Compare tuition, NCLEX outcomes, and clinical options across Las Vegas-area nursing programs side by side.
Hiring in Las Vegas healthcare now clearly favors BSN-prepared registered nurses. The city’s medical infrastructure is expanding rapidly: new towers at Sunrise Hospital, an enlarged UNLV medical campus, and steady population growth are meeting rising patient volumes. Nevada RNs earned a median of $89,750 in 2023 (BLS), and employers routinely screen for a four-year degree over an associate’s.
The 2026 ranking compares tuition, net price, NCLEX pass rates, and clinical partnerships across UNLV’s 16-month accelerated BSN, the three-year BSN at Arizona College of Nursing, and other Las Vegas-area programs. Traditional, accelerated, and three-year formats each carry different timelines and prerequisite loads.
In a market where a few hospital systems run large nurse residency programs, a school’s clinical rotation sites at facilities like UMC or Sunrise can directly shape early job offers.
Our 2026 rankings spotlight nursing programs in the Las Vegas metro that balance affordability, strong graduation rates, and flexible delivery. We also looked at NCLEX performance and clinical partnerships to identify schools that prepare graduates for Nevada nursing careers.
| Rank | School | Location | Net price | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | University of Nevada-Las Vegas | Las Vegas, NV | $10,000/yr | Health equity-focused nursing students | |
University of Nevada-Las Vegas anchors nursing education in the Las Vegas valley with a strong emphasis on community health and health equity. The school offers a 16-month traditional BSN and a direct-entry MSN for non-nursing degree holders, both built around interprofessional education and local clinical partnerships. UNLV’s affordable in-state tuition and deep ties to Southern Nevada’s health systems make it a top choice for students committed to the region.
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| #2 | Arizona College of Nursing-Las Vegas | Las Vegas, NV | $31,000/yr (net price) | Busy adults needing evening classes | |
Arizona College of Nursing-Las Vegas delivers a dedicated three-year BSN with a career-focused curriculum. The CCNE-accredited program integrates NCLEX-RN preparation from day one, evening general education classes for flexibility, and extensive simulation and clinical hours. Its high institutional graduation rate and support services like career coaching appeal to students wanting a structured, hands-on path to licensure.
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| #3 | Nevada State University | Henderson, NV | $14,000/yr | Part-time learners in Southern Nevada | |
Nevada State University in Henderson offers one of the most affordable BSN options in Southern Nevada, with both full-time and part-time tracks. The curriculum is grounded in caring science and designed for a diverse student body, including working adults. Strong NCLEX outcomes and small class sizes reinforce a supportive learning environment, while the school’s location in the Henderson-Las Vegas corridor provides rich clinical exposure.
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| #4 | College of Southern Nevada | Las Vegas, NV | $4,000 – $13,000/yr | ||
College of Southern Nevada is the largest public community college in Las Vegas and a major pipeline for registered nurses in the valley. Its ACEN-accredited associate degree program boasts high completion and NCLEX pass rates, and the school’s low net price makes it one of the most economical entry points into nursing. Graduates can easily transfer to Nevada State University’s online RN-to-BSN or enter the workforce directly.
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| #5 | Roseman University of Health Sciences | Henderson, NV | |||
Roseman University of Health Sciences in Henderson offers an accelerated BSN that can be completed in less than 18 months, with multiple start dates per year. The program uses a block curriculum and a mastery learning model with a 90% proficiency requirement, helping maintain high NCLEX pass rates and strong graduate employment outcomes. Clinical rotations span diverse settings across Southern Nevada and Utah.
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| #6 | Carrington College-Las Vegas | Las Vegas, NV | $44,000/yr (net price) | ||
Carrington College-Las Vegas provides an online RN-to-BSN completion program tailored for working nurses in the Las Vegas area. The 15-month curriculum emphasizes evidence-based practice, leadership, and clinical decision-making. With a low median graduate debt and CCNE accreditation, it offers a flexible, career-advancing pathway for current RNs.
