Nursing schools in Virginia: top programs and what to know before you apply

Virginia has a deep and varied nursing education infrastructure, driven in part by the large military and federal healthcare presence in Northern Virginia and the Hampton Roads region. The state hosts more than 80 nursing programs across community colleges, regional universities, and major academic medical centers – covering everything from associate degree programs to BSN, accelerated BSN, and RN-to-BSN completion tracks. Virginia has been a Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) state since January 1, 2005 and implemented the enhanced NLC on January 19, 2018, which means a Virginia multistate RN license is recognized across the 40 states where the compact is implemented. For nurses who plan to work across state lines or pursue travel nursing, that compact membership is a significant practical advantage.

Types of nursing programs available in Virginia

ADN programs (2 years, post-prerequisites) Community colleges across Virginia offer Associate Degree in Nursing programs. These are typically two years of full-time clinical coursework, following 1–2 semesters of prerequisite science courses. Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), Tidewater Community College, Germanna Community College, and Piedmont Virginia Community College all run well-established ADN programs. ADN graduates sit for the NCLEX-RN and enter practice as registered nurses, then commonly pursue RN-to-BSN completion online.

BSN programs (4 years) Four-year BSN programs are available at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), James Madison University (JMU), George Mason University, Old Dominion University, Radford University, and Liberty University, among others. BSN graduates are increasingly preferred by Magnet-designated hospital systems in Virginia’s major metros.

Accelerated BSN (12–18 months) For candidates who already hold a bachelor’s degree in another field, accelerated BSN programs compress the BSN into intensive full-time study. VCU’s School of Nursing, Marymount University, Jefferson College of Health Sciences, and Shenandoah University offer accelerated BSN tracks. Typical requirement: bachelor’s degree with prerequisite sciences completed within 5–7 years, minimum GPA of 3.0–3.2.

LPN programs (12–18 months) Licensed Practical Nurse programs are offered at community colleges and vocational schools throughout Virginia. LPNs can later bridge to RN through LPN-to-ADN or LPN-to-BSN programs.

Online and hybrid options RN-to-BSN completion programs are widely available online for working Virginia nurses, including options through Old Dominion University, Liberty University, and Western Governors University (WGU).

Admission requirements

Virginia nursing programs share a common prerequisite core, though specifics vary by school and program type.

Standard prerequisites for ADN and BSN programs:

Most Virginia programs require prerequisite science courses completed within the past 5–7 years.

Entrance exams: The ATI TEAS is the most common entrance exam for Virginia nursing programs; some programs also accept HESI A2. Competitive scores are generally at the 60th percentile and above for community college programs, and 75th percentile and above for university BSN programs. See ATI TEAS vs. HESI: which exam does your school require? for a full comparison.

GPA: Minimum GPA requirements across Virginia programs typically run 2.5–3.0 cumulative, with science GPA of 3.0 or higher being competitive for BSN programs. If your GPA is below the threshold for your target program, see our guide on nursing schools that accept lower GPAs.

Application timeline: Most Virginia programs accept applications once or twice per year, with fall entry being the primary intake. Community college programs often use a point-based or lottery selection system due to demand exceeding available seats.

Notable nursing schools in Virginia

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Nursing – Richmond VCU’s School of Nursing is the state’s flagship research nursing school and holds CCNE accreditation. It offers BSN, accelerated BSN, RN-to-BSN, MSN, DNP, and PhD tracks. The accelerated BSN (ABSN) program is 15 months and among the most competitive in Virginia. VCU Health, the affiliated academic medical center, is one of the state’s largest Level I trauma centers and provides clinical placement for nursing students.

James Madison University Department of Nursing – Harrisonburg JMU’s nursing program is CCNE-accredited and consistently earns high NCLEX first-attempt pass rates. The BSN program is four years and integrates clinical simulation throughout the curriculum. JMU has a strong reputation for producing practice-ready graduates and a supportive learning environment.

Old Dominion University School of Nursing – Norfolk ODU’s School of Nursing is CCNE-accredited and located in Hampton Roads, one of Virginia’s largest healthcare markets. It offers BSN, RN-to-BSN, MSN, and DNP programs. The RN-to-BSN program is available fully online, making it a common choice for working nurses in the Tidewater region.

George Mason University Department of Nursing – Fairfax George Mason’s nursing program serves the Northern Virginia and DC metro market. CCNE-accredited BSN and graduate programs. The proximity to major hospital systems in the DC metro – Inova, Virginia Hospital Center – supports strong clinical placement opportunities.

