Boston has four accelerated BSN programs, and each serves a different type of student.
UMass Boston offers the city’s lowest published tuition at approximately $37,800 while completing the program in just 12 months. MGH Institute combines a 12-month curriculum with guaranteed clinical rotations at Massachusetts General Hospital and the lowest published GPA requirement in Boston. Regis College is Massachusetts’ top-ranked nursing program and places students at leading hospitals including Massachusetts General, Brigham and Women’s, and Boston Children’s. MCPHS University is the only Boston program that incorporates prerequisite coursework into its curriculum, creating a pathway for students who haven’t completed the required sciences.
Your decision will usually come down to tuition, clinical environment, admissions requirements, and whether you need a traditional accelerated BSN or a program that includes prerequisite coursework.
Boston ABSN Programs at a Glance
| School | Location | Est. Cost | Duration | Min. GPA | NCLEX Pass Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Boston | $42K (base + fees; laptop included) | 12 months | 3.0; 3.3 prereq GPA | 92.68% (2024) | |
Weston | $77K | 16 months | 3.0; B- in all prereqs | 94% | |
Boston | $85K (need/merit scholarships available) | 12 months (or 24 part-time) | 2.70 min (3.0 preferred) | 91% | |
Boston (Longwood) | $147K net ($32K merit scholarship for all) | 32 months | C+ in prereqs; TEAS 65.3% for Year 2 | 90% (2025); 93% avg 2025 |
* MGH Institute’s program copy does not explicitly state CCNE accreditation for the prelicensure BSN. Confirm directly before enrolling.
Choosing a Boston ABSN Program
Let’s explore and compare the ABSN programs by highlighting their similarities, differences, curriculum, format, and costs.
Best Boston ABSN Programs by Goal
- Lowest cost: UMass Boston — ~$42K total including fees, laptop, and NCLEX prep
- Highest-ranked and strongest NCLEX: Regis College
- #1 in Massachusetts (RegisteredNursing.org 2026)
- 94% NCLEX
- clinical placements at MGH, Brigham & Women’s, and Boston Children’s
- NCLEX-style exams embedded in every clinical course.
- Most elite clinical access: MGH Institute — all students rotate through Massachusetts General Hospital for the first two semesters
- Lowest GPA bar: MGH Institute — 2.70 minimum; no TEAS required
- No prerequisites completed yet: MCPHS University
- Most scheduling flexibility:
- UMass Boston — three annual application windows (May 1, September 1, February 1).
- MGH Institute — full-time (12 months) or part-time (24 months) pathways within the same program.
- Interdisciplinary clinical environment: MCPHS University
- Longwood Medical Area campus
- clinical and classroom learning alongside pharmacy and allied-health students
- 585 experiential learning hours.
- Industry-active faculty: Regis College — 90% of faculty are currently practicing nurses
Best Boston ABSN Programs by Student Type
You want the lowest overall cost
UMass Boston is the city’s clear value leader, combining the lowest published tuition with a 12-month curriculum. Program fees include a laptop, e-textbooks, and NCLEX preparation resources, reducing many of the additional expenses students encounter elsewhere.
You need to become an RN as quickly as possible
UMass Boston or MGH Institute
Choose UMass Boston if affordability is your priority—it delivers a 12-month curriculum at roughly half the tuition of MGH Institute.
Choose MGH Institute if you’re willing to pay more for guaranteed clinical training at Massachusetts General Hospital and access to one of Boston’s premier academic health systems.
You haven’t completed your science prerequisites
Unlike every other Boston ABSN, MCPHS incorporates prerequisite coursework into the curriculum, making it the only local option for students who aren’t yet ready for a traditional accelerated program.
You want the strongest hospital-based clinical experience
Every student completes clinical rotations at Massachusetts General Hospital before expanding into the broader Mass General Brigham system, providing the most integrated academic medical center experience in Boston.
You want a nationally recognized nursing school
Ranked the top nursing program in Massachusetts, Regis combines consistently strong NCLEX outcomes with clinical placements at Massachusetts General, Brigham and Women’s, and Boston Children’s Hospital.
You want the lowest admissions barriers
MGH Institute publishes the lowest minimum GPA requirement among Boston’s accelerated BSN programs (2.70) and does not require the TEAS exam.
Which Program Length Is Right for You?
Need the Fastest Path Into Nursing?
UMass Boston or MGH Institute
Both programs can be completed in 12 months.
Choose UMass Boston if you want the lowest-cost accelerated BSN in Boston.
Choose MGH Institute if guaranteed clinical training at Massachusetts General Hospital is worth the additional tuition.
Looking for a Traditional 16-Month Program?
Regis offers a more traditional accelerated timeline while combining one of Massachusetts’ strongest nursing reputations with clinical placements at Massachusetts General, Brigham and Women’s, and Boston Children’s Hospital.
Need More Time or Haven’t Finished Your Prerequisites?
Unlike every other Boston ABSN, MCPHS incorporates prerequisite coursework into the curriculum before students enter the professional nursing sequence, making it the best option for applicants who aren’t ready for a traditional second-degree pathway.
Need a Flexible Schedule While Balancing Other Commitments?
MGH Institute and Regis College
MGH Institute offers a 24-month part-time option that spreads coursework and clinical experiences across two to three days each week.
Regis also offers a 24-month online pathway, allowing students to complete the same curriculum at a more manageable pace.
