Online Nursing Schools in Wisconsin: Choosing a Program

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)

If you’re goal is to enter the nursing field as quickly as possible, then becoming a CNA is likely your best bet. Certified Nursing Assistants work under the supervision of RNs and other healthcare team members in providing basic care to patients, like bathing, dressing, feeding, and transportation.

In-person CNA courses are the norm in Wisconsin, but there are a few hybrid options as well. Keep in mind, though, that all CNA courses include some hands-on training requirements.

Example: Bellin College

• Cost: $759
• Length: Six weeks
• Mode: Hybrid

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)

Becoming an Licensed Practical Nurse is a great choice for entering the nursing profession, especially for students with an eye toward advancing into a registered nurse role in the future. LPNs perform a variety of basic nursing tasks, such as:

• Taking vital signs
• Administering medications
• Changing dressings
• Aiding patients with basic hygiene tasks
• Keeping patient records

Online LPN programs in Wisconsin are available, but all of them include in-person clinical experiences, which are required for both NCLEX-PN and state license eligibility. Typical LPN program completion times are one to two years.

Example: Rasmussen University

• Cost: $26,533 (est. total tuition and fees)
• Length: 15 months
• Mode: Hybrid

Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)

Nursing associate degree (ADN) programs provide the foundational nursing coursework and clinical practice hours needed for eligibility to take the NCLEX-RN and state registered nurse licensure. Curriculums additionally include general education coursework, some or all of which may be completed fully or partially online.

ADN programs are typically completed with two years of full-time study.

Example: Madison Area Technical College

• Cost: Tuition is $14,524 (est. total program cost)
• Length: Two Years
• Mode: Hybrid

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing is fast becoming the degree of choice for prospective registered nurses as more and more employers require or prefer it of their RN hires. That’s because BSN programs provide greater depth and breadth of nursing education than ADN programs.

Online BSN programs are hybrid-formatted, combining general education and nursing coursework (some of which is delivered online) with substantial clinical hours attended in-person at local healthcare facilities.

Most BSN programs require four years of full-time study, although there are exceptions, including the program listed below.

Example: Joyce University

• Cost: Tuition is $78,810
• Length: Three years
• Mode: Hybrid

Accelerated BSN (ABSN)

ABSN programs allow individuals with a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field the ability to earn their nursing bachelor’s without having to take on the time and expense of a full BSN course of study.

By applying the general education credits from students’ non-nursing bachelor’s, ABSN programs focus exclusively on nursing course content, resulting in degree completion times of around 12 to 18 months.

ABSN programs include all of the hands-on clinical hours required for NCLEX-RN and state RN license eligibility.

Example: University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh

• Cost: Tuition is $50,338 (total tuition and fees)
• Length: 12 months
• Mode: Hybrid

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

MSN programs prepare registered nurses to take on advanced positions in specialized clinical practice and nursing leadership. Popular specialized roles for MSN grads include:

• Nurse Administrator
• Nurse Educator
• Family Nurse Practitioner
• Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner
• Clinical Nurse Specialist
• Nursing Informatics
• Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

Completion times vary depending primarily on chosen specialty and study pace, but 18 months to two years of full-time study is common. Part-time options are also often available.

Example: University of Wisconsin – Green Bay

• Cost: $18,734 (tuition only)
• Length: Two to four years
• Mode: Online

DNP and PhD Doctoral Programs

Nursing doctorates are exclusively for those individuals intent on reaching the very top of the nursing profession. There are two types of nursing doctorates:

• Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP): DNP programs focus on preparing students for terminal positions in nursing administration and advanced clinical practice.
• PhD in Nursing: Nursing PhDs are geared toward students seeking top-tier roles in scientific research and postsecondary education.

Content delivery may be fully or partially online. Completion times vary substantially depending on the specific program’s requirements and student’s chosen study pace.

Example: University of Wisconsin – Madison

• Cost: $1,150/credit (fully-online tracks); $1,108.16/credit, Wisconsin residents; $2,116.15/credit, out-of-state residents (hybrid tracks)
• Length: Two to four years, depending the specific track
• Mode: Hybrid (advanced practice nursing tracks); Fully-online (non-clinical tracks)

Post-Master’s Certificate Programs

Post-master’s certificate programs are for registered nurses with a previously-earned MSN or doctorate who are interested in gaining advanced training in an area of specialized practice without having to complete an entire additional master’s program.

Content delivery may be fully or partially online, depending on the certificate’s subject matter and requirements. Program lengths vary due to area of specialization and the student’s chosen study pace.

Example: Marian University – Wisconsin

• Cost: $788/credit
• Length: Two to three years (15 to 30 credits)
• Mode: Hybrid

LPN to RN and LPN to BSN

LPN to RN and LPN to BSN bridge programs are designed for current practical nurses interested in advancing their careers by becoming RNs. These programs allow students to transfer in credits earned in their LPN programs, thus cutting completion times and costs when compared to full ADN and BSN programs.

Program lengths are typically from 18 months to two years for LPN to RN programs and two to three years for LPN to BSN programs. Graduates of either program type are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN leading to state RN licensure.

Example: Herzing University – Brookfield

• Cost: $755/credit
• Length: 28 months
• Mode: Hybrid

RN to BSN

RN to BSN programs allow current registered nurses with a diploma or ADN to expand their professional knowledge base (as well as their job and salary prospects) by obtaining their nursing bachelor’s in less time and for less cost than a full BSN program.

This is accomplished by applying credits earned in diploma and ADN programs to meet BSN degree requirements. These programs additionally award credits for the student’s current RN license.

All of this adds up to students being able to obtain their BSN with as few as around 30 additional nursing course credits earned in the RN to BSN program itself.

Typical program lengths are one year full-time to two years part-time.

Example: University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee

• Cost: $1,125/course (taking one course at a time) or $2,250 (two or more courses per subscription period)
• Length: Varies by total credits needed and student’s chosen study pace
• Mode: Online

RN to MSN

RN to MSN programs are for registered nurses with an ADN who are seeking to bypass earning a bachelor’s degree to obtain their nursing master’s, saving time and money in doing so. These programs typically require 18 months to three years to complete, depending on the degree’s area of specialization and student’s study pace.

RN to MSN programs may be fully online or hybrid-formatted due primarily to whether or not in-person clinicals are required. When they are, students can often attend to them at their current places of employment.

Example: Carroll University

• Cost: $38,300 (est. total tuition and fees)
• Length: 18 months to 2 years
• Mode: Hybrid

BSN to DNP

You can go directly from a BSN degree to getting a nursing doctorate without first earning a MSN through a BSN to DNP program. These programs offer an accelerated path to gaining the knowledge and skills needed to fill senior leadership positions in nursing administration and advanced clinical practice.

Program lengths are typically three to four years.

Example: University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire

• Cost: $981.39/credit (Wisconsin residents); $1,242.54 (Midwest/MN rate); $1,283.31 (out-of-state residents)
• Length: Three to five years
• Mode: Hybrid

Direct-Entry MSN

Individuals with a non-nursing bachelor’s degree who are interested in entering the nursing profession as RNs practicing at an advanced level can do so through a direct-entry MSN program.

Direct-entry MSN curriculums consist of a mix of pre-licensure (undergraduate) and master’s-level nursing coursework. Students typically sit for the NCLEX-RN and obtain their RN license following completion of their pre-licensure studies and before starting their master’s-level courses.

Completion times range from two to three years depending mostly on the student’s chosen area of nursing specialization and study pace.

Example: Marquette University

• Cost: $69,000 (total tuition and fees)
• Length: 2.5 to 4 years
• Mode: Hybrid