Nursing Schools in Minnesota

Minnesota is home to thousands of lakes, the Mall of America, and numerous frontier icons. The state has thousands of miles of lakefront coastline, and kids in this state can spend their winters playing pond hockey with friends. However, you can also find numerous nursing schools in Minnesota.

Nature lovers in Minnesota can spend their hours visiting the numerous national parks in the state, including the North Country Scenic trail and Pipestone National Monument. Minnesota is a beautiful place, and the state provides its’ people with great opportunities. One great career opportunity for people in this state is nursing.

Nursing Education in Minnesota

The Minnesota Board of Nursing is charged with accrediting nursing programs across the state. They must regularly check up on every nursing program to ensure that every student is receiving the best possible education.

The board approves schools to offer Licensed Practical nursing programs and to offer Registered Nurse programs. Each program must adequately prepare students for a career as a nurse, and for the NCLEX exams.

Students looking for an LPN certification will find several excellent programs, including Central Lakes College in Brainerd, which is known for having an amazing pass rate on final exams. Walden University in Minneapolis is known for training the best-Registered Nurses. Nurses coming out of their program rarely struggle to pass the national exams and often have long-lasting careers.

Minnesota offers great opportunities for both LPN’s and RN’s. There are thousands of new nursing jobs created in the state each year. LPN’s can easily find a program that will train them as registered nurses, and RN’s can move up and become Doctorates in Nursing or Nurse practitioners. There are many great jobs out there for nurses in Minnesota.

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Concordia College Tri-College University Nursing Consortium

Concordia is one of only six institutions in the nation to offer a BA with a major in Nursing, rather than a BSN, giving the course a stronger flavor of arts and humanities rather than the more usual science focus. The program is fully accredited by CCNE and program graduates are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN licensure examination. Previous graduates of Concordia have recorded pass-rates for this examination consistently higher than the state and national average.

Concordia offers two tracks to degree completion. The first is a traditional four-year degree program. The second is a 16-month accelerated program for students who have already completed a four-year degree in another subject. This program confers a second major in nursing (rather than a second baccalaureate degree).

901 8th Street. S.

Moorhead, MN 56562

218-299-4000

Website: http://www.cord.edu

Metropolitan State University

Many courses in the nursing curriculum at Metro State employ online teaching and learning strategies and the nursing program is accredited by CCNE. For students looking for a traditional BSN option, the university works in partnership with seven community colleges to offer a joint curriculum leading to a BSN after four years of study. Students may enroll directly with Metro State or at their preferred community college.

An RN to BSN option is also on offer. This program is a part-time, five-semester course of study. Aspiring students who already hold a non-nursing first degree may apply for the direct entry seven-semester MSN program. A nine-semester BSN to DNP option which prepares nurses for advanced practice as family nurse practitioners (FNP) is also available. The curriculum for this program includes four full semesters of clinical placement rotations through which students accumulate at least 1,000 hours of experience.

Saint Paul Campus (STPL)

700 East Seventh Street

Saint Paul, MN 55106

651-793-1300

Website: https://www.metrostate.edu/

University of Minnesota Minneapolis School of Nursing

The CCNE accredited School of Nursing at the University of Minnesota received the 2017 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award for its outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. It is also a leader in nursing informatics education, with a 2017 #2 ranking in the U.S. & World Report, recognizing its excellence in preparing nurses and nurse educators to utilize and teach effective use of technology in healthcare. The school partners with more than 250 health and community organizations to ensure students have access to a variety of supervised clinical experiences.

The traditional BSN program can be taken at both the Twin Cities and Rochester campuses. The Master of Nursing program is a full-time, 16-month graduate-level program for students with a baccalaureate degree in a non-nursing field. DNP, PhD, and certificate programs are also options for students further along in their studies.