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| #7 | Las Vegas College | Las Vegas, NV | ~$30,000/yr (est.) | ||
Las Vegas College offers a campus-based associate degree in nursing that emphasizes practical, hands-on training in a supportive environment. The school also hosts an online RN-to-BSN program, giving local LPNs and RNs a clear path to career advancement. Its small faculty-to-student ratio and career-focused approach suit students seeking direct entry into Las Vegas’s healthcare workforce.
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| #8 | University of Nevada-Reno | Reno, NV | $16,000/yr (net price) | ||
University of Nevada-Reno is a flagship public institution with a strong nursing reputation statewide. Its traditional 16-month BSN and RN-BSN options deliver high NCLEX pass rates; recent data show a 96.2% first-time rate, among the state’s best. Although located in northern Nevada, the program’s outcomes and research environment attract students from across the state.
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| #9 | Western Nevada College | Carson City, NV | $13,000/yr (net price) | ||
Western Nevada College in Carson City delivers an associate degree in nursing with a track record of excellence: a 97.2% NCLEX-RN pass rate ties for second in Nevada. The program requires health insurance and up-to-date immunizations, underscoring its commitment to rigorous clinical preparation. Its strong job placement rates make it a reliable pathway to RN licensure for students in the western part of the state.
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| #10 | Truckee Meadows Community College | Reno, NV | $3,000 – $12,000/yr | ||
Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno offers an ASN program with a 93.4% NCLEX pass rate, making it one of the top community college nursing options in Nevada. The low net price and transfer agreements with Nevada State University’s online RN-to-BSN support an affordable bachelor’s pathway. Graduates are well-prepared for immediate employment or continued education.
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| #11 | Great Basin College | Elko, NV | $8,000/yr | ||
Great Basin College serves rural Nevada with an associate nursing program that boasts a 100% NCLEX-RN pass rate in recent data. Its multiple campus sites and synchronized distance education make it accessible to students in Elko, Ely, Pahrump, and Winnemucca. The program also offers a paramedic/LPN bridge, creating a critical upward mobility pathway for existing healthcare workers in frontier regions.
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| #12 | Carrington College-Reno | Reno, NV | $52,000/yr (net price) | ||
Carrington College-Reno mirrors its Las Vegas counterpart with an online RN-to-BSN completion program. Designed for licensed nurses, the 15-month curriculum advances clinical leadership and evidence-based skills. The program’s low median graduate debt and flexible format offer a practical option for northern Nevada RNs seeking career growth.
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Below is a side-by-side cost comparison of BSN programs in the Las Vegas area. Published tuition is often reduced by financial aid, so the net price offers a better gauge of what students actually pay. Median graduate debt and future earnings add context for return on investment.
| School | Program Type | In-State Tuition | Out-of-State Tuition | Net Price | Median Graduate Debt | Median Earnings (10yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada State University | BSN | $6,765 | $21,833 | $14,068 | $19,691 | $53,166 |
| University of Nevada-Las Vegas | BSN | $9,748 | $27,411 | $10,359 | $19,450 | $55,037 |
| Arizona College of Nursing-Las Vegas | BSN | $23,531 | $23,531 | $30,921 | $9,500 | $34,657 |
| Carrington College-Las Vegas | Online RN to BSN | N/A | N/A | $43,570 | $9,500 | $36,718 |
That’s the question on every prospective student’s mind, and for good reason. NCLEX-RN performance is the clearest public indicator of how well a program prepares graduates for licensure. According to the Nevada State Board of Nursing, the school with the highest recent pass rate is Brightwood College’s RN program, which reported a 100% pass rate in 2025.1 However, this figure is based on a single test-taker, so treat it as a data point rather than a definitive signal.
Multi-year trend data (2023-2025) is not yet fully published for all Las Vegas nursing schools, but the board’s second-quarter 2024 report gives a useful snapshot for the area’s two largest providers:
These percentages reflect a single quarter, so they should be viewed alongside longer-term averages once available. Still, the data highlights a clear gap: Arizona College’s first-time pass rate is nearly 18 points higher than Carrington’s.
