Written By
Michael Hoffman
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There are a number of ways to start your nursing career in Michigan, but one of the best is by earning your Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. BSN degree-holders make more money and enjoy greater growth potential than registered nurses with an associate degree in nursing or nursing diploma, as well as those who start their careers as nurse assistants or licensed practical nurses. Moreover, there’s a growing trend of employers preferring to hire RNs with a BSN degree. Finally, a BSN degree provides you with the foundation you need to advance academically if you choose to pursue a Master of Science in Nursing or another graduate-level credential.
So, if you’re thinking that a career in nursing may be for you, keep reading to learn how to pick the right BSN program and program type, what you’ll learn in your coursework, what job opportunities await you upon graduation, and much more. Let’s get started by looking at our list of top BSN programs for the ’23-’24 school year.
| # | School Name | Type | Tuition | Online Programs | More Details | School Information | Online Students | Academic Counseling | Career Placement | Students w/Institutional Aid | Median Earnings 10yrs After Entry | Accreditation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eastern Michigan UniversityYpsilanti, MI | Public | $$$ | 1 | Eastern Michigan University's Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing Online program is designed to prepare RNs for career advancement with an accredited program. It's flexible and affordable, so working nurses can continue to meet their professional obligations while getting their degree. The program's experienced faculty challenges graduates to use clinical reasoning and leadership skills to thrive in their roles in patient care. To graduate, students must complete the required nursing courses along with nursing foundation and general education courses, which may have been completed with their previous degree. Program Highlights: Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing Online
|
Academic CounselingYes |
Career PlacementYes |
Student/ Faculty Ratio15/1 |
Online Student %80% |
|||
| 2 | Davenport UniversityGrand Rapids, MI | Private not-for-profit | $$$$ | 1 | Davenport University's RN to BSN Bachelor of Science in Nursing Completion Pathway allows licensed RNs to complete their BSNs quickly. The program offers a flexible, online learning experience that students can access at any time. Coursework includes opportunities to enhance skills in assessment, communication, collaboration, research, leadership, and management. Students will also learn within a specialty in health and human services case management. Graduates are prepared to advance their career or prepare for further education such as an MSN. Program Highlights: RN to BSN Bachelor of Science in Nursing Completion Pathway
|
Academic CounselingYes |
Career PlacementYes |
Student/ Faculty Ratio15/1 |
Online Student %81% |
|||
| 3 | Madonna UniversityLivonia, MI | Private not-for-profit | $$$$ | 1 | Madonna University’s RN-BSN Degree Completion Program offers working RNs a completion degree to finish their bachelor’s degree in nursing and advance their career. The program is built to accommodate working nurses, offering flexibility and developing students into confident, prepared, and patient-focused nurses. Courses and programs at Madonna University are learner-centered and allow students to deliver excellent patient care in today’s complex health care environments. Program Highlights: RN-BSN Degree Completion Program
|
Academic CounselingYes |
Career PlacementYes |
Student/ Faculty Ratio11/1 |
Online Student %72% |
|||
| 4 | Oakland UniversityRochester Hills, MI | Public | $$$ | 1 | Academic CounselingYes |
Career PlacementYes |
Student/ Faculty Ratio17/1 |
Online Student %63% |
||||
| 5 | Siena Heights UniversityAdrian, MI | Private not-for-profit | $$$$ | 1 | Academic CounselingYes |
Career PlacementYes |
Student/ Faculty Ratio12/1 |
Online Student %63% |
||||
| 6 | Saginaw Valley State UniversityUniversity Center, MI | Public | $$ | 1 | Academic CounselingYes |
Career PlacementYes |
Student/ Faculty Ratio16/1 |
Online Student %48% |
||||
| 7 | Central Michigan UniversityMount Pleasant, MI | Public | $$ | 1 | Academic CounselingYes |
Career PlacementYes |
Student/ Faculty Ratio17/1 |
Online Student %46% |
||||
| 8 | Northern Michigan UniversityMarquette, MI | Public | $ | 1 | Academic CounselingYes |
Career PlacementYes |
Student/ Faculty Ratio19/1 |
Online Student %41% |
||||
| 9 | Ferris State UniversityBig Rapids, MI | Public | $$ | 1 | Academic CounselingYes |
Career PlacementYes |
Student/ Faculty Ratio15/1 |
Online Student %46% |
A Look at Popular BSN Programs in Michigan
There are lots of quality BSN programs in Michigan to choose from. To help you find the right one, we’ve chosen two of the most popular to spotlight here. These spotlights will give you a good idea of the qualities you should expect from the degree programs you consider.
