Nursing Degrees

Q: What are the different levels of nursing degrees?

The first level of nursing degree is the Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) degree. Moving up, the next highest degree is a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), followed by Master of Science in Nursing (MSN). Lastly, the highest level of nursing degree you can earn is a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree.

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Overview

Help Improve Patient Experiences and Outcomes

If you’re passionate about advancing healthcare systems, improving patient outcomes and providing patients with the best practices and service, GCU has several nursing program options available for you.

With online,^{(See disclaimer 1)} on-campus and hybrid options, our College of Nursing and Health Care Professions has a program that can fit your lifestyle, help you pursue your passions and achieve your career goals in the nursing profession.

197,200

Number of new jobs estimated to open for registered nurses from 2023 to 2033^{(See disclaimer 2)}

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Programs

Practice Nursing Techniques Through Hands-On Experiences

During your nursing degree program, you will have access to hands-on skills labs and immersive simulations, helping you develop direct care skills that you will later use with your patients. You will also take part in face-to-face clinical experiences, where you will work with patients in a healthcare setting, applying all that you’ve learned in your program to real scenarios.

Explore Degrees for Nursing Administration, Education or Patient Care

As a nursing student at GCU, you can position yourself to be successful in your field, whether that is taking the first — or next — step in your career. Nursing programs at GCU can provide you with quality learning that can help you make a difference in healthcare systems across your community. You’ll be taught how to best care for various patient populations as you experience learning alongside a supportive community and take advantage of opportunities for networking, accessible support and resources.

RN Programs

BSN Degrees

GCU offers various pathways for those looking to earn their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). For example, the RN to BSN program for current registered nurses (RN) allows you to build on your previous nursing experiences while obtaining your BSN.

For those with no prior nursing experience, GCU also offers a pre-licensure accelerated BSN (ABSN) program with an online^{(See disclaimer 1)} component to offer you convenience while earning your BSN degree.

Master’s in Nursing (MSN) Programs

If you’re looking to position yourself to potentially pursue high-level positions in the healthcare field, GCU offers Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) programs to help you reach your goals. These MSN options come with various emphases to choose from, such as health informatics and public health nursing.

Different nurse practitioner (NP) degree options are also available, including adult-gerontological acute nurse practitioner and family nurse practitioner. These are offered as online nursing programs.^{(See disclaimer 1)}

Programs for Nursing Education

A Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with a nursing education emphasis, offered as an on-campus or online nursing program,^{(See disclaimer 1)} can help prepare you to educate other nursing professionals in various healthcare settings to help address the need for highly qualified nurses.

A post-master’s certificate in nursing education is also offered for MSN-graduated nurses who seek to advance into educating other nurses at a high level.

Degrees for Nursing Leadership and Administration

A degree in nursing leadership, such as an MSN with an Emphasis in Leadership in Health Care Systems, is ideal for current nurses who seek to make an impact by leading and influencing others in the ever-changing healthcare field.

GCU also offers a unique MSN-MBA dual degree in nursing leadership and healthcare systems, an online nursing program option that also allows you to earn your MSN and MBA while you gain business and management skills.^{(See disclaimer 1)}

View Degree Programs by Level

Nursing Bachelor’s Degrees

Nursing Master’s Degrees

Nursing Doctoral Degrees

Nursing Bridge Pathways

Nursing Certificates

Nursing Degrees Offered at GCU

GCU offers a variety of degrees in nursing for you to choose from, whether you’re just beginning your nursing career or looking for potential advancement opportunities. View our nursing degree options to find the one that’s best for you.

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21 Matching Degrees

Area of Interest:Nursing

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Pre-Licensure)

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Bachelor of Science in Nursing: Pre-Licensure, Accelerated (ABSN)

Accelerated

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Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to BSN)

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Master of Business Administration & Master of Science in Nursing: Nursing Leadership in Health Care Systems

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Master of Science in Nursing: Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

with an Emphasis in Adult-Gerontology

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Master of Science in Nursing: Family Nurse Practitioner

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Master of Science in Nursing: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

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Master of Science in Nursing

with an Emphasis in Health Care Quality & Patient Safety

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Master of Science in Nursing

with an Emphasis in Health Informatics

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Careers

Career Possibilities for Nursing Program Graduates

No matter where you are in your nursing career, GCU offers a degree program that can help you reach your potential and pursue your nursing goals. These programs can equip you with essential skills and knowledge required for extensive positions in nursing care.

