Compare tuition, NCLEX pass rates, and outcomes for every accredited BSN program near Fort Lauderdale.
The Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach metro area employs tens of thousands of registered nurses, and regional health systems increasingly seek BSN-prepared candidates for clinical roles. Within this competitive hiring landscape, 10 accredited nursing schools around Fort Lauderdale offer a mix of campus-based, online, and hybrid programs.
These programs span traditional four-year pathways, accelerated second-degree tracks, and RN-to-BSN completion options, each with distinct admission criteria and price points. In-state tuition at public universities falls well below national averages, yet admission to flagship BSN programs remains highly selective, with acceptance rates often under 30%.
As Florida’s population ages and the nursing shortage deepens, earning a BSN from a locally connected program provides access to clinical rotations at major hospitals like Memorial Regional and Broward Health, which often feed into hiring pipelines.
The following ranking evaluates nursing programs within a regional radius of Fort Lauderdale, balancing institutional data with on-the-ground program features. Schools are assessed for their affordability, student outcomes, and direct relevance to the Broward County healthcare job market, highlighting options that range from local public universities to nationally recognized nursing programs.
| Rank | School | Location | Net price | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Florida Atlantic University | Boca Raton, FL | $5,000 – $17,000/yr | Broward residents seeking a local hybrid BSN | |
Florida Atlantic University’s BSN program is a limited-access, hybrid program based in Boca Raton with a satellite campus in Davie, putting it in the heart of Broward County. Students complete 840 clinical hours across diverse South Florida healthcare settings, benefiting from a high NCLEX pass rate and CCNE accreditation. The curriculum emphasizes caring science and holistic nursing, preparing graduates for RN licensure and roles in the region's hospitals.
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| #2 | Florida International University | Miami, FL | ~$9,000/yr (est.) | South Florida nursing workforce pipeline | |
Florida International University is a South Florida nursing powerhouse, offering multiple BSN pathways and a direct-entry MSN that serve as pipelines into Miami-Dade and Broward County hospitals. The nursing school’s simulation center and clinical partners span the tri-county area, giving Fort Lauderdale students access to hands-on training close to home. With competitive admissions and a strong focus on community health, FIU prepares graduates for the NCLEX-RN and advanced practice roles.
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| #3 | University of Miami | Coral Gables, FL | $37,000/yr (net price) | Career changers pursuing accelerated BSN | |
The University of Miami’s nursing program combines the resources of a major private research university with deep ties to South Florida’s top healthcare systems. Students choose from a traditional four-year BSN, a 12-month accelerated track for career changers, or a flexible hybrid RN-to-BSN. With a median graduate earnings figure well above the national average and a vast clinical network, UM offers a premium nursing education within commuting distance of Fort Lauderdale.
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| #4 | Antigua College International | Miami Lakes, FL | $29,000/yr | ||
Antigua College International offers a hybrid BSN program from its Miami Lakes campus, located conveniently between Miami and Fort Lauderdale. The 120-credit curriculum blends online didactic learning with in-person labs and clinical rotations, spanning 42 months. While program-specific earnings outcomes are not yet reported, the school provides a personalized, small-group setting for students seeking a private college pathway.
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| #5 | Southeastern College-West Palm Beach | West Palm Beach, FL | ~$29,000/yr (est.) | ||
Southeastern College’s West Palm Beach campus runs a 25-month Associate in Applied Science in Nursing program that prepares students for the NCLEX-RN. The curriculum covers holistic patient care, pharmacology, and hands-on clinical experiences in the South Florida region, making it a practical starting point for Fort Lauderdale-area residents. Graduates can enter the workforce as RNs or continue into a BSN completion program.
