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.
Our ranking draws on institutional data, program features, and graduate outcomes to help you find the right nursing school in the Fort Lauderdale area. We highlight schools that offer strong academics, clinical training, and pathways to RN licensure.
| Rank | School | Location | Net price | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Nova Southeastern University | Fort Lauderdale, FL | ~$30,000/yr (est.) | Broward County students seeking local clinical placements | |
Nova Southeastern University offers an Entry B.S. in Nursing and an Accelerated B.S.N. on its Fort Lauderdale/Davie campus, making it a convenient option for Broward County residents. The program combines rigorous academics with immersive clinical training, and graduates find positions at top South Florida hospitals like Baptist Health and Cleveland Clinic. Scholarships from hospital partners help reduce costs, and the curriculum emphasizes evidence-based practice and leadership.
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| #2 | Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale | Fort Lauderdale, FL | ~$30,000/yr (est.) | Students who thrive with one-course-at-a-time scheduling | |
Keiser University's Fort Lauderdale campus delivers a Traditional BSN and an accelerated FastTrack BSN, both CCNE- or ACEN-accredited. The university is known for small class sizes and a unique one-course-at-a-time schedule that allows students to focus deeply on each subject. Clinical rotations and a Mobile Simulation Lab provide hands-on experience, and graduates are prepared for the NCLEX-RN and entry-level RN roles.
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| #3 | Florida Atlantic University | Boca Raton, FL | $5,000 – $17,000/yr | Cost-conscious learners wanting a public university pathway | |
Florida Atlantic University's hybrid BSN program is offered at multiple campuses, including Davie in Broward County, providing strong local access for Fort Lauderdale students. The CCNE-accredited program requires 840 clinical hours and is endorsed by the American Holistic Nurses Certification Corporation, emphasizing holistic, caring-based nursing. With a competitive admission process and a diverse student body, FAU prepares graduates for RN licensure and advanced study.
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| #4 | Florida International University | Miami, FL | ~$9,000/yr (est.) | ||
Florida International University, based in Miami, is a major producer of nurses for South Florida, including Broward County. Its Traditional BSN, Accelerated BSN, and a Direct Entry MSN for foreign-educated physicians offer pathways for different backgrounds. The Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing features a state-of-the-art simulation center and strong clinical partnerships across the tri-county area, preparing students for NCLEX success and RN careers.
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| #5 | University of Miami | Coral Gables, FL | $37,000/yr (net price) | ||
The University of Miami's School of Nursing and Health Studies offers an intensive 12-month Accelerated BSN for second-degree students and a Traditional BSN for undergraduates. With over 200 clinical partners, including UHealth, and a state-of-the-art simulation hospital, UM provides extensive hands-on training. Graduates benefit from a 97% first-time NCLEX pass rate and a national ranking in the top 20.
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| #6 | Antigua College International | Miami Lakes, FL | $29,000/yr | ||
Antigua College International in Miami Lakes, just north of Miami, provides a hybrid BSN program blending online and on-campus learning. The 42-month, 120-credit program includes 450 clinical hours and is designed for recent high school graduates as well as LPNs and RNs seeking advancement. Small group settings and personalized instruction support students through the curriculum and NCLEX preparation.
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| #7 | Miami Regional University | Miami Springs, FL | $20,000 – $25,000/yr | ||
Miami Regional University's Direct Entry MSN program is a campus-based pathway for aspiring nurses in Miami Springs, a short drive from Fort Lauderdale. The program boasts a 94% MSN passing rate and offers NCLEX exam preparation and specialized faculty support. It is designed for individuals seeking a transformative entry into the nursing profession.
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| #8 | SABER College | Miami, FL | $10,000 – $15,000/yr | ||
SABER College in Miami provides an Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) program accredited by NLN CNEA. The full-time program combines classroom, lab, and clinical work in small class settings with individualized attention. Graduates are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN and enter the nursing workforce in South Florida.
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| #9 | HCI College | West Palm Beach, FL | $35,000 – $40,000/yr | ||
HCI College, with campuses in West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale, offers an ACEN-accredited Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN). The 72-credit program can be completed in two years with day or evening schedules and 24/7 tutor access. Clinical experiences in hospitals and long-term care facilities prepare students for RN licensure and entry-level positions.
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| #10 | Miami Dade College | Miami, FL | $3,000 – $10,000/yr | ||
Miami Dade College, a public institution with multiple campuses in Miami, offers an ASN and an RN to BSN completion program. The RN to BSN is a fully online, CCNE-accredited track that registered nurses can complete in three semesters. The ASN program features a state-of-the-art simulation center and clinical partnerships, feeding directly into the South Florida RN workforce.
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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.
