Compare tuition, NCLEX pass rates, and program formats for Virginia Beach's top-ranked nursing programs.
Virginia Beach anchors the southern end of the Hampton Roads healthcare corridor, a regional network of military and civilian hospitals that employs over 60,000 healthcare workers. Demand for registered nurses in the metro area has grown 12% since 2020, driven by military family care and an expanding geriatric population.
BSN programs in and around the city range from traditional four-year degrees to accelerated tracks for career changers and RN-to-BSN programs for working nurses. Many now offer hybrid online components to accommodate clinical shift schedules.
Statewide, NCLEX-RN pass rates among Virginia BSN graduates averaged 87.3% in 2026, just below the national benchmark, making program selection a direct factor in licensure readiness.
Virginia Beach nursing students can choose from a range of strong programs across the state, but one school stands out for its deep ties to the Hampton Roads healthcare community. The following ranking blends institutional quality metrics with local relevance, highlighting options that serve aspiring and working nurses in Coastal Virginia.
| Rank | School | Location | Net price | Best for | |
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| #1 | Riverside College of Health Careers | Newport News, VA | $20,000 – $25,000/yr | Hampton Roads students seeking local clinical placements | |
Riverside College of Health Careers in Newport News offers a BSN program firmly embedded in the Hampton Roads healthcare landscape. As part of the Riverside Health System, the college provides extensive clinical rotations at Riverside hospitals and clinics serving Virginia Beach and the Peninsula, giving graduates a direct employment pipeline into one of the region's largest employers. A single tuition rate for all students and small class sizes with an 8:1 student-faculty ratio add to its appeal as a hands-on, community-focused nursing school.
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| #2 | Centra College | Lynchburg, VA | $13,000/yr | Virginia RNs needing an accelerated online completion | |
Centra College's RN-BSN program is a fully online post-licensure degree tailored specifically to Virginia-based registered nurses. The 100% asynchronous format allows RNs to continue working while completing the BSN in as few as 12 months full-time or two years part-time. With a remarkable 100% graduation rate and low median debt, the program delivers strong value, though its clinical partnerships are concentrated in Central Virginia rather than Hampton Roads.
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| #3 | University of Virginia | Charlottesville, VA | $22,000/yr (net price) | High-achieving students targeting a nationally ranked BSN | |
The University of Virginia offers multiple pathways into its nationally ranked BSN program, including a traditional four-year track, a three-year transfer option, and an intensive two-year accelerated BSN for career changers. In-state tuition applies equally to Virginia Beach residents, and the school actively recruits from the Tidewater region. UVA's strong NCLEX outcomes and 10-year median earnings of $86,863 provide a clear return on investment, though the competitive admission and Charlottesville location require a relocation for most Hampton Roads students.
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| #4 | James Madison University | Harrisonburg, VA | $23,000/yr | ||
James Madison University's BSN program in Harrisonburg emphasizes innovative instruction and a low faculty-to-student ratio. Though located in the Shenandoah Valley, the program draws students from across Virginia, including the coastal region, under a single in-state tuition structure. Graduates enjoy strong NCLEX performance and rapid career progression, with 10-year median earnings of $69,954 and a solid graduation rate of about 80%.
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| #5 | George Mason University | Fairfax, VA | $15,000 – $20,000/yr | ||
George Mason University's School of Nursing provides a traditional four-year BSN and a 12-month accelerated second-degree BSN for career changers. The Fairfax campus is a hike from Virginia Beach, but GMU's in-state tuition category applies equally across the Commonwealth. Clinical placements are concentrated in the National Capital region, and the school reports a solid 67.8% graduation rate with 10-year median earnings of $76,343, signaling a healthy ROI for graduates.
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| #6 | University of Mary Washington | Fredericksburg, VA | $21,000/yr (net price) | ||
The University of Mary Washington's RN-BSN completion program is a hybrid offering that blends online coursework with some on-campus sessions in Fredericksburg. It serves RNs who hold an associate degree or diploma and want to advance their qualifications. The program welcomes community college transfers from Virginia's VCCS, including those from Hampton Roads, and can be completed in one year full-time, making it a practical step for working nurses in the region.
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| #7 | Wytheville Community College | Wytheville, VA | $5,000 – $11,000/yr | ||
Wytheville Community College's Associate of Applied Science in Nursing is an affordable ADN option for students in Southwest Virginia. While its campus is far from the coast, the program is approved by the Virginia Board of Nursing and reports high NCLEX pass rates. Virginia Beach residents pay the same in-state tuition and can later transfer credits to RN-BSN programs statewide. With net price under $5,000 and median graduate debt of just $7,500, it offers a low-cost entry into nursing.
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| #8 | Virginia Commonwealth University | Richmond, VA | $23,000/yr | ||
Virginia Commonwealth University's traditional BSN is a three-year, in-person program in Richmond that leverages the resources of a major academic medical center. Consistently ranked in the top 6% of undergraduate nursing programs by U.S. News, VCU draws students from Tidewater and all corners of the state. The curriculum emphasizes clinical reasoning and hands-on experience, and graduates post 10-year median earnings of $58,128.
