Program Overview
The flagship’s fast track into nursing, with the state’s best outcomes — UNC Chapel Hill’s 16-month ABSN posts the highest NCLEX pass rate in North Carolina (98% in 2024), pairs world-class clinical training with the Carolina Core framework and exceptional in-state value, and requires no entrance exams.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing offers an Accelerated BSN (ABSN) as a four-semester option for students who already hold a bachelor’s degree in another field and want to obtain their nursing degree faster. The program begins in May and finishes the following August, supporting completion in about 16 months.
UNC’s nursing program demonstrates exceptional outcomes with a 96% three-year average NCLEX pass rate (2022-2024), significantly exceeding both state (81%) and national (90%) averages, with 2024 graduates achieving an impressive 98% first-time pass rate.
Carolina Nursing admits approximately 110 ABSN students each summer from 200-300 applications, making admission highly competitive with rigorous evaluation of academic performance, essays, community service, and special skills contributing to nursing care delivery.
ABSN Admission Summary
UNC Chapel Hill’s ABSN program uses competitive admissions critically evaluating each applicant’s academic performance, descriptive essays, community service history, and special skills with potential to affect care delivery or contribute to the nursing profession.
The admissions committee particularly emphasizes performance in required science courses, seeking applicants who demonstrate a strong academic history combined with commitment to nursing ideology and service to others. Notably, no entrance exams are required.
Application Timeline
- Application opens: July annually
- Application deadline: September 22 (11:59 PM EST)
- Admission decisions: emailed approximately 14-16 weeks after the deadline
- Program start: May; graduation: August (16 months later)
Academic Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, earned by December prior to entering the program
- Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA and 3.0 science GPA (GPAs are not rounded; all college coursework, including graduate-level, is included)
- Must be eligible to return to all institutions previously attended
- Applicants not meeting minimum GPA requirements will not be considered
Science Prerequisites (within 5 years; minimum B-)
- Anatomy and Physiology I (or Anatomy) — UNC equivalent BIOL 252/252L; must be completed by the application deadline
- Anatomy and Physiology II (or Physiology) — UNC equivalent BIOL 253/253L; may be outstanding at application but completed by end of fall before the program
- Microbiology with Lab — UNC equivalent MCRO 251
Non-Science Prerequisites (within 10 years)
- General Psychology (minimum C) — UNC equivalent PSYC 101
- Statistics (minimum C) — UNC equivalent STOR 151, 155, or 120
Prerequisite Notes
- Complete the full A&P I and II sequence at the same institution, OR complete separate Anatomy and Physiology courses
- At least three science prerequisites must be completed by the application deadline; A&P I must be completed by the deadline
- All prerequisites must be completed by December 31 before the program start
- Pass/Fail grades are not accepted for any science prerequisites (or for BIOL 252/252L, BIOL 253/253L, MCRO 251, PSYC 101, or STOR 151/155/120)
Application Materials
- Online application via applynow.unc.edu; official transcripts from all colleges attended
- Two required essays (maximum 2 pages each, 6 pages total; double-spaced, font 11+)
- No entrance exams required (no GRE, MAT, TEAS, HESI, or NLN PAX)
- No letters of recommendation required; no separate UNC Chapel Hill university application needed
Essay Questions
- Why nursing as a career choice and professional goals; skills/talents contributing to future nursing work; why nursing is a better career choice now (second-degree students)
- A difficult or rewarding experience, how you dealt with it, its impact on your life, and its influence on your future nursing practice
Post-Admission Requirements
- 12-panel urine drug screen and a criminal history check (past 7 years or since 16th birthday), both at student expense
- Immunization documentation meeting North Carolina requirements; current CPR certification
- Proof of health insurance (mandatory unless waived); a laptop meeting Carolina Computing Initiative requirements
- Access to a vehicle (required due to the broad scope of clinical facilities)
Waitlist: Waitlisted students may be notified up to the first day of classes if space opens; the waitlist does not carry over to the following term, and waitlisted applicants must reapply for future consideration.
Curriculum
The ABSN requires 60 total credits completed over four intensive semesters (Summer, Fall, Spring, Summer) following the Carolina Core curricular framework, with 11 tenets designed to achieve essential knowledge, skills, and attitudes for UNC School of Nursing graduates. Clinical instruction begins in the first semester and culminates in an intensive capstone in the final semester.
Summer Semester 1 (13 credits)
NURS 301 – Building Effective Relationships in Healthcare | Carolina Core I (3 credits)
Develops communication and relationship-building skills for health care settings. Students examine teamwork, professional interaction, and patient-centered engagement.
NURS 310 – Clinical Nursing Skills and Health Assessment I | On Campus Clinical I (2 credits)
Introduces basic nursing skills and health assessment techniques. Students practice foundational clinical skills in a supervised lab and clinical environment.
NURS 351 – Pathophysiology/Pharmacology Across the Lifespan I (3 credits)
Introduces disease processes and medication principles across age groups. Students learn how physiologic changes influence drug therapy and nursing care.
NURS 330 – Nursing Care of Adults I (4 credits)
Focuses on foundational nursing care for adult patients. Students apply assessment, clinical reasoning, and evidence-based interventions in clinical settings.
NURS 384 – Family Focused Genomic Health Care (1 credit)
Introduces genomic concepts in family-centered care. Students explore how genetic factors influence health, risk, and nursing decision-making.
Fall Semester (17 credits)
NURS 302 – Foundations of Research, Ethics, and Health Innovation | Carolina Core II (3 credits)
Introduces nursing research, ethical principles, and innovation in health care. Students learn how evidence supports safe and ethical practice.
