Compare NCLEX pass rates, tuition, and program formats for Richardson-area nursing schools side by side.
High pay in Dallas-Fort Worth nursing draws applicants, but choosing the right program in Richardson hinges on concrete tradeoffs between cost, NCLEX performance, and program flexibility. Registered nurses in the metro area earn a median $98,740, well above the national figure, and a tight network of hospitals feeds demand for well-prepared graduates.
Area BSN and ADN programs range from traditional on-campus pathways to fully online RN-to-BSNs and accelerated tracks for career-changers. The decision often comes down to net price after aid, a school’s recent pass rates, and whether a compressed timeline or a paced degree fits your life. In a market where specializations and advanced credentials increasingly separate top earners, the program you choose directly shapes your trajectory.
These top nursing programs are drawn from a 75-mile radius around Richardson, Texas, capturing the best BSN and ADN options in the greater Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and beyond. Each entry highlights clear differentiators like net price, graduation rates, and program format to help you compare quickly. The programs below are ordered by our composite ranking of institutional quality, affordability, and graduate outcomes.
| Rank | School | Location | Net price | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | The University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX | $20,000/yr | Competitive applicants to a selective BSN | |
UT Austin's BSN program stands out for its rigorous, research-driven curriculum and access to Texas' flagship university resources. The four-year, campus-based pathway emphasizes critical thinking, evidence-based practice, and leadership, preparing graduates for NCLEX-RN and advanced study. The institution reports an overall graduation rate of 88.9%, and the average net price for students is $19,857. Competitive admission ensures a high-caliber cohort.
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| #2 | Brazosport College | Lake Jackson, TX | $2,000 – $5,000/yr | Budget-conscious students pursuing ADN | |
Brazosport College offers an affordable ADN pathway for aspiring nurses in Texas, with a net price of just $4,732 and low median graduate debt of $5,641. The campus-based associate degree can be completed in two years and includes clinical experience and TEAS testing. An LVN-to-ADN bridge is also available. The college's institution-wide graduation rate is 56.2%, but its focus on accessible, hands-on education makes it a strong value pick.
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| #3 | Texas A & M University-College Station | College Station, TX | $13,000 – $40,000/yr | Future RNs seeking hands-on clinical training | |
Texas A&M's traditional BSN is a two-year professional program built on a strong science and humanities foundation. With a net price of $21,315 and an institution-wide graduation rate of 83.9%, the program emphasizes clinical judgment and hands-on patient care. Admission requires a 3.3 GPA and HESI A2 exam, and students benefit from the university's vast clinical network and reputation for interdisciplinary health education.
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| #4 | Rio Grande Valley College | Pharr, TX | $15,000 – $20,000/yr | ||
Rio Grande Valley College offers an accelerated 45-week ADN program designed for swift entry to the workforce. The campus-based, 60-credit curriculum prepares students for the NCLEX-RN and emphasizes patient-centered care, clinical reasoning, and safety. With a net price of $19,500 and median debt of $12,359, the program serves a high percentage of Pell Grant recipients (88.6%). The college reports an institution-wide graduation rate of 71.7%.
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| #5 | University of Houston | Houston, TX | $10,000 – $23,000/yr | ||
The University of Houston's nursing programs blend affordability (net price $14,276) with a growing presence in the Houston healthcare market. The traditional BSN track delivers in-person instruction at the Katy instructional site, while an accelerated second-degree BSN offers a 12-month path for career changers. The overall graduation rate for the institution is 64.6%, and both programs prepare students for the NCLEX-RN with a focus on cultural sensitivity and evidence-based care.
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| #6 | Texas Christian University | Fort Worth, TX | $35,000 – $40,000/yr | ||
TCU's private BSN program offers both traditional (29-month) and accelerated (19-month) tracks, with a strong emphasis on clinical judgment and ethical leadership. The net price is $36,660, and the institution boasts an overall graduation rate of 85.5%. Students train in state-of-the-art simulation labs and benefit from a curriculum that meets licensure requirements nationwide. The low student-to-faculty ratio of 14:1 facilitates personalized instruction.
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| #7 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | Edinburg, TX | $0 – $5,000/yr | ||
UT Rio Grande Valley provides an exceptionally affordable BSN with a net price of $4,831, making it one of the lowest-cost options in the state. The campus-based program spans four semesters and offers traditional and second-degree tracks. An online RN-to-BSN completion program is also available for working nurses. The institution-wide graduation rate is 50.9%, but the open admission rate (94.2%) reflects its commitment to access, with 88.6% of students receiving Pell Grants.
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| #8 | Northeast Texas Community College | Mount Pleasant, TX | ~$7,000/yr (est.) | ||
NTCC's AAS in Nursing is a 60-credit, four-semester pathway to RN licensure with a low net price of $6,706 and median debt of $10,946. The campus-based program emphasizes clinical judgment, patient safety, and professional development, and requires a TEAS score of 58.7% or higher. The institution-wide graduation rate is 55.9%, and its student body includes a high percentage of Pell Grant recipients (91.3%).
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| #9 | Galen College of Nursing-San Antonio | San Antonio, TX | $29,000/yr | ||
Galen College offers both ADN and BSN pathways with multiple start dates per year and a clinical-focused curriculum. The net price is $29,104 for the private institution, and its institution-wide graduation rate is 80.9%. The ADN can be completed in two years, while the BSN takes three years, and both programs prepare students for the NCLEX-RN. The college maintains a low student-faculty ratio of 12:1, supporting close mentorship.
