By Jeff Murphy,
May 6, 2020
WARRENSBURG, MO – Nationwide, registered nurses (RN) are in high-demand, and one of
the best ways for people in this field to advance their career is to earn a bachelor’s
degree. The University of Central Missouri is helping nurses to build their professional
credentials through its online RN to BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) degree –
a program that was recently recognized by the national rankings organization, Intelligent.com.
Intelligent.com ranked UCM’s online RN to BSN 33rd on a list of its Top 60 RN to BSN Online Degrees. UCM’s program ranked higher
than any other program in Missouri on the list, and was recognized as the degree having
the “fastest completion time” among all other programs that were mentioned in its
online rankings feature.
In ranking schools, Intelligent.com looked at non-profit programs accredited by the
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or Accreditation Commission for
Education in Nursing (ACEN) to help determine which programs provide rigorous training
that will enable nurses to obtain the education they need to advance in their careers.
In addition, they considered program strength using an algorithm that collects and
analyzes multiple rankings from other college evaluators related to quality coursework,
and considered return on investment to determine how easy it would be to earn back
the cost of a degree.
“On average, RNs earn $26,000 more with a BSN than with an associate degree, and the
average cost of our RN to BSN online degrees was about $14,000. This means that you’ll
be able to earn back the cost of your degree well within the first year after you
graduate,” Intelligent.com notes in its online feature. “The less expensive the school,
the higher its ROI score. Only five schools required more than a year to cover the
cost of their diploma, earning lower scores as a result.”
UCM’s nursing program is accredited by CCNE. It is 100 percent online, and out-of-state
students pay the same tuition rate as in-state students. The program is offered in
an eight-week course format and with credit from previous coursework, students can
complete their BSN in as little as two semesters. With the option of a flexible part-time
plan, they also can choose a coursework pace that fits their lifestyle. A minimum
of 30 credit hours must be earned at UCM and the last 12 credit hours required for
the degree must be earned at UCM.
To learn more about UCM’s RN to BSN program, visit the nursing website at ucmo.edu/nursing. Also call 660-543-4775 or email nursing@ucmo.edu.