Last Updated: October 3, 2026
Orlando has four accelerated BSN options with different costs and attendance requirements. Estimated Florida-resident tuition at UCF is estimated at $9,254.74 for the full 62-credit plan before fees; Keiser’s conservative four-full-time-plus-semester tuition budget is $64,540 before nursing fees.
Duration ranges from 11–12 months at ECPI to 16 months at UCF, GCU, and Keiser.
The Central Florida market splits cleanly between a single affordable public option and three private programs with different structural advantages: one prioritizes speed, one emphasizes scheduling flexibility, and one offers a hybrid format that reduces time spent on campus.
Florida-resident applicants meeting UCF’s minimums can compare a public option with a 3.0 overall undergraduate GPA requirement and TEAS composite minimum of 78%. Admission is selective and the accelerated program enters once annually in summer.
Quick Summary Table
| School | Location | Cost | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
Lake Mary (Orlando) | $44K | 11–12 months | |
Lake Mary (Orlando) | $35K (tuition only, est.) | 16 months | |
Orlando (+ 12 other FL campuses) | $64,540 | 16 months | |
Orlando | $9,254.74 (FL resident) | 16 months |
ABSN Programs in Orlando: What You Need to Know
TL;DR: Which Orlando ABSN Is Right for You?
Choose University of Central Florida to compare a public second-degree BSN with one annual summer cohort. Florida-resident tuition is estimated at $9,254.74 for the full 62-credit plan before required fees; admission requires a 3.0 overall undergraduate GPA and TEAS composite score of at least 78%.
Choose ECPI University if finishing in roughly 11–12 months is the primary goal — four consecutive quarters with no breaks, rolling admissions, and NCLEX vouchers included in program costs make this the fastest structured option in Orlando.
Choose Grand Canyon University if you want a hybrid accelerated BSN program — online coursework paired with in-person labs, simulation, and clinical rotations — and prefer rolling admissions over fixed cohort deadlines; GCU’s faith-based curriculum integrates Christian worldview and servant leadership throughout all 16 months.
Choose Keiser University to compare a 13-campus Florida network and a one-class-at-a-time approach. Confirm the selected campus’s cohort availability and clinical calendar; estimated tuition is $64,540 under a four-full-time-plus-semester budget, with nursing fees additional.
Shortest ABSN Program in Orlando
ECPI is the only program in the Orlando market completing in under a year. Its four consecutive quarters run without semester breaks, and the quarter-based billing model spreads costs across four equal payments of approximately $10,900 each. The program listing states 11 months; program materials describe a 12-month track — confirm the current duration directly with the Lake Mary campus.
Orlando ABSN Program Formats
UCF, GCU and Keiser each have approximately 16-month nursing sequences. UCF and Keiser require campus attendance; GCU combines online theory with required local laboratories, simulation and clinical training.
GCU uses a hybrid model: general education and nursing theory coursework is delivered online, while skills labs, simulation, and clinical rotations require in-person attendance at the Lake Mary site.
Keiser promotes one class at a time. Confirm the selected campus’s nursing course lengths and required laboratory and clinical calendar before planning outside commitments.
Most Affordable Orlando ABSN
UCF’s 2026–27 Florida-resident tuition is $149.27 per credit. The full 62-credit plan produces estimated tuition of $9,254.74 plus $3,906.62 in standard per-credit university fees, before nursing expenses. Approved research/elective substitutions can reduce the billed credits.
UCF’s BSN has CCNE accreditation and the accelerated pathway has one annual summer entering cohort. The final nursing application deadline is January 15.
ECPI University is the next most affordable option at approximately $43,650 total, structured as four equal quarterly payments of $10,912.50.
NCLEX exam vouchers and comprehensive ATI assessment fees are bundled into that cost — items that would add several hundred dollars if purchased independently. For a private university program completing in roughly 11–12 months, the per-month cost compares favorably to GCU and Keiser at the same or longer duration.
Prerequisite Course Patterns
All four Orlando programs require Anatomy & Physiology I and II, Microbiology, and Statistics as baseline science prerequisites.
UCF accepts either a complete anatomy/physiology I–II sequence or separate human anatomy and human physiology courses, with the required labs. Complete the same sequence and obtain equivalency approval for transfer courses.
GCU adds Applied Pathophysiology and Applied Nutrition as distinct nine-prerequisite requirements, and all nine must have been completed within the last seven years.
Keiser’s published preparation includes chemistry with lab, anatomy/physiology I–II with labs, microbiology, statistics and human growth/development. Request campus transcript evaluation before assuming transfer credit applies.
Entrance exams differ: UCF requires a TEAS composite of at least 78%, Keiser requires an on-site Wonderlic SLE score of 23 and GCU requires the HESI A2. See each profile for the applicable testing rules.
UCF requires a 3.0 overall undergraduate GPA and TEAS composite of at least 78%. Keiser requires a 3.0 prior-degree or last-60-credit GPA plus a separate 3.0 prerequisite/general-education GPA. Compare these definitions with the other programs’ requirements.
Start Dates and Cohort Availability
| School | Start Dates | Admissions Type |
|---|---|---|
Rolling / multiple per year | Rolling admissions; no fixed cohort cycle | |
Rolling / year-round | Rolling admissions; sequential course structure | |
Campus-specific starts | Confirm campus cohort and final cutoff | |
Summer | January 15 final nursing deadline |
UCF’s accelerated pathway has one annual summer intake, with nursing applications January 1–15. Apply to the university early enough to finish admission and transcript evaluation before the nursing deadline.
Missing UCF’s accelerated nursing deadline generally means waiting for the next annual summer cohort, rather than merely the next university term.
ECPI, GCU and Keiser require applicants to confirm the next available local cohort and its completed-file timing. Do not assume that rolling review guarantees an immediate start.
Clinical Training Structure
UCF’s current 57–62-credit plan includes assessment and skills laboratories, adult/family/psychiatric clinical courses, public health and a five-credit final practicum. Its clinical-reasoning capstone is a separate course.
Students design the Nursing Practicum learning experience in collaboration with faculty, allowing for some specialization before graduation.
UCF requires students to remain physically located in Florida throughout the program. Confirm assigned clinical sites and travel requirements with the College of Nursing.
ECPI integrates high-fidelity simulation alongside every clinical course across all four quarters, with Florida Board of Nursing regulations capping clinical groups at 12 students per faculty member and 18 per preceptor — smaller ratios than most larger programs.
Clinical scheduling at ECPI is driven by site availability, and evening and overnight shifts are a realistic expectation from the start. Specific hospital partners for the Lake Mary campus are not named in available materials; contact the campus directly for current affiliates.
GCU delivers 18 clinical credits across adult health, behavioral health, childbearing and childrearing families, population health, and a Transition to Practice residency, supported by the Lopes Center for Nursing Simulation at the Lake Mary site.
Keiser assigns clinical placements through the Orlando campus’s local hospital network; specific named partners are not published centrally and should be confirmed before enrolling.