An Associate in Nursing will take your career in the healthcare field to a much more employable level. These days, it is imperative for nurses to have both a solid education and certification in their profession. Many institutions require a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, but a great place to start is with an Associate Degree, which will take care of all of the most difficult and time-consuming portions of your education. Completing the program online will require independent dedication to your classes, but it also gives you the flexibility of working wherever you are most comfortable.
QUICK LINKS
We have compiled several additional links to help you with your future nursing career, such as:
20 Best Online Schools for Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Degrees
Top 20 Online Master’s of Nursing Degree Programs
8 Best Online Schools for Doctor in Nursing Education Degree Programs
Check this out: Nursing Degree and Career Guide
This Healthcare, Behavioral Science, and Nursing Degrees link will direct you to many interesting topics relevant to a career in Nursing!
Best Online Schools for Associates in Nursing
Methodology ADN – Associates Degree in Nursing:
The researcher/writer at OnlineSchoolsCenter.com select the online schools for their rankings according to strict criteria. The specifications for the institutions of higher distance education chosen for the Best Online Schools for Associate’s in Nursing included:
- An Associate of Science or an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing,
- The coursework offered online (not including on-campus labs and clinical experiences),
- Retention rates no lower than 50% (retention rates are a sign of student satisfaction),
- Regional accreditation (required) and program accreditation (preferred),
- High-quality coursework that is instructed by well-qualified faculty members,
- And Nursing, academic, and financial resources available to online students.
For more information, please visit our Methodology Page.
Featured Programs
JOHN A. LOGAN COLLEGE
Online ADN
Program Standouts:
The John A. Logan College online Associate Degree in Nursing is a hybrid online program that exercises the psychomotor, cognitive, and practical preparation for a career in the healthcare field. The hybrid portion of the program includes clinical and labs in which students take part on and around campus, while coursework is completed online at a distance. The exciting array of coursework at John A. Logan College online prepares students for various scenarios in the hospital and clinical settings so that graduates are ready to take on positions as entry-level nurses with certification in their field.
Campus Location: Carterville, IL
Accreditation:
- Higher Learning Commission
230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500
Chicago, Illinois, 60614-1413
www.hlcommission.org, (800) 621-7400
Sampling of Coursework:
- Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
- Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II
- I.V. Therapy
Acceptance Rate: 100%
Retention Rate: 62%
Graduation Rate: 9.4%
LEARN MORE ABOUT JOHN A. LOGAN COLLEGE’S ONLINE ASSOCIATE DEGREE IN NURSING PROGRAM
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NORTH CENTRAL MISSOURI COLLEGE
ONLINE ASSOCIATES IN NURSING
Program Standouts:
The North Central Missouri College Online Associate Degree in Nursing is nine months long, and students can attend clinics and labs at the Trenton or Maryville campuses. The school accommodates as many personal and academic preferences for individual students as possible. All the coursework and testing can be completed from the students’ homes. The coursework is taught be well-established and highly-experienced nurses, each of whom brings different worlds of information to the virtual classroom, from mental health nursing to pediatrics. This is a well-accredited program not only from the accreditation commission but from the state of Missouri, as well.
Campus Location: Trenton, MO
Accreditation:
- Higher Learning Commission
230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500
Chicago, Illinois, 60614-1413
www.hlcommission.org, (800) 621-7400 - Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation
Sampling of Coursework:
- PN to ADN Transitions
- Mental Health Nursing
- Leadership in Nursing
Acceptance Rate: 100%
Retention Rate: 55%
Graduation Rate: 38.3%
LEARN MORE ABOUT NORTH CENTRAL MISSOURI COLLEGE’S ONLINE ASSOCIATE DEGREE IN NURSING (ADN) PROGRAM
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MINNESOTA WEST COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE
ADN ONLINE
Program Standouts:
This online Nursing program from Minnesota West Community and Technical College is designed for individuals with a Licensed Practicing Nursing certificate who are looking to advance their education with an Associate Degree. Those who complete this program are well-prepared to sit for the NCLEX-RN examination. The degree culminates with assessments in an ATI Integrated predictor exams and an ATI Review course, both of which are massively beneficial in gaining nursing certification. The coursework builds upon an enhances the LPN’s skills and understanding in healthcare delivery, and will refine the necessary techniques for practice in many different settings and environments.