NURS 311 – Clinical Nursing Skills and Health Assessment II | On Campus Clinical II (1 credit)
Builds on prior assessment and skills training. Students refine clinical techniques and apply findings in patient care settings.
NURS 352 – Pathophysiology/Pharmacology Across the Lifespan II (3 credits)
Expands on complex disease processes and medication management. Students apply pharmacologic knowledge to more advanced clinical scenarios.
NURS 481 – Mental Health Promotion and Psychiatric Care Across Populations and Settings (5 credits)
Covers mental health nursing across diverse populations. Students apply therapeutic communication, evidence-based care, and clinical judgment in psychiatric settings.
NURS 482 – Reproductive Health and Nursing Care of the Childbearing Family (5 credits)
Focuses on care for women, newborns, and childbearing families. Students address physiologic and psychosocial changes using evidence-based nursing care.
Spring Semester (18 credits)
NURS 401 – Integrating Leadership, Quality, Safety, and Informatics into Nursing Practice | Carolina Core III (3 credits)
Integrates leadership, safety, and informatics concepts. Students examine system-level decision-making and quality improvement in nursing practice.
NURS 410 – Clinical Nursing Skills and Health Assessment III | On Campus Clinical III (1 credit)
Advances assessment accuracy and clinical skill performance. Students apply higher-level judgment in supervised practice environments.
NURS 430 – Nursing Care of Adults II (5 credits)
Focuses on complex acute and chronic adult conditions. Students strengthen critical thinking and evidence-based care delivery in clinical settings.
NURS 483 – Family-Centered Nursing Care from Birth through Adolescence (5 credits)
Addresses pediatric and adolescent health needs. Students apply developmental, family-centered, and evidence-based care principles.
NURS 484 – Public Health Nursing in Community Settings (4 credits)
Introduces population-based nursing practice. Students address prevention, health promotion, and community-level interventions.
Summer Semester 2 (12 credits)
NURS 402 – Foundations of Population Health and Global Health | Carolina Core IV (2 credits)
Examines population and global health issues. Students explore social determinants, health disparities, and system-level solutions.
NURS 411 – Clinical Nursing Skills and Health Assessment IV | On Campus Clinical IV (1 credit)
Finalizes advanced clinical skill development. Students demonstrate readiness for independent nursing practice.
NURS 697 – Capstone: Transitions in Care & Practice (6 credits)
Provides immersive clinical experience focused on care coordination and professional role transition. Students synthesize knowledge across the program in real practice settings.
Nursing Elective (minimum 3 credits)
Electives allow students to explore specialized nursing interests and may be completed in any semester.
The curriculum totals 60 credits, with full-time study required in fall and spring (minimum 12 credits). The Carolina Core framework spans 11 tenets: Diversity and Inclusion, Ethics, Global Health, Health Innovations, Informatics, Leadership, Population Health, Quality and Safety, Relationship-Centered Care, Research, and Scholarly Communication and Writing.
More detail is available in the UNC ABSN catalog.
Clinical Requirements
Clinical instruction begins in the first semester and features extensive direct clinical practice across diverse acute care, chronic care, and community-based settings, culminating in an intensive capstone during the final summer semester. Rotations are held at healthcare locations in Orange County and all contiguous counties.
Clinical credits by semester:
- Summer 1: NURS 310 (2, on-campus); NURS 330 (1)
- Fall: NURS 311 (1, on-campus); NURS 481 (2); NURS 482 (2)
- Spring: NURS 410 (1, on-campus); NURS 430 (2); NURS 483 (2); NURS 484 (2)
- Summer 2: NURS 411 (1, on-campus); NURS 697 Capstone (4, intensive)
Settings reflect current healthcare delivery patterns, and students develop competence in empathetic care, critical thinking, technical skills, clinical judgment, interdisciplinary collaboration, and care management. Access to a vehicle is required due to the broad scope of clinical facilities; students are responsible for transportation expenses.
Required documentation includes current immunizations, a negative drug screen and background check, current CPR certification, proof of health insurance (unless waived), a compatible laptop, and the ExamSoft testing program.
Accreditation & Outcomes
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and approved by the North Carolina Board of Nursing. UNC Chapel Hill is institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
UNC’s nursing program demonstrates outstanding outcomes with a 96% three-year average NCLEX pass rate (2022-2024), significantly exceeding North Carolina’s average (81%) and the national average (90%); in 2024, UNC nursing graduates achieved a 98% first-time NCLEX pass rate, ranking among the top nursing programs nationally.
The program prepares nurse generalists demonstrating 11 core competencies aligned with the Carolina Core framework, and graduates are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN.
Tuition
UNC Chapel Hill charges undergraduate tuition on a per-credit-hour basis, capped at 12 credit hours per semester for full-time students. For 2025-2026, ABSN students completing 60 credits will pay significantly different amounts based on residency status:
- NC residents: ~$14,038 tuition only (~$21,391 with mandatory fees)
- Out-of-state residents: ~$86,304 tuition only (~$110,218 with mandatory fees)
Mandatory student fees are about $1,034 per semester. Mandatory student health insurance ($1,226.80 Value / $1,583.50 Premium per semester) is waivable with documented coverage. Additional costs include a laptop, ExamSoft, books, uniforms and clinical supplies, drug screen and background check, and transportation to clinical sites. In 2023-24, over 250 students received $1.5+ million in donor-funded scholarships; all students are encouraged to complete the FAFSA (school code 002974).
Confirm current figures via the official tuition page.