What gpa do you need to have to get into a nursing program

I was an Associate Dean of Administration for a Bachelor of Science - Nursing program in California that graduates the largest number of new baccalaureate nurses in our state. With respect to Bachelor's programs in Nursing, the GPA required in high school courses or pre-requisite courses varies depending upon the college where you seek your Nursing degree, and individual accomplishments and qualifications (not just GPA) sometimes play a role in admission decisions as well.

Public universities' nursing programs most often offer excellent instruction and the most cost-efficient way of obtaining your Nursing degree and preparing for licensing exams. Because they are lower in cost than private school options, admission to public Nursing programs is very competitive. Each university can establish its own admission requirements for its Nursing program, and each qualifying applicant is evaluated individually.

My advice to students wanting admission to public university pre-Nursing courses is to maintain at the very least a 3.0 gpa in high school, and hopefully much higher than that. Anything lower could could disqualify you. In fact a gpa of 3.5 or more would make you far more competitive for admission purposes. A university with many undergraduate students and a very limited number of available spots in its core Nursing program will look more favorably on students whose gpa's in pre-requisites are in the A- to A range (3.7-4.0), although there may be exceptions. Wait lists and lottery admissions are not uncommon. This doesn't mean that students with lower gpa's aren't capable of being great nurses. There are just a limited number of spots in many Nursing programs, so the students with the best gpa's have a clear admission advantage.

If you are unable to gain admission to a public university's registered Nursing program, or face a long waiting list or lottery to get in, you could opt for a private Nursing program that may have less stringent GPA and admission requirements. Or, you could assess the possibility of becoming a Licensed Vocational Nurse (also known as Licensed Professional Nurse), or prepare for another job in the health care field.

There can be major pitfalls with private Nursing programs, so before applying to a private program research the university's average pass rates for state Board exams, accreditation and costs. Private programs may not be available in all states or in all metropolitan areas. Private universities can be very expensive, so most students choosing to pay such high tuition use loans and other forms of financial aid. They understand that Registered Nursing jobs pay well, so loan re-payment is a feasible expense. In addition, private university Nursing programs may guarantee that you will advance to Nursing core courses if you achieve certain grades (often 3.0) in all your pre-requisites, and may allow you to repeat courses once or twice if needed.

However, I would caution you against enrolling in a private Nursing program unless they have the same accreditation as public universities, and Board pass rates no more than 5% lower than state averages. Your state's Board of Registered Nursing likely publishes Board pass rates for all programs (public and private) in your state.

It depends one how likley it is you want to be employed as a Nurse. The School means everything.

It depends on the nursing program. Generally, you want to have a higher than average GPA, especially if there is competition for who wants to get in. At the college I work at, your GPA needs to be higher than a 3.5 with at least a B in most of the entrance-required courses (Anatomy and Physiology, Biology, etc.).