How to Get Into an Accelerated BSN Program

Nursing is one of the fastest-growing careers, with employment for registered nurses (RN) projected to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035 with about 180,800 openings for RNs expected each year over the next decade (BLS, May 2025). Pay varies by state and experience, but RNs who earn their bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) can potentially earn more than their peers—the national average annual wage for RNs was $101,420 as of May 2025 (BLS).*

A BSN is quickly becoming the industry standard for RNs: nearly 70% of employers prefer BSN-educated nurses, and about 1 in 4 require it for new hires (AACN, 2023), but earning a BSN degree can take anywhere from three to four years. Students who have already earned a bachelor's degree and want to transition to a career in nursing have another option available to them – an accelerated BSN program, and many accelerated programs pair online coursework with in-person clinical training, so you don't have to put your life on hold to make the switch.

At a Glance: Accelerated BSN Programs

What is an accelerated BSN program?

An accelerated BSN pathway is designed to provide a fast track to a BSN degree for students who already have a bachelor's degree in another field. An accelerated program can be completed in as little as 20–24 months, depending on how many science prerequisites you need to complete first, helping you advance your career faster and putting you on the path to a higher salary.

Many BSN programs also allow you to earn credits toward your Master's of Science in Nursing (MSN) to provide even more advancement opportunities in the field while saving you time and money on both degrees.

Who should consider an accelerated BSN program?

An ABSN program tends to fit a specific kind of student: someone who already holds a bachelor's degree in another field and is ready for a career that feels more hands-on and more meaningful. If any of the following sounds familiar, an accelerated path is worth a look:

• You already have a non-nursing bachelor's degree and don't want to start a degree over from scratch.
• You're coming from a healthcare-adjacent role (EMT, CNA, medical assistant, research) and want to move into direct patient care.
• You can commit to a full-time, fast-paced course load rather than studying part time over several years.
• You want to start earning an RN salary sooner rather than later, without sacrificing a BSN-level credential.
• You're comfortable with a hybrid schedule. Online coursework is balanced with in-person labs and clinical hours.

Accelerated students also tend to bring something traditional first-time students don't: AACN research describes them as typically older, highly motivated, and holding higher academic expectations of themselves and their programs — which is part of why so many accelerated programs are built around a compressed, intensive format instead of a slower, part-time one.

If you're looking to earn your BSN degree quickly online, here are five tips for getting into an accelerated program:

Tip 1: Choose the right school

Because accelerated programs move quickly and demand a lot of your time and effort, it's important to select a school that will work with you and support you in your career transition. Look for a school that offers smaller class sizes, supportive faculty and staff, and flexible course schedules. For students concerned about the cost of an accelerated program, look for a school that offers financial aid options and scholarships for nursing students.

Tip 2: Make sure you meet program requirements

Qualifications for an accelerated BSN program will vary depending on the school, but students enrolling in Herzing University's accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program must have earned a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. Because the curriculum in accelerated programs can be very challenging, schools also require a certain grade point average (GPA) for admission. Herzing students must have a 2.5 GPA or higher from the college they earned their bachelor's degree.

Tip 3: Take the TEAS

The Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) is designed to assess students' readiness for entering the health science fields. You might be required to take this test on your own for admission into an accelerated nursing program. To qualify for Herzing's ABSN program, students must receive a composite score of 66 on the TEAS. High-scoring students might qualify for additional scholarship opportunities, such as the Nurses Circle of Achievement Scholarship.

Tip 4: Determine which credits will transfer

Students enrolled in an accelerated BSN program can receive transfer credit for general education courses they completed during their previous undergraduate studies. Once you have selected a school, schedule a meeting with an admissions advisor to discuss your previous work and education experience and determine which credits will transfer over to your new program. For example, if you previously earned a degree in another healthcare-related field, you might be able to receive credit for basic science courses you completed in your original bachelor's program.

Tip 5: Be prepared for fast-paced learning

An accelerated BSN program is just that – accelerated. Make sure you have the time, energy and work ethic that's needed for this demanding profession and the fast-paced learning and training that comes along with it. While the curriculum is difficult and moves quickly, Herzing University's faculty and staff work with you at every turn, offering support when you need it.

How accelerated BSN programs work

"Accelerated" means the same core BSN content delivered on a tighter, more intensive timeline, usually with no long summer or winter breaks between terms. A few things to expect:

• Online + on-campus hybrid format. General education and many nursing theory courses are completed online, while nursing labs, simulation, and clinical rotations happen in person at one of Herzing's campuses.
• Full-time, continuous enrollment. Most ABSN students take one cohort straight into the next rather than the start-stop pacing of a traditional degree, which is what compresses a 3–4 year path into roughly 20–24 months.
• 120 total credits, combining general education, nursing theory, and supervised clinical hours with community healthcare partners.
• Cohort-based learning. You move through the nursing core with the same group of classmates, which tends to build the kind of peer support that helps students get through an intense course load.
• Built-in pathway to an MSN. Because select courses carry dual credit, ABSN graduates who want to keep going into a Master's of Science in Nursing can often do so faster than starting an MSN from zero.

Why should you pursue your ABSN now?

• Federal health workforce projections point to a shortage of roughly 267,330 full-time RNs by 2028 (HRSA, December 2025).
• U.S. nursing schools turned away nearly 92,672 qualified baccalaureate and graduate applicants in 2025, not for lack of interest, but because of faculty, clinical-site, and budget constraints (AACN, 2025–2026).
• The BLS projects about 180,800 RN job openings each year through 2035, most from a mix of growth and retirements.

In short: the need for BSN-prepared nurses isn't slowing down, and the faster path in is a practical one for career changers.

If you’d prefer an alternative route, there are other nursing paths you can explore, including becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), earning your associate degree or enrolling in a traditional BSN program.