Graduates of these nursing programs may go on to pursue nursing careers in various settings, such as:

Hospitals

Clinics

Community health organizations

$129,480

Median annual wage of nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives and nurse practitioners as of May 2023^{(See disclaimer 3)}

$86,070

Median annual wage for registered nurses as of May 2023^{(See disclaimer 4)}

FAQ

FAQs for Degrees in Nursing

Read through our frequently asked questions and get some of your top nursing-related questions answered.

Can I earn a nursing degree online?

GCU offers various online nursing programs for those who are seeking to either become a nurse or are an existing nurse looking to advance their education.^{(See disclaimer 1)} The pre-licensure ABSN program offers online coursework as well,^{(See disclaimer 1)} but you will need to attend clinical, practicum and immersion hours in person locally. Post-licensure programs such as the RN to BSN online program, as well as numerous MSN bridge pathways are offered online, allowing you to earn your degree in a way that best fits your lifestyle.^{(See disclaimer 1)}

How hard is nursing school compared to other degrees?

Like many healthcare and science degrees, nursing programs are generally very science-intensive, as these professionals must be well-versed in various medical practices, terminology and treatments. This is also a very hands-on profession; as you’re studying nursing coursework in the classroom, you must also be prepared to put that knowledge into practice in various labs and clinical settings. It can also be time-consuming and academically rigorous. However, nursing is a profession with further degree offerings down the line, and one that you may find to be rewarding.

How do I become a nurse if I do not have a nursing degree?

If you are looking to become a nurse but do not have a nursing degree, you will need to obtain one from an accredited institution to be eligible to take the NCLEX-RN^{(See disclaimer ®)} exam and become a licensed registered nurse. Options such as the accelerated BSN program can help you get your BSN faster and begin your nursing career sooner. This can be a great opportunity for students with or without a previous college education.

What are the different levels of nursing degrees?

What can you do with a nursing degree in other industries?

Combining nursing with other industries may help expand your career possibilities beyond practicing as a bedside nurse. For example, an MSN-MBA in Nursing Leadership and Health Care Systems is a dual degree that combines nursing practice with business management and leadership skills. With this knowledge, you may be able to position yourself to potentially take on executive-level positions in the healthcare field or shift your focus toward the business management side of healthcare.

Why GCU

Accredited and Respected Nursing Degrees

GCU’s nursing degree programs are designed to graduate confident, job-ready nurses with an all-encompassing curriculum from an accredited university.

HLC Accreditation

Nursing Accreditation

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Grand Canyon University's nursing degrees provide you the quality education you need to become a confident, job-ready nurse.

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Clinical, practicum and immersion hours completed locally.
COVID-19 has adversely affected the global economy and data from 2020 to 2023 may be atypical compared to prior years. Accordingly, data shown is effective September 2024, which can be found here: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Registered Nurses, retrieved Oct. 11, 2024.
The earnings referenced were reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (“BLS”), Nurse Practitioners as of May 2023, retrieved Oct. 11, 2024. Due to COVID-19, data from 2020 to 2023 may be atypical compared to prior years. BLS calculates the median using salaries of workers nationwide with varying levels of education and experience. It does not reflect the earnings of GCU graduates as nurse practitioners, nor does it reflect earnings of workers in one city or region of the country or a typical entry-level salary. Median income is the statistical midpoint for the range of salaries in a specific occupation. It represents what you would earn if you were paid more money than half the workers in an occupation, and less than half the workers in an occupation. It may give you a basis to estimate what you might earn at some point if you enter this career. Grand Canyon University can make no guarantees on individual graduates’ salaries. Your employability will be determined by numerous factors over which GCU has no control, such as the employer the graduate chooses to apply to, the graduate’s experience level, individual characteristics, skills, etc., against a pool of candidates.
The earnings referenced were reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (“BLS”), Registered Nurses as of May 2023, retrieved Oct. 11, 2024. Due to COVID-19, data from 2020 to 2023 may be atypical compared to prior years. BLS calculates the median using salaries of workers nationwide with varying levels of education and experience. It does not reflect the earnings of GCU graduates as registered nurses, nor does it reflect earnings of workers in one city or region of the country or a typical entry-level salary. Median income is the statistical midpoint for the range of salaries in a specific occupation. It represents what you would earn if you were paid more money than half the workers in an occupation, and less than half the workers in an occupation. It may give you a basis to estimate what you might earn at some point if you enter this career. Grand Canyon University can make no guarantees on individual graduates’ salaries. Your employability will be determined by numerous factors over which GCU has no control, such as the employer the graduate chooses to apply to, the graduate’s experience level, individual characteristics, skills, etc., against a pool of candidates.

Nursing Degrees

Help Improve Patient Experiences and Outcomes

Practice Nursing Techniques Through Hands-On Experiences