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| #10 | University of St Thomas | Houston, TX | $19,000/yr | ||
St. Thomas offers a CCNE-accredited BSN with a hybrid format, blending online and in-person instruction. The four-year program requires a minimum 3.0 GPA and HESI A2 or TEAS exam for admission. With a net price of $19,359 and an overall graduation rate of 68.8%, the curriculum emphasizes patient-centered, holistic care and prepares students for the NCLEX-RN. The undergraduate success center provides additional support.
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Sticker prices for BSN programs can seem high, but net cost after financial aid is typically lower. This table compares annual in-state and out-of-state tuition, the net price paid by in-state students after grants and scholarships, and median federal loan debt at graduation for BSN programs serving the Richardson, TX region.
| School | In-State Tuition | Out-of-State Tuition | Net Price | Median Graduate Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas College | $4,662 | $6,900 | $3,214 | $9,500 |
| Texas A & M International University | $7,894 | $19,454 | $3,637 | $15,000 |
| Texas Woman's University | $8,640 | $18,480 | $11,963 | $19,218 |
| The University of Texas at El Paso | $9,544 | $25,502 | $9,403 | $18,000 |
| The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | $9,799 | $19,645 | $4,831 | $12,950 |
In the first quarter of fiscal year 2026, first-time NCLEX-RN test takers from Texas nursing programs achieved an 84.82% pass rate. The overall pass rate for all attempts was 78.39% during the same period. These figures reflect the state's collective performance, but individual program outcomes vary significantly.1
Programs near Richardson, including WCU-Texas and the Galen College campus serving the Dallas/Richardson area, report their own pass rates to the Texas Board of Nursing. National first-time NCLEX pass rates sat at 87.5% for 2025, placing the Texas average slightly below that benchmark.2 Prospective students should look at a school's most recent three-year pass rate trend, as a single quarterly dip is less telling than consistently soft performance.
Nursing boards use NCLEX results as a core program approval metric. State thresholds often hover around 80% first-time pass; failure to maintain that level can trigger probation or restricted enrollments. For students, a program with persistently low pass rates may indicate weak curriculum alignment with exam content, inadequate clinical preparation, or insufficient student support. Graduating from a program with a strong pass-rate history helps ensure you are ready to sit for the exam and enter practice without delay.
The push toward a more highly educated nursing workforce has made RN-to-BSN and accelerated BSN pathways a standard feature of nursing education in the Dallas metro.
Several Richardson-area schools offer fully online RN-to-BSN completion programs designed for nurses with an associate degree or diploma. The University of Texas at Arlington’s online program is among the shortest, at roughly 9 to 10 months, and requires 30 credit hours with a minimum GPA between 2.25 and 2.5. No entrance exam is needed.1 Dallas College’s RN-to-BSN is also online and priced for in-district students; it admits three times a year (Spring, Summer, Fall deadlines on November 1, April 1, and June 1), requires a 2.0 GPA, and has 30 credits.2 UNT Health Science Center’s online 30-credit program can be completed in 2 to 4 semesters with no listed exam requirement.3
For career changers who already hold a bachelor’s degree in another field, accelerated BSN (ABSN) pathways condense nursing coursework into a shorter timeline. Concordia University Texas runs a hybrid ABSN at its Dallas site that finishes in 16 months.4 West Coast University’s Dallas campus offers an on-campus ABSN that spans 39 months and requires 120 credits, longer than a typical ABSN because it includes general education components.5 Both programs are structured for students starting from scratch in nursing.
Admissions standards vary by program. The researched RN-to-BSN programs do not mandate the TEAS or HESI, though accelerated programs often expect a prior bachelor’s degree with a GPA of at least 3.0 and satisfactory scores on a nursing entrance exam. Applicants to any nursing program in the area should expect to submit transcripts, complete a background check,2 and meet immunization requirements.
Before applying, many prospective students finish science prerequisites such as anatomy, physiology, and microbiology at Collin College or other community colleges. This keeps costs low and often guarantees transferability to partner BSN programs. Check with individual schools for specific prerequisite lists and articulation agreements.
Program-level earnings for BSN graduates at 1 and 4 years out are not yet available from the U.S. Department of Education. As a benchmark, registered nurses across the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro area earn a median annual wage of $98,740, with the top 10% earning over $122,800. Median graduate debt for BSN programs in the region typically falls between $17,500 and $21,500, offering a strong debt-to-income ratio.
The score for each school blends net price, graduation rate, median earnings at one, two, and four years after graduation, and typical federal student debt. These figures are from College Scorecard and IPEDS. A low net price and strong earnings pull the score upward, while high debt can weigh it down. We use three-year averages from the most recent data available.
Program-specific graduation rates for nursing are not yet published in federal datasets. Instead, we use the institution-wide graduation rate. A school that consistently helps students graduate, across majors, usually offers effective advising, support, and teaching quality that nursing students benefit from, too. It also signals a lower risk of dropping out before completing the BSN, which matters for your time and money.
NCLEX performance is critical for licensure, but pass rates are not factored into the algorithmic ranking. We display them alongside each school's profile so you can directly evaluate clinical preparedness. Some programs publish first-time pass rates; we show the latest available year.
We set a 75-mile search radius to include enough high-quality ADN, BSN, and direct-entry MSN programs. Richardson is part of the larger Dallas-Fort Worth nursing education market, so campuses in Dallas, Plano, Garland, and other nearby cities appear in the list. This ensures you see the full range of options without being limited to a single ZIP code.
Prospective nursing students in Richardson, Texas, commonly ask about available BSN programs, costs, timelines, and accelerated pathways. Below, we answer some of the most frequently asked questions, drawing on data from earlier sections to provide clear, concise information.
If you're willing to commute or relocate within Texas, these accredited BSN programs offer additional pathways to a nursing career. Explore campuses across the Dallas-Fort Worth metro, East Texas, Central Texas, and beyond.
