West Virginia’s Flagship ABSN — Two Campuses, One Hospital-Adjacent Option
West Virginia University’s ABSN is one of two programs in this review offered simultaneously on two campuses — Morgantown and Bridgeport — each with its own clinical infrastructure and student community. The Bridgeport campus is in a class of its own: classrooms and skills labs sit steps from WVU Medicine United Hospital Center, creating a level of clinical integration that purpose-built simulation centers can only approximate.
At $7,020 per semester in-state, five semesters of flagship university nursing education totals roughly $35,100 — competitive with West Liberty (~$22,000) and significantly less than any private ABSN in the region.
Every entering student receives a laptop computer through the WVU Health Sciences Center Student Computer Program, included in program costs.
ABSN Admission Summary
Admission is competitive and space-limited — the most qualified applicants are selected based on available seats, and completed applications must arrive by July 1 for a January start. The GPA threshold is firm: 3.0 across three separate calculations (cumulative, institutional, and prerequisite). Applicants below 3.0 may be considered provisionally on a case-by-case basis depending on seat availability and prior degree hours.
Academic requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university
- Minimum 3.0 overall cumulative GPA
- Minimum 3.0 institutional GPA
- Minimum 3.0 prerequisite GPA
- C- or better in each individual prerequisite course
- Once admitted, a 3.0 program GPA must be maintained throughout — students falling below are placed on academic notice for one semester, then dismissed if not corrected
Prerequisite coursework — all must be complete before enrollment:
- Chemistry with lab (3–4 cr.) OR score of 60+ on the science portion of the TEAS
- Microbiology (3–4 cr.)
- Human Anatomy with lab (3–4 cr.)
- Human Physiology with lab (3–4 cr.)
- Introductory Psychology or Developmental Psychology Across the Lifespan (3 cr.)
- Statistics (3 cr.)
- Human Nutrition (3 cr.) — not required but strongly recommended
Application process:
- Download the application form from the WVU School of Nursing admissions website (available after March 1 each year)
- Submit the completed application and Course Equivalency Forms by July 1
- Submit all official transcripts by July 15
- Select your preferred campus (Morgantown or Bridgeport) — applicants are considered only for the chosen campus
Important eligibility notes:
- Applicants previously dismissed from any nursing program (WVU or otherwise) are ineligible — with one exception: students who earned a degree or additional credential after a nursing dismissal may be considered
- Spring start only — one cohort per year; no rolling admissions into alternative terms
Post-acceptance requirements:
- Criminal background check prior to clinical courses — felony convictions, serious misdemeanors, illicit drug use, or positive drug screens may result in ineligibility or dismissal
- Proof of specific immunizations required for all health sciences students
- Students must provide their own transportation to clinical sites — some rotations require travel across multiple counties
- Participation in the WVU Health Sciences Center Student Computer Program (laptop issued to all entering ABSN students)
Curriculum
Sixty-six nursing credit hours are distributed across five consecutive semesters, organized into three progressive nursing levels: Sophomore (N1), Junior (N2), and Senior (N3). All courses must be completed with a grade of C- or better. One nursing elective (2 credits) is selected from a menu of specialty options in the final semester.
Prerequisite Overview
See the admission summary above for the complete prerequisite list. All six required courses must be completed with C- or better before January enrollment. Human Nutrition is strongly recommended as a seventh prerequisite even though it is not formally required.
Five-semester nursing sequence (66 credit hours):
Semester 1 — Spring / Sophomore Level
NSG 211 – Health Assessment & Communication (6 cr.)
Focuses on foundational health assessment skills and therapeutic communication for nursing practice.
NSG 212 – Fundamentals of Nursing (6 cr.)
Introduces essential nursing concepts and basic care skills for safe, effective patient care.
NSG 250 – Principles of Pharmacology (3 cr.)
Covers core pharmacology principles, including safe medication administration and basic drug classifications.
Semester 2 — Summer / Junior Level
NSG 311 – Alterations in Adult Health I (6 cr.)
Addresses adult health conditions and nursing care strategies for common alterations in health.
NSG 330 – Alterations in Mental Health and Wellbeing (4 cr.)
Focuses on mental health concepts, behavioral health concerns, and therapeutic nursing interventions.
NSG 350 – Evidence-Based Practice and Nursing Scholarship (3 cr.)
Explores evidence-based practice, research application, and scholarly inquiry in nursing care.
Semester 3 — Fall / Junior Level
NSG 312 – Alterations in Adult Health II (6 cr.)
Continues the study of adult health conditions with an emphasis on more complex nursing care.
NSG 320 – Pediatrics and Family-Centered Care (4 cr.)
