Compare tuition, NCLEX pass rates, clinical hours, and accreditation across Memphis-area nursing programs.
Memphis hospitals and clinics employed over 12,000 registered nurses in 2024, and the region's largest health systems increasingly favor BSN-prepared nurses for entry-level roles. Methodist Le Bonheur, Baptist Memorial, and St. Jude compete for graduates who can handle complex patient loads. Traditional four-year BSN programs, accelerated routes for career changers, and online RN-to-BSN bridges give applicants multiple paths; however, the net tuition gap between public and private schools can exceed $20,000. Because admission is competitive, fall application deadlines typically close by February at programs such as the University of Memphis.
The Memphis metro draws on a strong network of nursing programs across Tennessee, from public universities with in-state tuition to private Christian colleges known for exceptional NCLEX outcomes. Several of the state's highest-performing BSN programs sit within a manageable drive and offer distinct advantages for Memphis-area students seeking a supportive, well-resourced nursing education.
| Rank | School | Location | Net price | Best for | |
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| #1 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | Knoxville, TN | ~$19,000/yr (est.) | Tennessee residents prioritizing graduate earnings | |
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville offers a BSN through its College of Nursing, combining rigorous academics with hands-on clinical experiences in state-of-the-art simulation labs. As Tennessee's flagship public university, it provides in-state tuition and strong graduate earnings, with a median 10-year income of $60,249. Direct freshman admission and pathways like the BSN Scholars Program make it accessible for high-achieving students.
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| #2 | Union University | Jackson, TN | ~$27,000/yr (est.) | West Tennessee locals wanting program flexibility | |
Union University, located in Jackson, TN, is the closest private Christian BSN program on this list to the Memphis area and a frequent choice for West Tennessee students. It offers a traditional four-year track, a 15-month accelerated second-degree option, and an online RN-BSN, giving learners multiple pathways into nursing. The curriculum integrates faith with professional practice within a liberal arts framework, and students benefit from a 9:1 student-faculty ratio and extensive clinical rotations.
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| #3 | Lipscomb University | Nashville, TN | $25,000/yr | Faith-driven students focused on NCLEX success | |
Lipscomb University in Nashville combines a Christian community focus with exceptional outcomes, including a 100% NCLEX first-time pass rate and 100% job placement. The traditional BSN provides one-on-one faculty mentorship and hundreds of clinical hours, while the 16-month accelerated hybrid option caters to career changers. The program is known for its Health Simulation Laboratory and a student-faculty ratio of 11:1, making it ideal for learners who thrive in a close-knit, faith-based environment.
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| #4 | Freed-Hardeman University | Henderson, TN | $22,000/yr (net price) | ||
Freed-Hardeman University in Henderson, TN, provides a CCNE-accredited BSN within a Christ-centered learning community. The program emphasizes small student-to-teacher ratios, 650 hours of hands-on clinical experience, and additional certification opportunities. Admission requires a 2.8 cumulative GPA and a proficient TEAS score, making it a competitive yet supportive environment for students who value faith-integrated nursing education.
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| #5 | Tennessee Tech | Cookeville, TN | $10,000 – $15,000/yr | ||
Tennessee Tech's Whitson-Hester School of Nursing offers an affordable public BSN with a first-time NCLEX pass rate above 95%. The four-year program includes a competitive five-semester clinical sequence with placements across Middle and East Tennessee. In-state tuition and a solid graduate earnings profile make it a practical choice for Tennessee residents seeking a strong return on investment.
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| #6 | Middle Tennessee State University | Murfreesboro, TN | $13,000/yr | ||
Middle Tennessee State University's CCNE-accredited BSN program combines affordable public tuition with over 500 clinical hours. The curriculum emphasizes critical thinking, leadership, and compassionate care, preparing graduates for the NCLEX-RN and diverse healthcare settings. As a large state university in Murfreesboro, it serves students from across Tennessee, offering accessible in-state pricing for Memphis residents.
