Nursing Degrees
Help Improve Patient Experiences and Outcomes
If you’re passionate about advancing healthcare systems, improving patient outcomes and providing patients with the best practices and service, GCU has several options of nursing degrees available for you.
With online,1 on-campus and hybrid options, our College of Nursing and Health Care Professions has a program that can fit your lifestyle, help you pursue your passions and achieve your career goals in the nursing profession.
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Registered nurses have a median annual wage of $81,220 as of May 2022.4
Earn your nursing degree to prepare for a rewarding career helping others in this dynamic industry.
Help Improve Healthcare Systems and Provide Care for Diverse Populations
As a nursing student at GCU, you can position yourself to be successful in your field, whether that is taking your first — or next — step in your career. Nursing programs at GCU can provide you with quality learning that can help you make a difference in healthcare systems across your community. You’ll be taught how to best care for various patient populations as you experience learning alongside a supportive learning community and take advantage of opportunities for networking, accessible support and resources.
Practice Nursing Techniques Through Hands-On Experiences
To be successful as a nurse, you need access to resources, including simulation, skills lab and clinical environments where you can practice your skills and implement your new knowledge. During your nursing degree program, you will have access to hands-on skills labs and immersive simulations, helping you develop direct care skills that you will later use with your patients. You will also take part in face-to-face clinical experiences, where you will work with patients in a healthcare setting, applying all that you’ve learned in your program to real scenarios.
GCU’s nursing degree programs are designed to prepare you to graduate as a confident, job-ready nurse with an all-encompassing curriculum from an accredited university.
Explore Evening, Campus and Online Nursing Degrees1
If you’re looking to complete your degree online or in the evening, GCU has BSN programs that can fit your schedule. Online nursing programs including the post-licensure RN to BSN program and the pre-licensure accelerated BSN program are two options that include an online component for convenience and flexibility.1
GCU offers financial aid, scholarships and tuition calculation resources to help you create a financial plan for your education. Discover how affordable it can be to earn your nursing degree at a private, Christian university.
Levels of Nursing Degrees Offered at GCU
GCU offers a variety of nursing degrees for you to choose from, whether you’re just beginning your nursing career or looking to position yourself to potentially advance your career to the highest level. View our nursing degree options to find the one that’s best for you.
Bachelor’s Degrees in Nursing
An undergraduate nursing degree can provide you with a comprehensive nursing education that can help you jumpstart your nursing career. GCU has various BSN degree pathways so you can find the one that’s right for you.
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Master’s Nursing Degrees
By completing your nursing master’s degree, you can provide yourself with the opportunity to potentially gain higher-level nursing positions in your field. Work to gain the next level of competency as you are taught advanced nursing practice.
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Doctoral Programs for Nursing
Position yourself to potentially become a nursing leader in your organization with a doctoral nursing degree.
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Nursing Bridge Pathways
Bridge pathways provide you with a specific set of courses that can allow you to build your nursing knowledge and prepare you to transition into master’s-level studies in your nursing specialty.
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Certificate Programs for Nursing
GCU offers an assortment of nursing post-master’s certificate programs catering to various nursing specialties. Enhance your learning further by earning a certificate in your area of interest.
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Career Possibilities for Nursing Program Graduates
No matter what level of nursing you’re currently at or wish to achieve, GCU offers a degree program that can help you reach your potential and pursue your nursing goals. Graduates of these nursing programs may go on to pursue nursing careers.
FAQs for Nursing Degree Programs
Read through our frequently asked questions and get some of your top nursing-related questions answered.
GCU offers various online nursing programs for those who are seeking to either become a nurse or are an existing nurse looking to advance their education.1 The pre-licensure ABSN program offers online coursework as well,1 but you will need to attend clinical, practicum and immersion hours in person locally. Post-licensure programs such as the RN to BSN online program, as well as numerous MSN bridge pathways are offered online, allowing you to earn your degree in a way that best fits your lifestyle.1
How difficult you may find nursing school to be may depend on a variety of factors. Like many medical and science degrees, nursing programs are generally very science-intensive, as these professionals must be well-versed in various medical practices, terminology and treatments. This is also a very hands-on profession; as you’re studying nursing coursework in the classroom, you must also be prepared to put that knowledge into practice in various labs and clinical settings. It can also be time-consuming and academically rigorous. However, nursing is a profession with further degree offerings down the line, and one that you may find to be rewarding.
If you are looking to become a nurse but do not have a nursing degree, you will need to obtain one from an accredited institution to be eligible to take the NCLEX-RNÒ exam and become a nurse. Options such as the accelerated BSN program can help you get your BSN faster and begin your nursing career sooner. This can be a great opportunity for students with or without a previous college education.
The first level of nursing degree is the Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) degree. Moving up, the next highest degree is a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), followed by Master of Science in Nursing (MSN). Lastly, the highest level of nursing degree you can earn is a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree.
Combining nursing with other industries can help expand your career possibilities beyond practicing as a bedside nurse. For example, an MSN-MBA in Nursing Leadership and Health Care Systems is a dual degree that combines nursing practice with business management and leadership skills. With this knowledge, you may be able to position yourself to potentially take on executive-level positions in the healthcare field or shift your focus toward the business management side of healthcare.
1 While all courses are completed online, you will need to attend clinical, practicum and immersion hours in person locally.
2 The earnings referenced were reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (“BLS”), Registered Nurses as of May 2022, retrieved on Feb. 16, 2024. Due to COVID-19, data from 2020 to 2022 may be atypical compared to prior years. BLS calculates the median using salaries of workers nationwide with varying levels of education and experience. It does not reflect the earnings of GCU graduates as registered nurses, nor does it reflect earnings of workers in one city or region of the country or a typical entry-level salary. Median income is the statistical midpoint for the range of salaries in a specific occupation. It represents what you would earn if you were paid more money than half the workers in an occupation, and less than half the workers in an occupation. It may give you a basis to estimate what you might earn at some point if you enter this career. Grand Canyon University can make no guarantees on individual graduates’ salaries. Your employability will be determined by numerous factors over which GCU has no control, such as the employer the graduate chooses to apply to, the graduate’s experience level, individual characteristics, skills, etc., against a pool of candidates.
3 COVID-19 has adversely affected the global economy and data from 2020 to 2022 may be atypical compared to prior years. Accordingly, data shown is effective September 2023, which can be found here: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Registered Nurses, retrieved on Feb. 16, 2024.
4 The earnings referenced were reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (“BLS”), Nurse Practitioners as of May 2022, retrieved on Feb. 16, 2024. Due to COVID-19, data from 2020 to 2022 may be atypical compared to prior years. BLS calculates the median using salaries of workers nationwide with varying levels of education and experience. It does not reflect the earnings of GCU graduates as nurse practitioners, nor does it reflect earnings of workers in one city or region of the country or a typical entry-level salary. Median income is the statistical midpoint for the range of salaries in a specific occupation. It represents what you would earn if you were paid more money than half the workers in an occupation, and less than half the workers in an occupation. It may give you a basis to estimate what you might earn at some point if you enter this career. Grand Canyon University can make no guarantees on individual graduates’ salaries. Your employability will be determined by numerous factors over which GCU has no control, such as the employer the graduate chooses to apply to, the graduate’s experience level, individual characteristics, skills, etc., against a pool of candidates.
5 Snively, E., & Vaughn, N. (2023, Dec. 18). Exploring the Benefits and Drawbacks of Nurse Residency Programs. Relias. Retrieved Feb. 20, 2024.
Grand Canyon University's nursing degrees can offer the flexibility you need, while also providing a quality education that can help you thrive.