With healthcare workers in high-demand and a nursing workforce trying valiantly to meet the demand, many students interested in earning their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree often consider the many alternative accelerated nursing programs in Georgia. Accelerated BSN degree programs throughout Georgia offer aspiring nurse professionals a viable track to their desired career and simultaneously help build the state’s healthcare system.
According to the BLS – the Bureau of Labor Statistics statisticians, the nursing profession’s job growth is anticipated to be approximately 7% through the year 2029. With about 3 million registered nurses in the United States in 2018, the US economy is anticipated to create an additional 220,000 nursing jobs over the next ten years.
The majority of nursing programs offered at the baccalaureate are explicitly designed for those who already hold a non-nursing degree but want to find the quickest path to a professional nursing career.
Each of the accelerated nursing programs included in the below-noted analysis is regionally accredited by The Southern Association of Colleges & Schools, Commission on Colleges.
In addition, these programs in Georgia have also received specialized nursing accreditation through ACEN or CCNE, which indicates that each of these accelerated nursing programs in Georgia has met the strictest of education standards.
Accelerated nursing programs in Georgia can offer this advantage by creating curricula that allow for the application of most of the previously earned general education and relevant credit units – typically in areas of English, mathematics, and the natural sciences, among others. As a result, students entering these programs will find they can become eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN exam in only twelve to eighteen months. Students interested in researching the other nursing requirements in the state should visit the Georgia Board of Nursing’s (BON) website.
On a national and local basis, the nursing profession continues to advocate for all RNs they hire have or ask those they hire to complete their undergraduate degree in nursing (BSN) within a preset time limit.
Typically, these second-degree accelerated nursing span three to four semesters of 60 semester credits, plus a comprehensive clinical component to meet the state’s requirements. These fast-track nursing degree programs are generally considered an intensive study that includes traditional classes, lectures, plus clinical experiences in real-world settings as well as cutting-edge laboratories that offer state-of-the-art equipment.
Let’s review a sampling of the many quality accelerated nursing programs.
Best 9 Accelerated Nursing Programs in Georgia
1. Albany State University (ASU – Albany)
Albany State University offers a full-time fast-track Bachelor of Science degree (BSN) program that is recognized among the most affordable of programs in Georgia. Classes for Albany State University’s ABSN degree program begin each August, with an application period that runs from January to June. ASU’s five-semester accelerated BSN requires students to complete 62 semester credits to graduate and become eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN national exam.
- Tuition Fees – $ 169.33 per credit hour for Georgia residents.
- NCLEX-RN Pass Rate – 100% (2020)
- Student Population – 6,122
2. Georgia Southwestern State University (GSU – Americus)
Georgia Southwestern State University offers a fast-track Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program (ABSN) that is considered among the most affordable nursing programs. Georgia Southwestern State University’s 60-semester credit accelerated BSN degree program includes classes in community health nursing, nursing informatics, pediatric nursing, and fundamentals of nursing, plus a practicum, to name a few.
- Tuition Fees – $ 169.33 per credit hour for Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, Florida, and North Carolina residents.
- NCLEX-RN Pass Rate – 90.28% (2019)
- Student Population – 2,950
3. Valdosta State University (VSU – Valdosta)
Valdosta State University offers an accelerated BSN degree program that is developed for those students who already hold a baccalaureate degree in a non-nursing major but would like to transition professional nursing career. Valdosta State University’s nursing programs typically takes the average student four semesters or fifteen months to graduate and sit for the NCLEX-RN national exam. Valdosta State University’s fast-track baccalaureate degree in nursing program requires the completion of 60 credit units to graduate.
- Tuition Fees – $ 182.13 per credit unit for Georgia residents.
- NCLEX-RN Pass Rate – 95.10%
- Student Population – 11,270
4. Georgia Southern University (GSU -Armstrong)
The Water Health Profession College at Georgia Southern University offers one of the accelerated programs in Georgia with its Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program (ABSN). This 58-semester credit, campus-based fast-track Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program includes classes in health assessment, comprehensive pharmacology, critical analysis, and mental health nursing, plus a managerial capstone project, among others.
- Tuition Fees – $ 182.13 per credit unit for Georgia residents.
