How Much Does an RN-BSN Degree Cost?

One of the most important aspects of preparing to earn an RN-BSN degree is determining what the exact costs of participation may be. RN-BSN program fees may vary by a wide margin depending on things such as the program’s mandatory tests, resources, accommodations, credit requirements and student residency policy.

To start, it pays to take note of the various costs that will most likely be counted as miscellaneous one-time fees necessary for being admitted to the program by default.

Common One-Time Fees

Some of the most likely miscellaneous costs that you’ll run into when paying for an RN-BSN degree program include a criminal background check, the admissions test, liability insurance, vaccinations, a physical test, your uniform, and all the various supplies that you’ll need in order to complete the program’s coursework.

The following are some relatively reliable ballpark figures of a typical RN-BSN program.

Admissions Test: Between $50 and $100
Physical Examination: Between $150 and $200
Uniform: Between $100 and $300
Criminal Background Check: Between $50 and $120
First semester literature and supplies: Slightly over $1,000

In terms of the one-time fees above, a fair general estimate to make on their collective costs from the least to the most expensive sums would be between $1,300 and $1,720. In addition to these fees, highly variable fees will include the price of any vaccinations that you might personally need to get and the school’s asking price for liability insurance.

Technological Resources, Utilities, and Student Support Service Fees

In addition to paying the one-time fees necessary for acquiring your basic materials and being cleared as both legally and medically eligible to participate in the program, there are also costs associated with being given access to any of the program’s technological resources and basic utilities.

Though you may or may not make extensive use of the RN-BSN program’s student support network, chances are that the overall cost of your participation will include the price of making student support services accessible.

Credit Hours and Collective Costs

Finally, in addition to material and service costs, there’s also the matter of your program’s standard price per credit hour. Depending on the program in question, the price of a single credit hour could be as little as $141.10 for local residents to over $400 per credit hour for out-of-state residents. Your personal credit load, place of residence, and contribution from any financial aid will all have a heavy impact on the final cost of your degree.

It’s no easy task to make a prediction of the exact cost of your RN-BSN degree before it’s been provided for you in fine print, but at the very least, you can benefit from having a solid perception of the fees above. These will most likely contribute to your overall bill in varying degrees. Keep your vaccination history, anticipated credit load, mandatory course supplies, program resource access fees and the program’s local/out-of-state policy in mind.