Program Overview
A 100% NCLEX Pass Rate. A $22,000 Price Tag. West Virginia’s Hidden Value ABSN.
Three of the last four years, West Liberty University’s BA/BS to BSN graduates passed the NCLEX-RN on the first attempt at a 100% rate. That outcome comes at roughly $22,000 in total in-state tuition — a number that undercuts most comparable programs by tens of thousands of dollars. The 16-month program starts each Fall and runs four consecutive semesters through a second Fall, covering 66 nursing credits across clinical rotations, simulation labs, and evidence-based coursework. Small cohort sizes and selection by an Academic Standards Committee mean this is a deliberate, curated learning environment — not a large-volume pipeline.
ABSN Admission Summary
Applicants are reviewed holistically by the Academic Standards Committee — transcripts, a personal essay, and a resume all factor into the decision alongside academic metrics. There’s no standardized exam required, which distinguishes WLU from most competing programs.
Academic requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
- Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale
- Grade of C or higher in each prerequisite science course
Prerequisite coursework — all must be complete before entry:
- General Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Chemistry (CHEM 100 or equivalent) — C minimum
- Anatomy & Physiology I (BIO 212) — C minimum
- Anatomy & Physiology II (BIO 214) — C minimum
- Microbiology (BIO 216) — C minimum
- Statistics (MATH 160 or equivalent)
No expiration date is stated for prerequisites — contact the nursing department to confirm recency expectations for science coursework.
Application process:
- Apply to West Liberty University and indicate the BA/BS to BSN program as the intended program of study
- Complete the separate nursing program application on the program website — upload resume and personal essay as PDFs
- Submit official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended directly to WLU
- Applicants who apply by February 1 receive priority consideration for the Fall cohort
Personal essay requirement:
The essay must address how the program will help the applicant reach their professional goals — this is reviewed alongside GPA and prerequisite completion as a substantive component of the selection decision.
Post-acceptance requirements:
- Background check with “unremarkable” findings (from a specified vendor)
- Drug screen with “clean” results
- Note: The WV Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses reserves the right to deny licensure for felony convictions or drug/alcohol abuse as defined in WV Code, Article 7, Chapter 30, Section 11
Curriculum
Sixty-six nursing credit hours run across four consecutive semesters in a fully on-campus, in-person format. The sequence builds logically from foundational transition and assessment through professional nursing, pharmacology, population health, and a final leadership and capstone semester. Synthesis courses appear in both the Summer and final Fall terms — a deliberate design that reinforces integration of clinical reasoning before graduation.
Prerequisite Overview
All seven prerequisite courses must be completed with a C or better before entering the nursing sequence. See the admission summary above for the full list.
Four-semester nursing sequence (66 credit hours):
Fall 1
NUR 204 – Transition to Nursing
Introduces core concepts of professional nursing for students in the second-degree nursing program. Reviews medical terminology essential for nursing practice. Restricted to students in the BA/BS Nursing track.
NUR 309 – Health Assessment
Provides foundational skills for performing health assessments across the lifespan. Emphasizes distinguishing normal and abnormal findings with opportunities for hands-on practice.
NUR 319 – Pharmacology I
Introduces pharmacology concepts, emphasizing safe medication administration. Topics include pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacotherapeutics for selected drug classifications.
NUR 315 – Professional Nursing I
Covers fundamental nursing concepts, addressing basic patient needs and common medical-surgical health problems in adults. Includes aging-related health issues, patient-centered care, and strategies to promote wellness and function.
NUR 317 – Clinical Nursing I
Applies fundamental nursing concepts in skills labs and long-term care settings. Focuses on meeting basic patient needs and managing common medical-surgical health problems in adult populations.
Spring
NUR 320 – Pharmacology II
Continues Pharmacology I, with a deeper focus on major drug classifications. Highlights the nurse’s role in ensuring medication safety and effectiveness.
NUR 322 – Evidence-Based Practice & Informatics
Explores evidence-based practice and informatics to enhance clinical decision-making. Covers research appraisal, technology integration, and strategies for improving patient outcomes.
NUR 323 – Professional Nursing II
Focuses on managing acute and chronic health conditions across the lifespan, including care for women with uncomplicated pregnancies and promoting child health.
NUR 324 – Clinical Nursing II
Applies concepts from Professional Nursing II in clinical settings. Includes care for patients with acute and chronic conditions and women experiencing uncomplicated pregnancies, with 12 hours of clinical practice weekly.
