Registered Nurses in New York must hold a minimum of an associate degree from an educational institution registered by the New York State Education Department and pass the NCLEX-RN licensure examination.
Studying for your associate degree in nursing in New York
There are more than 70 ADN programs across the state of New York, delivered by community colleges, universities and dedicated nursing schools attached to hospitals. Programs vary in length between 18 months and four years depending on the institution and the options are chosen. Available formats include both daytime and evening/weekend study options to suit traditional and non-traditional students.
The state of New York has signed into law a requirement that all Registered Nurses who qualify through an associate degree must earn a baccalaureate or higher degree in nursing within ten years of initial licensure. The exemptions matter as much as the rule. You are exempt if you held an unrestricted RN license in New York, another state, a US territory or Canada on or before 18 June 2020; if you were eligible for and had applied to sit the NCLEX on or before that date; if you had entered an acceptable baccalaureate or higher program on or before that date and stayed continuously enrolled; or if you had an application pending in a registered RN program on or before that date.
For nurses who are covered, the first cohort reaches its ten-year deadline at the next registration renewal period occurring on or after 18 June 2030, when NYSED will ask for evidence that the degree was attained. Two forms of relief exist. A conditional registration can be issued to an RN who misses the ten-year deadline but commits to finishing the degree; it runs for one year at a time and can be renewed annually for good cause. A temporary educational exemption covering a single two-year period is available to an RN who can show they applied to a baccalaureate program on at least two occasions and were denied for lack of seats.
New York is not a member of the original Nurse Licensure Compact. However, the state of New York has legislation pending which will allow it to become a member of the Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact. This means that RNs registered in New York will become eligible to obtain a multi-state license.
Featured programs
The Belanger School of Nursing
This hospital-based school, part of Ellis Medicine, awards an Associate in Science (AS) degree in nursing. The program is registered by the New York State Education Department jointly with Schenectady County Community College and is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).
Pre-requisite courses for admission include biology, chemistry, and algebra. Confirm the current admissions test and GPA expectations directly with the school, since entrance-exam requirements change between application cycles.
The 64 credit curriculum is designed to be completed in four semesters. The primary focus is clinical care of the hospitalized patient, with additional learning experiences in public health, primary care, and community services. The required courses in biological and behavioral sciences are provided at Schenectady County Community College. The school also holds articulation agreements with Excelsior College and Western Governors University for graduates continuing to a bachelor’s degree.
After completion of the program, graduates are eligible to sit the NCLEX-RN licensure examination.
1101 Nott Street
Schenectady, NY 12308
518-831-8810
Website: https://www.ellismedicine.org/school-of-nursing/
Hudson Valley Community College
Hudson Valley Community College offers a nursing education program leading to an award of Associate of Applied Science in Nursing (AAS). The program can be completed in two years of full-time study with clinical nursing components beginning immediately. There is also a four-year part-time evening option with clinical nursing elements beginning two years after the start of the program.
This associate degree program is one of the most popular programs at Hudson Valley, and only around a quarter of applicants receive an offer of a place. Pre-requisite courses include biology, chemistry and math and completion of the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS).
Hudson Valley Community College is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) and approved by the New York State Education Department. Graduates are eligible for the NCLEX-RN licensure examination.
80 Vandenburgh Avenue
Troy, NY 12180
518-629-4822
Website: https://www.hvcc.edu/hsc/nur/
Maria College
Maria is a Catholic college sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy. It offers an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree to prepare students with both a theoretical and clinical foundation for their nursing career. The classroom curriculum focuses on the science behind excellent nursing care while opportunities to practice the art of nursing are delivered through labs and clinical rotations.
Maria offers both a four-semester day option and a six semester evening option. Pre-requisites for entry to the program include courses in math, chemistry, and biology, a minimum GPA of 2.5 and completion of the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS).
Maria College is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) and approved by the New York State Education Department. Graduates are eligible for the NCLEX-RN licensure examination.
700 New Scotland Avenue
Albany, NY 12208
518-438-3111
Website: https://mariacollege.edu/academics/nursing/nursing-aas-rn
Pomeroy College of Nursing at Crouse
Pomeroy College, affiliated with Crouse Health, offers an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree with a major in nursing. Class and clinical options run during both day and evening/weekend, and the college publishes accelerated routes including a “Degree in 3” pathway and an “RN in 16 Months” option alongside the traditional two-year format.
The college offers classroom, laboratory and computer-assisted study, extensive clinical hours and a low student-to-instructor ratio.
The admission process is selective and competitive. A holistic approach is used to assess candidates, with academic achievement considered alongside previous life experiences, personal qualities, and evidence of interest in healthcare. Check the college’s admission requirements page for the current pre-requisite courses and entrance testing, which vary by entry pathway.
Pomeroy College is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) and registered by the New York State Education Department. Graduates are eligible to sit the NCLEX-RN licensure examination.
5000 Brittonfield Parkway, Suite B201
East Syracuse, NY 13057
315-470-7481
Classes are also held at the Marley Education Center, 765 Irving Avenue, Syracuse.
Website: https://www.crouse.org/nursing/
St. Elizabeth College of Nursing
St. Elizabeth College of Nursing is a two-year private, non-profit college affiliated with the Mohawk Valley Health System. The college offers an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) which is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) and approved by the New York State Education Department. Graduates are eligible to sit the NCLEX-RN licensure examination.
