Compare accredited BSN programs, NCLEX outcomes, costs, and admissions side by side for Round Rock-area schools.
Round Rock’s healthcare corridor has added more than 3,200 jobs over the past three years, and registered nursing roles account for roughly one in four of those new positions. This growth mirrors a statewide trend: the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 9% increase in Texas RN employment through 2033, fueled by an aging population and acute-care expansions north of Austin.
Nursing programs serving Round Rock include traditional four-year BSN tracks, 12- to 16-month accelerated second-degree options, and online RN-to-BSN completion programs for working ADN nurses. Most are located within a 30-mile radius, in adjacent suburbs and downtown Austin, with clinical rotations hosted at Round Rock’s own hospitals.
Admissions are competitive, especially for direct-entry BSN spots, but the payoff is real: major Round Rock health systems like Baylor Scott & White and Ascension Seton now prefer or require BSN preparation for new graduate hires.
While Round Rock itself may not host a large number of nursing schools, several highly regarded programs in the Central Texas region offer accessible BSN and ADN pathways. These rankings compare schools based on affordability, graduation rates, and graduate outcomes to help you find the best fit for your nursing career.
| Rank | School | Location | Net price | Best for | |
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| #1 | The University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX | $20,000/yr | Competitive applicants targeting research-intensive BSN | |
UT Austin's School of Nursing delivers a research-intensive BSN that blends rigorous theory with diverse clinical rotations across Central Texas health systems, making it a strong choice for Round Rock-area students. The competitive program emphasizes critical thinking, leadership, and evidence-based practice, preparing graduates for licensure and advanced study. With an 88.9% institutional graduation rate and median alumni earnings exceeding $75,000 a decade out, it offers strong long-term returns.
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| #2 | Brazosport College | Lake Jackson, TX | $2,000 – $5,000/yr | Budget-minded students pursuing affordable ADN pathway | |
Brazosport College provides a low-cost pathway into nursing with its associate degree and LVN-to-ADN bridge programs. The college serves a high proportion of Pell Grant recipients and reports a net price under $5,000, keeping debt low. Its campus-based ADN program combines core nursing skills with clinical experience, preparing students for the NCLEX-RN.
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| #3 | Texas A & M University-College Station | College Station, TX | $13,000 – $40,000/yr | Strong ROI seekers at major public university | |
Texas A&M University offers a traditional BSN grounded in a strong public university system. The competitive program admits students with a 3.3 GPA in prerequisite sciences and requires HESI A2 exam scores, reflecting its academic rigor. With an 83.9% institutional graduation rate and median 10-year earnings of $72,097, the degree delivers solid career outcomes.
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| #4 | Rio Grande Valley College | Pharr, TX | $15,000 – $20,000/yr | ||
Rio Grande Valley College's 45-week AAS in Nursing is a private, career-focused program that gets students into the workforce quickly. It emphasizes patient-centered care, safety, and clinical reasoning, with a curriculum designed for direct entry into hospital and clinic roles. The college reports a 71.7% graduation rate and serves a majority Pell Grant student body.
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| #5 | University of Houston | Houston, TX | $10,000 – $23,000/yr | ||
The University of Houston provides two BSN pathways: a traditional campus-based track at Katy and an accelerated 12-month second-degree option in Sugar Land. Programs emphasize cultural sensitivity, evidence-based practice, and leadership. UH's affordability (net price around $14,000) and median graduate earnings exceeding $62,000 make it a practical choice.
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| #6 | Texas Christian University | Fort Worth, TX | $35,000 – $40,000/yr | ||
Texas Christian University offers a private, highly supportive BSN with both 29-month traditional and 19-month accelerated tracks. Small class sizes (14:1 student-faculty ratio) and state-of-the-art simulation labs enrich the learning experience. A graduation rate of 85.5% and median alumni earnings of $68,424 reflect strong outcomes, though net price is higher at $36,660.
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| #7 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | Edinburg, TX | $0 – $5,000/yr | ||
UTRGV serves South Texas with multiple nursing pathway options, including a traditional BSN, an accelerated second-degree track, and a fully online RN-to-BSN completion program. It boasts the lowest net price in this ranking ($4,831) and high Pell Grant enrollment, making it one of the most affordable paths to a BSN. Institutional graduation rates are lower at 50.9%.
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| #8 | Northeast Texas Community College | Mount Pleasant, TX | ~$7,000/yr (est.) | ||
Northeast Texas Community College offers a straightforward ADN program in a small-college setting. The 60-credit curriculum includes anatomy and microbiology prerequisites and a TEAS score threshold. With a net price of $6,706 and median graduate debt under $11,000, it is one of the more affordable entry points into nursing.
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| #9 | Galen College of Nursing-San Antonio | San Antonio, TX | $29,000/yr | ||
Galen College of Nursing in San Antonio offers career-focused ADN and BSN programs with multiple start dates per year, appealing to students who need scheduling flexibility. Both pathways are campus-based with clinical rotations. The school reports an 80.9% graduation rate, though net price is higher at $29,104, reflecting its private status.