Campus Location: Washington, MN
Accreditation:
- Higher Learning Commission
230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500
Chicago, Illinois, 60614-1413
www.hlcommission.org, (800) 621-7400 - Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
Sampling of Coursework:
- Acute Care Clinical I and II
- Patient & Family-Centered Care for Special Problems
- Clinical in Alternate Setting
Acceptance Rate: 100%
Retention Rate: 62%
Graduation Rate: 55%
LEARN MORE ABOUT MINNESOTA WEST COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE’S ONLINE AS IN NURSING PROGRAM
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EXCELSIOR COLLEGE
ACCREDITED ONLINE ADN
Program Standouts:
Excelsior College provides two online Nursing Degrees—an Associate of Science and an Associate of Applied Science. The AS degree includes transferrable credit hours for students who plan on continuing their education in a bachelor’s program. The AAS degree is a career-based program that is designed to prepare graduates for the job market. Therefore, the general education coursework varies between the two-degree options. Courses in the Excelsior Associate in Nursing programs are 8-week accelerated classes that are rigorous, yet effective, and fulfilling. Each program includes theory and practice-based topics that introduce online students to the complexities and high-level of responsibility involved in their future careers.
Campus Location: Albany, NY
Accreditation:
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education
- Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
Program Options:
- Associate of Applied Science in Nursing
- Associate of Science in Nursing
Acceptance Rate: 100%
Retention Rate: unavailable
Graduation Rate: 43.8%
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE EXCELSIOR COLLEGE ONLINE ASSOCIATE IN NURSING PROGRAMS
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NORTHWESTERN MICHIGAN COLLEGE
ADN ONLINE
Program Standouts:
The Northwestern Michigan College of Nursing is a full-time program and provides all of the theory and practical education for entry-level positions in the nursing field. This is a synchronous program that requires all online degree-seeking students to be available for a full-time course-load that must be followed in sequence. The strict nature of the scheduling makes for a high-quality Associate in Nursing Degree that ensures the preparedness of graduates to enter into the fast-paced workforce. This is an excellent pre-nursing curriculum that is a prudent first step for individuals seeking further education and certification in the healthcare field.
Campus Location: Traverse City, MI
Accreditation:
- Higher Learning Commission
230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500
Chicago, Illinois, 60614-1413
www.hlcommission.org, (800) 621-7400 - Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
Sampling of Coursework:
- Fundamentals of Nursing
- Nursing Across the Lifespan
- Mental Health Nursing
Acceptance Rate: 100%
Retention Rate: 78%
Graduation Rate: 25.5%
LEARN MORE ABOUT NORTHWESTERN MICHIGAN COLLEGE ONLINE NURSING ASSOCIATE’S DEGREE (ADN)
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It is a requirement to earn an Associate in Nursing for any nurse who is trying to advance their career, gain more responsibility, and increase their pay-scale. These five online schools will introduce distance education applicants to the best programs available to them with as much online availability as possible. Students in these programs will gain invaluable experiences and knowledge alongside their fellow nurses-in-training, and will graduates ready to take on high-pressure nursing positions in many different types of environments.
Featured Programs
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I have to attend lab and clinicals at the school?
Yes, you will. These online schools require that students attend all clinical experiences and labs at the physical campus. However, you may be able to work with the faculty members and administration to not attend every credit hour of these portions of the program on campus, but there are no guarantees. Online students should be prepared to travel to areas near the school’s campus.
Will I be able to work with my classmates and professors online?
Absolutely! You will have many learning experiences that involve direct contact with the members of your cohort, as well as your nursing instructors and advisors. No one can get through nursing school along, and each one of these online schools will give you all of the support you need to get through the rigorous coursework.
Can I earn my BSN after my ASN?
If you plan on continuing your nursing education in a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, which can also be completed at a distance (if you are interested in doing so, please navigate to the OnlineSchoolsCenter.com Program Page), then you will want to complete an Associate of Science in Nursing, as opposed to an Associate of Applied Science. The A.S. degree includes transferrable credits that can be applied to a Bachelor’s degree, whereas the A.A.S. degree is geared more toward students immediately entering the workforce.