Compare the best BSN, MSN, ADN, and RN programs in Iowa. Tuition costs, NCLEX pass rates, accreditation, and unique program highlights for prospective nursing students.
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Nursing Programs in Iowa
UI College of Nursing is Iowa's premier nursing program. Students rotate through UI Hospitals and Clinics — one of the Midwest's top academic medical centers.
ISU's nursing program prepares students for professional practice in Iowa's rural and urban communities, with a strong science foundation from one of the Midwest's leading land-grant universities.
Top public research nursing school in Iowa with UI Health Care clinical network
Health sciences-focused private college with UnityPoint Health partnership
Largest community college in Iowa; strong ADN with excellent clinical placements
Central Iowa ADN with multiple campus options and strong hospital partnerships
Catholic health sciences college affiliated with MercyOne network
Iowa's healthcare is anchored by University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City — one of the largest academic medical centers in the region — along with UnityPoint Health and MercyOne serving Des Moines and communities statewide. A significant rural population keeps demand strong in smaller hospitals and long-term care.
Students can pursue affordable community-college ADN programs through Iowa's strong community-college network, BSN degrees at public universities and private institutions, accelerated second-degree options, and RN-to-BSN bridges plus MSN tracks for advanced practice and leadership.
Licensure is handled by the Iowa Board of Nursing. Iowa is a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact, so an RN or LPN license issued to an Iowa resident is a multistate license valid across all compact states — useful for the many nurses serving rural and cross-border communities.
Licensing authority: Iowa Board of Nursing.