Marymount University School of Health Sciences – Arlington Marymount offers an accelerated BSN for career changers, located in Arlington and positioned for clinical placements at Inova Fairfax Hospital and other Northern Virginia health systems.

Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) – Multiple campuses NOVA’s ADN program is ACEN-accredited and one of the most enrolled nursing programs in the state. Competitive admission – the program uses a points-based selection system. Graduates achieve strong NCLEX pass rates and transition readily to employment in the DC metro healthcare market.

NCLEX pass rates and licensing

Virginia’s Board of Nursing (VBON) oversees RN and LPN licensure and publishes program-level pass rate data.

In 2025, 4,987 first-time, US-educated candidates tested for Virginia RN licensure and 4,413 passed – an 88.5% pass rate, against a national figure of 86.7%. Virginia sits 1.8 points above the national number, and it is one of a small number of states testing more than 4,000 first-time RN candidates a year, so that result reflects a large and stable cohort rather than a small-sample swing.

The degree-type split is close. Virginia’s associate-degree cohort passed at 89.0% (2,144 of 2,409) and its baccalaureate cohort at 88.0% (2,269 of 2,578) – the ADN cohort marginally ahead. That runs against the national pattern (BSN 87.6%, ADN 86.1%) and against the common assumption that a BSN produces materially better exam outcomes. In Virginia the credential you choose should turn on cost, timeline, and employer preference rather than on any expected licensure advantage.

Virginia’s first-time NCLEX-PN pass rate in 2025 was 88.6% (1,354 of 1,528), also above the national PN figure of 86.6%.

The 80% rule is written into Virginia law, not a rule of thumb. Virginia Administrative Code 18VAC90-27-210 requires that a nursing education program maintain a first-time NCLEX pass rate of not less than 80%, calculated on the cumulative results of the past four quarters for all graduates in each calendar year. The consequences escalate on a defined schedule: a program falling below 80% for one year must submit a plan of correction to the board; below 80% for two consecutive years, the board places the program on conditional approval, requires a plan of correction, and conducts a site visit at the program’s expense; below 80% for three consecutive years, the board may withdraw approval entirely. New programs earn full approval only after achieving at least 80% across a minimum of 20 graduates within a two-year period.

This is a stronger consumer protection than most states offer, and it gives you a concrete number to check. Ask any Virginia program for its last three years of first-time pass rates and whether it has ever been placed on conditional approval. See NCLEX pass rates by nursing school to compare specific programs, and NCLEX first-attempt strategy for preparation guidance.

Compact status: Virginia has been an NLC state since January 1, 2005 and implemented the enhanced NLC on January 19, 2018, which added member states and introduced the compact’s 11 Uniform Licensure Requirements. Nurses who held an original Virginia NLC multistate license were grandfathered into the eNLC. A Virginia multistate license is valid for practice in every implemented compact state without obtaining separate licenses – a major benefit for travel nurses, military spouses, and nurses living near state borders. Virginia nurses must maintain Virginia as their primary state of residence to hold a Virginia multistate license.

As of 2026, 43 jurisdictions have enacted the compact and 40 states have implemented it – Massachusetts, Guam, and the US Virgin Islands have enacted it without setting an implementation date. All five states bordering Virginia – Maryland, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and North Carolina – are implemented compact states, which few states can claim and which makes a Virginia multistate license unusually portable across the mid-Atlantic and upper South.

The one gap sits in the DC metro. The District of Columbia has never enacted the compact – legislation to authorize it has been introduced in the DC Council but has not passed – so a Virginia multistate license does not permit practice in District hospitals. Nurses living in Arlington or Alexandria and working at a DC facility need a separate District of Columbia license. Maryland-side employers in Bethesda or Silver Spring are covered by the compact, so the barrier applies specifically to crossing into the District.

To apply for RN licensure in Virginia, visit the VBON website. You will submit proof of nursing program completion, NCLEX registration through Pearson VUE, and complete the VBON application and background check.

Salary and job market

Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data for May 2025 places Virginia’s median annual RN wage at $93,600, modestly below the national RN median of $97,550. The state’s percentile spread runs from $67,830 at the 10th percentile through $80,090 at the 25th, $103,030 at the 75th, and $125,580 at the 90th.

That spread is wide, and geography explains most of it. Northern Virginia and the Washington DC metro sit toward the upper end, reflecting both the cost of living in that corridor and the concentration of large health systems; rural Southside and Southwest Virginia sit toward the lower. A new graduate should expect to start in the $67,800–$80,100 band, with experienced and specialty roles reaching the $103,000–$125,600 range.

