Online Nursing Schools in VA: Exploring Top Programs

Online Undergraduate Degree Programs

Whether you’re studying nursing for the first time or interested in expanding your current nursing knowledge and skillset, online nursing programs in Virginia provide many choices. Start here to learn more about career options for undergraduate students or those with a bachelor’s degree in another discipline.

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)

As a CNA, you’ll learn some of the fundamentals of nursing practice, from taking vital signs to patient care and will become an indispensable part of the healthcare team. A CNA program will have in-person components so you can practice clinical skills. Oftentimes these programs can be completed in a few weeks.

Example: Heart to Heart Career Training Center Hybrid Nurse Aide

• Cost: $1,235 (total)
• Length: Five weeks (140 hours)
• Mode: Hybrid

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)

Further develop your nursing skills as an LPN, performing many of the same functions as a nurse. These programs take around a year, and after you pass the NCLEX-PN you can begin work as an LPN. To ensure you have experience working with patients, you’ll have in-person clinicals as a part of earning an LPN certificate.

Example: Eastern Virginia Career College Practical Nurse Education

• Cost: $488/credit
• Length: 45 weeks
• Mode: Hybrid

Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)

An ADN is for students who have no previous nursing experience and who want to become registered nurses (RNs). Students learn the basics of patient care, such as how to dress wounds, perform and interpret diagnostic tests, and review patient treatment plans. These programs typically take two years to complete.

Example: Northern Virginia Community College Associate of Applied Science in Nursing

• Cost: $218.86/credit hour in state, $436.18/credit hour out of state
• Length: 67 credits
• Mode: Hybrid

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)

Traditional BSN programs, like ADN degrees, are for those who don’t have previous nursing education. These are four-year undergraduate degrees, many of which are on campus and offer a traditional college experience. However, more schools are utilizing online material to augment their coursework, providing additional flexibility while completing requisite studies for nursing, general education, and clinical training. Students are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN after earning a BSN.

Example: Radford University Bachelor of Science in Nursing

• Cost: $522/credit hour
• Length: Four years (120 credits)
• Mode: Hybrid

Accelerated BSN (ABSN)

Students who want to become nurses and have a bachelor’s degree in a different discipline can enroll in an ABSN program. Since these students have already completed general education classwork, the ABSN focuses solely on nursing courses and takes one to two years to complete.

Example: The George Washington University School of Nursing Accelerated BSN

• Cost: $1,400/credit hour
• Length: Four semesters (60 credits)
• Mode: Hybrid

Graduate and Post-Graduate Degree Programs

Once you’ve earned an RN and a BSN and practiced for a little while, you may decide you want to level up and learn more to become an even more highly skilled nurse. In advanced degrees in nursing, there are ample opportunities to utilize online learning, as graduate-level nurses have all earned RNs and already fulfilled requisite clinical hours. However, programs that culminate in becoming a nurse practitioner include additional clinical hours.

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

MSN programs are for nurses who want to pursue high-level nursing positions such as managerial roles in a healthcare facility. You may also decide to become a nurse practitioner or pursue nursing education or nurse leadership. These programs are designed for working nurses; many healthcare employers offer tuition assistance to support your career development.

Example: Eastern Mennonite University Master of Science in Nursing

• Cost: $639/credit hour
• Length: 24 months (two courses per semester), 48 months (one course per semester)
• Mode: Online

DNP and PhD Doctoral Programs

Although doctor of nursing practice (DNP) and doctor of philosophy (PhD) programs are both doctoral degrees, they’re designed for different nursing goals. A DNP program focuses on advanced practical care and leadership; those who earn these degrees use this education to pursue managerial jobs in the nursing field or provide advanced care to patients. PhD programs focus on nursing research; those who earn these degrees usually become nursing educators or researchers.

Example: Radford University Doctor of Nursing Practice

• Cost: $574/credit hour in state, $980/credit hour out of state
• Length: 33-87 hours, depending on track (e.g., nurse leadership vs. psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner)
• Mode: Online or hybrid

Post-Master’s Certificate Programs

If nurses are interested in focusing on geriatric, pediatric, or psychiatric patients, a post-graduate certificate provides expertise in the specialty they want to pursue. These certificates are designed for those who already have a master’s degree or doctorate, so they go into the program with advanced knowledge.

Example: University of Virginia School of Nursing Post-Master’s Certificate Programs

• Cost: $888/credit hour
• Length: About two years (full time)
• Mode: Hybrid

Bridge Degree Programs

For those who have taken a few steps down the pathway of becoming a nurse and want to go further, bridge degree programs are a great way to build on your existing knowledge. Most programs give you credit for your existing credentials or license and support you as you fill in the curriculum gaps for your desired endpoint, whether that’s an RN, BSN, MSN, or DNP.

LPN to RN and LPN to BSN

These bridge programs are for LPNs who want to further their education to get a promotion, higher pay, and more autonomy in their jobs. LPN-to-RN and LPN-to-BSN programs take two to four years, respectively. Students take more advanced coursework that builds on their previous knowledge and complete clinical rotations.

Example: Brightpoint Community College, Associate of Applied Science in Nursing, LPN to RN Bridge

• Cost: $169.40/credit hour in state, $407.50/credit hour out of state
• Length: Two years (67 credits)
• Mode: Hybrid

RN to BSN

As more employers favor nurses with bachelor’s degrees, an RN-to-BSN bridge can increase your job prospects and promotion options at your current job. These programs last about a year and build on existing knowledge by introducing more advanced concepts such as nursing informatics, community health, and nursing leadership.

Example: Virginia Commonwealth University RN to BS in Nursing

• Cost: $455/credit hour
• Length: Six semesters (part time, 121 credits)
• Mode: Online

RN to MSN

These bridge programs consolidate application cycles and admissions decisions into one. By offering a pathway from an RN through the BSN curriculum to an MSN, students accelerate their studies and continue their momentum. For most programs, admission to the RN to BSN program also allows you to continue in the RN to MSN option.

Example: Old Dominion University RN to MSN Option

• Cost: $408/credit hour (BSN portion, in state), $620/credit hour (MSN portion, in state); $1,109/credit hour (BSN portion, out of state), $1,486/credit hour (MSN portion, out of state)
• Length: Two to four years, depending on existing degrees
• Mode: Hybrid

BSN to DNP

Save time, application anxiety, and expense by availing yourself of a BSN to DNP pathway. As a bachelor’s level nurse, you can earn your DNP while working as a nurse and enjoy the personal, professional, and financial benefits of a doctoral degree once you complete your coursework. Many students are able to complete practicum hours at their jobs as RNs, making this option working-nurse friendly.

Example: University of Virginia BSN to DNP Pathway

• Cost: $551-$888/credit hour in state, depending on duration of term (summer/winter terms vs. spring/fall terms); $1,117-$1,450/credit hour out of state
• Length: Three years
• Mode: Hybrid

Direct-Entry MSN

If you have a bachelor’s degree in another discipline and know that you want to become a master’s level nurse, you can pursue a direct-entry MSN program that will launch you into nursing with competitive credentials. These programs consolidate your studies and have you ready to hit the nursing floor in as little as two years.

Example: Sentara College of Health Sciences Master’s Entry to Nursing Practice (MSN)

• Cost: $584/credit hour
• Length: Two full years (including summers)
• Mode: Hybrid