Degree Ladders

In the first six months of 2017, over 130,000 men and women sat for the NCLEX-RN—the national standardized nursing exam that every nursing student must pass in order to officially become a registered nurse. All of those candidates must also have completed an accredited nursing program before sitting for the exam, but there are many different pathways to reach the exam: Some graduated from high school and immediately entered a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at a four-year college or university; others earned a bachelor’s degree in something else entirely, and then returned to school for a one- to two-year accelerated BSN degree; still others finished high school and then continued on for an Associate of Science in Nursing (ADN) at a two-year community college or career college.