Online Nursing Schools in Texas: Finding Top Programs

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)

If you’re interested in an entry-level healthcare career, you’ll find the lowest investment of time and money when you study to become a CNA. CNAs are instrumental in providing patients with their basic care needs in a range of healthcare settings. In this role, you’ll be supervised by RNs and other medical professionals.

Example: Navarro College Certified Nurse Aide

• Cost: $778 (tuition + fees)
• Length: Approximately 4 weeks
• Mode: Hybrid

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)

Many prospective nurses decide to go down the certification path with an LPN program, sometimes called LVN (Licensed Vocational Nursing) programs. LPNs have many of the same duties as CNAs and entry-level nurses, and you may even supervise CNAs due to your extra education.

Becoming an LPN/LVN means you’ll perform basic patient care duties such as monitoring vitals, communicating with patients and other members of the healthcare team, and interacting with patients and their families.

Example: North Central Texas College LVN

• Cost: $8,559 – $17,169, depending on residency status and campus location
• Length: 12 months
• Mode: Hybrid or in person

Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)

ADN programs in Texas provide students with basic nursing competencies and qualify graduates to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). ADN programs include general education course requirements and typically require two years of full-time study to complete.

Example: Blinn College District Associate Degree in Nursing

• Cost: $11,372.34
• Length: 2 years
• Mode: Mostly in person, but some theory courses throughout the program are blended and/or online

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)

If you’re thinking of a more traditional path toward nursing education, a BSN is a standard undergraduate degree that prepares future nurses for practice as an RN. You’ll take a combination of core and nursing classes, giving you a well-rounded education.

Hybrid programs are common, with many core courses offered fully online to balance out in-person clinicals.

Example: Chamberlain University BSN

• Cost: $705 to $755 per credit, depending on campus
• Length: 3 years
• Mode: Online, hybrid, or in person

Accelerated BSN (ABSN)

The best accelerated BSN programs are structured to allow pre-licensure students to earn a BSN in less time than the four years typically required.

There are two basic types of accelerated BSN programs available in Texas that feature online coursework: One program is for students who currently hold a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing major, while the other is for students who haven’t earned a bachelor’s degree but have earned a substantial number of transferable college credits.

Example: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center’s Second Degree BSN Accelerated Program

• Cost: $222.43 per credit (tuition only) for residents, $632.43 per credit, per credit (tuition only) for non-residents
• Length: 3 semesters
• Mode: Hybrid

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

Looking to establish yourself in nurse administration, healthcare leadership, or as a nurse educator? You may want to consider an MSN. Graduates of these programs can specialize as a consultant, forensic nurse, nurse manager and more. In one to three years, you’ll have a graduate degree in hand and the credentials to set yourself apart from your nursing peers.

Example: Tarleton State University Online MSN

• Cost: $509.27 to $775.37 per credit, depending on residency
• Length: 12 to 24 months
• Mode: Online with two mandatory practicums

DNP and PhD Doctoral Programs

If you’re considering advanced education, you can choose between a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) or a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Nursing. Both are terminal degrees, but nurses who receive a DNP are usually interested in working in practice with patients, while PhD nurses often prefer research or educational roles.

Example: University of Texas Rio Grande Valley DNP

• Cost: $749.40 to $1,159.40 per credit, depending on residency
• Length: 2.5 to 4 years, depending on part- or full-time status
• Mode: Online

Post-Master’s Certificate Programs

If you already have your master’s degree but are looking to specialize in a particular area to either advance your skills or earn more money, post-graduate certificates are an ideal solution. These programs are typically shorter in duration than degrees, subsequently costing you less money. Another major perk is that post-master’s programs give you specialized skills that may make you more attractive to employers.

Example: University of Texas at Arlington’s Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate (Post-Master’s)

• Cost: $654 per credit
• Length: 6 months to 2 years, depending on scheduling
• Mode: Online

LPN to RN and LPN to BSN

If you’re already an LPN, let your experience and education work for you by joining either an LPN to RN or LPN to BSN bridge program. In these bridge programs, you’ll earn the credentials you need to qualify for an RN license and a wide range of BSN-level nursing positions.

Example: Tarleton State University LVN to BSN

• Cost: $423.59 to $709.88 per credit, depending on residency
• Length: 18 months
• Mode: Hybrid

RN to BSN

RN to BSN programs are designed to provide currently employed RNs who’ve already earned a nursing associate degree or diploma a convenient and time-saving way to earn their bachelor’s degree. Coursework for these programs is often completed entirely online with clinical requirements completed through the student’s current employment.

Example: Sam Houston State University RN to BSN

• Cost: $741.85 per credit (tuition only) for Texas residents, $1,151.85 per credit for non-residents
• Length: 2 to 4 years, depending on background
• Mode: Online

RN to MSN

Online RN to MSN bridge degree programs are designed for currently licensed RNs who are interested in streamlining their education and moving quickly into advanced practice and leadership positions. Most RN to MSN programs essentially act as combined BSN/MSN programs, where students are awarded the BSN credential upon completion of either the program’s undergraduate requirements or at the end of the entire degree program alongside the MSN.

Example: University of Texas at Arlington online RN to MSN

• Cost: $19,500 to $38,308, depending on specialization
• Length: 36 to 42 months
• Mode: Online

BSN to DNP

In today’s resource-lacking healthcare landscape, nurse practitioners are in high demand. Online BSN to DNP programs prepare BSN-holding nurses with the skills to sit for national certification to become a Family Nurse Practitioner upon completion of the DNP degree.

Example: Texas Tech University BSN to DNP

• Cost: $2,385 to $6,165 per semester, depending on residency
• Length: 3 to 4 years
• Mode: Hybrid

Direct-Entry MSN

Direct-entry MSN programs are ideal for non-nursing bachelor’s degree holders to ascend to an advanced level of nursing relatively quickly. This option allows students to essentially bypass the need of earning a BSN by acquiring the skills and knowledge they’ll need to pursue higher nursing roles in a more condensed format. It’s important to note that there are no online direct-entry MSN programs available in Texas, so the featured school below is conducted in-person.

Example: Texas Lutheran University Master of Science in Nursing (Direct-Entry)

• Cost: $825 per credit hour
• Length: 5 months
• Mode: In-person