Nursing Degrees

If you’re passionate about advancing healthcare systems, improving patient outcomes and providing patients with the best practices and service, GCU has several nursing program options available for you.

Help Improve Patient Experiences and Outcomes

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.

$86,070

Median annual wage for registered nurses as of May 20232

197,200

Number of new jobs estimated to open for registered nurses from 2023 to 20333

Get More Information

 

Earn your nursing degree to prepare for a career helping others in this dynamic industry.

Explore Degrees for Nursing Administration, Education or Patient Care

As a nursing student at GCU, you can position yourself to be successful in your field, whether that is taking the 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 community and take advantage of opportunities for networking, accessible support and resources.

Nursing degree programs at GCU can prepare you to take on the healthcare field and obtain licensure as a registered nurse (RN). If you are new to college and looking to get into nursing for the first time, a traditional pre-licensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program is the best option to start you on your nursing path and pursue your RN license.

GCU offers various pathways for those looking to earn their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). For example, the RN to BSN program for current registered nurses (RN) allows you to build on your previous nursing experiences while obtaining your BSN.

For those with no prior nursing experience, GCU also offers a pre-licensure accelerated BSN (ABSN) program with an online1 component to offer you convenience while earning your BSN degree.

If you’re looking to position yourself to potentially pursue high-level positions in the healthcare field, GCU offers Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) programs to help you reach your goals. These MSN options come with various emphases to choose from, such as health informatics and public health nursing.

Different nurse practitioner (NP) degree options are also available, including adult-gerontological acute nurse practitioner and family nurse practitioner. These are offered as online nursing programs.1

A Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with a nursing education emphasis, offered as an on-campus or online nursing program,1 can help prepare you to educate other nursing professionals in various healthcare settings to help address the need for highly qualified nurses.

A post-master’s certificate in nursing education is also offered for MSN-graduated nurses who seek to advance into educating other nurses at a high level.

A degree in nursing leadership, such as an MSN with an Emphasis in Leadership in Health Care Systems, is ideal for current nurses who seek to make an impact by leading and influencing others in the ever-changing healthcare field.

GCU also offers a unique MSN-MBA dual degree in nursing leadership and healthcare systems, an online nursing program option that also allows you to earn your MSN and MBA while you gain business and management skills.1

 

Practice Nursing Techniques Through Hands-On Experiences

Button to play video: Nursing Simulation Labs

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.

View Degree Programs by Level

Male nursing student smiling in front of dummy patient in hospital

Accredited and Respected Nursing Degrees From GCU

Portrait of GCU enrollment counselor meeting with doctors and accrediting bodies

GCU’s nursing degree programs are designed to graduate confident, job-ready nurses with an all-encompassing curriculum from an accredited university.

Explore Evening, Campus and Online Degrees

If you’re looking to complete your degree online or in the evening, GCU has BSN programs that can fit your schedule. Online1 programs for nursing include the post-licensure RN to BSN program and the pre-licensure accelerated BSN program. These options include online coursework for additional convenience.

GCU’s Commitment to Affordable Education

Female financial advisor meeting with GCU nursing student in office lounge

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.

Approx. $130 million

In scholarships for online students in 2023

Approx. $176 million

In scholarships received by campus students in 2024

Levels of Nursing Degrees Offered at GCU

GCU offers a variety of degrees in nursing for you to choose from, whether you’re just beginning your nursing career or looking for potential advancement opportunities. View our nursing degree options to find the one that’s best for you.

Bachelor’s Degrees

An undergraduate nursing degree can provide you with a comprehensive nursing education to help you jumpstart your nursing career. GCU has various BSN degree pathways so you can find the one that’s right for you.

Male and female BSN degree students smiling in hospital on GCU's campus

Master’s 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.

Male MSN degree student smiling with Lopes Up hand sign in hospital at GCU

Doctoral Degrees

Consider taking the next step in your nursing career by earning a doctoral nursing degree. Prepare to take on leadership responsibilities and open up new opportunities for potential professional growth.

Female DNP degree student at GCU smiling in white lab coat in hospital hallway

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.

Portrait of female MSN degree graduate wearing blue scrubs in hospital hallway

Certificate Programs

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.

Female nursing degree student smiling in front of stained-glass window at GCU

Career Possibilities for Nursing Program Graduates

No matter where you are in your nursing career, 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 in various settings, such as hospitals, clinics and community health organizations. These programs can equip you with essential skills and knowledge required for extensive positions in nursing care.

$129,480

Median annual wage of nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives and nurse practitioners as of May 20234

FAQs for Degrees in Nursing

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

Like many healthcare 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-RN® exam and become a licensed registered 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 may 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 Clinical, practicum and immersion hours completed locally.

2 The earnings referenced were reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (“BLS”), Registered Nurses as of May 2023, retrieved on Oct. 11, 2024. Due to COVID-19, data from 2020 to 2023 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 2023 may be atypical compared to prior years. Accordingly, data shown is effective September 2024, which can be found here: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Registered Nurses, retrieved on Oct. 11, 2024.

4 The earnings referenced were reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (“BLS”), Nurse Practitioners as of May 2023, retrieved on Oct. 11, 2024. Due to COVID-19, data from 2020 to 2023 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.

Grand Canyon University's nursing degrees provide you the quality education you need to become a confident, job-ready nurse.