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| #9 | New River Community College | Dublin, VA | ~$6,000/yr (est.) | ||
New River Community College in Dublin offers an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing that is approved by the Virginia Board of Nursing. The campus-based program provides rigorous preparation for the NCLEX-RN at a very affordable price, with a net price of just $6,279 and median graduate debt of $9,000. While located in the Appalachian region far from Virginia Beach, the low cost and strong transfer pathways to BSN programs make it an option for budget-conscious state residents.
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| #10 | Germanna Community College | Locust Grove, VA | $5,000 – $12,000/yr | ||
Germanna Community College's Nursing Associate Degree is a two-year pathway to RN licensure. With an estimated program cost of $11,260 and a net price under $5,600, it is one of the most affordable ADN options in the Virginia Community College System. The campus in Locust Grove is oriented toward Central/Northern Virginia, but residents from Virginia Beach pay the same in-state tuition and can later articulate into BSN programs statewide.
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Every nursing school ranking is only as useful as its methodology. We’re laying ours out in full.
We started by identifying all accredited BSN programs within a 75-mile radius of Virginia Beach, drawing from accredited nursing schools in Virginia across the broader Hampton Roads region. Each program was then assessed on four publicly verifiable data points: - Net price: The average cost after financial aid, drawn from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard, to capture affordability. - Graduation rate: The institution-wide completion rate, used as a proxy for overall student support and academic quality. - Program format: Availability of online, hybrid, accelerated, or part-time options that working students and career changers often need. - Earnings outcomes: Median earnings of former students one year after leaving the institution, from Scorecard data, to signal short-term return on investment.
No single statistic tells the whole story. The graduation rate applies to the entire school, not specifically to nursing students, and net price is an institutional average that may not reflect a nursing program’s actual cost. We treat NCLEX-RN pass rates, which come from the Virginia Board of Nursing and not federal data, as a critical measure of program effectiveness; those are analyzed separately in a dedicated section. These trade-offs mean our ranking provides a broad, data-informed starting point rather than a definitive judgment.
In 2026, Virginia’s overall NCLEX-RN pass rate was 87.3%1, landing just below the national average of 87.5%2. These numbers set a benchmark, but individual BSN programs in the Virginia Beach area often post higher or lower rates.
NCLEX pass rates measure how well a program prepares students for licensure, the exam every nursing graduate must pass to practice. Consistently low rates can signal weak instruction, inadequate clinical prep, or lax admissions. Most state boards, including Virginia’s, consider rates below 80% a red flag that may trigger closer scrutiny of a program.
The Virginia Board of Nursing publishes annual NCLEX-RN pass rates for every approved prelicensure program, searchable by school and campus. For example, Virginia Peninsula Community College (which offers an ADN but illustrates the region’s performance) recorded a 90.7% pass rate in 20243. While BSN-specific figures from nearby schools like Old Dominion University, Virginia Wesleyan University, and ECPI University fluctuate from year to year, you can compare their latest results directly on the board’s website. Because exam content and student cohorts change, look at three-year trends rather than a single year’s data before judging a program’s stability.
With demand for nurses at an all-time high across Hampton Roads, nursing programs in Virginia Beach have adapted by intensifying clinical placements and simplifying licensure pathways.
BSN programs in the Virginia Beach area generally require a high school diploma or equivalent and a minimum cumulative GPA between 2.5 and 3.0, though some may set a higher bar. Prerequisite courses typically include anatomy and physiology I and II with labs, microbiology with lab, a college-level math or statistics course, English composition, developmental psychology, and nutrition. Most schools mandate the TEAS or HESI entrance exam; for example, ECPI University requires the TEAS and supplements the application with a personal essay and admissions interview. Background checks are standard across institutions, and some programs also ask for CPR certification or healthcare experience.
Nursing students in Virginia Beach complete rotations at major regional health systems that often double as future employers. Key partners include Sentara Healthcare, Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters (CHKD), Bon Secours, and the Naval Medical Center Portsmouth. These facilities provide exposure to medical-surgical, pediatric, maternity, and community health settings. Many graduates find their first RN positions within these same hospital networks, thanks to strong clinical-to-hiring pipelines.
After earning a BSN from an approved program, candidates must pass the NCLEX-RN exam and apply to the Virginia Board of Nursing. The application requires a criminal background check and a fee (currently $190 for licensure by examination). Once licensed, RNs renew every two years with 30 hours of continuing education or alternative learning activities such as a refresher course or specialty certification. Out-of-state nurses can apply for endorsement if they meet equivalent standards.
For students who already hold an ADN or LPN, RN-to-BSN and LPN-to-BSN bridge programs offer streamlined advancement. Admission to these tracks usually requires an active nursing license, a minimum GPA in previous nursing coursework, and sometimes a statistics prerequisite. Accelerated second-degree BSN programs, designed for career-changers with a non-nursing bachelor’s degree, are more intensive and may demand a higher GPA (often 3.0 or above) along with strong grades in science prerequisites. These fast-track options compress clinical hours and coursework into 12–18 months.
Hampton Roads is a healthcare powerhouse, driven by a large military population, an aging demographic, and major investments like the Sentara expansion. These forces keep demand for registered nurses high across Virginia Beach and the surrounding metro area.