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| #7 | Belmont University | Nashville, TN | $33,000/yr | ||
Belmont University's CCNE-accredited BSN grants direct admission to nursing from the first semester, with small class sizes and a 100% NCLEX first-time pass rate. The program boasts a 98% employment rate within six months and offers service learning, mission trips, and priority admission to Belmont's DNP. A community college bridge program extends the pathway to transfer students seeking a Christian, career-focused nursing education.
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| #8 | East Tennessee State University | Johnson City, TN | ~$16,000/yr (est.) | ||
East Tennessee State University's BSN program features a 93% NCLEX pass rate and extensive hands-on training through nurse-managed clinics and regional healthcare partnerships. As a public institution, it offers in-state tuition to Memphis residents and pathways to advanced nursing degrees. The campus-based program emphasizes critical thinking and interprofessional care, supported by state-of-the-art simulation facilities.
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| #9 | Lee University | Cleveland, TN | $19,000/yr | ||
Lee University in Cleveland, TN, offers a traditional BSN track rooted in a Christian liberal arts education. The program admits freshmen without prerequisite requirements and emphasizes hands-on learning. With competitive fall admission and a supportive community, it appeals to students looking for a faith-centered, small-campus nursing experience.
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| #10 | The University of Tennessee-Martin | Martin, TN | $11,000/yr (net price) | ||
The University of Tennessee-Martin's ACEN-accredited pre-licensure BSN is a public option in West Tennessee with the lowest net price on this list. It requires a minimum 2.75 GPA and ACT composite score of 21. With high NCLEX pass rates and clinical experiences at top healthcare facilities, it offers a cost-effective pathway for Memphis-area residents wanting to stay within the region's healthcare workforce.
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A ranking of nursing schools is simply a way to compare multiple programs side by side using the same yardstick. For this list, we built that yardstick from publicly available federal data that captures what students actually pay, how many finish their degrees, and how those graduates fare in the job market.
NCLEX pass rates and clinical placement quality are essential for nursing students, but they are not baked into this algorithmic rank. We cover those outcomes separately in the sections that follow, so you can weigh them alongside the cost and earnings data.
Unlike rankings from Niche or RegisteredNursing.org that blend reputation surveys or opaque formulas, our framework relies on hard, verifiable numbers. Every data point is sourced from College Scorecard or IPEDS, and you can replicate the comparison yourself. This means you are seeing a consistent, dollars‑and‑cents snapshot of value, not a popularity contest.
Sticker prices for private BSN programs can look intimidating, but financial aid dramatically reduces what students actually pay. For the three BSN-granting schools inside Memphis, net price after aid levels the playing field: Christian Brothers University, despite the highest published tuition, ends up with the lowest net cost at $9,854. The public University of Memphis offers the lowest in-state tuition, but its net price of $12,397 is still higher than Christian Brothers after aid.
How do Memphis nursing schools perform on the NCLEX, and what do these pass rates tell you about program quality?
First-time NCLEX pass rates are a strong signal of a nursing program’s effectiveness. The exam is the gateway to licensure, and consistently high pass rates suggest a curriculum aligned with current practice standards. A program with a multi-year pattern of strong performance is likely doing a good job preparing graduates.
In 2025, Tennessee’s first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate for all candidates was 90.9%, well above the national average of 86.7%1. This places the state among the top performers nationwide and reflects the overall quality of nursing education in the region. For context, the national pass rate including repeat test-takers was 69.1%1, underscoring the importance of passing on the first attempt.
Individual program pass rates are reported annually by the Tennessee Board of Nursing. Since rates can fluctuate year to year, it’s wise to review multi-year trends rather than a single data point. Before committing to a program, check the board's latest report or each school’s nursing department for their most recent NCLEX performance. These numbers, combined with accreditation status and clinical placement opportunities, give a fuller picture of a program’s strengths.
