Compare tuition, NCLEX pass rates, program length, and outcomes for every Tucson-area BSN option.
Tucson’s Banner Health and Tucson Medical Center campuses increasingly hire BSN-prepared nurses, reflecting a national shift toward baccalaureate education. The University of Arizona’s BSN program, with a 93% first-time NCLEX pass rate, anchors a diverse mix of public university and community college pathways within the metro area.
Students choose among accelerated BSN tracks, traditional four-year degrees, and associate-degree programs that eventually bridge to a bachelor’s. Each route trades time against upfront cost, and local admissions are competitive: UArizona’s nursing college sets a high bar despite the university’s 86% overall acceptance rate.
Comparing tuition, licensure exam outcomes, and clinical placement rates helps you separate strong value from programs that may extend your timeline without improving earning potential.
The Tucson area offers a mix of research-university BSN tracks, private accelerated programs, and local ADN-to-BSN pathways. We prioritized schools with clear Tucson-area access while also surfacing nearby Arizona campuses that commonly enroll Southern Arizona students. Graduation rates shown below are institution-wide and not specific to any single nursing program.
| Rank | School | Location | Net price | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | University of Arizona | Tucson, AZ | ~$15,000/yr (est.) | Southern Arizona students wanting flagship research training | |
The University of Arizona is the flagship public research university in Tucson and the top-ranked nursing program in Arizona. Its BSN combines rigorous coursework with more than 600 clinical hours, simulation labs, and virtual-reality training, and reports a 93% first-time NCLEX pass rate. Students can choose the conventional Tucson BSN or the accelerated Integrative Health pathway in Gilbert, and second-degree students can enter through the MS-MEPN. The institution-wide graduation rate is about 68%, which reflects all undergraduates rather than nursing majors alone. CCNE accredited
CCNE accredited
CCNE accredited
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| #2 | Carrington College-Tucson | Tucson, AZ | ~$34,000/yr (est.) | Tucson residents seeking local clinical pipeline | |
Carrington College's Tucson campus is a local pipeline for Southern Arizona nursing students, offering an ADN that can be completed in about 23 months and an online RN to BSN for working nurses. The ADN covers pharmacology, medical-surgical, maternal-child, and community and mental health nursing, with multiple supervised clinical rotations and simulation labs. Located in Tucson, the campus connects students to area hospitals and clinics. Graduation-rate data shown for Carrington is institution-wide and not specific to the ADN or RN to BSN track. Military benefits
Fully online option
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| #3 | Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe | Tempe, AZ | $32,000/yr (est. net price) | Career changers needing frequent cohort starts | |
Arizona College of Nursing operates multiple Arizona campuses, including a Tucson location, and offers a three-year BSN with rolling starts every eight weeks. The CCNE-accredited program blends general education, nursing core courses, high-fidelity simulation, and clinical rotations in year three. Night classes for general education can help working adults balance school and employment. Institutional graduation-rate data shown for the college is not specific to the BSN program. CCNE accredited
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| #4 | Northern Arizona University | Flagstaff, AZ | ~$14,000/yr (est.) | ||
Northern Arizona University offers BSN pathways across Arizona, including Tucson, Flagstaff, Phoenix, and Yuma, with hybrid and online options. The program emphasizes rural and Indigenous health, immersive simulation labs, and small class sizes, with NCLEX pass rates consistently above 90%. Students can choose traditional, accelerated, or RN to BSN tracks, and the Tucson site makes it a practical in-state option for Southern Arizona residents. The graduation rate shown for NAU is university-wide, not nursing-specific. CCNE accredited
CCNE accredited
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| #5 | Arizona State University | Scottsdale, AZ | |||
Arizona State University offers multiple BSN routes, including a traditional four-semester prelicensure track, an accelerated 12-month option, and an online RN to BSN for working nurses. The curriculum emphasizes evidence-based practice, clinical reasoning, and interprofessional communication, with clinical experiences across ASU campuses and online learning. The priority application deadline is November 1, and the program is a strong choice for Arizona residents who want a large public university system.