Summer
NUR 405 – Population-Based Care
Examines the health needs of vulnerable populations, with topics including disaster management, substance abuse prevention, and epidemiology.
NUR 406 – Professional Nursing III
Addresses complex acute and chronic health problems across the lifespan. Includes care for women with complicated pregnancies and advanced management strategies.
NUR 407 – Clinical Nursing III
Applies Professional Nursing III concepts in clinical settings, managing care for multiple patients with complex health issues. Involves 15 hours of weekly clinical practice.
NUR 409 – Nursing Synthesis I
Integrates content from fundamentals, pediatrics, women’s health, and pharmacology through case studies, simulations, and NCLEX review. Prepares students for advanced coursework and exams.
Fall 2
NUR 436 – Professional Nursing IV
Focuses on critical care concepts and treatment modalities for acute, life-threatening health problems. Prepares students for roles in critical care settings.
NUR 437 – Clinical Nursing IV
Applies Professional Nursing IV concepts in critical care settings. Includes 12 hours of clinical experience weekly during the first half of the semester. Graded on a pass/fail basis.
NUR 438 – Leadership & Management
Explores nursing leadership, including delegation, prioritization, quality improvement, and organizational culture. Prepares students to assume leadership roles in healthcare.
NUR 439 – Nursing Synthesis II
Guides preparation for the NCLEX and professional practice through case studies, delegation strategies, and NCLEX review. Includes a dedicated NCLEX review course.
NUR 440 – Clinical Capstone
Provides immersion in adult medical-surgical care, managing groups of patients. Culminates previous clinical experiences with weekly seminars. Graded pass/fail; prerequisites required.
The Professional Nursing sequence (I through IV) carries 7, 7, 7, and 3 credits respectively — the heaviest credit-bearing courses in the program — reflecting a sustained emphasis on integrated clinical nursing theory throughout all four semesters. The Capstone (NUR 440, 4 cr.) serves as the final immersive clinical experience in the program’s closing term.
More curriculum details available in the course catalog: WLU BA/BS to BSN Catalog
Clinicals
Clinical practice runs throughout all four semesters via dedicated Clinical Nursing courses (NUR 317, 324, 407, 437) and culminates in the 4-credit Clinical Capstone. Students rotate through area hospitals and healthcare agencies in the West Liberty / Wheeling, WV region, alongside simulation and skills lab training on campus.
- Clinical courses: Four dedicated clinical nursing courses across all semesters (NUR 317, 324, 407, 437) — totaling 12 credits of clinical coursework before the capstone
- Clinical Capstone (NUR 440): 4 credits in the final Fall semester — the program’s most intensive clinical experience, focused on leadership and professional role transition
- Nursing Synthesis courses: NUR 409 and NUR 439 run in Summer and Fall 2 respectively, providing structured integration of clinical reasoning alongside ongoing rotations
- Simulation and skills labs: On-campus simulation and skills lab training is integrated throughout the program — specific simulation facility details should be confirmed with the nursing department
- Clinical sites: Affiliated area hospitals and healthcare agencies in the West Liberty / Wheeling region; specific named partners not published — contact jessica.davis@westliberty.edu for current site information
- NCLEX outcomes: 100% first-time pass rate in 2024, 2022, and 2021; 83.33% in 2023 and 2020 — the 100% years suggest near-perfect cohort performance in a small, selective group
Tuition
Estimated total program cost (in-state): ~$22,072
WLU’s tuition structure adds a nursing program differential on top of the base tuition rate — both apply each semester.
| Component | Per Semester | × 4 Semesters |
|---|---|---|
Base tuition (in-state full-time) | $4,623 | $18,492 |
Nursing program differential | $895 | $3,580 |
In-state total | $5,518 | ~$22,072 |
| Status | Per Semester | 4-Semester Total |
|---|---|---|
In-state | $5,518 | ~$22,072 |
Metro rate | $8,445 | ~$33,780 |
Out-of-state | $10,052 | ~$40,208 |
Summer semester uses the summer base rate ($4,623 in-state) plus the nursing differential ($895) — this estimate treats all four semesters at full-time rates.
Additional costs beyond tuition include books and supplies (~$1,230/year per WLU estimates), background check and drug screen fees, and transportation to clinical sites.
See the official tuition page for more details: WLU Tuition & Fees
Accreditation
WLU is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Graduates are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN, with the WV Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses overseeing licensure requirements in the state.