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| #6 | University of Florida | Gainesville, FL | ~$7,000/yr (est.) | ||
The University of Florida’s BSN program is widely regarded as the best in the state, offering traditional, accelerated, and RN-to-BSN tracks. Though the program is based in Gainesville, several hours north of Fort Lauderdale, its reputation, top NCLEX pass rates, and exceptionally low cost for in-state students make it a compelling option for those willing to relocate or pursue a residential program. The curriculum emphasizes research, leadership, and clinical excellence at UF Health facilities.
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| #7 | Florida State University | Tallahassee, FL | $11,000/yr | ||
Florida State University’s BSN is a fast-paced, four-semester program located in Tallahassee, ideal for students who want to earn their nursing credential quickly in a traditional university setting. Admission is competitive and requires a 3.0 GPA and prerequisite coursework. While not convenient for daily commuting from Fort Lauderdale, the program’s national accreditation and holistic admissions process attract applicants from across the state.
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| #8 | University of South Florida | Tampa, FL | $10,000/yr | ||
The University of South Florida in Tampa offers several prelicensure BSN tracks, including a 16-month accelerated option for degree holders and a dedicated veterans’ pathway. As a high-volume nursing school with strong NCLEX outcomes, USF draws students from throughout Florida. Fort Lauderdale residents should note the program’s Tampa location and limited geographic flexibility.
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| #9 | University of Central Florida | Orlando, FL | $10,000/yr | ||
The University of Central Florida provides a Traditional BSN across multiple campus locations, though none in South Florida, and a concentrated Second Degree BSN in Orlando. The programs emphasize clinical judgment, leadership, and community health, with graduates outpacing state NCLEX averages. For Fort Lauderdale students, this represents a strong public-university option that may require relocation to the Orlando area.
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| #10 | University of North Florida | Jacksonville, FL | $10,000 – $15,000/yr | ||
The University of North Florida’s BSN program is designed for both transfer students and direct-entry freshmen, offering a community-centered curriculum and regular admission cycles. Located in Jacksonville, it primarily serves Northeast Florida, but its affordable in-state cost and solid NCLEX preparation make it worth considering for Fort Lauderdale applicants open to studying elsewhere in the state.
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Fort Lauderdale offers three main paths to a BSN, each designed for a different starting point. High school graduates typically choose a traditional four-year program, while career changers with a bachelor's in another field can opt for an accelerated track. Registered nurses with an associate degree or diploma can advance through an RN-to-BSN program.
The table below compares tuition and estimated net price for nursing programs in the Fort Lauderdale area. All schools listed are public institutions; financial aid can significantly reduce the sticker price shown. Net price reflects the average amount students pay after grants and scholarships, but it is an institution-wide figure and may differ for nursing students specifically.
| School | In-State Tuition | Out-of-State Tuition | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian River State College | $2,764 | $10,201 | $3,815 |
| Gulf Coast State College | $2,370 | $8,635 | $4,709 |
| Florida Gateway College | $3,100 | $11,747 | $5,364 |
| Miami Dade College | $2,838 | $9,661 | $5,463 |
| Lake-Sumter State College | $3,292 | $13,276 | $5,855 |
| Saint Johns River State College | $2,591 | $9,334 | $6,135 |
| Eastern Florida State College | $2,791 | $10,976 | $6,440 |
| University of Florida | $6,381 | $28,659 | $6,541 |
| Florida Atlantic University | $4,879 | $17,324 | $8,752 |
| Florida International University | $6,565 | $18,964 | $9,288 |
Two-year associate degrees and four-year bachelor's programs both lead to the same RN license, but their graduates face the NCLEX with different preparation depths. In Fort Lauderdale, where accelerated and traditional BSN tracks compete for students, first-time pass rates offer a reliable window into how well a program readies its cohort for the exam, and for the job market that follows.
Florida Board of Nursing data for 2024 shows a statewide first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate of 84.9%1. That figure is a touch below the national BSN average of roughly 86, 88%, though state-level aggregates blend associate and bachelor’s programs. In Broward County, individual school rates can swing meaningfully above or below that benchmark, so the county-wide number becomes a starting point, not a verdict. When a program’s BSN pass rate lands consistently north of 90%, it often signals structured clinical rotations, dedicated NCLEX prep coursework, and strong faculty remediation. A rate that dips under 80% warrants a closer look at attrition, cohort size, and how the school supports struggling students.
