Compare NCLEX pass rates, tuition, outcomes, and more for Green Bay's leading nursing programs.
Green Bay sustains its nursing workforce through two in-town entry points: Bellin College’s private BSN and Northeast Wisconsin Technical College’s public ADN, both anchored by clinical tie-ins with Bellin Health and HSHS St. Vincent Hospital. Bellin College offers a 15-month fast-track for second-degree students and posts a strong first-time NCLEX pass rate.
The main trade-off is speed versus cost. Bellin’s annual tuition exceeds $30,000, but the health system connection often smooths job placement; the technical college route costs about $5,000 per year in-district, yet requires a later RN-to-BSN bridge for many acute-care positions. In Green Bay, local hiring patterns favor clinicians who align their credential pathway with the region’s major employers.
A few nursing schools in Wisconsin stand out for Green Bay-area students, whether you want a hospital-embedded BSN, a flexible online RN-to-BSN, or an affordable ADN bridge. The profiles below highlight program strengths, clinical access, and graduate outcomes.
| Rank | School | Location | Net price | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Bellin College | Green Bay, WI | ~$37,000/yr (est.) | Aspiring nurses seeking hospital-embedded clinical training | |
Schools offering this program have graduation rates of about 63%. Nursing graduates report median first-year earnings near $66,700 and median debt near $15,500, a strong debt-to-earnings profile. The BSN emphasizes early clinical exposure and local partnerships, with nursing courses starting in the first semester, and offers traditional, transfer, and accelerated tracks. CCNE accredited
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| #2 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | Madison, WI | ~$17,000/yr (est.) | Pre-nursing students wanting flagship research exposure | |
Schools offering this program have graduation rates around 90%. Traditional BSN graduates see median first-year earnings near $75,500 and median debt near $20,700. The program stands out for its two-year nursing component, broad clinical rotations, and strong NCLEX preparation.
No entrance exam
Fully online option
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| #3 | Marquette University | Milwaukee, WI | ~$25,000/yr (est.) | BSN seekers wanting guaranteed clinical placements | |
Schools offering this program have graduation rates around 83%. Undergraduate nursing graduates report median first-year earnings near $74,600, while direct-entry MSN graduates report about $79,200 with higher debt. The direct-admit BSN pairs guaranteed clinical hours with specialized partnerships; a separate Direct Entry MSN offers a hybrid route to advanced nursing. CCNE accredited
ACEN accredited
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| #4 | Moraine Park Technical College | Fond du Lac, WI | ~$9,000/yr (est.) | ||
Schools offering this program have graduation rates near 58%. ADN graduates report median first-year earnings around $66,800 and median debt near $10,500, one of the lower debt loads in this list. The program includes a practical nursing exit point after two semesters, allowing an earlier LPN pathway before RN completion.
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| #5 | Fox Valley Technical College | Appleton, WI | $5,000 – $7,000/yr (est.) | ||
Schools offering this program have graduation rates around 65%. Nursing graduates report median first-year earnings near $63,100 and median debt near $12,300. The RN associate degree combines classroom and clinical training, and students should expect a waitlist for core nursing courses.
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| #6 | Rasmussen University-Wisconsin | Green Bay, WI | |||
Schools offering this program have graduation rates around 57%. Graduates report median first-year earnings near $68,100, though median debt is higher near $20,100. The hybrid ADN offers eight start dates per year and flexible online coursework with on-campus labs, but its earnings-to-debt ratio is less favorable than most regional technical college options. Military benefitsEmployer tuition reimbursement
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| #7 | Milwaukee School of Engineering | Milwaukee, WI | ~$22,000/yr (est.) | ||
Schools offering this program have graduation rates around 67%. Nursing graduates report median first-year earnings near $73,800 and median debt near $25,000. MSOE is known for simulation-based training and a 16-month accelerated second-degree track with strong licensure outcomes. CCNE accredited
CCNE accredited
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| #8 | Southwest Wisconsin Technical College | Fennimore, WI | ~$13,000/yr (est.) | ||
Schools offering this program have graduation rates around 66%. ADN graduates report median first-year earnings near $61,700 and median debt near $10,100, the lowest debt in this list with one of the strongest ROI ratios. The hybrid program blends online coursework with adult, pediatric, and obstetric simulation. ACEN accredited
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| #9 | University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire | Eau Claire, WI | ~$17,000/yr (est.) | ||
Schools offering this program have graduation rates around 64%. RN to BSN completion graduates report median first-year earnings near $70,300 and median debt near $18,600. The hybrid online program serves working registered nurses with seven- and 14-week sessions and a 90-hour clinical project. CCNE accredited
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| #10 | Maranatha Baptist University | Watertown, WI | ~$26,000/yr (est.) | ||
Schools offering this program have graduation rates around 64%. Nursing graduates report median first-year earnings near $70,800. The BSN combines a Christian worldview with over 1,000 clinical hours and an optional medical missions trip. CCNE accredited
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Green Bay offers two primary pathways to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing: a private program at Bellin College and a public option at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. The table below compares key metrics side by side to help you evaluate fit.
| School | Tuition (In-State) | Net Price | NCLEX Pass Rate (2024) | Program Length | Accreditation | Format | Special Tracks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bellin College | $30,658 | $37,408 | 97.10% | 48 months (traditional); 15 months (accelerated) | CCNE-accredited | Campus | Accelerated BSN (15-month), transfer option for RN-to-BSN |
| University of Wisconsin-Green Bay | Not available in internal data | Not available | 94-96% | 48 months | CCNE-accredited | Campus | Contact program for track options |
In Green Bay, the timeline to earn a BSN can be as short as 15 months for students who already hold a bachelor’s degree in another field.
