Nebraska offers five second degree nursing programs that allow students with a prior bachelor’s degree to accelerate nursing training and earn a BSN in as little as 12 months.
Program costs range from $27,590 (resident tuition at UNMC) to $62,185 (Creighton University), and program lengths run 12 to 16 months. The right fit depends on your budget, GPA, schedule flexibility, and how many clinical hours you want before graduation.
Nebraska ABSN Program Comparison Table
| School | Location | Tuition Cost | GPA | Application Deadline(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Lincoln | $42K / 12 mos | 3.0 GPA | August 1 | |
Omaha (also Phoenix, AZ) | $63K / 12 mos | 3.0 GPA | May 1 Oct 15 | |
Omaha | $42K / 12 mos | 2.75 GPA | July 10 | |
Kansas City, MO (hybrid/online) | $48K / 16 mos | 2.7 GPA | Rolling admissions | |
Omaha | $28K / 12 mos | 3.0 GPA | July 1 |
Nebraska ABSN Program Rankings
1. University of Nebraska Medical Center ABSN Program
Omaha | $27,590 | 12 Months
The Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program at UNMC is a 12-month intensive program designed for individuals with a non-nursing bachelor's degree who wish to transition into nursing. Fully accredited by the CCNE, the program includes 64 credit hours of coursework and 760 hours of clinical training. Tuition for residents is estimated at $69,275, while non-residents can expect costs around $114,203 for the 2024-2025 academic year. Graduates are highly sought after by employers due to the program's emphasis on clinical training and best practices, preparing them for successful careers in various healthcare settings... read more.
2. Nebraska Methodist College ABSN Program
Omaha | $41,000 | 12 Months
This 12-month ABSN offers a fast, structured path into nursing with a strong 96–100% NCLEX success rate. The 2.75 GPA requirement makes it accessible while still maintaining academic standards. For career changers who want an intensive, population-focused program with solid job placement outcomes, this is a practical and efficient option... read more.
3. Creighton University ABSN Program
Omaha | $55,425 | 12 Months
Creighton’s Omaha ABSN is a 12-month campus program for second-degree students, with January and August starts. The 58-credit sequence combines nursing coursework, simulation and clinical experience. Published tuition is $55,425, with required fees separate; selected students may qualify for employment-linked or donor-funded scholarships.
4. Bryan College ABSN Program
Lincoln | $41,832 | 12 Months
This 12-month ABSN offers one of the highest clinical hour totals in Nebraska. The 3.0 GPA requirement sets a clear academic threshold. The structured block format supports focused learning across one calendar year. For students who want an intensive program with strong clinical depth and a scholarship pathway tied to employment, this option provides a direct route into professional nursing... read more.
Scoring Notes
UNMC wins decisively on cost (by far the cheapest for residents), combines a 12-month duration, and a strong cited NCLEX rate. Creighton’s high cost is its main liability — without it, the 2 start dates, named clinical partners, and strong NCLEX rate would push it much higher.
Cost scaling — Range: $27,590 (UNMC) to $62,185 (Creighton)
| School | Cost | Duration | NCLEX | Clinical Partners | Admissions Flex | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UNMC | 40 | 20 | 20 | 5 | 0 | 85 |
Nebraska Methodist | 25 | 20 | 20 | 5 | 0 | 70 |
Creighton University | 0 | 20 | 20 | 10 | 10 | 60 |
Bryan College | 24 | 20 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 54 |
Rockhurst University | 17 | 0 | 20 | 5 | 10 | 52 |
Cost — UNMC resident tuition ($27,590) earns full 40 pts. Creighton ($62,185) scores 0. Nebraska Methodist ($40,184), Bryan ($41,832), and Rockhurst ($47,100) fall proportionally between.
Duration — Bryan, Creighton, Nebraska Methodist, and UNMC are all 12-month programs (20 pts). Rockhurst is 16 months (0 pts).
NCLEX — Creighton (93% over 5 years), Nebraska Methodist (96–100%), Rockhurst (97%, 2023), and UNMC (97.64%, 2024) all cite specific rates (20 pts). Bryan cites no rate (0 pts).
Clinical Partners — Bryan (Bryan Health) and Creighton (Children’s Nebraska, named Omaha/Phoenix systems) earn 10 pts. The others reference hospitals and community sites without naming specific partners (5 pts).
Admissions Flex — Creighton (January + August) and Rockhurst (3 starts/year) earn 10 pts. Bryan, NMC, and UNMC each have one annual start (0 pts).
Comparing ABSN Programs in Nebraska
TLDR: Quick Program Selection Guide
Choose UNMC if you are a Nebraska resident who wants the lowest tuition in the state — resident tuition is $27,590 — and you can start in January.
Choose Bryan College of Health Sciences if you want the most clinical hours (1,200+), a 1:7 faculty-to-student clinical ratio, and the possibility of a full-tuition scholarship through a Bryan Health employment commitment.