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| #6 | Pima Medical Institute-Mesa | Mesa, AZ | $21,000/yr (est. net price) | ||
Pima Medical Institute's Mesa campus offers a focused ADN program with hands-on simulation and clinical externships, plus an online RN to BSN for advancement. The ADN is approved by the Arizona Board of Nursing and prepares students for the NCLEX-RN, with a 20-month pathway and hands-on lab training. This private allied-health option is best for in-state students who want a career-focused, faster entry into nursing outside the public university system. Graduation-rate data shown is institution-wide, not ADN-specific.
Fully online option
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| #7 | Grand Canyon University | Phoenix, AZ | ~$22,000/yr (est.) | ||
Grand Canyon University offers a campus-based prelicensure BSN in Phoenix with immersive simulation suites, diverse clinical rotations, and a 97.17% first-time NCLEX pass rate reported for 2024. The 123-credit program emphasizes holistic, patient-centered care and leadership, accepts up to 90 transfer credits, and includes a Transition to Practice Nurse Residency. GCU's Christian worldview is integrated across the curriculum. Graduation-rate data shown is institution-wide and not nursing-specific. CCNE accredited
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| #8 | Carrington College-Phoenix North | Phoenix, AZ | |||
Carrington College's Phoenix North campus offers a 23-month ADN program with classroom learning, simulation labs, and clinical rotations in acute care, long-term care, and community settings. Graduates are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN, and military medics may qualify for advanced placement. This campus suits students open to completing an ADN in the Phoenix area while following a similar Carrington model to Tucson. Graduation-rate data shown is institution-wide, not program-specific. Military benefits
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| #9 | Aspen University | Phoenix, AZ | ~$6,000/yr (est.) | ||
Aspen University is an online-focused option for working Arizona nurses, with a CCNE-accredited RN to BSN completion program and several MSN tracks including administration, forensic nursing, and informatics. The RN to BSN uses 8-week asynchronous courses, can be finished in about 12 months, and offers a fixed total program tuition with monthly payment plans. This model fits Tucson-area RNs who want to advance without relocating. Graduation-rate data shown is institution-wide, not program-specific. Military benefitsEmployer tuition reimbursementFully online option
CCNE accredited
CCNE accredited
CCNE accredited
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| #10 | Arizona College of Nursing-Phoenix | Phoenix, AZ | ~$37,000/yr (est.) | ||
Arizona College of Nursing's Phoenix campus offers the same three-year BSN model as the Tempe and Tucson locations, with rolling admissions, frequent start dates, high-fidelity simulation, and clinical rotations. The CCNE-accredited program prepares students for the NCLEX-RN and includes night classes for general education. This option is useful for Southern Arizona students who are willing to complete the same curriculum in the Phoenix area.
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Every nursing school markets its strengths, but what do the numbers really show? Our ranking zeroes in on the metrics that matter most for your budget and future career. We pull data directly from the U.S. Department of Education’s IPEDS and College Scorecard, not from school brochures, so you get an unfiltered picture of cost, debt, and graduate earnings.
We know that NCLEX pass rates and clinical placement quality are top of mind. Those numbers are not part of this ranking algorithm because schools self-report them and methodologies vary. Instead, we cover NCLEX performance and clinical insights in a dedicated section below. By sticking to standardized federal data, we surface schools that deliver strong outcomes without cherry-picked stats.
The cost of nursing education in the Tucson area can vary significantly by institution, with in-state tuition at public community colleges starting as low as $2,208 per year. Net price, which reflects what students actually pay after grants and scholarships, offers a more accurate comparison. The table below highlights key cost metrics for nursing programs near Tucson.
