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10 Best Accredited BSN Programs in Minnesota – 2023

Are you interested in becoming a registered nurse in Minnesota? Your best educational option is one of the BSN programs in Minnesota. BSN-prepared nurses in the Land of Lakes earn an average salary of $88,450 a year, and their advanced clinical skill sets make them very highly in demand. Minnesota’s BSN nursing programs are offered both as on-campus and online options. So, what are you waiting for? One of the 10 best BSN programs in Minnesota for 2023 could be the entrée to a dynamic new career track for you.


RECOMMENDED ONLINE RN TO BSN PROGRAMS

How We Ranked Minnesota’s Best Bachelor of Science in Nursing Programs?

Following are 2023’s 10 Best BSN Programs in Minnesota

1) St. Catherine University, St Paul

If you like the idea of instruction by professionals that are active, award-winning researchers, practitioners, motivational, and influential participants in health and business organizations, St. Catherine University is your school. You will have access to some of the most advanced clinical settings to obtain real-life, practical experience, using state-of-the-art equipment.

Classes meet in the evenings and on the weekends, which give a broader opportunity for clinical experiences that go beyond hospital and clinic settings. The credits for prerequisite courses are 29 and the nursing portion of their BSN program is 50 credits and takes 21 months to complete. You can apply to begin pre-nursing classes starting spring, summer, or fall semesters.

Beyond the core Liberal Arts and science requirements, nursing courses will blend the best of many cultural-based holistic medicine approaches along with traditional Western practice. You will learn to care for each patient with a compassion for family, diverse cultures and community.

2) Concordia College, Moorhead

Concordia College is positioned in one of the most economically favorable locations in the country for new college graduates. Moorhead, Minnesota shares a booming healthcare scene with Fargo, North Dakota, which creates many career opportunities after completing the BSN program.

A total of 126 credits are needed during the four-year BSN program to graduate. All freshman level studies are geared towards completing the prerequisite courses in biology, physiology, chemistry, and others required for acceptance to the nursing school. Applications are accepted after January 1 each year for acceptance in your sophomore year. The deadline for submitting an application is early March. Notifications for acceptance are sent out each May.

The clinical portion of your nursing degree will provide the foundations for developing a compassionate approach to patient care. Most locations are within an easy driving distance of your campus classes.

3) University of Northwestern - St. Paul, St Paul

The University of Northwestern at St. Paul's School of Nursing offers an opportunity for total immersion in a vibrant healthcare community committed to excellence and service. As a faith-based campus, you can earn a well-rounded BSN by including Christian and Liberal Arts studies to your freshman and sophomore year roster of classes.

The junior and senior year BSN students are introduced to a diverse local population seeking health care services throughout the city as a way of gaining practical/clinical experience. Your required courses will include Pathophysiology, Advanced Adult Care Services, all the way up to the Preparation for Service class, which is the last four weeks before graduation.

All prerequisite courses must be completed with at least a "C" average and application for the following fall entry made one-year in advance. It requires 134 to 138 credit hours for degree completion and graduation.

4) University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

The driving need for well-trained practicing nurses in the WWII era spawned the beginning of the pre-licensure program at the University of Minnesota. In 1939, the Practical Nursing program accepted students for training to assist physicians throughout the state. It has now grown to a premier nursing school in Minnesota, offering several specialties and areas of practice.

You are expected to complete the Minnesota Liberal Education Requirements, which include comprehensive writing, core sciences, social sciences, and others within the first year. Intensive nursing instruction and clinical experiences begin at the start of sophomore year. 120 credits are needed to graduate with a BSN.

The School of Nursing won a 2017 Health Professions Insight into Diversity Award and the Greater Rochester Advocates for Universities and Colleges award for Education Innovator Champion in June 2018. You can feel confident that you are getting a quality education with an award-winning staff that brings out the best in students.

5) Winona State University, Winona

Opened in 1858, Winona University is the oldest established member in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Systems. It has ranked second as "Best College" by US News and World Report. It averages an enrollment of 8,400 students each year. The BSN curriculum is considered one of the most comprehensive for "hands-on" training and you have the opportunity to apply for this program twice each year.

