Online nursing classes

Coursework can often move online. Clinical hours cannot. Here is how to tell a sound online option from a risky one.

By Simmie J.Figures checked against official government and agency dataUpdated

Online nursing study falls into three kinds, and the rules are different for each.

Prerequisite and general education courses

Most community colleges and universities offer anatomy, statistics, psychology, nutrition and English online. Science courses with labs are sometimes in person or use home lab kits, and nursing programs differ in whether they accept online labs. Confirm with the nursing program before you enroll. See prerequisites for nursing.

RN-to-BSN programs

Registered nurses with an associate degree or diploma can earn a bachelor’s degree online. These programs build on your license and cover topics such as leadership, community health, research and evidence-based practice. Most are part-time, and many can be finished in 12 to 24 months, with clinical or practicum hours arranged near where you work. Enrollment in RN-to-BSN programs was 92,447 in fall 2025, according to the AACN annual survey.

Graduate programs

Many master’s and doctoral programs offer online or hybrid coursework, including for nurse practitioners, educators, informatics and administration. Advanced practice tracks still require supervised clinical hours, and the school or you must find preceptors in your state. Ask who arranges them.

Prelicensure programs

A program that leads to your first nursing license cannot be completed entirely online. The coursework can be hybrid, with online lectures, but skills labs, simulation and clinical rotations take place in person. Be wary of a program that promises a license with no in-person clinical hours, since the state board will not approve it.

How to vet an online program

  1. Approval and accreditation. Check the board of nursing in the state where you will practice and the program’s ACEN or CCNE accreditation. Our accredited program lists show the accreditor by level.
  2. State authorization. Some schools cannot enroll students in every state. Ask whether the school is authorized in your state and whether the program meets your board’s rules.
  3. Clinical placement. Ask who finds sites and preceptors, how far you may need to travel, and what happens if no site is found.
  4. Total cost. Check per-credit tuition, technology fees and whether you can use employer benefits. See how to pay for nursing school.
  5. Outcomes. Look for graduation rates and, for prelicensure hybrid programs, first-time NCLEX pass rates. Our school pages show whether a program offers an online option.
  6. Transfer. Ask how many credits from your associate degree count toward the bachelor’s.

Compare programs on how to choose a nursing school.