Compare tuition, NCLEX outcomes, and program formats for BSN programs near Southfield — ranked and reviewed for 2026.
A two-year ADN can get you into a hospital unit quickly, but metro Detroit’s large health systems, including Corewell Health, Henry Ford Health, and the Detroit Medical Center, now heavily favor BSN-prepared candidates for new positions. Southfield residents, located at the junction of I-696 and the Lodge Freeway, can reach more than a dozen accredited BSN programs within a half-hour drive.
The Detroit-Warren-Dearborn metro employs roughly 62,000 RNs, and Michigan’s Bureau of Labor Market Information projects about 3,500 annual openings in the region through 2030, thanks to both growth and retirements.
The steady shift toward BSN-prepared staff means your program choice directly shapes your placement opportunities and earning trajectory.
The nursing programs near Southfield, MI are evaluated here based on a combination of academic quality, affordability, and clinical training. These schools offer campus-based and hybrid options for aspiring registered nurses, from local community colleges to nationally recognized universities.
| Rank | School | Location | Net price | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Lawrence Technological University | Southfield, MI | $22,000/yr | Southfield residents wanting Henry Ford Health clinicals | |
Lawrence Technological University, located in Southfield, offers a BSN with direct admission and clinical rotations that begin in the first year. Through its partnership with Henry Ford Health, students rotate through multiple Michigan hospitals, gaining diverse, real-world experience. The curriculum emphasizes evidence-based practice and social justice, with small classes and a focus on developing innovative nursing leaders.
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| #2 | University of Michigan | Ann Arbor, MI | $29,000 – $58,000/yr | Ambitious students seeking a research university | |
The University of Michigan's BSN in Ann Arbor combines a rigorous liberal arts and science foundation with over 1,000 clinical hours. Students can follow a four-year or three-year transfer track, with clinical rotations starting sophomore year. Features include global study abroad, an honors program, and mentorship from internationally recognized faculty, leading to strong NCLEX outcomes.
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| #3 | University of Detroit Mercy | Detroit, MI | $23,000/yr | Students valuing early clinicals and Jesuit values | |
University of Detroit Mercy provides a BSN with direct high school admission and clinical training in its state-of-the-art STAR Center. The curriculum integrates Mercy and Jesuit values, small classes, and a 96% job placement rate. A unique Direct Entry MSN for non-nursing degree holders completes in 20 months, offering a fast track to RN licensure and advanced study.
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| #4 | Wayne State University | Detroit, MI | $18,000/yr | ||
Wayne State University's BSN program in Detroit addresses urban health challenges through multiple pathways: traditional, direct admit, second-career, and veteran-specific tracks. Known for exceeding state NCLEX pass rates, it offers a diverse clinical environment and a commitment to transforming community health.
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| #5 | Oakland University | Rochester Hills, MI | $22,000/yr | ||
Oakland University's BSN is Michigan's largest state-funded nursing program, delivered as a three-year degree with small class sizes of six and over 500 clinical partnerships. With a 99% job placement rate and dedicated career advising, it emphasizes public and community health, culminating in a capstone preceptorship.
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| #6 | Madonna University | Livonia, MI | $15,000 – $20,000/yr | ||
Madonna University offers a BSN steeped in Catholic and Franciscan values, with high-fidelity simulations and a learner-centered community. The traditional track starts fall or winter with a 3.2 GPA minimum, while an accelerated 16-month hybrid option for career changers provides online coursework with on-ground clinicals and no waitlist.
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| #7 | University of Michigan-Flint | Flint, MI | $14,000 – $21,000/yr | ||
University of Michigan-Flint provides a traditional BSN with a cohort-based model, hands-on clinical placements, and a state-of-the-art simulation center. The majority of graduates secure job offers before finishing, and a direct admit option is available for high school seniors.
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| #8 | Monroe County Community College | Monroe, MI | |||
Monroe County Community College's ADN program is ranked No. 1 in Michigan and features small cohorts of 30, providing personalized instruction. Students benefit from clinical partnerships across Michigan and Ohio, with an option for concurrent BSN enrollment to streamline the path to a bachelor's degree.
