When you’re trying to pursue a career in nursing, it’s important to have a solid foundation. This makes choosing the right school a critical factor to your success.
There are a lot of nursing schools in San Antonio but each of them offers different options when it comes to completing programs. And since they have different approaches, be sure to be thorough in your search.
To help you out, here are the best and highest rated nursing schools in San Antonio.
1San Antonio College
If you’re moving to San Antonio to pursue your passion for nursing, San Antonio College should be at the top of your list. With 300 to 400 students enrolling in its Nursing program each semester, it’s easily the best nursing school in San Antonio, which also includes the shortest RN to MSN online program.
Prerequisite courses are required when applying for an admission – you need to have completed science courses with a GPA of 2.5 or higher. Once you’re in, you can expect for the curriculum to be outstanding and its program highly competitive. All nursing programs offered by the school follow the Texas Concept-Based Curriculum, ensuring their graduates are prepared to work in healthcare. Most of its graduates are able to get positions in a lot of acute and long-term health care facilities there.
The school’s Nursing Generic Program lasts for two years. During such time, students with no prior medical experience or training are prepared to become registered nurses who are able to provide safe, patient-centered, and quality patient care. Compared with other programs offered, San Antonio’s Nursing program is in the affordable range. For students valuing flexibility, the department offers online, hybrid, and face-to-face classes.
Once you’ve successfully completed its nursing education program, you can take the National Council Licensing Examination for registered nurses. In 2023, San Antonio College achieved a passing rate of 98.27%. The school is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing.
2Galen College of Nursing
The Galen College of Nursing offers Vocational Nursing programs, as well as RN Bridging programs for licensed vocational nurses.
Their nursing programs have three main components – the theoretical study which requires classroom or online learning, the laboratory learning which includes scientific and clinical simulations, and the clinical part where students will be exposed to actual clinical settings.
The Vocation Nursing Program (LPN/LVN) lasts for 12 months and is designed for those who want to start an introductory role in nursing. You can take the NCLEX-PN® exam after completing the program and start your nursing career fast. If you’re already an LPN/LVN and want to earn an associate degree, the LVN to RN bridging program takes 18 months to complete. It’s the step to take if you want to advance your career and become a registered nurse.
For those new to nursing and want an associate degree, Galen College offers an ADN program, your most direct route to being a registered nurse. Students are meticulously trained with a clinical-focused curriculum and practical training for two years. Want a Bachelor’s Degree instead? The institution also offers the 3-year, accelerated BSN program for students who are new to nursing but want to start strong in healthcare with a bachelor’s degree.
Galen College of Nursing also offers an online RN to BSN program. You can find out more about it here:
3Ila Faye Miller School of Nursing and Health Professions – University of the Incarnate Word
The traditional BSN program offered by Ila Faye Miller School of Nursing and Health Professions at the University of the Incarnate Word is fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. Application to the program is possible in two ways – by directly applying to the university or through NursingCAS.
To be considered for the program, a minimum of 2.5 cumulative GPA in all coursework and 2.5 in all science coursework are required. The prerequisite coursework should be completed as well.
An Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program is also available. Applicants must have at least a non-nursing bachelor’s degree or at least 60 non-nursing college credits from an accredited institution. The total duration for this program is 16 months.
Committing to the ABSN program includes 62 credit hours of online didactic coursework, hands-on learning labs at our learning site in San Antonio, and clinical training in multiple settings.
4Chamberlain University
Chamberlain University’s campus locations are spread across the country and they happen to have a nursing school right here in San Antonio. There are no prerequisites when applying and you can finish your BSN degree in just three years, a year faster than conventional bachelor nursing programs.
Moreover, Chamberlain’s nursing program in San Antonio consists of a minimum of 122 credit hours: 56 credit hours in general education and 66 credit hours in the nursing major. Students get competitive learning and training courtesy of the school’s high-tech nursing labs, such as the SIMCARE CENTER™, which offers several aspects of simulated care.
For students considering applying, Chamberlain San Antonio holds a Virtual Open House to provide campus tours and find out more about admissions, curriculum, and tuition fees.
Chamberlain’s nursing program in San Antonio is accredited by The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). RN to BSN completion options are also available.
5Baptist Health System School of Health Professions
The Baptist Health System School of Health Professions offers different nursing degrees – Associate of Applied Science in Nursing, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and Licensed Vocational Nursing.
There are designated prerequisite courses you need to complete when applying for admission (with no lower than a C, or a 2.0 on a 4.0 scale, at an approved college or university), in addition to completing the entrance test (TEAS) and a Hep-B immunization. It’s worth noting that online Bachelors and Associate degree programs, for the most part, are conducted online. Baptist Health System School of Health Professions’ nursing program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).
6Abilene Christian University
Abilene Christian University’s School of Nursing offers the traditional bachelor’s degree in nursing, Online Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) to Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program, and Online Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP).
As part of your application, you are required to take the TEAS entrance exam and receive a minimum score of 58.7% in each section (Math, Reading, Science and English). Applicants must also have a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 based on a 4.0 scale. Transcripts of all coursework are also required to apply.
To secure admission to ACU’s BSN program, there’s a pre-nursing track you can take online and designed to prepare students to apply to ACU’s BSN program or to the nursing programs of other schools.
ACU’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. To give you an idea about the lessons you can learn as part of their program, you can watch the video below.
7ECPI University
ECPI University’s Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program is designed to educate and train students who want to become a Registered Nurse (RN). The program explores legal, ethical, and regulatory frameworks, diagnoses, and treatment.
With 71 total credits, it will take about 18 months to finish the program. After completion of the degree, ADN graduates will be qualified to take the NCLEX-RN examination. The school’s ADN program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing.
More than offering a competitive ADN program for RN aspirants, ECPI also offers Bachelor to BSN Nursing Program (BS to BSN), BSN Degree, and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to BSN), a Diploma in Practical Nursing (PN), Master’s in Family Nurse Practitioner (MSN), and Nursing Education (MSN).
It’s also worth noting that the institution’s BSN program only takes 2 and a half years with its accelerated, year-round setting. The program is accredited by The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
8St. Philip’s College
The nursing education at St. Philip’s College comprises multiple nursing programs that include the Nurse Aide program, the Nursing Generic program, Vocational Nursing, and the LVN/Military to ADN Mobility Program.
The one-year long Career Mobility LVN to RN program enables licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) and military medics to gain an associate in applied science (AAS) degree in Nursing.
St. Philip’s is also known for its top-tier Vocational Nursing program, which takes 12 months to complete. Upon completion of this program, students can take the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nursing (NCLEX-PN). Passing this exam means the graduate is now qualified to work as a Licensed Vocational Nurse.