5-140 Weaver-Densford Hall

308 Harvard Street SE

Minneapolis, MN 55455

612-624-9600

Website: https://twin-cities.umn.edu/

Winona State University School of Nursing

Founded in 1858, Winona State University is a public university with approximately 8,400 students. Close to 340 students per year graduate from the nursing school which is properly accredited by CCNE. Students can develop their skills and knowledge at one of two major campuses in Rochester and Winona or at the satellite campus in La Crescent, Minnesota. Online and hybrid RN to BSN and graduate nursing programs that are planned around the educational needs of professional nurses in practice are also part of the portfolio of courses on offer.

The nursing curriculum is intended, above all, to develop students’ leadership knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Clinical experience is not neglected as students also complete public health practice experiences at a variety of community partners.

P.O. Box 5838

175 West Mark Street

Winona, MN 55987

507-457-5000

Website: https://www.winona.edu/

Minnesota Board of Nursing Approved Schools

Augsburg College School of Nursing
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Programs: BSN, MSN
Founded in: 1869
Accreditation body: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
Website: http://www.augsburg.edu

Bemidji State University School of Nursing
Location: Bemidji, Minnesota
Programs: BSN
Founded in: 1919
Accreditation body: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
Website: http://www.bemidjistate.edu

Bethel University School of Nursing
Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Programs: BSN, MSN
Founded in: 1871
Accreditation body: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
Website: http://www.bethel.edu

College of Saint Benedict School of Nursing
Location: Saint Joseph, Minnesota
Programs: BSN
Founded in: 1887
Accreditation body: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
Website: http://www.csbsju.edu

College of Saint Catherine School of Nursing
Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Programs: BSN, MSN
Founded in: 1905
Accreditation body: Accreditation Commission For Education in Nursing (ACEN)
Website: http://www.stkate.edu

The College of Saint Scholastica School of Nursing
Location: Duluth, Minnesota
Programs: BSN, MSN
Founded in: 1912
Accreditation body: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
Website: http://www.css.edu

Concordia College Tri-College University Nursing Consortium
Location: Moorhead, Minnesota
Programs: BSN, MSN
Founded in: 1891
Accreditation body:
Website: http://www.cord.edu

Gustavus Adolphus College School of Nursing
Location: Saint Peter, Minnesota
Programs: BSN
Founded in: 1862
Accreditation body: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
and Accreditation Commission For Education in Nursing (ACEN)
Website: http://www.gac.edu

Metropolitan State University School of Nursing
Location: Saint Paul, Minnesota
Programs: BSN, MSN
Founded in: 1971
Accreditation body: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
Website: http://www.metrostate.edu

Minnesota Intercollegiate Nursing Consortium
Location: Northfield, Minnesota
Programs: BSN
Founded in: N/A
Accreditation body: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
and Accreditation Commission For Education in Nursing (ACEN)
Website: http://www.stolaf.edu

Minnesota State University Mankato School of Nursing
Location: Mankato, Minnesota
Programs: BSN, MSN
Founded in: 1868
Accreditation body: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
and Accreditation Commission For Education in Nursing (ACEN)
Website: http://www.mnsu.edu

Minnesota State University Moorhead Tri-College University Nursing Consortium
Location: Moorhead, Minnesota
Programs: BSN, MSN
Founded in: 1885
Accreditation body: N/A
Website: http://www.mnstate.edu

Saint Cloud State University School of Nursing
Location: Saint Cloud, Minnesota
Programs: BSN
Founded in: N/A
Accreditation body: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
Website: http://www.stcloudstate.edu

Saint John’s University School of Nursing
Location: Collegeville, Minnesota
Programs: BSN
Founded in: N/A
Accreditation body: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
Website: http://www.csbsju.edu

Saint Olaf College School of Nursing
Location: Northfield, Minnesota
Programs: BSN
Founded in: 1874
Accreditation body: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
and Accreditation Commission For Education in Nursing (ACEN)
Website: http://www.stolaf.edu

University of Minnesota Minneapolis School of Nursing
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Programs: BSN, MSN, PhD
Founded in: 1851
Accreditation body: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
Website: http://www.umn.edu

Winona State University School of Nursing
Location: Winona, Minnesota
Programs: BSN, MSN
Founded in: 1858
Accreditation body: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
Website: http://www.winona.edu