Cost Comparison
UMass Boston — ~$42K total
The clear value leader in Boston. UMass Boston combines the city’s lowest published tuition with a 12-month curriculum. Program fees include a laptop, e-textbooks, and NCLEX preparation resources—expenses that many schools charge separately. Second-degree students remain eligible for Federal Direct Loans, so completing the FAFSA is still recommended.
Regis College — ~$77K
Premium tuition backed by reputation. Regis costs substantially more than UMass Boston but pairs that investment with one of Massachusetts’ top-ranked nursing programs, strong NCLEX outcomes, and clinical placements at Massachusetts General, Brigham and Women’s, and Boston Children’s Hospital. Students choosing the 24-month online pathway pay the same tuition while spreading coursework over a longer timeline.
MGH Institute — ~$85K
You’re paying for the clinical environment. MGH Institute is one of the most expensive ABSNs in Massachusetts, but every student completes clinical rotations at Massachusetts General Hospital before expanding into the Mass General Brigham system. Need- and merit-based scholarships, along with tuition benefits for eligible Mass General Brigham employees and affiliates, can reduce the effective cost.
MCPHS University — ~$147K net
The highest published cost reflects a fundamentally different pathway. Unlike every other Boston ABSN, MCPHS builds prerequisite coursework directly into the 32-month curriculum before students enter the professional nursing sequence. Merit scholarships reduce the published price, and the integrated prerequisite year may offset costs for students who would otherwise complete science requirements separately before applying.
Bottom line: Boston’s accelerated BSN market falls into three distinct tiers. UMass Boston stands alone as the clear value leader at roughly $42,000. Regis College and MGH Institute occupy the premium tier, with Regis emphasizing reputation and outcomes while MGH focuses on unmatched academic medical center training. MCPHS University is in a category of its own, charging the highest tuition but offering the only Boston pathway that incorporates prerequisite coursework into the nursing curriculum.
Start Dates and Application Deadlines
| School | Start Date(s) | Application Deadline | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
3 per year | May 1, September 1, February 1 | Mandatory online info session required before applying; 3.3 prereq GPA; 15% acceptance; commuting distance required | |
September (Fall), January (Spring) | Fall: Dec 15 priority, Mar 15 preferred | Spring: Oct 15 priority, Nov 15 preferred | Rolling after preferred deadline; space-available; 4+ prereqs recommended before applying; 24-month online option at same cost | |
Contact program | May 1 (posted on school page); rolling via NursingCAS | 2.70 GPA min; no TEAS; need/merit scholarships for all qualifying applicants; MGB employee benefits; part-time option | |
Contact program | Contact program | TEAS 65.3% required end of Year 1 to advance; $32K merit scholarship for all; Longwood Medical Area; 32 months |
UMass Boston’s mandatory info session: All applicants must attend an online Accelerated Nursing Information Session before submitting an application — plan for this step before building your application timeline. Three annual application windows give Boston-area career changers flexible entry without waiting a full year between opportunities.
Regis’s priority vs. preferred deadlines: Priority deadlines (December 15 for Fall, October 15 for Spring) offer the strongest chance of securing a seat. Preferred deadlines (March 15 and November 15) are the last guaranteed review windows; rolling admission after that is space-available only.
MGH Institute’s Part-Time option: The 24-month part-time track is one of only a few accelerated nursing programs in New England with a formally structured part-time option — the same Mass General clinical access at a pace of two to three days per week.
Clinical Training Structure
Mass General Hospital access: MGH Institute guarantees all ABSN students clinical rotations at Massachusetts General Hospital for their first two semesters — a level of system access no other accelerated program in Massachusetts explicitly provides. Students then rotate across the full Mass General Brigham network: Brigham & Women’s, Spaulding Rehabilitation, Boston Children’s, and community hospitals statewide. The 1:6 faculty-to-student ratio is the tightest in Boston. A 180-hour 1:1 direct-care experience with a BSN-prepared RN is embedded in the program — supervised individual mentorship that few ABSNs nationally offer.
Regis College’s elite hospital network: Regis places students at MGH, Brigham & Women’s, and Boston Children’s — Boston’s three most recognized teaching hospitals — alongside a 94% NCLEX pass rate and NCLEX-style exams built into every clinical course. The embedded exam structure prepares students for licensure continuously rather than reserving review for the final semester alone.
UMass Boston’s clinical model: UMass Boston runs clinical placements approximately one day per week (8-12 hours) across Greater Boston and regional Massachusetts hospitals. Students also train in the Center for Clinical Education and Research (CCER) on campus for simulation. The program’s concept-based curriculum and online didactic delivery keep classroom time minimal, concentrating in-person requirements on simulation and clinical days. Students must live within commuting distance — out-of-state applicants should plan to relocate before applying.
MCPHS’s interdisciplinary clinical environment: MCPHS is the only Boston ABSN embedded in the Longwood Medical Area — home to Harvard Medical School, Dana-Farber, Boston Children’s, Brigham & Women’s, and Beth Israel Deaconess on a single walkable corridor. Students complete 585 experiential-learning hours through simulation labs and clinical rotations across Boston and New England, and train alongside pharmacy and allied-health students in ways not available at single-discipline nursing schools. The IMPACT Practice Center on campus allows student teams to deliver supervised care to Greater Boston residents — interprofessional clinical practice built into the program structure.