Located in Stark Hall, the nursing administration accepts applications from Aug. - Oct. 1 for spring semesters and Nov. - Feb 1 for fall semester admission. Ideally, you will have completed the TEAS test, maintain a cumulative 3.5 GPA, complete four natural science, three social science, statistics, and English 111 courses.

Entering this BSN program requires you complete at least 45 credit hours and the nursing classes amount to 59 credit hours. You can graduate with as few as 104 credit hours.

6) College of St. Benedict/St. John’s University, St Joseph

The CSB/SJU four-year nursing program in MN has been ranked in the top three out of all considered in the state by College Factual and one of the top 50 schools of nursing in the Plains States by Nursing Schools Almanac. All students are taught a mix of liberal arts, science, and holistic patient care that is in line with Catholic and Benedictine values.

The BSN degree program requires 139 credits to graduate. The first-year concentrates on basics and the remaining three are an intensive nursing-focused curriculum. Early action application deadlines are Nov. 1 and Dec. 1 for fall and spring semester starts. You can enjoy advanced training at the Guy and Barbara Schoenecker Nursing Education Suite, renovated in 2015 to include modern state-of-the-art equipment.

7) St. Cloud State University, St Cloud

Forbes rated St. Cloud State University as the number one affordable college in the country in 2016. Entry to their BSN program is one that guarantees you will receive training in using the latest equipment required of 21st-century medical professionals. Your internship will allow your skills to blossom under the mentorship of highly qualified experts.

120 credits are required to graduate from this BSN program. 51 credits can be from the undergraduate and prerequisite course selection, but 68 credits of the total are devoted to nursing. The nursing portion has three tiers that gradually build confidence, knowledge, and smart decision-making skills that result in a well-rounded graduate that is ready for licensing and start their career.

You must be attending St. Cloud to apply to this nursing program. It is highly competitive and less than half are accepted. Application times are early September for the spring semester and mid-January for the fall semester.

8) Crown College, St Bonifacius

For over a century, Crown College has offered Biblically-based educational opportunities focusing on both excellence in learning and compassion for serving globally. The pre-licensure BSN program is designed to teach you the most contemporary and technologically advanced techniques that open immediate doors of opportunity for an exciting nursing career.

The application process begins at the start of November for the following fall semester, with the end date for applications the first Friday in February. All prerequisite classes are necessary, and 36 credit hours completed at a 2.5 GPA are preferred. You will take classes that span the entire spectrum of nursing knowledge and experience, beginning with Foundations of Professional Nursing and ending with Advanced Senior Simulations.

At the end of this 127-credit-hour BSN program, you will graduate with a comprehensive knowledge of compassionate patient care. Graduates are also well trained in nursing management skills and have a desire to continue a lifetime of learning.

9) Bemidji State University, Bemidji

Bemidji State University has offered the BSN pre-licensure degree plan for more than 30 years and has refined the program to address the increasingly technical demands of the field. Applications are accepted from Aug. 15 - Sept.15 for the following spring semester. Classes are kept small, which means the placements are competitive. You must complete at least 30 credit hours at a cumulative GPA of 2.5 to be considered.

Must-have prerequisite classes include Human Anatomy, Chemistry for Applied Sciences, Introductory Psychology, and other core subjects. A "C" grade is necessary for all required prerequisites, but a cumulative GPA of 2.5 is fine for the rest. The degree requires 88 semester hours for graduation.

The first year of this four-year track degree program is concentrated on gathering the necessary prerequisite classes. The nursing curriculum can begin as soon as your sophomore year. The comprehensive class instruction combined with simulation training offers a rock-solid nursing foundation.

10) Herzing University, Minneapolis

One of the more attractive features of the Herzing University four-year nursing program is the ability to earn your BSN in as little as three years. Located in Minneapolis, you are considered a nursing student from day one. The unique intermingling of nursing courses with your Liberal Arts undergraduate requirements helps keep you focused on the goal of becoming a licensed, practicing medical professional.

To apply for the pre-licensure BSN program, you must have a high school or previous college GPA of 2.5 and score a 58 on the TEAS test. New classes begin each January and the Nursing Admissions Committee reviews all applicants.

The mix of core undergraduate courses and nursing classes allows each student to cultivate an expanding knowledge base and firmly develop critical thinking skills that are beneficial to the clinical side of nursing. 120 credit hours are required to graduate with your BSN.


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