Texas Nursing Programs

Top Nursing Schools in
Texas — 2026

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

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

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Nursing Programs in Texas

BSN · On-Campus
University of Texas at Austin
BSN Program — Austin

UT Austin's School of Nursing is consistently ranked in the nation's top 20 and is Texas's flagship nursing program. Students benefit from partnerships with Ascension Seton and St. David's HealthCare.

$14,000/yearAvg Cost
4 yearsLength
94%NCLEX Pass
BSN · On-Campus
Texas A&M University
BSN Program — College Station

Texas A&M's College of Nursing has grown rapidly to become one of Texas's major nursing programs. Clinical placements span the Bryan-College Station area and the greater Houston medical complex.

$13,500/yearAvg Cost
4 yearsLength
93%NCLEX Pass
BSN · On-Campus
University of Texas at Austin
BSN Program — Austin

Flagship state university BSN with Ascension Seton and St. David's clinical network

$22,000/yrAvg Cost
4 yearsLength
93%NCLEX Pass
MSN · On-Campus
Texas Medical Center – UTHealth Houston
MSN – NP Program — Houston

World's largest medical center-based nursing school with unmatched clinical access

$22,000/yrAvg Cost
2 yearsLength
N/ANCLEX Pass
ADN · On-Campus
Houston Community College
ADN Program — Houston

Large urban ADN serving diverse Houston metro population with HCA and HMH clinicals

$8,000 totalAvg Cost
2 yearsLength
88%NCLEX Pass
ADN · On-Campus
Austin Community College
ADN Program — Austin

Central Texas ADN with Ascension Seton and St. David's clinical partnerships

$7,800 totalAvg Cost
2 yearsLength
89%NCLEX Pass
BSN · On-Campus
Texas A&M University
BSN – Traditional — College Station

Major research university BSN with clinical placements across Texas

$18,000/yrAvg Cost
4 yearsLength
91%NCLEX Pass

About Nursing Programs in Texas

Texas is one of the largest and fastest-growing nursing markets in the country, anchored by major healthcare hubs in Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Austin. Houston's Texas Medical Center is the largest medical complex in the world, and demand for nurses across the state's hospitals, rural clinics, and long-term care facilities continues to climb with a growing and aging population.

Texas offers every pathway into the profession. Community colleges across the state run affordable Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) programs that lead to RN licensure, while public universities and private schools offer four-year BSN degrees and accelerated options for second-degree students. RN-to-BSN bridges and MSN programs for nurse practitioners and nurse leaders round out the ladder. Many large Texas health systems offer tuition reimbursement, making the ADN-then-employer-sponsored-BSN route especially common here.

Licensure is handled by the Texas Board of Nursing. Importantly, Texas was one of the four original Nurse Licensure Compact states in 2000 — so an RN or LPN/LVN license issued to a Texas resident is a multistate license, letting you practice in person or via telehealth across all compact states without applying for additional licenses.

Licensing authority: Texas Board of Nursing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Graduate from a Texas Board of Nursing-approved ADN or BSN program, pass the NCLEX-RN, and apply for licensure through the Texas Board of Nursing. You will also complete a background check and fingerprinting.
Yes. Texas is a founding member of the Nurse Licensure Compact. If Texas is your primary state of residence, your RN or LPN/LVN license is a multistate license valid across all compact states.
Both qualify you to sit for the NCLEX-RN. A BSN opens more doors at Magnet hospitals and for leadership roles, but many Texas nurses start with an affordable community-college ADN and complete a BSN later, often with employer tuition support.
Community-college ADN programs are among the most affordable routes to RN licensure, often a few thousand dollars total, while university BSN programs cost more. Compare each program's tuition, fees, and NCLEX pass rate above.
An ADN takes about two years and a BSN about four; accelerated BSN programs for students with a prior bachelor's can finish in 12 to 18 months.
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