Focuses on nursing care for children and families, including growth, development, and family-centered approaches.
NSG 360 – Professional Standards of Nursing Care (3 cr.)
Examines professional nursing practice, ethics, standards, and responsibilities in healthcare settings.
Semester 4 — Spring / Senior Level
NSG 411 – Population Health and Healthcare Policy (6 cr.)
Addresses population health concepts, community health needs, and the impact of healthcare policy on nursing practice.
NSG 410 – Women’s Health and Newborn Nursing Care (4 cr.)
Focuses on care for women and newborns, including health promotion and management of common conditions.
Nursing Elective (2 cr.)
Students select one elective from approved specialty options in the final semester.
Semester 5 — Summer / Senior Level
NSG 412 – Personal and Professional Leadership Development (7 cr.)
Builds leadership, professionalism, and management skills for transition into practice.
NSG 460 – Alterations in Adult Health III (4 cr.)
Covers advanced adult health concerns and complex nursing management strategies.
NSG 486 – Comprehensive NCLEX Review (2 cr.)
Provides focused preparation for the NCLEX-RN exam through content review and test-taking strategies.
Nursing elective options (select one, 2 cr.): Nutrition for Nursing, Tobacco Treatment, Cardiology for Nursing, Advanced Life-Saving Technologies, The Role of the Nurse in the Patient Experience, Core Concepts in Gerontological Nursing, Palliative Care Nursing, Children with Complex Health Needs, Movies and Mental Health
NCLEX preparation is formally embedded as a graded 2-credit course in the final semester — not an optional add-on. The Leadership Development course (NSG 412, 7 credits) in the final summer is the heaviest single course in the program, functioning as the capstone integration of clinical leadership and professional role transition.
More curriculum details available in the course catalog: WVU ABSN Catalog
Clinicals
Clinical education begins in the first semester and runs through all five terms, with the Alterations in Adult Health sequence (NSG 311, 312, 460) carrying the heaviest clinical credit loads across the program’s midpoint. The dual-campus model provides two distinct clinical environments — one urban academic medical center and one community hospital adjacent to the program’s satellite facility.
Morgantown campus:
- Clinical rotations through WVU Medicine and affiliated regional health systems
- Skills and simulation training at the WV STEPS Center — features a wide range of patient simulators and practice exam rooms
Bridgeport campus:
- Classrooms and skills labs are physically adjacent to WVU Medicine United Hospital Center (UHC) — one of the most clinically convenient ABSN setups in the region
- Small cohort size noted by students as a specific advantage
- Same simulation and skills lab infrastructure as Morgantown in a more compact footprint
Across both campuses:
- Clinical specialties covered: adult health alterations (I, II, III), mental health, pediatrics and family-centered care, women’s health and newborn nursing, population health, leadership practicum
- Students provide their own transportation — some experiences require travel across multiple counties
- Background check and drug screening required before clinical coursework begins
- Both campuses operate state-of-the-art simulation facilities where students practice patient care in controlled settings before entering live clinical environments
Tuition
Estimated total program cost (WV resident): ~$35,100
WVU bills nursing students at a combined rate that includes university tuition, a university fee, and a nursing program fee — all three components are charged each semester.
| Component | Per Semester | × 5 Semesters |
|---|---|---|
University tuition (resident) | $4,656 | $23,280 |
University fee | $720 | $3,600 |
Nursing program fee | $1,644 | $8,220 |
In-state total | $7,020 | ~$35,100 |
| Status | Per Semester | 5-Semester Total |
|---|---|---|
WV resident | $7,020 | ~$35,100 |
Non-resident | $16,860 | ~$84,300 |
The per-credit-hour rate for in-state nursing undergraduates is $585 — among the lowest for any CCNE-accredited nursing program at a public R1 university. The laptop computer issued to all entering ABSN students through the HSC Student Computer Program is included in program costs rather than billed separately — a practical offset of several hundred dollars.
At ~$35,100 for West Virginia residents, WVU is priced between WLU (~$22,000) and Wheeling (~$36,000) — the three West Virginia programs reviewed here form a natural in-state value tier well below any national private program. Nursing scholarships are available through the WVU School of Nursing; FAFSA completion is required and most scholarships are awarded in April for the following academic year. Contact the HSC Financial Aid Office at (304) 293-3706 or 1-800-344-WVU1 for specifics.
See the official tuition page for more details: WVU School of Nursing Tuition
Accreditation
The baccalaureate, master’s, DNP, and post-graduate APRN certificate programs at West Virginia University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, (202) 887-6791. Graduates are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN licensure examination upon program completion.