Compare BSN and ADN programs, tuition costs, NCLEX outcomes, and clinical options in the Mankato area.
Mankato, Minnesota, may be best known for its state university, but the area supports three distinct nursing entry points: a public university BSN, a community college ADN, and a private liberal arts BSN. Each track targets a different career timeline and budget, from South Central College’s sub-$6,200-a-year tuition to Bethany Lutheran College’s faith-based, small-classroom experience.
Choosing among them demands a close look at NCLEX first-attempt rates, actual out-of-pocket costs after aid, and the quality of clinical rotations at local hospitals and clinics.
Because many regional employers now prefer baccalaureate-educated nurses, a significant share of ADN graduates in Mankato eventually pursue an RN-to-BSN online, often while already employed.
Mankato and its surrounding communities offer a strong mix of nursing programs, from associate degrees that launch RN careers quickly to bachelor’s degrees with deep clinical immersion. We evaluated schools within approximately 65 miles based on accreditation, outcomes, affordability, and local relevance to help you find the right fit.
| Rank | School | Location | Net price | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Minnesota State University-Mankato | Mankato, MN | $10,000 – $19,000/yr | Aspiring RNs seeking a traditional university BSN | |
Minnesota State University-Mankato offers a traditional pre-licensure BSN on its campus in the heart of the city, alongside an online RN-to-BSN completion track for working nurses. Students train in the Maverick Family Nursing Simulation Center and can add a nursing internship for extra clinical hours. The program is CCNE-accredited and emphasizes a diverse and inclusive learning environment.
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| #2 | South Central College | North Mankato, MN | $9,000/yr | Students wanting an affordable direct ADN pathway | |
South Central College’s Professional Nursing AS degree in North Mankato is a 64-credit ADN that emphasizes direct patient care skills and boasts a 100% job placement rate for graduates. The ACEN-accredited curriculum includes clinicals in long-term care, clinics, and acute settings, with a dedicated LPN-to-RN bridge. The college has articulation agreements that guarantee a smooth transfer to BSN programs at Minnesota State Mankato and Metropolitan State University.
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| #3 | Bethany Lutheran College | Mankato, MN | $20,000 – $25,000/yr | Faith-focused learners desiring small cohort BSN | |
Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato provides a faith-based BSN that integrates hands-on clinical training with a Christian worldview. Small class sizes and a state-of-the-art simulation lab support personalized learning, while clinical partnerships with Mayo Clinic Health System give students real-world experience. The program has achieved a 100% first-time NCLEX pass rate for seven consecutive years.
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| #4 | Riverland Community College | Austin, MN | $7,000/yr (net price) | ||
Riverland Community College’s ACEN-accredited ADN program in Austin prepares students for RN licensure in just two years and offers both a traditional track and an LPN-to-ADN advanced standing option. Graduates benefit from established transfer pathways to complete a BSN at Winona State or Minnesota State Mankato, making it a cost-effective first step. Clinical rotations are arranged close to home in Albert Lea, Austin, and Owatonna.
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| #5 | Crown College | Saint Bonifacius, MN | ~$27,000/yr (est.) | ||
Crown College in Saint Bonifacius offers a Christian BSN with a 100% NCLEX pass rate and a distinctive biblical worldview woven through the curriculum. Student cohorts of 15-24 allow for close mentorship from faculty practitioners, and clinical experiences span urban, suburban, and rural settings. Direct admission from high school and extensive financial aid help simplify the enrollment process.
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| #6 | Normandale Community College | Bloomington, MN | $10,000 – $15,000/yr | ||
Normandale Community College’s 64-credit ADN program in Bloomington uses a holistic admission process and prepares students for the NCLEX-RN. The curriculum includes active learning in labs and clinical settings, and the program maintains a direct articulation agreement with Minnesota State Mankato’s BSN completion program for seamless transfer. Graduates enter hospitals, clinics, and long-term care across the Twin Cities and southern Minnesota.
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The Mankato area offers both associate (ADN) and bachelor's (BSN) pre-licensure nursing pathways, each with distinct timelines, costs, and career implications. Local bridge options like LPN-to-RN and RN-to-BSN allow graduates to advance their credentials later. Hospitals and Magnet-designated facilities increasingly prefer BSN-prepared nurses for hiring and leadership roles.
Tuition sticker prices at public two-year colleges in the Mankato area fall in a narrow band near $6,000 per year, but the actual out-of-pocket cost after grants and scholarships (the net price) can range from roughly $7,400 to over $13,000 depending on the institution. The one private option, Saint Mary's University of Minnesota, carries a much higher published tuition of $45,080, yet its average net price is just $11,704 after institutional and federal aid. Keep in mind that the net price shown here is an institution-wide average across all students, not a guaranteed nursing-program quote, and individual costs will vary based on financial need and academic profile.
| School | In-State Tuition | Out-of-State Tuition | Net Price (After Aid) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverland Community College | $6,297 | $6,297 | $7,427 |
| South Central College | $6,146 | $6,146 | $9,082 |
| St Cloud Technical and Community College | $6,124 | $6,124 | $9,635 |
| Ridgewater College | $6,121 | $6,121 | $10,046 |
| Minnesota North College | $6,022 | $6,022 | $10,432 |
| Minnesota West Community and Technical College | $6,491 | $6,491 | $11,191 |
| Saint Mary's University of Minnesota | $45,080 | $45,080 | $11,704 |
| Alexandria Technical & Community College | $6,236 | $6,236 | $13,691 |
| Central Lakes College-Brainerd | $6,249 | $6,249 | $13,869 |
| Northland Community and Technical College | $6,289 | $6,289 | $13,975 |
A nursing school’s reputation may open doors, but its NCLEX pass rates reveal whether it actually prepares students for licensure. First-time pass rates are among the most transparent measures of a program’s instructional quality and clinical readiness, a low or fluctuating rate can signal gaps in curriculum or student support, while consistent strength gives you confidence that graduates are test-ready.