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| #9 | Washtenaw Community College | Ann Arbor, MI | |||
Washtenaw Community College offers an ACEN-accredited ADN program with a cutting-edge simulation lab and clinical experiences at major hospitals like St. Joseph Mercy. The LPN to RN bridge program allows licensed practical nurses to advance to an associate degree and RN licensure.
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| #10 | Eastern Michigan University | Ypsilanti, MI | $15,000 – $20,000/yr | ||
Eastern Michigan University delivers a traditional four-year BSN and an accelerated 20-month second-degree option for career changers. With a strong job eligibility rate for BSN holders and pathways to advanced practice, the program emphasizes hands-on clinical experience and faculty mentorship.
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Nursing schools are evaluated today less by prestige and more by measurable student outcomes. This ranking emphasizes data points that directly affect your education and career launch, so you can compare programs with confidence.
We consider four core dimensions: net price after financial aid, institution-wide graduation rates, availability of program formats (on-campus, hybrid, or online BSN tracks), and post-graduation outcomes like employment and earnings. Net price is an average across all undergraduates who receive aid: your own cost may differ based on your financial situation. Similarly, graduation rates reflect the entire institution, not just nursing majors, but they signal the overall support environment you will step into.
NCLEX pass rates and clinical placement quality are essential, but we cover those separately because they rely on external reporting from licensing boards and partner hospitals. Detailed NCLEX data and clinical partnership maps appear in their own sections, letting you weigh academic value alongside hands-on training readiness.
NCLEX pass rates are the single most reliable public outcome metric for nursing programs, and Southfield-area students should consult official state reports rather than relying solely on self-reported program websites.
The Michigan Board of Nursing publishes annual nursing education program reports that break down NCLEX-RN pass rates by school and year. The most recent available report covers the 2024 testing cycle and includes information for BSN programs within 50 miles of Southfield. You can download these reports directly from the Michigan Board of Nursing's NCLEX Score Summary 2024 or request a copy by contacting their office. The data typically includes the number of first-time test takers, the number who passed, and the resulting pass rate percentage. This is the authoritative source for licensing exam performance in the state.
Based on the 2024 Michigan Board of Nursing report, several BSN programs within commuting distance of Southfield had published outcomes. These include Wayne State University, University of Detroit Mercy, Oakland University, Madonna University, Eastern Michigan University, and Chamberlain College of Nursing-Troy. Each of these schools had candidates and a recorded pass rate for that year, allowing direct comparison. Arizona College of Nursing-Southfield, however, does not appear in that 2024 report, and its NCLEX pass rate is not publicly available through state data sources.1 Prospective students interested in this program should contact the college directly or check its website under accreditation or outcomes sections to request the latest figures.
For broader context, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) publishes national and state-level NCLEX pass rate averages. These averages give you a baseline to evaluate how individual programs stack up. While the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not track pass rates itself, its occupational outlook pages confirm the licensure requirements for registered nurses in Michigan, reinforcing the importance of NCLEX success for employment eligibility. Always verify that any pass rate information you receive, whether from a school's marketing materials or an online forum, matches the official licensing board data.
Nursing students in BSN programs near Southfield gain experience across the region's largest health systems. Wayne State University students primarily rotate through the Detroit Medical Center (DMC) and Henry Ford Health, with additional placements at Corewell Health (formerly Beaumont) and Ascension St. John. Oakland University sends students to Corewell Health Royal Oak and Troy as primary sites, plus rotations at Henry Ford Health, Ascension, and DMC. Madonna University concentrates clinical rotations at Corewell Health Farmington Hills and Dearborn, supplemented by Henry Ford Health, DMC, and Ascension. University of Detroit Mercy students train at Henry Ford Health, DMC, and Ascension St. John, with secondary sites at Corewell Health Royal Oak and Farmington Hills. Arizona College of Nursing Southfield typically connects students with Corewell Health and Henry Ford Health for clinical hours.1
The depth and location of clinical rotations depend on each school's established agreements and student demand. Programs with multiple primary partnerships, like Wayne State and Oakland, offer broader exposure to diverse hospital cultures and patient populations. Schools with more concentrated affiliations may provide deeper relationships but fewer settings. Students should investigate whether their program guarantees placements in preferred units or facilities, as competition for limited clinical spots can affect scheduling and specialization opportunities.
