Direct Admit Nursing (BSN) Fall 2025 admits- class of 2029

College Majors Nursing Majors
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Hi all-

The threads for the last few years have been very helpful as I reseach BSN direct admit nursing programs along with my daughter.

With this admission cycle winding down, I thought I’d start a new thread to continue conversation with many now-familiar names I’ve met in the other threads.

Fall will be here along with senior year before you know it. Good luck to everyone with their sanity and their admissions!

First question - has anyone found a good source for the size of BSN programs at various universities. I’ve been trying to put together a list but it’s very hunt-and-peck, one-school-at-a-time websearching. Made me wonder if there’s a ready source (or has someone more industrious than me already done it?)

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I believe there are nursing school specific websites, but for me, I just did them all one by one onto a google sheet by averaging total number of nursing bsn students and dividing by number of years. I would suggest to quickly limit down to just a few schools, that way touring and deep research will be much easer. My list started out with 10, and I got it all the way down to 2.

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I had a hard time finding that information, but truly my daughter didn’t care all that much. They will split the cohort in half generally each year rotating classes sem 1 and sem 2.

I do know Pitt is around 200 if that helps at all :slight_smile:

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Can confirm that for the class of 2028, they expect around 220 students for Pitt, per decision day visit.

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yes that does help, thanks- and I agree it may not matter that much. I just have a daughter that’s not as motivated about the process as I am (does that ring true for anyone else :slight_smile: ) and keeping myself busy by building lists and spreadsheets!

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Guilty!! My best advice is to get the common app essay done mid summer so she’s ready to apply early. Great to have all the apps done before senior year starts if possible. If Pitt is on her radar (not sure what you are looking at) the earlier the better since they have rolling admission.

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Thanks for starting this thread. I will be following along even though my D is only a rising junior (high school class of 26 / college class of 30).

We have a very early list of direct entry BSN schools, and have struggled to find info including cohort size and admission rates for nursing. Here’s what I have for cohort size so far

Marquette 220 (recently increased)
U of Minnesota 118

^^ those were confirmed on recent tours.

EDITED TO ADD: U Minnesota got 1059 applications, accepted 289, for 118 seats. Middle 50% unweighted GPA 3.84-4.0, ACT 27-32, SAT 1300-1450

From school webpages I also have:

U of Iowa 80
U Conn 115
UVA 76
Boston College 125

We have not been able to find detailed nursing data regarding the vast majority of schools on my D’s list. I will jump back on to add more info as she visits more schools and/or attends virtual info sessions.

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Holy cow is it time for the class of 2029 already? LOL - mom of a 22 BSN/RN here.

I think most nursing cohorts are around 200, despite the size of the overall university. Maybe smaller if they go to a smaller school. Any nursing college should be able to tell you whatever statistics you want to know.

The summer before applying, we reached out to different colleges to get information and do tours. It wasn’t the same as with students on campus, but we were able to sit down with the nursing dean/admissions person and ask questions and get a tour.

Good luck!

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Just sharing info I had gathered last year:

Michigan State takes 80 fall and 40 spring for a total of 120 a year from the pre-nursing group. (and 15 direct admit spots)

Miami U Ohio takes 190. They shared on the zoom meeting that for 2024 HS grads they had 1700 applied, 800 admitted, and they want 190.

Western Michigan has 20 direct admit spots. Not sure how many total.

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Each state publishes NCLEX testing results, listed by college. Some of the test takers are grad students, but this raw data will give you a rough idea of program size.
Google (state) NCLEX results. It’s usually found within the state’s licensing board.

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It can change every year and if the program is direct entry the number of students doesn’t really matter as all passing students in the program will get a clinical placement. Regardless of total number, competitive highly ranked schools are still competitive in the nursing program. A bigger number of spots does not mean less students apply.

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We are in this class! From some various tours and info sessions I can add the following:

Case Western 135-145, they don’t cap

Purdue 140

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Did either Case or Purdue give you numbers re: acceptance rates (e.g., number of applicants, number accepted) and/or mid-50% range for GPA/test scores?

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Case did not.

Purdue, according to online info session we went to, gets 1500-1600 applications to nursing every year for 140 spaces, 30-40% acceptance rate, was 25% Fall 2023, if you get alternative major you can apply to switch to nursing after 1st year (only available to Purdue students).

We also toured Villanova and Penn recently. I feel like Villanova was around 20% acceptance (this was in person so I didn’t write down) and want a minimum 32 ACT. I can’t remember how many spaces Villanova has, I think Penn has 100.

A lot of schools have online webinars, we are going to events for Creighton and Northeastern soon.

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Notes from Purdue info session:

You will need a car by senior year

140 nursing students every fall

Breaking ground on new nursing building - will open 2027

Top 8% program in nation, #1 in Indiana

Direct Admit program

Not competition amongst students because you don’t have to get into program later

Clinicals begin sophomore year - includes simulation lab time, 810 total clinical hours in 3 years

State board requires 75 hours per clinical, Purdue does 90 hours, so you get extra experience

95% NCLEX passing rate, 99% last year, help you figure out licensing by state

Program integrates preparation for the test into the program, there is a class senior year that helps prepare you and gives you an idea of your chance of passing exam

4 Year program - you can’t graduate early, but you can take summer classes of non nursing classes to make the load easier

Abroad opportunities are available during breaks and summer - they don’t recommend during the school year. They have a Maymester that a lot of students use for study abroad, also during winter session (over winter break)