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| #10 | University of St Thomas | Houston, TX | $19,000/yr | ||
University of St. Thomas provides a holistic, CCNE-accredited hybrid BSN with a distinctive focus on healing approaches. The Houston-based program combines online and on-campus learning, with clinical rotations arranged in the local area. Admission requires a 3.0 GPA and HESI or TEAS scores, and the net price of $19,359 is moderate for a private university.
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Return on investment (ROI) compares each program’s 10-year median earnings to its median graduate debt. A higher ratio means greater earnings relative to debt. Net price figures are institution-wide averages after aid, they are approximate and not guaranteed for every student.
The NCLEX first-time pass rate is the most direct quality indicator for nursing programs, reflecting how well a school prepares students for licensure. For Round Rock and nearby programs, Texas A&M University’s BSN graduates achieved a 98.3% pass rate in 2025, far above the 2024 Texas average of 92.69% and the national average of 91.16%. Program-level employment and earnings outcomes are not yet available from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard for these institutions.
| Institution | NCLEX-RN First-Time Pass Rate | Reporting Year |
|---|---|---|
| Texas A&M University | 98.3% | 2025 |
| Texas (all BSN programs) | 92.69% | 2024 |
| United States | 91.16% | 2024 |
The two nursing programs with detailed admissions data for the Round Rock area serve different groups: a second-degree BSN for career changers and an RN-to-BSN completion for registered nurses. Requirements vary significantly in GPA thresholds, testing, prerequisite load, and deadlines.
This accelerated program requires a previous bachelor's degree and a minimum 3.0 GPA in both prerequisite coursework and nursing science prerequisites.1 Applicants must take the HESI A2 exam.1 Prerequisites include psychology, statistics, chemistry, anatomy and physiology, and microbiology.1 The application deadline for Fall 2026 is January 15, 2026.1 With higher GPA standards and an early deadline, this program is selective.
For current RNs with an associate degree, ACC's RN-to-BSN requires a 2.5 GPA in both prerequisite and nursing courses.2 No entrance exam is listed.2 Prerequisites cover a broad range: microbiology, A&P, English composition, statistics, pharmacology, ethics, history, government, psychology, human growth and development, and speech.2 The Fall 2026 application deadline is July 15, 2026, much later and less competitive.2
Nursing employers increasingly seek BSN-prepared nurses, and Round Rock-area schools have built distinct pathways to help students at every stage reach that goal. Whether you are just starting college, already hold a bachelor’s in another field, or are a working RN with an associate degree, a program in or near Round Rock matches your situation.
Texas State University Round Rock offers a traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing.1 The program follows a standard four-year or upper-division sequence after prerequisites, with full-time daytime scheduling.
Texas A&M University Round Rock hosts a Second-Degree BSN for students who already hold a non-nursing bachelor’s.2 The intensive, campus-based program runs 15 months with full-time daytime classes.2 Evening or weekend options are not currently available.2 Texas State does not offer this track,1 so Texas A&M is the sole local provider for accelerated students.
Texas State Round Rock’s RN-to-BSN is an entirely online program designed for working RNs.1 You can complete it in as few as 12 months,1 with scheduling flexibility that lets you keep working.1 Texas A&M does not offer an RN-to-BSN,2 making Texas State the go-to for diploma- or associate-degree-prepared nurses in the area.
Together, these tracks cover the spectrum of nursing education pathways in the Round Rock area, though no single school provides all three , so your choice will align with your starting point and learning preferences.
The hospitals where you complete clinical rotations in Round Rock often become your first employer after graduation. Strong partnerships between nursing schools and local health systems mean that a clinical shift is as much a job interview as a learning experience.
Baylor Scott & White Round Rock, St. David's Round Rock Medical Center, and Ascension Seton Williamson form the backbone of clinical training in the region. Texas State University's St. David's School of Nursing, located on the Round Rock campus, holds a formal affiliation with St. David's HealthCare, giving BSN and MSN students direct exposure to its facilities and nursing staff. Austin Community College's large ADN program draws clinical placements across these same systems, while regional BSN completion programs for RNs utilize the extensive network of Baylor Scott & White, which operates a dedicated Nursing Institute to coordinate academic collaboration and clinical education.
Hiring managers at these hospitals regularly extend offers to students who demonstrate competence and fit during rotations. Baylor Scott & White maintains career pipelines through structured residency programs and externships that transition new graduates directly into bedside roles. St. David's HealthCare has a similar track record of converting clinical participants into employees, reinforcing the value of placing clinical hours strategically.
State-level aid eases the cost of such programs. The Texas Nursing Scholarship Program supports nursing students statewide, while the TEXAS Grant benefits public-university students with financial need, helping to offset tuition at institutions like Texas State. On the employer side, Baylor Scott & White offers tuition reimbursement for job-related degrees, including ADN-to-BSN and BSN-to-MSN pathways. St. David's HealthCare and other donors also provide scholarship funds through Texas State's nursing school.
At the federal level, the HRSA Nurse Corps Scholarship covers tuition and fees in exchange for a service commitment in a high-need area; the Nurse Corps Loan Repayment program similarly helps graduates manage federal student loans. Students who plan ahead can stack employer assistance with these sources, significantly reducing out-of-pocket costs while cementing a post-graduation job.
Prospective nursing students often have questions about programs in Round Rock. Here are quick answers to the most common queries.