Strong clinical partnerships often serve as informal hiring pipelines. Health systems like Henry Ford Health use centralized platforms such as ACEMAPP to recruit nursing students for externships and eventual full-time roles.2 Completing rotations at a facility lets students demonstrate their skills, learn the organization's workflows, and network with potential managers. Many graduates secure job offers from the same hospitals where they trained, making clinical site selection a strategic consideration for aspiring nurses in Southfield.
Arizona College of Nursing Southfield requires a minimum 2.75 cumulative GPA for admission to its Bachelor of Science in Nursing program1, making it an accessible on-ramp for students with non-traditional academic backgrounds. Applicants must also take the HESI A2 entrance exam and achieve at least a 60% overall score.2
Unlike many BSN programs that demand completion of anatomy, physiology, microbiology, and statistics before starting, Arizona College integrates these sciences directly into its three-year curriculum.4 This structure can shorten the pre-nursing phase for students who have not yet taken those courses. However, students should note that the program is delivered entirely on-ground at the Southfield campus, with no hybrid or online didactic components.3
For students who bring prior college credits or an associate degree in nursing (ADN), credit transfer is evaluated on a course-by-course basis.4 Not all credits will transfer, so applicants should work closely with admissions to map their existing coursework to the BSN requirements. In the broader Detroit metro area, universities like Oakland University and Wayne State University offer dedicated RN-to-BSN tracks for licensed ADN nurses. Those pathways typically build on existing nursing expertise and can often be completed on a flexible schedule.
Arizona College does not offer an accelerated BSN track for career changers.4 Second-degree students hoping to transition into nursing quickly should investigate accelerated programs at other nearby institutions, many of which can be completed in 12 to 18 months for those who already hold a bachelor’s degree and have fulfilled science prerequisites. While Arizona College's BSN provides a straightforward entry for first-time nursing students, those with scheduling constraints may need to evaluate whether the on-ground, daytime format aligns with their availability.
Registered nurses in the Detroit metropolitan area earn competitive wages. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for RNs in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn metro area was $81,140 in 2024, with the top 10% earning over $111,200. While this figure is slightly below the Michigan statewide median of $85,670 and the national median of $86,070, it remains well above the regional living wage and reflects the high demand for skilled nursing professionals.
RN pay in metro Detroit can vary based on experience, specialization, and employer. At the 25th percentile, nurses earn around $72,470, while those at the 75th percentile make approximately $88,980. The mean annual wage of $78,790 suggests a solid earning floor that new graduates can typically exceed after gaining experience.
The long-term outlook for nursing jobs in Michigan remains positive. While the state's RN employment grew 1.8% between 2021 and 2023, national projections indicate that demand will persist. The BLS projects 5% growth for registered nursing nationwide from 2024 to 2034, translating to about 189,100 openings each year due to both expansion and retirements. With over 100,000 RNs already employed in Michigan, even modest growth creates thousands of opportunities annually, particularly in large healthcare hubs like Detroit.
Beyond occupation-wide wages, institutional earnings data offers insight into the potential return on a nursing degree. Although program-level earnings are not yet available, the median income of alumni from leading Michigan nursing schools is encouraging. For instance, University of Michigan graduates report a median income of $83,648 ten years after entry, closely aligning with the statewide median for all RNs. Michigan Technological University alumni see $78,198, while graduates from the University of Detroit Mercy earn $71,030, and those from Lawrence Technological University in Southfield earn $69,151. These figures, while not nursing-specific, suggest that BSN graduates from these institutions are well-positioned to meet or exceed the metro area's typical RN salary.
Prospective nursing students often have questions about program quality, costs, and logistics. Below we answer the most common inquiries about BSN programs near Southfield, Michigan, drawing on research and school-reported data.