Michigan State University
The College of Nursing at Michigan State University (MSU) is another highly respected school offering a full range of undergraduate and graduate degree programs, including a 30-credit Online RN to BSN program designed to allow RNs to earn their degree while continuing to work full-time. While this part-time, five-semester program allows students to complete their didactic coursework online, it also requires students to complete in-person clinical practice experiences at program-approved facilities in or near the student’s home community. Admission requirements include either a nursing diploma or ADN with a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher, and an active, unrestricted RN license.
The current per-credit tuition rate for the RN to BSN program is $686.50 for Michigan residents and $713 for out-of-state residents and international students. MSU offers a number of scholarship opportunities for its nursing students, including three scholarships exclusively for RN to BSN students.
Other BSN options available at MSU include a campus-based Traditional BSN and an Accelerated BSN program.
University of Michigan-Flint
Traditional BSN programs are designed for incoming freshmen with little to no prior college coursework. Students looking for a traditional BSN from a highly prestigious nursing school will be hard-pressed to find a better choice than the Traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at the University of Michigan-Flint. The curriculum, which can be completed in 28 months of full-time study, is campus-based. Students complete clinical rotations at healthcare facilities in and around the Flint metro area.
Like most traditional BSN programs, students at UM-Flint are first admitted into the School of Nursing as pre-nursing students. Once they have completed all nursing prerequisite courses, students apply to the Traditional BSN program and then, once accepted, complete all nursing course requirements to earn their degree. Admission is highly competitive with only 48 students admitted each year. High school students with a GPA of 3.4 or higher may qualify to be admitted through the Direct Admit program, which guarantees acceptance into the Traditional BSN program once they have completed the pre-nursing curriculum—we’ll discuss direct admit programs in greater detail below.
In addition to the Traditional BSN, UM-Flint offers an Accelerated Second Degree BSN and an Online RN to BSN Completion program, as well as a fast-track Veterans BSN option for qualifying veterans who served as medics, corpsmen, or in other healthcare-related positions during their military service.
Main Benefits of BSN Programs in Michigan
There are several benefits, both academic and professional, to obtaining your bachelor’s in nursing from a Michigan BSN program that you simply can’t get from an associate degree in nursing or nursing diploma alone. Here are three of the most valuable:
Access to Strong Professional Network
It is hard to overstate the importance to your nursing career of creating and maintaining a solid base of professional connections. For those nursing professionals who put the time and effort into it, networking can pay big dividends educationally, vocationally, and socially. Michigan BSN program students have access to valuable networking opportunities with their instructors, career counselors and mentors, fellow BSN students, nursing school alumni groups, and professional associations, among others.
Broad Range of Clinical Opportunities
Clinical rotations play a major role in all pre-licensure BSN programs. Michigan-based BSN programs provide their students access to a wide range of major clinical rotation placements across the state, including the most respected hospitals, clinics, medical centers, and healthcare facilities. That’s a big plus for your resume. And remember, it’s not uncommon for clinical sites to hire the BSN students who complete rotations with them.
Wide Array of Prestigious Nursing Schools
While community colleges and associate degree-granting programs offer students high quality education and training, students enrolled in BSN programs gain important academic and professional advantages by earning their degrees from highly respected nursing schools at one of Michigan’s many prestigious colleges and universities.
Program Checklist: Features to Look for in a Michigan BSN Program
Regardless of the school or program you’re interested in, there are a few items you’ll want tick off of your BSN program checklist before signing up. Here are three of the most important items to look for:
Accreditation
Accreditation is how you know a BSN program has been vetted for academic quality, so it’s critical that you confirm that your chosen school has the proper institutional and programmatic accreditation. Institutional accreditation is administered by several regional and national agencies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Most nursing degree programs, including BSN programs in Michigan, are accredited by either the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). You can use the Department of Educations’ Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs search engine to check the current accreditation status of both Michigan BSN programs and the colleges and universities that offer them.
Format That Fits Your Needs
Success in your BSN studies depends not only on what you study, but how you study. As you start your program search, you’ll quickly discover that there are lots of variables to consider in terms of format (online, hybrid, traditional/in-person), course delivery (synchronous or asynchronous), and program pace (part-time, full-time, self-paced). Knowing the combination of format, delivery method, and pace that works best for you is essential.