- NCLEX-RN Pass Rate – 87.20% (2019)
- Student Population – 26,054
5. Kennesaw State University (KSU – Marietta)
Kennesaw State University’s Wellstar Nursing School offers one of the best programs in Georgia with its accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree (ABSN) program. Kennesaw State University’s 57-semester credit, Bachelor of Science in Nursing program offered through this fast-track option includes a sequence schedule of nursing-related coursework; however, the exact sequence depends on the degree candidate’s start date. Earned credits applied to the program’s requirements must be from a regionally accredited university or college.
- Tuition Fees – $ 185.40 per credit unit for Georgia residents.
- NCLEX-RN Pass Rate — 98.51% (2019)
- Student Population – 26,054
6. Brenau University (BU – North Atlanta)
Brenau University’s Grindle Nursing School offers a full-time program for those who wish to earn their Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree (BSN) program that can be completed in only sixteen months. Brenau University’s nursing programs include classes in adult health nursing, behavioral health, pharmacology, and high acuity nursing, plus a clinical capstone, to name a few.
- Tuition Fees – $ 1,025.00 per credit unit
- NCLEX-RN Pass Rate – 93.18% (2019)
- Student Population – 2,817
7. Mercer University (MU – Atlanta)
Mercer University offers one of the one-year nursing programs in Georgia, offering a BSN degree in as little as one year, working through the school’s blended curriculum model. This fast-track baccalaureate nursing degree program is designed specifically for those students who already hold a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing major. Clinical rotations for degree candidates are available in one of Georgia’s largest health care systems, Wellstar. Mercer University’s accelerated BSN degree program offers students three start dates each calendar year.
- Tuition Fees – $ 1,034.42 per credit unit.
- NCLEX-RN Pass Rate – 93.18% (2019)
- Student Population – 8,740
8. Emory University (EU – Atlanta)
The Woodruff School of Nursing within Emory University offers several nursing programs. In addition to an accelerated MSN program that includes pre-licensure requirements, Emory University offers an online accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree (Distance-ABSN) program that permits students to earn their Bachelor of Science in Nursing in only one year or three semesters. Students from outside Georgia are invited to attend this Emory University 48-semester credit accelerated BSN.
- Tuition Fees – $ 1,532.00 per credit unit.
- NCLEX-RN Pass Rate – 96.25% (2019)
- Student Population – 14,415
9. Georgia State University (GSC – Atlanta)
Georgia State University’s Lewis Nursing & Health Profession College/School of Nursing offers one of the more affordable accelerated nursing programs with its Bachelor of Science (ACE) in Nursing fast-track option. Students enrolled in Georgia State University’s graduate and enter the workforce working for clinics, schools, agencies, or schools, among other healthcare settings.
- Tuition Fees – $ 298.27 per credit unit for Georgia residents.
- NCLEX-RN Pass Rate – 94.00% (2019)
- Student Population – 35,041
Our Ranking Methodology
The accelerated nursing programs included in the analysis above represent the available fast-track BSN programs available throughout the Peachtree State. The data and information used to evaluate these programs have been retrieved from each school/program’s website, the USDE’s College Scorecard, and the National Center for Education Statistics’ (NCES) website.
The accelerated programs are ranked with the accelerated BSN programs offering the most affordable tuition fees listed first. The data utilized to rank these accelerated nursing programs includes those tuition ‘per credit’ expenses a student will pay to enroll and attend that fast-track BSN degree for the school year 2020/2021 unless expressly noted otherwise.
The pass rates for the NCLEX-RN exam noted above for each of these nursing programs have been gathered from the Georgia Board of Nursing’s (BON) website. The NCLEX-RN pass rates represent the most current statistics for first-time NCLEX-RN test takers unless otherwise noted.
- The 2019 NCLEX-RN pass rate statistics for Georgia Registered Nurse (RN) Candidates is 91.10%.
- The 2019 NCLEX-RN pass rate statistics for all United States’ test takers is 91.22%.
Additionally, each of the school’s total enrollment numbers is provided to help students determine the school’s size, based on the student body figures.
Would you like to update the information included in any of the above accelerated BSN programs?
Please reach out to BestValueSchools.org if you would like to update the information regarding any of the schools or programs included in the above analysis.