The college offers a two-year daytime track including nursing courses only; a three-year daytime track which includes general education, science pre-requisite and nursing courses and a part-time evening/weekend option. The student-faculty ratio is 10:1 and the college is proud of its small class sizes and state-of-the-art technology. A strength of the school is its approach to clinical experience which combines the theory learned in class with immediate nursing practice and application of knowledge.
2215 Genesee St,
Utica, NY 13501
315-798-8347
Website: https://www.secon.edu/
Benefits of associate degree programs
ADN students cover a substantially similar curriculum to BSN students but with fewer purely academic components. This generally means that an associate degree can be completed more quickly than a bachelor’s. Entering the workforce sooner allows newly qualified RNs to gain experience and pay for the cost of their education more quickly. However, the new legal requirement in New York to complete a BSN within ten years of licensure may offset these benefits.
Accreditation and licensing in New York
Two separate things are commonly confused here, and only one of them is required.
What New York requires is registration of the program by the New York State Education Department. Programmatic accreditation is a voluntary quality review carried out by a private accreditor. At the associate level that accreditor is the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or the NLN Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (NLN CNEA). The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), the accreditor prospective students hear about most often, accredits only baccalaureate, graduate, and residency or fellowship programs – it does not accredit an ADN, so its absence from an associate program says nothing about that program’s quality.
Nurse Licensing in New York is managed by the Office of the Professions, which is part of the New York State Education Department (NYSED). The Professional Education Program Review unit within the Office of the Professions is responsible for registering nursing education programs within the state. To meet the education requirements for an RN license in New York, you must graduate from a nursing education program that has been registered by NYSED.
In addition to educational institutions requiring registration, RNs must obtain an individual license in order to practice in the state. ADN graduates obtain a license by passing the NCLEX-RN examination at the end of their program of study.
Overview of associate degree programs in New York
Although there are a substantial number of ADN programs running across the state, entry to these programs is often highly competitive. Applicants are asked to complete pre-requisite courses, admissions tests, achieve minimum GPAs and offer evidence of a sustained interest in nursing.
There are a number of different ways of referring to associate degrees in nursing. These include ADN, for Associate Degree, Nursing; AN, for Associate of Nursing; ASN, for Associate of Science in Nursing; and AAS, for Associate of Applied Science in Nursing. As long as the program is registered by the New York State Education Department, graduates of all of these types of associate degrees are eligible to take the NCLEX-RN examination to obtain a license to practice as a Registered Nurse in the state.
Choosing an associate degree program in New York
Many community colleges, universities and dedicated nursing schools across the state offer an associate degree program. The most critical factor in choosing an institution is that the nursing program is registered by the New York State Education Department, since that is what makes graduates eligible for the NCLEX-RN. ACEN or NLN CNEA accreditation is a further quality signal on top of it. After this has been confirmed, other factors to consider include:
- The type of educational institution and the quality of the teaching
- Curriculum and educational philosophy
- Pre-requisite courses
- Length of program
- Clinical hours and where these take place
- Program outcomes such as NCLEX-RN pass rates compared to state and national figures, course completion rates, student satisfaction, and graduate hiring data
- Tuition and additional costs
References
- New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions, “New York State’s BSN in 10 Law,” op.nysed.gov – ten-year baccalaureate requirement, 18 June 2020 exemption date, conditional registration and temporary educational exemption provisions.
- New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions, “Enactment of a Baccalaureate Degree in 10 Years Requirement for Registered Professional Nurses,” advisory notice, op.nysed.gov.
- New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions, “Registered Professional Nursing: License Requirements,” op.nysed.gov – NYSED program registration as the education requirement for RN licensure.
- New York Codes, Rules and Regulations, Title 8, Part 64, “Nursing,” op.nysed.gov.
- Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, “ACEN Accreditation Manual: Standards and Criteria for Associate Programs,” acenursing.org.
- Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, “Standards for Accreditation of Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing Programs,” American Association of Colleges of Nursing – scope limited to baccalaureate, graduate, and residency or fellowship programs. CCNE approved a revised 2026 edition of these Standards on 7 July 2026, realigning them with the AACN Essentials (2026 edition); the 2024 Standards remain in effect through 31 December 2026 and the 2026 Standards take effect 1 January 2027 (CCNE press release, https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/0/PDFs/CCNE/CCNE-Press-Release-2026-Education-Standards.pdf).
- NLN Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation, “Accreditation Standards for Nursing Education Programs,” National League for Nursing.
- Belanger School of Nursing, Ellis Medicine, ellismedicine.org – 64-credit AS curriculum over four semesters, joint NYSED registration with Schenectady County Community College, Excelsior and WGU articulation agreements.
- Bill and Sandra Pomeroy College of Nursing at Crouse, crouse.org/nursing – AAS in nursing, ACEN accreditation, day and evening/weekend options, East Syracuse location and Marley Education Center.
- Hudson Valley Community College, “Nursing,” hvcc.edu – AAS in nursing, two-year full-time and four-year part-time evening tracks, ACEN accreditation.
- National Council of State Boards of Nursing, “2025 NCLEX Examination Statistics,” ncsbn.org.