Choose Creighton University if NCLEX outcomes and scheduling flexibility are your top priorities — the program posts a 93% five-year NCLEX pass rate and admits students in both January and August.
Choose Nebraska Methodist College if your cumulative GPA is closer to 2.75 and you want a cohort-based program with a 96%–100% NCLEX pass rate.
Choose Rockhurst University if you need a hybrid, largely online format or live outside Nebraska — it is the only program with 100% online coursework and three start dates per year.
Program Length and Format
Four of the five programs complete in 12 months, making Nebraska one of the more efficient states for students who want to accelerate nursing licensure.
All four run across fall, spring, and summer terms in a full-time, on-campus format with direct clinical placements in area hospitals and health systems.
Most Affordable ABSN Programs in Nebraska
University of Nebraska Medical Center — $27,590 (resident tuition). UNMC offers the lowest tuition for Nebraska residents at $445 per credit hour across 62 credits. Non-resident students pay approximately $74,275, so this advantage is strictly for in-state applicants.
Nebraska Methodist College — $40,184 in tuition ($44,827 with fees). Methodist is the most affordable option for out-of-state students or those who do not qualify for UNMC’s resident rate. The program’s total cost is competitive for a 12-month, on-campus second degree nursing program with strong NCLEX outcomes.
Prerequisite Course Patterns
All five programs require the same core science foundation: Human Anatomy & Physiology I and II, Microbiology, Chemistry, Nutrition, and Statistics. Behavioral science prerequisites — General Psychology, Introduction to Sociology, and a Lifespan or Developmental Psychology course — are also universal. Ethics is required at every school except Rockhurst, where it is implied within the nursing curriculum rather than listed as a standalone prerequisite.
Start Dates and Cohort Availability
| School | Start Date(s) | Application Deadline(s) |
|---|---|---|
Fall (August) | August 1 | |
January; August | October 15 (Jan start); May 1 (Aug start) | |
Fall (August) | July 10, 2026 | |
Three starts per year | Rolling admissions | |
January | July 1 |
Schools with Fall-Only Starts
Bryan College of Health Sciences and Nebraska Methodist College both admit one cohort per year beginning in the fall term, which means applicants who miss the deadline must wait a full year before the next enrollment window opens.
Schools with January or Spring Starts
UNMC admits students exclusively in January, making it the only program that starts mid-year without a fall option.
Creighton University offers both a January start and an August start, giving applicants two admission cycles per year at its Omaha and Phoenix campuses.
Schools with Multiple or Rolling Start Dates
Rockhurst University offers three start dates per year with rolling admissions, making it the most flexible option for students who are still completing prerequisites or who were waitlisted at another program.
Creighton also uses a rolling decision model within each cycle, releasing decisions from January through May for its August cohort and from June through October for its January cohort.
Clinical Training Structure
Nebraska’s second degree nursing programs vary significantly in clinical volume. Total supervised clinical hours range from approximately 583 hours (Rockhurst) to over 1,200 hours (Bryan College), a difference that can meaningfully affect how prepared graduates feel entering their first RN role.
Students who prioritize hands-on patient exposure before sitting for the NCLEX should weigh clinical hours as a primary decision factor alongside cost and program length.
Total Clinical Hours by Program
Bryan College of Health Sciences — 1,035–1,200+ hours. Bryan documents at least 1,035 clinical hours with promotional materials citing over 1,200 total experiential hours. Clinical groups are capped at a 1:7 faculty-to-student ratio, and placements span acute care, community health, mental health, pediatric, and leadership settings.
Creighton University — 900+ hours. Creighton distributes clinical hours across six specialty areas: critical care, community and population health, labor and delivery/obstetrics, medical-surgical, pediatrics, and psychiatric and mental health. Clinical practicums are embedded throughout all five terms.
UNMC — 765 hours. UNMC delivers 765 supervised clinical hours at regional hospitals, medical centers, and community health agencies. Simulation centers on four campuses (Omaha, Lincoln, Kearney, and Norfolk) provide structured skills development before students enter patient care settings.
Nebraska Methodist College — not publicly specified. Clinical experiences are embedded within each Population Based Health course sequence (I through IV), and the program concludes with a one-on-one RN preceptorship during the final weeks. Total documented hours are not published on the program page.
Rockhurst University — approximately 583.5 hours. Rockhurst has the lowest clinical hour count among these programs but provides a dedicated clinical placement coordinator who matches students to sites within driving distance of their residence. The program also includes simulation lab experiences during the required 10-day Kansas City residency.
Guaranteed Placements and Clinical Support
Rockhurst University explicitly advertises dedicated placement coordination and individualized NCLEX coaching as part of its program model — a meaningful advantage for hybrid students who are not embedded in a local campus ecosystem.
Bryan College benefits from its affiliation with Bryan Health, which provides direct access to clinical partners and supports the scholarship-for-service arrangement.
Creighton and UNMC place students through established hospital and health system partnerships at their respective campuses, but neither program promotes dedicated placement support staff in the same way Rockhurst does.