Program-level earnings and job-placement data are not yet reported for these schools through federal scorecard databases. That said, the BSN pathway typically leads to higher lifetime earnings and broader career mobility than the ADN route. Nationally, registered nurses earned a median salary of $86,070 per year as of May 2023 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). While local figures may differ, employers in the Las Vegas hospital systems often favor BSN-prepared nurses for magnet-designated facilities and leadership tracks.
For students weighing cost versus outcomes, the NCLEX first-time pass rate remains the most actionable quality signal. A high pass rate means you are more likely to enter the workforce quickly and start earning. As more data becomes available, resources like TopNursing.org will update these comparisons, but for now, Arizona College’s strong first-time pass rate and BSN curriculum give it an edge for career-focused students.
Traditional four-year BSN programs build broad nursing competencies over eight semesters, while accelerated and three-year tracks compress the same material into a shorter window for students who are ready to move faster. In Las Vegas, several nursing schools offer these streamlined options, each tailored to different backgrounds.
If you already hold a bachelor’s degree or have completed at least 60 college credits, an accelerated BSN (ABSN) lets you transition into nursing in roughly 16 to 18 months. Grand Canyon University’s Henderson site runs a 16-month ABSN designed explicitly for career changers. Roseman University offers an 18-month ABSN on its Summerlin campus, also built for students with a prior degree. Both programs condense nursing theory, skills labs, and clinical rotations into a full-time schedule. The University of Nevada, Reno also operates a 16-month ABSN, though travel to the Reno area is required if you are based in Las Vegas.
Three-year BSN programs serve new nursing students who can sustain a year-round pace but prefer a less compressed alternative to an ABSN. Chamberlain University’s Las Vegas campus provides a Fast Track 3-Year BSN, and Galen College of Nursing offers a three-year BSN program that follows a continuous, no-summer-break calendar. Both are well suited for students without a prior degree who want to enter the workforce sooner than a traditional four-year timeline allows.
For pre-licensure students who prefer a full-time but not accelerated pace, Nevada State University’s School of Nursing delivers a pre-licensure BSN track that spans five semesters, including summers. While slightly longer than a three-year program, it still avoids the leisurely spread of a traditional fall-spring-only schedule and can be completed in under three calendar years. Check each school’s current start dates and prerequisite requirements to align with your timeline.
Clinical placements are the supervised, hands-on rotations where nursing students work directly with patients in real healthcare settings. In Las Vegas, BSN and accelerated programs rely on formal agreements with major hospital systems to provide these essential experiences.
Each nursing school in the area has built relationships with different hospital networks. UNLV’s BSN and accelerated BSN students complete most of their clinical hours at University Medical Center (UMC), the region’s only Level I trauma center and a primary teaching hospital. Roseman University’s accelerated BSN program and Nevada State University’s traditional BSN draw on a broader set of affiliates, including UMC, Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center (an HCA facility), Dignity Health’s Rose Dominican Hospital, and Valley Health System’s Valley and Centennial Hills hospitals. Galen College of Nursing, located on the campus of Southern Hills Hospital, integrates students directly into the HCA/Sunrise Health system for both its ADN and BSN tracks.
Rotating through multiple hospitals exposes students to different patient populations, unit cultures, and specialty areas, from cardiac care at Sunrise to labor and delivery at Rose Dominican. This breadth sharpens clinical judgment and helps graduates identify the work environments that fit them best. Strong hospital partnerships also function as informal hiring pipelines; many students receive job offers from units where they rotated. Even during school, having several affiliated sites can mean more flexible shift options that accommodate class schedules and life obligations.
Las Vegas’s concentration of acute-care facilities, including two Level II trauma centers and the state’s only Level I center at UMC, gives nursing students exposure to high-acuity cases that many smaller or rural markets cannot offer. Proximity to these hospitals means students spend less time commuting and more time at the bedside, building competence in a fast-paced, real-world environment.
How do I sort through Las Vegas nursing schools and pick one that matches my career goals and budget? With multiple options, a consistent four-part framework helps you compare what matters.
Spending a morning on campus talking to current students and faculty often reveals more than any brochure: schedule a visit and come with a list of questions.
Prospective nursing students in Las Vegas often have similar questions about program quality, cost, and timelines. Below you will find straightforward answers to the most common inquiries, grounded in current data.