Choosing between an accelerated and a traditional BSN track in Memphis comes down to a straightforward trade-off: time versus flexibility. If you enter nursing with no prior college degree, the traditional four-year BSN remains the foundational route. If you already hold a bachelor’s in another field, an accelerated BSN can compress your studies into 12 to 18 months of intensive, full-time coursework. Both pathways lead to the same NCLEX-RN eligibility, but the admissions requirements, pace, and cost structures differ markedly.
Traditional pre-licensure BSN programs at schools like the University of Memphis, Christian Brothers University, and Baptist Health Sciences University are designed for first-time college students or those with fewer than 60 transfer credits. These programs span four academic years, blending general education requirements with nursing theory, labs, and clinical rotations. Some schools offer fall and spring start dates, and course loads are spread out to accommodate part-time work or campus involvement. Format varies: University of Memphis and UTHSC deliver most core nursing courses on campus, while Baptist and Christian Brothers maintain face-to-face clinicals with occasional hybrid electives.
For career changers, the accelerated BSN is a rapid path. All four Memphis-area institutions that offer nursing have an ABSN option, but entry requires a non-nursing bachelor’s degree and a specific set of prerequisite courses, often including anatomy, physiology, microbiology, and statistics. The curriculum pares away general education, focusing solely on nursing content. University of Memphis’s 12-month ABSN runs through consecutive semesters with no breaks; UTHSC offers a 15-month track; Baptist and Christian Brothers may structure theirs as 16- to 18-month sequences. Most are face-to-face with limited online components, and full-time employment during the program is generally not feasible.
Program lengths, prerequisite lists, and format (hybrid vs. on-ground) shift. Visit the official nursing pages for each school to review current fact sheets. Admissions counselors can clarify deadline nuances and any pending accreditation changes. To view all state-approved pre-licensure BSN programs, consult the Tennessee Board of Nursing’s education list. For broader context on nursing educational paths, the Bureau of Labor Statistics’s occupational outlook for registered nurses explains typical degree levels, and the Tennessee Nurses Association offers state-specific guidance on approved pathways.
Two paths, two timelines: A traditional BSN program builds your nursing foundation over four years, while an accelerated BSN compresses that training for students who already hold a bachelor’s degree in another field. Admissions requirements reflect these starting points, so align your academic background with the right application window.
Most Memphis BSN programs, including the University of Memphis, expect a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0.1 You must complete around 60 credit hours of general education and science prerequisites before entering the nursing core. Required courses typically include Chemistry, Anatomy & Physiology I and II, Microbiology, Statistics, Nutrition, Lifespan Development, and General Psychology.1 At University of Memphis, science courses must have been taken within the last five years to count toward the BSN.1 For the accelerated second-degree pathway at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), you must already hold a non-nursing bachelor’s degree; the program then packs the nursing curriculum into a shorter timeframe.3
Almost every program requires an entrance assessment. The TEAS (Test of Essential Academic Skills) or HESI A2 is standard. Specific minimum scores vary, so check each school’s admissions page. Public schools like University of Memphis use these scores alongside GPA to rank applicants, while private institutions often treat them as a baseline checkpoint.
Deadline discipline is critical. University of Memphis accepts BSN applications for fall (February 15) and spring (September 1) starts.2 UTHSC’s accelerated BSN has firm deadlines: September 15, 2026 for spring 2027 entry and March 15, 2027 for fall 2027.3 UTHSC also requires you to apply through NursingCAS, the centralized service.3 Private programs such as Christian Brothers University, Baptist Health Sciences University, and Union University’s Germantown campus often use rolling admissions, but applying early still improves your chances in a competitive field.
Deciding on a nursing program in Memphis means weighing affordability, licensure outcomes, and career goals. Below we answer the most common questions prospective students ask, incorporating recent data on wages, accreditation, and program structures to help you make an informed choice.
Beyond the top-ranked programs, the Memphis area and surrounding Tennessee regions host several other reputable nursing schools. This directory includes additional degree options with information on program format, location, and average net price to help you compare.
