Nursing Schools in St. Louis: Top Online & Campus Programs

The Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College is a private school offering a full slate of undergraduate and graduate nursing programs on the campuses of the Washington University Medical Center and the Missouri Baptist Medical Center. Undergraduates choose from among three BSN degrees. The three-semester (12 months) full-time Accelerated Option is for students with non-nursing bachelor’s degrees, and the five-semester (20 months) full-time Upper Division Option is for students who have completed their required general education and lower-division nursing prerequisite coursework elsewhere. The nine-semester (36 months) part-time Weekend and Evening Option is an entry-level program for students who have completed 54 credits of general education and other prerequisite classes. All three programs include the nursing didactic coursework, labs, and clinical practice hours needed to qualify to take the NCLEX-RN.

Goldfarb graduate programs include MSN degrees and post-graduate nursing certificates in three specialties. The school also offers a PhD in Nursing Science and DNPs with Post-MSN, Nurse Anesthesia, Education Leadership, and Health Systems and Population Health Leadership track options.

An excellent choice for ADN seekers in the St. Louis area is St. Louis Community College with its two pathways to earning an AAS in Nursing degree. The standard program is for new college students with no nursing background. The two-year, full-time curriculum combines foundational nursing and general education coursework with hands-on clinical experiences. Some prerequisite courses must be completed before enrollment. The LPN Bridge program allows current LPNs to forego the standard program’s first year of coursework by completing a single bridge course and then joining standard AAS students in their second year of studies.

ADN programs are offered at four SLCC locations: Florissant Valley, Forest Park, Meramec, and Wildwood. Clinical experiences are attended at St. Louis area healthcare facilities, including St. Luke’s Hospital, Mercy Hospital, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, and Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital.

The public university option for nursing students in the St. Louis area is the University of Missouri – St. Louis. The School of Nursing at UMSL offers several quality nursing degrees and certificates, starting with two pre-RN licensure options. The Traditional BSN is a two-year degree consisting of the upper-division nursing coursework and clinical practice hours needed for NCLEX-RN eligibility. Students enter the program having completed all general education and other nursing prerequisite classes, which can be completed at UMSL or transferred in from another accredited college or university. Students with non-nursing bachelor’s degrees can complete all nursing courses and clinical hour requirements for their nursing bachelor’s through the 12-month Accelerated BSN program.

Other nursing programs at UMSL include a 100% online RN to BSN and a PhD in Nursing. There’s also a DNP with both BSN and MSN entry points and post-graduate certificates in six nurse practitioner concentrations.

Maryville University is a private Catholic-affiliated institution whose online nursing offerings start with its RN to BSN program. The curriculum consists of general education and upper-division nursing courses, all of which can be completed 100% online. Admission requirements include an ADN or nursing diploma and a current, unencumbered RN license. Program-approved transfer credits are accepted, and there are six start dates available annually.

In addition to its RN to BSN, Maryville offers several online graduate options, including MSN and Post-Master’s Certificate programs with five nurse practitioner tracks. There are also three online Doctor of Nursing Practice options. The 20-month DNP and the 36-month DNP to NP are for MSN holders interested in becoming nurse practitioners while working on their doctorate, and the BSN to DNP is for students without an MSN seeking a nursing doctorate.

Private, Jesuit-affiliated Saint Louis University, easily considered one of the best overall nursing schools in St. Louis, is included here because it features the most extensive lineup of quality online degree and certificate programs in the Greater St. Louis area. Current RNs can expand their career opportunities by earning their BSNs through the RN to BSN program. Admission requires either a nursing diploma or an ADN degree from a regionally-accredited institution. Credits are awarded for previous coursework and for passing the NCLEX-RN. The remaining program credits are earned through 100% online coursework that can be completed in as few as two semesters.

Online master’s-level programs at SLU include five MSN Nurse Practitioner specializations and a Clinical Nurse Leader MSN that feature 100% online coursework. Online doctorate programs include a BSN to DNP that requires four campus visits, an MSN to DNP, and a PhD in Nursing with both online/on-campus and full-time/part-time options. Graduate students can also choose among five post-graduate nurse practitioner certificates.

Webster University, a private, Catholic-affiliated institution, offers an RN to BSN program for registered nurses seeking to move to a new career level by earning their BSNs online. Designed to accommodate working RNs, the program features fully-online coursework, a part-time format, and eight-week terms.

The RN to BSN curriculum consists of 27 credits of upper-division nursing coursework. Students can transfer up to 90 credit hours of lower-division coursework and earn credit by examination. A minimum of 30 credits hours must be earned through Webster University. Students begin their RN to BSN studies in January or August.

Webster also offers an MSN program for RNs with BSNs. The program takes two and a half years and 36 credit hours and is offered in an educator or leader track.