Student Support Resources
BSN programs in Michigan understand that a quality nursing education goes beyond what happens in the classroom. That’s why they make it a priority to provide their students with a number of support services. These typically include academic and career counseling, financial aid opportunities, tutoring and mentorship services, and more. Many schools go further to provide additional services aimed at supporting students’ overall well-being. An excellent example is the package of Student Wellness Resources offered by the University of Michigan’s School of Nursing.
Types of BSN Programs in Michigan
We mentioned earlier that there are many different BSN program types out there, each one geared toward students with different academic and professional backgrounds, as well as career goals. Below are descriptions of the various types of BSN programs in Michigan to help you determine which one works best for you. You’ll also find examples of current Michigan BSN programs of each type.
Accelerated BSN Programs
Accelerated (aka second degree) BSN programs offer students with a non-nursing bachelor’s degree (or, in some cases, roughly 60 transferable college credits) the opportunity to earn their BSN by completing the nursing theory courses, skills labs, and clinical practice hours needed for NCLEX-RN exam. The vast majority of ABSN programs are campus-based. However, ABSN students at most schools are able to complete some required general education coursework online.
Examples of Michigan Nursing Schools with This Program
Direct Entry BSN Programs
Direct entry BSN programs (sometimes referred to as direct admit programs) provide highly motivated high school students or other incoming freshmen the opportunity to be admitted directly into the BSN program upon first entering college or provided with a guarantee of admission into the program following completion of all nursing pre-licensure requirements (typically the first two years of their studies). Students admitted via direct entry get to avoid having to compete for a seat in the BSN program after finishing their prerequisites.
Examples of Michigan Nursing Schools with This Program
LPN to BSN Programs
LPN to BSN programs (also known as BSN bridge programs) are designed to provide licensed practical nurses the ability to move up the career ladder by earning their BSN and becoming RNs without having to complete a traditional BSN course of study. In most LPN to BSN programs, students follow the same academic plan as students in the traditional BSN program but are awarded a given number of advanced placement credits for their academic and professional experience. These credits are applied to the total number needed (approximately 120) to earn their BSN.
Examples of Michigan Nursing Schools with This Program
Online BSN Programs
If there isn’t a school in your area that offers the specific type of BSN program you need, or if you simply prefer the convenience of distance learning, then an online BSN program might be for you. The good news is that if you’re a current RN seeking career advancement, there are numerous online RN to BSN programs in Michigan to choose from, many of which are 100% online. If you’re someone seeking a BSN degree to start your nursing career, though, your online options are more limited. With very few exceptions (the hybrid ABSN program from Madonna University linked below being one of them), pre-licensure BSN programs in Michigan are campus-based and require students to attend classes in-person. You will likely be able to complete some or most of your general education course requirements online, however, and possibly some nursing courses as well—but that will depend on the specific program you choose.
Examples of Michigan Nursing Schools with This Program
RN to BSN Programs
A bachelor’s in nursing degree is not only a great way to launch a nursing career, but also a great way for registered nurses to expand their professional responsibilities and advance in their careers. RN to BSN programs provide current RNs the ability to earn their BSNs quickly and conveniently, and–for most students–entirely online. RN to BSN programs apply the general education and foundational nursing coursework completed in the student’s ADN or nursing diploma program to their BSN requirements, thus allowing them to earn their bachelor’s degree in around one year of full-time or two years of part-time study.
Examples of Michigan Nursing Schools with This Program
Traditional BSN Programs
The traditional BSN program is the pre-licensure option geared toward incoming freshmen with no nursing experience and little to no previous college experience. Traditional BSN programs include roughly 120 credits of general education and nursing-specific coursework. They typically require four years of full-time study, although you will find some three-year options. Like all pre-licensure BSNs, the traditional BSN is a primarily campus-based program. However, many schools offer general education courses and some nursing theory classes online. Traditional BSN students must also complete the clinical rotations required to sit for the NCLEX-RN exam.
Examples of Michigan Nursing Schools with This Program
FAQs About BSN Programs in Michigan
Still have questions about BSN programs in Michigan? Below we’ll answer a few of the most common questions prospective nursing students have about BSN programs. From selecting the right program to figuring out what to do with your degree once you’ve earned it, we’ve got you covered.
Are there online or part-time options available for BSN programs in Michigan?
Generally speaking, the answer is yes, but the availability of online or part-time programs depends heavily on the type of BSN program. For example, virtually all pre-licensure BSN programs (traditional BSN, ABSN, LPN to BSN) are campus-based. However, most offer at least some coursework, particularly general education courses, either fully or partially online. And, as we mentioned earlier, almost all RN to BSN programs are offered at least partially online.
