Bend, Crown Point, Lawrence, and Valparaiso. The specific degree that you’ll earn when you complete this 59- to 71-credit program is an Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) degree.
Thirty-seven of the credits you must earn are in core nursing courses such as “Fundamentals of Nursing,” “Medical-Surgical Nursing I & II,” and “Nursing Care of Childbearing and Childbearing Families.” Many core nursing theory classes are paired with clinical courses. This 2-year RN program in Indiana has state-of-the-art simulation labs at its Crown Point and Lawrence locations and plans to build many more simulation labs. Clinical rotations are scheduled in hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities in various areas throughout Indiana.
Admission Requirements: The program offers start dates in the spring, summer, and fall; these vary by campus. You must submit separate applications to Ivy Tech Community College and its School of Nursing.
All prospective students must attend a Nursing Information Session. All co-requisite courses must be completed before applying. You must score “Proficient” or higher on the ATI TEAS exam.
Why Choose This Program
• Ivy Tech Community College prepares more associate-degree-level registered nurses than any other college or university in the U.S.• Ivy Tech Community College has an advanced placement track for licensed practical nurses, paramedics, and military medics who are seeking to become registered nurses.
• Ivy Tech Community College maintains articulation agreements with 26 universities, including Indiana University-Bloomington, University of Southern Indiana, and Indiana State University that enable ASN graduates to get a head start on their Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree.
2. Vincennes University - Vincennes & Jasper
About The School: Vincennes University is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of Indiana. The university prepares graduates for nursing degrees at three entry points: LPN, RN, and BSN.
Program Details: Requirements for this 67- to 71-credit ASN program will take you two years to complete. The degree is offered at VU’s campuses in Vincennes and Jasper.
Core nursing classes include “Nursing Fundamentals,” “Adult Health Nursing I & II,” and “Roles of the Professional Nurse.” Unlike several other 2-year RN programs in Indiana, clinical experiences are integrated into theory classes. You’ll be taught hands-on nursing skills in clinical lab sessions. Once you are at ease with these skills, you’ll begin participating in clinical rotations at Good Samaritan Hospital and other healthcare facilities throughout Knox and Dubois Counties.
Admission Requirements: This program starts each fall. The Vincennes campus admits 110 students, while the Jasper campus admits 30.
This program is only open to applicants who’ve completed one year of high school chemistry or an equivalent college-level course. You must complete all general education classes with a grade of “C” or higher before you apply to this program. You must have maintained a GPA of 2.7 or higher on all high school or college courses listed on your transcripts.
Why Choose This Program
• Vincennes University’s new 72,000-square-foot Center for Health Sciences and Active Learning is the largest building on campus. It contains nursing simulation labs that replicate realistic healthcare settings and are equipped with high-fidelity manikins, virtual reality simulators, and video recording systems.• LPNs may be able to waive their first year of ASN studies at both the Vincennes and the Jasper campuses.
• ASN graduates can transfer seamlessly into Vincennes University’s online RN-to-BSN program.
3. University of Saint Francis - Fort Wayne
About The School: Though University of Saint Francis is a Catholic institution of higher learning, it welcomes students of all faiths. This 2-year nursing program in Indiana is offered at USF’s Fort Wayne and Crown Point campuses.
Program Details: University of Saint Francis’s outstanding clinical partnerships easily make it one of the best ADN programs in Indiana. USF’s ADN students participate in preceptorships at field sites like Franciscan Health System Hospitals, Saint Catherine Community Health Systems, Parkview Regional Medical Center, and Lutheran Hospital. You’ll also benefit from hands-on training at USF’s cutting-edge simulation labs, where you’ll have the opportunity to work with high-tech mannequins that mimic the medical conditions you’ll see when you’re involved with direct patient care.
The 71-credit program consists of general education coursework, prerequisites, and core nursing classes that include courses like “Medical-Surgical Nursing I & II,” “Child Health Nursing,” and “Transition to Professional Nursing.” All core nursing courses are paired with clinicals, during which you’ll have the opportunity to practice what you are learning in a structured healthcare setting. You must maintain a GPA of “B-“ or higher in order to remain in the program.
Admission Requirements: USF admits students into this program in the spring and fall. Applicants younger than 24 must take either the SAT, the American College Test (ACT), or the ATI TEAS. All applicants must have a high school diploma or its equivalent and have completed a year of high school chemistry with a grade of “C” or better.
Why Choose This Program
• University of Saint Francis also offers a three-semester LPN-to-ASN program.• Graduates of USF’s ADN program can transfer seamlessly to the university’s online RN-to-BSN program.
• USF’s ADN graduates have NCLEX-RN pass rates between 82 and 88 percent, which is higher than the Indiana state average.
4. Fortis College - Indianapolis
About The School: Fortis College is a for-profit college with 40 campuses throughout 17 U.S. states. In addition to its ADN program in Indianapolis, it offers associate nursing degree programs in Ohio, Tennessee, Utah, South Carolina, Virginia, and Florida.
Program Details: Fortis College offers a hybrid ADN program. Though most of your nursing classes, including nursing skills labs, will be taught at Fortis College’s campus in Indianapolis, many asynchronous lecture courses will be accessible over the Internet. Fortis College uses the quarter system; every quarter is 12 weeks long. Its ADN program consists of 105 quarter credits, which will take you eight terms to complete.
Core nursing courses will include “Medical-Surgical Nursing I & II,” “Mental Health Nursing,” and “Community Nursing Concepts.” The program culminates with a capstone “Transition to Practice” class, which includes a comprehensive exam that you must pass to graduate. The college’s Indianapolis campus has its own nursing simulation lab where you will practice and perfect skills like drawing blood before you proceed on to direct patient care. You’ll participate in clinical rotations in healthcare facilities throughout the Greater Indianapolis Metropolitan Area.
Didactic courses may be scheduled between 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m., Mondays through Fridays, and between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays. Clinical rotations may be scheduled for weekends, starting as early as 6:00 a.m. and ending as late as 11:00 p.m.
Admission Requirements: ADN programs start in January, April, July, and October. You must attend an advising session before the application deadline. All applicants must have a high school diploma or its equivalent and take the HESI exam.
Why Choose This Program
• Fortis College is another one of the ADN programs in Indiana that offers an associate nursing degree pathway specifically for licensed practical nurses.• Once you graduate from this program, you can continue on to earn an online BSN through Fortis College’s sister school, Denver College of Nursing.
• Once you’re enrolled in Fortis College’s ADN program, you can audit any other lecture class the college offers without charge, provided seating is available. Tutoring is also available for all students without additional charge.
Pattie Trumble, MPP, MPHPattie Trumble is a nurse who worked in both California and New York for many years as an emergency room nurse. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and an Associate Degree in Nursing from the Samuel Merritt Hospital School of Nursing. After 10 years of providing direct care, she went back to school and earned concurrent Master’s degrees in both public policy and public health from the University of California, Berkeley. Thereafter, she worked for various public health agencies in California at both the community and state levels providing economic and legislative analysis.
Nearby States