A BSN program is a major investment of time and tuition, and the licensing exam is the gatekeeper. The national first-time pass rate for BSN graduates has hovered around 87% in recent years. Schools that sustain rates above that line tend to integrate test-taking strategies early, offer proctored predictor exams, and maintain low student-to-instructor ratios in clinical settings. Conversely, a below-average rate may reflect resource constraints, weaker admission standards, or limited remediation. For Fort Lauderdale applicants, tracking a school’s trajectory over two to three years is more telling than any single-year figure.
Program-level earnings data one year after completing a Fort Lauderdale BSN is not yet publicly available through federal scorecard reporting. Nationally, however, BSN-prepared nurses command higher starting wages than their ADN counterparts, and a solid NCLEX pass rate often correlates with smoother entry into residencies and specialty units that accelerate salary growth. While employment outcomes should not be reduced to a single metric, graduates of programs with strong licensing pass rates generally find themselves in a stronger negotiation position when they enter South Florida’s competitive hospital market.
Clinical partnerships are the agreements that connect nursing schools with hospitals and health systems where students complete supervised patient-care rotations. These placements transform theory into practice, so the range and reputation of a program’s clinical sites directly influence the depth of hands-on training a student receives.
Several large health systems anchor clinical education in Broward County. Broward Health operates multiple hospitals and specialty centers that routinely host nursing students. Cleveland Clinic Florida’s Weston campus is a major academic-affiliated hospital with advanced units, while HCA Florida Healthcare runs numerous acute-care facilities across the region. Holy Cross Health in Fort Lauderdale also serves as a teaching site for local BSN programs. Although institutions such as Broward College and Florida Atlantic University do not always publish exhaustive lists12, their long-standing ties to these systems mean students often rotate through a mix of community and tertiary-care settings.
Florida BSN programs generally include between 400 and 700 hours of direct patient-care experience. The quality of those hours matters as much as the quantity. Rotations in high-acuity areas, such as the ICU, emergency department, and labor and delivery, broaden a student’s clinical judgment and procedural skills. Diverse sites also improve exposure to different patient populations and nursing specialties. Furthermore, clinical placements frequently serve as informal hiring pipelines. Students who demonstrate competence and professionalism during rotations may receive job offers from their host hospitals, making the clinical partnership network a real career advantage.
How much do registered nurses earn in the Fort Lauderdale area, and what is the hiring picture like right now?
The Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach metro area, which includes all of Broward County, is one of the largest nursing employment hubs in the Southeast. The median annual salary for RNs in this metro is $85,600 (2025 data). The typical band runs from $68,000 on the low end to $127,000 for high-earning roles, depending on specialty and experience.1 For context, the national median RN salary is $93,6002, so local pay is modestly below the U.S. midpoint, but many nurses find the year-round demand and abundant shift opportunities make up the difference.
South Florida's nursing shortage is well documented, and the need for bedside and specialty RNs is expected to stay strong. Nationwide, the BLS projects a 5% increase in RN positions over the 2024, 2034 decade, translating to roughly 189,100 annual openings.2 In Broward County, the big four employers anchoring the nurse labor market are Broward Health, Cleveland Clinic Florida, HCA Florida, and Memorial Healthcare System. Together they run multiple hospital campuses, outpatient centers, and specialty practices across the region, creating a steady pipeline of staff nursing, travel, and leadership roles. For new BSN graduates, this means clinical placement and first-job opportunities are rarely in short supply, especially for those who complete rotations at one of the area's major teaching hospitals.
Choosing the right BSN program involves weighing cost, outcomes, and flexibility. Here are answers to common questions about nursing education in Fort Lauderdale to help you make an informed decision.