Bellin College’s traditional BSN program is designed as a full-time, on-campus pathway that takes 36 months (three years) to complete, beginning each fall. UW-Green Bay’s BSN program follows a more typical four-year structure, integrating general education requirements with nursing coursework over eight semesters. Both schools require applicants to meet specific admission criteria, and the overall length assumes no major interruptions or part-time enrollment.
For career changers, Bellin College offers a 15-month accelerated BSN option. This intensive pathway requires a prior bachelor’s degree and 56 specific prerequisite credits, which can add one or two semesters to the total timeline if not already completed. Bellin also provides transfer pathways: a 24-month junior transfer and a 36-month sophomore transfer, both delivered in a hybrid format. These options let students with prior college credits or an associate degree bypass some foundational coursework and enter the nursing sequence directly, shortening time to licensure.
Bellin College does not currently offer an RN-to-BSN program. However, registered nurses in the Green Bay area can complete an RN-to-BSN through online or hybrid programs at UW-Green Bay and other University of Wisconsin System schools. These programs typically take one to two years part-time, built around a working nurse’s schedule, and accept an associate degree in nursing with an unencumbered RN license. Coursework is often entirely online, with local clinical or project requirements.
The sticker price of a nursing program can be misleading because many students pay far less after financial aid. Below we compare published in-state and out-of-state tuition with the average net price at five regional schools, using data from IPEDS and the College Scorecard. Keep in mind that net price is an institution-wide average and individual costs vary.
NCLEX pass rates and graduate employment outcomes are the single most reliable indicators of a nursing program's quality in Green Bay. A high first-time pass rate tells you the program prepares students for licensure, while strong employment and wage data confirm graduates are valued in the local market.
Every Wisconsin nursing school must publish its NCLEX-RN first-time pass rates, typically on the program's 'Student Outcomes' or 'Accreditation' page. These rates offer a transparent view of how well a school's curriculum aligns with the licensure exam. When comparing programs, look for rates that consistently meet or exceed the Wisconsin state average. The Wisconsin Board of Nursing aggregates these figures, and you can also benchmark against the national average published in the NCSBN annual report. If a program's rate dips below 80% for multiple years, it may signal curriculum gaps or student support issues.
While national RN wage data provides context (the U.S. median for registered nurses was $93,600 in 2024), the figure that matters most is what you'll earn locally. Visit BLS.gov and search for SOC code 29-1141 within the Green Bay-Appleton, WI metropolitan area to see the most current median wage specific to the region. This number often differs from the national median because it reflects the local cost of living and demand. Strong wage data, combined with high employment levels in the metro, suggests that Green Bay nursing graduates have solid earning potential right after licensure.
For a fuller picture of graduate outcomes, reach out to the Wisconsin Nurses Association. They sometimes compile aggregated data on employment rates, practice settings, and career progression for new nurses in the state. Additionally, many Green Bay programs track their own alumni employment rates and may share those upon request. When evaluating schools, ask about career services, hospital partnerships, and alumni networks, all indicators of how well a program supports graduates after the NCLEX.
Bellin College's BSN program is directly integrated with Bellin Health, the region's largest employer and health system. This close tie ensures students access clinical rotations inside a comprehensive network that includes Bellin Hospital, Bellin Psychiatric Center, and specialty clinics. The arrangement gives aspiring nurses early exposure to real patient care under the mentorship of practicing professionals.
Beyond Bellin Health, nursing students in Green Bay typically train at multiple sites to gain broad experience. HSHS St. Vincent Hospital and HSHS St. Mary's Hospital Medical Center offer acute-care placements, while Prevea Health extends opportunities in outpatient and specialty settings. UW-Green Bay's BSN program coordinates rotations across these systems, giving students diverse patient populations and care models.
Local BSN programs require hundreds of supervised clinical hours, commonly 600 to 900 across the curriculum.1 Bellin College's curriculum lists medical-surgical nursing as a core rotation2, and like most accredited programs, it also provides placements in obstetrics, pediatrics, psychiatry, and community health. The exact hour breakdown varies by semester, but each rotation builds cumulative competency.
Exposure to varied patient ages, diagnoses, and care environments directly supports NCLEX success. The exam tests applied knowledge across the lifespan and care settings, so students who rotate through med-surg, OB, psych, and community sites build the flexible thinking needed to pass. Moreover, early career nurses benefit: those who have practiced in multiple specialties can more confidently choose their first job or adapt to new units later.
Prospective nursing students in Green Bay often have questions about program costs, rankings, and career outcomes. The answers below point to the most reliable sources for current data, so you can make informed decisions about your education.
With just two main BSN options in Green Bay, how do you decide between them?
Start by comparing NCLEX pass rates and net price, not just advertised tuition. Bellin College often reports higher first-time pass rates, but UW-Green Bay's public tuition can be lower after financial aid. Both offer strong clinical placements: Bellin through its health system and UW-Green Bay through regional partners, so limited seats mean applying early is essential. Choose the program that aligns with your budget and career goals, and submit your application well before deadlines.