| School | In-State Tuition | Out-of-State Tuition | Net Price | Median Graduate Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Arizona College | $2,250 | $4,500 | $4,714 | $10,010 |
| Mohave Community College | $2,208 | $7,968 | $5,974 | $9,700 |
| Yavapai College | $2,948 | $9,486 | $8,683 | $9,000 |
| Arizona Western College | $3,060 | $9,870 | $8,983 | $4,826 |
| Eastern Arizona College | $2,352 | $9,552 | $9,197 | N/A |
| Northland Pioneer College | $2,664 | $10,320 | $9,240 | N/A |
| Glendale Community College | $2,358 | $8,959 | $11,650 | $6,960 |
| Phoenix College | $2,358 | $8,959 | $12,055 | $6,750 |
| Mesa Community College | $2,358 | $8,959 | $12,132 | $7,473 |
| Estrella Mountain Community College | $2,358 | $8,959 | $12,254 | $7,500 |
When mapping out your nursing education, the biggest fork in the road is often between a traditional four-year BSN and a faster, intensive accelerated program. Tucson offers both, along with hybrid and associate-degree pathways that feed into a bachelor's completion.
A conventional pre-licensure BSN typically spans four academic years when you include prerequisite coursework. At the University of Arizona, the professional nursing component runs 24 months for students who have completed their general education and science prerequisites. This full-time, campus-based track immerses you in clinical rotations and simulation labs, preparing you for the NCLEX-RN after graduation.
For career changers who already hold a bachelor's degree in another field, the University of Arizona delivers a second-degree accelerated BSN that can be finished in 15–16 months. The pace is demanding, full-time, on-campus, but it gets you from classroom to bedside far more quickly than a traditional program. There are no other accelerated BSN tracks based in the Tucson metro area at this time. Pima Medical Institute’s Tucson campus offers a 20-month Associate Degree in Nursing, which is a fast route to RN licensure but not a bachelor's degree.
Most Tucson BSN programs remain campus-centric, but hybrid learning creeps in through partnership pathways. The concurrent ADN/BSN program between Pima Community College and Northern Arizona University (NAU) blends online and in-person coursework, letting you earn both your associate and bachelor's degrees in about three to three and a half years. NAU’s BSN program itself uses a hybrid delivery model, though the main campus is in Flagstaff; Tucson students typically access the concurrent option locally. Check each school’s specific in-person requirements, as clinical hours are always hands-on.
Pima Community College houses its nursing program at the Desert Vista campus. The ADN track takes 30–36 months and is offered in person, online, and hybrid formats. Pima has a formal concurrent enrollment agreement with Northern Arizona University, but not with the University of Arizona, so you can work toward a BSN while completing your associate degree. This pathway lets you split the difference between a two-year and a four-year program and can be a smart, cost-conscious move if you plan to pursue a BSN eventually.
NCLEX pass rates measure how well a program prepares graduates for the licensure exam on the first attempt; graduate outcomes track employment rates and early-career earnings. These metrics show whether a school’s curriculum aligns with industry standards and workforce demands.
For context, the national first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate in 2025 was 86.7%1, and it has ranged between 86-87% in recent years2. Comparing a school’s rate against this benchmark can indicate program strength. However, rates can fluctuate annually due to small cohort sizes.
If published reports are dated, contact the nursing department directly by phone or email to request current pass rates and graduate employment statistics. Many programs track job placement within six months of graduation, which can be more telling than exam scores alone.
What GPA and test scores do you need for Tucson’s BSN programs? Requirements vary considerably, but all are selective. While the University of Arizona admits around 86% of undergraduate applicants overall, the College of Nursing sets a much higher bar, its typical admitted student has a 3.6–3.8 GPA and scores at least 82% on the TEAS exam. Nursing program admission is generally more competitive than university-wide acceptance rates.
All Tucson BSN programs require a Level 1 Fingerprint Clearance Card background check.
Choosing a nursing school involves many factors. Below are answers to common questions about BSN programs, costs, and outcomes in Tucson to help you make an informed decision.
Deciding where to earn your BSN in Tucson boils down to three practical factors: net cost, program format, and how well graduates are prepared for licensure. NCLEX pass rates and early-career earnings offer a reality check that goes beyond any program brochure. As you evaluate schools, look closely at net price, what you actually pay after grants, and confirm whether the format is traditional, accelerated, or hybrid. All data in this article comes from IPEDS and College Scorecard, so be sure to verify specifics with each admissions office before you commit.