Virginia LPNs earn a median of $64,920 (May 2025), close to the national LPN median of $64,400, with a range of $50,580 to $79,170 between the 10th and 90th percentiles.

Major healthcare employers in Virginia:

• Inova Health System – Northern Virginia’s dominant health system, with Inova Fairfax Hospital and multiple campuses throughout Fairfax and Loudoun counties
• VCU Health – Richmond’s academic medical center and Level I trauma center
• Sentara Healthcare – Norfolk-headquartered system with hospitals across Hampton Roads and increasingly statewide
• Bon Secours Mercy Health – Operates Richmond-area hospitals including St. Mary’s and Memorial Regional

The military and federal healthcare footprint in Hampton Roads (Naval Medical Center Portsmouth), Northern Virginia, and the DC suburbs creates additional demand for nurses, including civilian positions at federal facilities.

BLS projects national RN employment growth of 5% between 2024 and 2034, faster than the average across all occupations, with roughly 189,100 openings per year over the decade. Most of that volume comes from replacement demand as nurses retire or leave the profession rather than from net new positions, which is why hiring stays brisk despite a modest-looking growth rate. Demand in Virginia is strong in acute care, home health, and community health settings.

How to choose the right program

NCLEX pass rates are the clearest indicator of a program’s outcomes, and in Virginia the threshold is set in regulation rather than left to judgment. Look up the VBON’s published pass rate data for any program you are considering. Under 18VAC90-27-210, a program below 80% for one year owes the board a plan of correction, below 80% for two consecutive years goes on conditional approval with a site visit, and below 80% for three consecutive years can lose approval altogether. A program sitting under 80% is therefore already in a formal remediation process, which is worth asking about directly.

Accreditation: Choose only ACEN- or CCNE-accredited programs. Both accreditors are nationally recognized; ACEN typically accredits ADN and diploma programs, while CCNE is more common at BSN and graduate levels. Accreditation affects eligibility for federal financial aid, RN-to-BSN acceptance, and employer recognition.

Clinical placement quality: Programs near major hospital systems offer better clinical variety. In Northern Virginia and Richmond, programs with partnerships at Inova, VCU Health, and Sentara give students exposure to high-acuity environments.

Cost: Virginia community college ADN programs are significantly less expensive than private university BSN programs – often $8,000–$20,000 total versus $60,000–$100,000+ at private institutions. RN-to-BSN completion online is a cost-effective bridge for ADN graduates. See is nursing school worth the debt? for a full cost-benefit analysis.

Online vs. in-person: ADN and BSN clinical tracks require in-person clinical hours regardless of how much coursework is offered online. RN-to-BSN completion programs, however, are largely or fully online – practical for working nurses.

For a full framework on program selection, see how to choose a nursing school.

Next steps

1. Apply for your RN license through the VBON at dhp.virginia.gov once you complete your nursing program. Virginia processes applications online.
2. Register for NCLEX-RN through Pearson VUE at pearsonvue.com/nclex once you receive Authorization to Test (ATT) from the VBON.
3. Explore program prerequisites in detail at nursing school prerequisites by state.
4. If you’re comparing Virginia to other states with compact license privileges, see our guide to nursing license requirements by state.

Find accredited schools in Virginia

Ready to compare specific programs? See our directory of accredited nursing schools in Virginia with locations, program types, and accreditation status.

References

1. National Council of State Boards of Nursing, “2025 NCLEX Examination Statistics,” Research Brief Vol. 96, June 2026. Table 8 (first-time, US-educated NCLEX-RN candidates by degree type and jurisdiction) and Table 14 (NCLEX-PN by jurisdiction).
2. Virginia Administrative Code 18VAC90-27-210, “Passage rate on national examination,” Regulations for Nursing Education Programs, Virginia Board of Nursing.
3. Virginia Administrative Code 18VAC90-27-140, “Causes for denial or withdrawal of nursing education program approval,” and 18VAC90-27-150, “Granting full program approval,” Virginia Board of Nursing.
4. Virginia Board of Nursing, Department of Health Professions, “Nurse Licensure Compact” applicant resources; Virginia implemented enhancements to the compact on January 19, 2018.
5. National Council of State Boards of Nursing, “Nurse Licensure Compact,” implementation status by jurisdiction, 2026.
6. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 29-1141 (Registered Nurses), Virginia state estimates.
7. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 29-2061 (Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses), Virginia state estimates.
8. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, “Registered Nurses,” employment projections 2024–2034.
9. Virginia Board of Nursing, “Testing Pass Rates,” program-level NCLEX results, Virginia Department of Health Professions.
10. Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, accredited program directories, 2026.