Nursing Education › New Jersey
New Jersey Nursing Programs

Top Nursing Schools in
New Jersey — 2026

Compare the best BSN, MSN, ADN, and RN programs in New Jersey. Tuition costs, NCLEX pass rates, accreditation, and unique program highlights for prospective nursing students.

7 programs listed BSN · ADN · MSN New Jersey Board of Nursing Nurse Licensure Compact member

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Nursing Programs in New Jersey

BSN · On-Campus
Rutgers University
BSN Program — Newark

Rutgers School of Nursing is New Jersey's flagship public nursing program, consistently ranked among the top 30. Students gain clinical experience at RWJBarnabas Health, Hackensack Meridian Health, and Atlantic Health System.

$16,500/yearAvg Cost
4 yearsLength
93%NCLEX Pass
Top 30 Nationally — New Jersey's Flagship Nursing School Visit Program →
BSN · On-Campus
Seton Hall University
BSN Program — South Orange

Seton Hall's College of Nursing is one of New Jersey's most respected private nursing programs, emphasizing interprofessional education and holistic patient care.

$28,000/yearAvg Cost
4 yearsLength
92%NCLEX Pass
Top Catholic Nursing School in New Jersey Visit Program →
BSN · On-Campus
Rutgers University
BSN Program — Newark

Flagship state university nursing with extensive NJ hospital clinical network

$24,000/yrAvg Cost
4 yearsLength
93%NCLEX Pass
Rutgers Nursing top-ranked public program in New Jersey Visit Program →
BSN · On-Campus
Seton Hall University
BSN – Traditional — South Orange

Catholic university nursing with RWJBarnabas Health clinical partnerships

$40,000/yrAvg Cost
4 yearsLength
91%NCLEX Pass
Seton Hall Nursing top-ranked Catholic nursing program in NJ Visit Program →
ADN · On-Campus
Bergen Community College
ADN Program — Paramus

Largest community college ADN in NJ serving Bergen County's healthcare market

$8,500 totalAvg Cost
2 yearsLength
89%NCLEX Pass
BCC ADN top community college nursing program in northern New Jersey Visit Program →
ADN · On-Campus
Brookdale Community College
ADN Program — Lincroft

Monmouth County ADN with Hackensack Meridian Health clinical partnerships

$8,200 totalAvg Cost
2 yearsLength
88%NCLEX Pass
Brookdale ADN serves central NJ's shore region healthcare needs Visit Program →
MSN · Hybrid
Fairleigh Dickinson University
MSN – NP Tracks — Teaneck

Suburban NJ MSN with multiple NP concentrations and flexible scheduling

$26,000/yrAvg Cost
2 yearsLength
N/ANCLEX Pass
FDU MSN respected throughout the New Jersey-New York metro area Visit Program →

About Nursing Programs in New Jersey

New Jersey's dense population and proximity to both New York City and Philadelphia create a deep, competitive nursing market served by systems such as Hackensack Meridian Health, RWJBarnabas Health, and Atlantic Health. Demand is consistently strong across hospitals, long-term care, and home health throughout the state.

Students can choose affordable county-college ADN programs, BSN degrees at Rutgers and other public and private universities, accelerated second-degree options, and RN-to-BSN bridges plus MSN tracks for advanced practice and leadership. Many New Jersey nurses begin with a county-college ADN and complete a BSN later, often with hospital tuition support.

Licensure is handled by the New Jersey Board of Nursing, under the Division of Consumer Affairs. New Jersey is a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact, so an RN or LPN license issued to a New Jersey resident is a multistate license — particularly valuable in a region where nurses routinely commute or take assignments across nearby state lines.

Licensing authority: New Jersey Board of Nursing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. New Jersey is a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact. If New Jersey is your primary state of residence, your RN or LPN license is a multistate license valid across all compact states.
Complete a New Jersey Board of Nursing-approved ADN or BSN program, pass the NCLEX-RN, and apply for licensure through the board under the Division of Consumer Affairs.
New Jersey and Pennsylvania are both compact states, so a New Jersey multistate license covers Pennsylvania. New York is not a compact state, so you would need a separate New York license by endorsement to work there.
Both qualify you for the NCLEX-RN. A BSN is preferred at many of the region's larger and Magnet-designated hospitals, but an affordable county-college ADN with a later RN-to-BSN bridge is a common path.
About two years for an ADN and four for a BSN, with accelerated BSN programs finishing in roughly 12 to 18 months for second-degree students.
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