Data from the Minnesota Board of Nursing shows that in 2022, Minnesota State University, Mankato’s BSN program posted a first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate of 72.34% among 94 candidates. That single-year figure stands notably below the program’s longer-term track record: the Board of Nursing’s multi-year reporting confirms that for the 2021–2023 period, the program achieved an overall first-time pass rate above 90%. Students considering this program should weigh recent trends carefully and ask how the school has addressed the dip.
For South Central College, Rasmussen University–Mankato, and Bethany Lutheran College, up-to-date program-specific pass rates were not yet published in the latest Board of Nursing dataset made available for this article. Prospective applicants should contact each school’s nursing department directly for their most recent cohort results, or check the Minnesota Board of Nursing’s education statistical reports, which publish program-level data annually.
Minnesota nursing programs collectively tend to outperform the national average on the NCLEX-RN. Nationally, first-time RN pass rates hover in the upper 80s to low 90s, while many Minnesota schools consistently post rates at or above the state’s high bar. This makes a program that falls below the mid-80s worth a closer look, especially if you are comparing multiple local options.
A stable pass rate above 90% suggests a curriculum that aligns well with the NCLEX test plan, strong faculty, and solid clinical partnerships. Rates that vary widely from year to year, or dip significantly, may reflect curriculum changes, cohort size shifts, or support services that need strengthening. When evaluating any program, ask not just for the most recent number, but for three-year trend data. Schools that are transparent about their numbers and explain any outliers tend to be more invested in student outcomes.
What's the difference between CCNE and ACEN accreditation, and which Mankato-area nursing programs hold them? Understanding programmatic accreditation is one of the first steps toward licensure as a registered nurse. Both the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, and graduates of either type of program can sit for the NCLEX. In practice, CCNE is more common among bachelor's and graduate-level programs, while ACEN accredits programs at every degree level. More important than the acronym, however, is whether the Minnesota Board of Nursing has granted approval, and every entry-to-practice program in the Mankato area holds that state recognition.
Minnesota State University, Mankato's BSN program is CCNE-accredited and full Minnesota Board of Nursing approved. The university's Master of Science in Advanced Professional Nurse (nurse educator track) is seeking ACEN accreditation; it entered candidacy in late 2024 with a site visit scheduled for October 2025. South Central College's associate-degree nursing (ADN) program is fully accredited by ACEN and approved by the state board. Rasmussen University's Mankato campus offers LPN, ADN, and BSN pathways that hold national programmatic accreditation and state approval. Bethany Lutheran College does not currently offer a nursing degree.
Pre-licensure nursing education in Mankato remains heavily campus-based, because clinical skill development requires hands-on labs and supervised practice. Minnesota State Mankato's BSN is a traditional on-campus program with simulation and clinical components integrated throughout. South Central College's ADN similarly requires in-person attendance. Minnesota State Mankato's MS in nursing is designed as a hybrid program, blending online coursework with periodic on-campus sessions, a format that accommodates working nurses seeking an advanced degree. Although a pre-licensure BSN or ADN cannot be completed entirely online in Mankato, registered nurses returning for an RN-to-BSN often find fully online options through other Minnesota institutions, allowing them to earn a bachelor's degree while continuing to work.
Clinical placements are a defining strength of Mankato-area programs. Students rotate through a mix of acute care, long-term care, and community settings. The major clinical partner is the Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato, which hosts a paid 10-week Student Nurse Internship for BSN students entering their junior year. River's Edge Hospital in nearby St. Peter and several regional long-term care facilities provide additional direct-patient-care experiences. These partnerships ensure that nursing graduates enter the workforce with broad clinical competence and familiarity with the local healthcare landscape.
Admission to nursing school means meeting a set of academic and testing benchmarks before you can enroll in clinical courses. In the Mankato area, requirements vary by program level and institution, but all expect a strong science foundation and evidence of readiness for rigorous nursing coursework.
For the traditional BSN track, applicants need a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 and a grade of C or better in each prerequisite course.1 Required sciences include anatomy and physiology (two semesters), general chemistry, and microbiology. Other prerequisites cover English composition, lifespan development, statistics, and introductory psychology. Candidates must also take the ATI TEAS exam and complete a group interview. The admission scoring formula weights core GPA at 50 percent, TEAS at 25 percent, and the interview at 25 percent. A documented CNA certification and a cleared background check are mandatory before starting clinical placements.2 The application deadline for spring entry was January 30, 2026; future cycles will have similar deadlines.
South Central College and Rasmussen University offer associate degree pathways with their own admission criteria. Typically, ADN programs require a minimum GPA between 2.5 and 2.75, completion of prerequisite courses like human anatomy, physiology, and microbiology, and a passing score on the ATI TEAS or HESI exam. Because each school sets its own deadlines and may offer multiple start dates per year, visit their nursing admission pages for the most current information.
If you already hold an LPN license, both South Central College and Rasmussen provide LPN-to-RN mobility tracks, though specific test score and GPA requirements differ. For registered nurses seeking a bachelor's degree, Minnesota State Mankato's RN-to-BSN completion program requires an active RN license and an associate degree or diploma in nursing.3 A minimum GPA of 2.5 is needed, but no entrance exam is required. The priority deadline for fall admission is March 15; the program calls for 30 semester credits of upper-division coursework.
Because admission policies and deadlines can change, check each school's website for the most current information before applying. Contact the nursing department directly if you have questions about course equivalencies, test score minimums, or upcoming application windows.
Choosing the right nursing program in Mankato, MN, involves many factors. Here are answers to common questions from prospective students to help you decide.