Junior year is the most challenging year, harder classes and clinical experiences

Anatomy and Chemistry are hard freshman year, more nursing heavy courses sophomore year including pathopharmacology, Med Surge junior year

Good to have CNA and shadow experiences to make you more comfortable for clinicals

Purdue does a quality improvement project senior year, either at a hospital or another program to create strategies to improve identified problem, includes a presentation

Simulation labs - there is a YouTube video

One way mirrors in simulation labs so they can observe you, other students also observe

Clinicals in IU Health, Riley Children’s Hospital, retirement communities, 2 hospitals about 20 mins away in Lafayette (Purdue is in West Lafayette), up to 60 minutes away in Indianapolis

Involvement - HSS ambassadors represent the school, mentoring program with older nursing students, nursingspecific clubs/activities, dance marathon is huge and raises money for Riley

Application process: ACT or SAT test expected, holistic review, application opens August 1st through common app, November 1st is EA app deadline - must apply by Nov 1 for nursing, self reported grades and test scores and then school can later send transcript, you can put 2 majors - put nursing as your primary and then choose and 2nd major just in case (such as public health) or any other major in Health and Human Sciences School, admissions decision on 1/15, you can be admitted, deferred, waitlisted, rejected, or offered 2nd major

1500-1600 applications to nursing every year for 140 spaces, 30-40% acceptance rate, was 25% Fall 2023, if you get alternative major you can apply to switch to nursing after 1st year (only available to Purdue students)

Most nursing grads go on to work as RNs, some return for DNP degrees

You can apply to jobs starting before graduation/licensing, but depends on the hospital

Many nurses do minors in Human Development or Psychology, also medical Spanish

Nursing program is not a pathway for medical school

They encourage you to talk about wanting to be a nurse and why, be very clear!!!

There will also be Purdue specific questions - why Purdue, why nursing(what are you bringing to the table for Purdue and nursing)

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Notes from Case Western webinar:

  1. New building in 2019
  2. Ranked 5th for BSN
  3. You’ll complete 1000 clinical hours, double national average
  4. You start clinical hours freshman year
  5. They find clinical hours for you - at Cleveland Clinic and other local hospitals
  6. More hours and fewer classes junior and senior years
  7. Cleveland Clinic is #2 hospital in the country
  8. Senior research capstone 280 hours
  9. Leadership development - lots of clubs and leadership opportunities
  10. Student life - they want to make sure you are part of community and join clubs etc
  11. Lab space - created with Cleveland Clinic to mirror the hospital setting, they have a perio-operative lab - 1 of only 2 BSN programs that have a perio-operative lab, they also have a critical care transport center that has a helicopter on hydraulics (refurbished from Hurricane Katrina) and simulates helicopter transport
  12. Lab is usually 45 min lecture and then application, teachers observe behind mirrors and grade you
  13. Many students note that the labs are nicer than the hospitals they work in afterwards
  14. Interprofessional Education - there is nursing, medical, and dental and they work together across disciplines
  15. Direct entry program - there is no cap, they have had classes up to 145, currently around 130-145 per year, no second application
  16. Not possible to double major, but you can minor in another health field or even dance etc
  17. Abroad opportunities - trips (mostly during breaks and summer) to Dublin, Ireland, Thailand, Spain and South America, you can also do a semester abroad through CWRU, but it is harder to take Fall or Spring (will add semester)
  18. Clinical are with 6-8 people, they make sure they include someone with a car in each group and they also have shuttles to the health education campus and hospitals, one hospital is 10-15 mins away but you can carpool
  19. You’ll graduate with BSN and take NCLEX exam (95%) pass rate, they integrate prep for NCLEX in curriculum, you get RN licensure after exam, if you want to become a Nurse Practitioner they offer 10 specialties at CWRU and many students will return to pursue that master’s degree
  20. There is a flight certificate program available to students if you’d want to do flight nursing
  21. Dorms/rooming is not major specific, you can live where you want
  22. Freshman clinicals are about 4 hours and simple bedside care, by senior year you will have 12 hour shifts and you can submit preferences for day, night, etc.
  23. With NCLEX you can select cluster of states for practice after exam, so you can choose if you want to return home, etc
  24. First year clinicals at University Hospital, 3rd and 4th years mostly Cleveland Clinic
  25. Many students are graduating with jobs at the Cleveland Clinic - worth considering to stay for a while
  26. There’s a stethoscope ceremony at the beginning of 1st year
  27. They are looking for strong test scores, gpa, recommendations, and why CWRU essay, but shadowing/hospital experience is great and helpful.
  28. Some students work as tour guides and other campus jobs.
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So helpful! Thank you. We have a lot of the same schools on our list (although I am working hard to add more “likely” schools). I will be following carefully!

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Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, IL has an excellent nursing program. I think they’ve had a 100% NCLEX pass rate the last several years and have been at least 98% each year for the last 25 years.

While it’s not a direct admit per se, as long as you have something like a B+ or so average in your pre-req’s you’re in.

It’s a very small school but you have clinicals in all sorts of places and hospitals around the Chicago area.

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So far we’re looking at the following:

U Penn
Georgetown
BC
Emory (not direct)
U Michigan
UVA
UNC CH
Villanova
Northeastern
Case Western
U Rochester (not direct, may be doing a 5 year w Masters option)
Wisconsin (not direct)
Ohio State (some direct spots)
Pitt
Washington (not direct)
Indiana
Purdue
U Delaware
Marquette
Creighton
SLU

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Villanova has 100.

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