Part-time study is also a common feature of RN to BSN programs, but less common of pre-licensure BSN programs. One exception is the part-time option available at the University of Detroit Mercy’s BSN for Transfer Students program.
Can I transfer credits from another institution?
Students in pre-licensure BSN programs in Michigan will find that most schools accept transfer credits, especially general education and nursing prerequisite courses. It’s much less common for programs–pre-licensure and RN to BSN alike–to accept nursing course credits from another school because every BSN program teaches nursing subjects in their own way, both in terms of content and course structure. Examples of nursing schools in Michigan that accept transfer credits include those at Michigan State University, the University of Michigan-Flint, and the University of Detroit Mercy (linked above).
Do online BSN programs in Michigan require clinical experience?
This one’s simple—yes. All pre-licensure programs require students to complete supervised clinical rotation hours at healthcare facilities. These rotations are a requirement to sit for the NCLEX-RN exam. The specific number of clinical hours varies somewhat from program to program. For example, students in Michigan State University’s ABSN program complete approximately 765 clinical hours over the course of the four-semester program.
What are my career prospects after finishing my BSN in Michigan?
There are several reasons to get a BSN degree, all of which significantly improve your career prospects. First and foremost, a BSN degree prepares students who are not already registered nurses to sit for the NCLEX-RN exam and obtain their RN license. Second, a BSN degree provides current RNs the additional knowledge and skills they need to obtain more complex, and better paying, clinical and leadership positions. It’s also the degree preferred by most employers today, as well as the credential required for admission into most graduate-level nursing degree and certificate programs.
2023 Job and Salary Outlook for Michigan BSN Nurses
“Better career prospects” certainly has a nice ring to it, but how exactly do these prospects manifest themselves in the real world–in terms of job opportunities and pay–for Michigan BSN graduates? The answer is: quite well, according to the following salary and job growth data from the U.S. Department of Labor.
How Much Can You Make as a BSN in Michigan?
There’s been a nursing shortage in the U.S. for many years, but you probably already know that. What you may not know is that this shortage is continuing to worsen, both across the nation and in Michigan. One of the major results of the continuing shortage is higher pay for registered nurses throughout the state, as evidenced by the most recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics earnings figures listed in the chart below. That said, there are two things you’ll want to keep in mind. First, while BSN graduates take on a variety of nursing roles, we’re focusing on the earning potential of RNs, since this is the most common career path for BSN graduates. Second, what you actually earn in your RN job will depend on a number of factors, including your job title, duties, and employer.
| Area | Occupation | 10th Percentile | Median | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | Registered Nurses | $60,120 | $76,710 | $98,510 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | Registered Nurses | $61,940 | $79,850 | $119,890 |
| Battle Creek, MI | Registered Nurses | $59,850 | $75,590 | $95,410 |
| Bay City, MI | Registered Nurses | $59,640 | $75,040 | $94,800 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | Registered Nurses | $61,860 | $78,790 | $100,870 |
| Flint, MI | Registered Nurses | $59,640 | $78,670 | $100,200 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI | Registered Nurses | $59,910 | $75,570 | $79,360 |
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | Registered Nurses | $58,170 | $74,850 | $94,700 |
| Lansing-East Lansing, MI | Registered Nurses | $61,030 | $77,030 | $94,690 |
| Midland, MI | Registered Nurses | $60,130 | $76,600 | $96,220 |
| Monroe, MI | Registered Nurses | $60,530 | $75,000 | $79,360 |
| Muskegon, MI | Registered Nurses | $59,640 | $76,710 | $77,630 |
| Niles-Benton Harbor, MI | Registered Nurses | $57,980 | $74,180 | $93,860 |
| Saginaw, MI | Registered Nurses | $59,640 | $75,040 | $79,240 |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2021
Employment Opportunities After Graduation
The nursing shortage has also had a significant impact on the job security of Michigan BSN graduates. Projections Central indicates that job growth and security is strong and likely to remain that way for years to come. According to recent figures, the total number of RN jobs in Michigan is estimated to increase by over 8,000 between 2020 and 2030. That’s a healthy job growth rate of 8%.
| New Jobs (2020-2030) | Job Growth Rate (2020-2030) | Average Annual Openings (2020-2030) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| RNs in Michigan | 8160 | 8% | 6350 |
Source: Projections Central
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