Best Online Accelerated BSN Programs
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- An online accelerated BSN degree program helps you graduate faster.
- BSN programs help you gain specialized knowledge and skills that are relevant to your desired career.
- There are several nursing specialties you can choose from depending on your interests.
- Nursing is a fast-growing profession with many opportunities for advancement.
The nursing profession attracts passionate and caring people. If you're considering applying to a nursing program, be prepared to learn the fundamentals quickly so you can start helping patients.
Featured Online BSN Degrees
For those looking to jump-start their career in nursing, an online accelerated BSN is a great option. An online accelerated nursing program will introduce you to the wide variety of specialties in nursing you can pursue.
Top Online Accelerated Nursing Programs in 2023
You can pursue several nursing subspecialties with an accelerated online nursing program. This includes clinical opportunities and administrative functions within nursing care. What links all of them is the ability to help people, directly impacting their health and quality of life.
Below, we'll explain some of the focus and details of different majors within nursing, as well as some of the career opportunities for graduates.
1. Gerontology
Gerontology studies the aging process and how best to care for older adults. Students with a BS in gerontology earn an average of $68,000 yearly (Payscale, May 2023).
Featured Gerontology Programs
A bachelor's in gerontology will prepare you to work with older patients in nursing homes, hospitals, and private residences.
2. Healthcare Management
Healthcare managers help run hospitals and other healthcare facilities. They manage both day-to-day operations and long-term plans. Medical and health service managers earn a median salary of $101,340, according to 2021 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Featured Healthcare Management Programs
Healthcare management may be a good fit if you have strong administrative, business, and communication skills.
3. Health Education
Health education means educating individuals on how best to care for their health, either as a community educator in a health system or as a health teacher in schools. Community health education majors with a bachelor of science make an average of $57,000 annually (Payscale, May 2023).
Featured Health Education Programs
If you love working with children or trying to change hearts and minds, a career in health education can be highly rewarding for you.
4. Health Informatics
As technology becomes more critical to healthcare, health informatics specialists are needed to manage the massive amount of health data produced. Health informatics specialists make a median salary of $69,540 (Payscale, May 2023).
Featured Health Informatics Programs
Health informatics specialists work with health management teams to plan care, monitor health trends, and help inform public health decision-making.
5. Health Science
Health science programs cover healthcare delivery, research, statistics, and health management. Professionals with a BS in health sciences make an average of $67,000 annually (Payscale, May 2023).
Featured Health Science Programs
Students with health sciences degrees can also pursue jobs in the pharmaceutical industry, or work directly with patients.
6. Health Services
A degree in health services focuses on providing healthcare and administering health systems. Professionals with a BS in health services management earn an average salary of $66,000 (Payscale, May 2021).
Featured Health Services Programs
Like many majors on this list, health services programs allow students to access a variety of careers in health.
7. Nursing
A BSN in nursing is ideal if you want to work directly with patients. Most BSN in nursing students go on to be registered nurses. Registered nurses earn a median salary of $77,600 (BLS, 2021).
Featured Nursing Programs
Nursing graduates can go on to pursue further education and become advanced practice nurses, working in specialty care areas like the ICU.
8. Nutrition
With conditions like obesity and diabetes being widespread, nutritionists are important for both preventative and responsive care. A nutrition degree will teach you the fundamentals of clinical nutrition as part of holistic health. Dietitians and nutritionists earn a median salary of $61,650 (BLS, 2021).
Nutritionists can work in outpatient clinics or as part of a hospital care team.
9. Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapists treat people with disabilities and injuries, helping them recover independent function.
While those with a BSN in occupational therapy can work as occupational therapy assistants, you need a master's to work independently. Occupational therapists earn a median salary of $85,570 (BLS, 2021).
Featured Occupational Therapy Programs
10. Physical Therapy
Physical therapists treat pain, injuries, and mobility issues through guiding exercises and training programs. Physical therapists earn a median salary of $95,620 (BLS, 2021). With a degree in physical therapy, you can immediately begin working or choose to pursue graduate school.
Physical therapists are in high demand, with BLS projecting a job growth of 17% from 2021-2031.
11. Public Health
Public health focuses on changing policy and public focus to promote and protect health. For example, public health officials worked to spread information about the COVID-19 pandemic. Professionals with a bachelor's in public health earn an average salary of $62,000 (Payscale, May 2023).
Featured Public Health Programs
Public health officials can work at all levels of government, and many pursue advanced degrees.
12. Radiology Technology
A bachelor's in radiology technology focuses on operating radiological devices, like X-ray machines and MRIs, to take images that best help patients.
Radiology technicians earn a median salary of $61,980 annually (BLS, 2021). Radiology technicians typically work in hospitals where they use specialized equipment.
13. Respiratory Therapy
Respiratory therapy is a specialty within hospital care that focuses on managing patients' breathing. Respiratory therapists help maintain patient oxygen levels during emergencies and hospital stays.
Respiratory therapists earn a median salary of $61,830 (BLS, 2021).
14. Speech Therapy
Speech therapists help patients with communication problems or speech disorders learn or relearn how to speak. They might work directly with patients or perform research in the field. Speech-language pathologists earn a median salary of $79,060 (BLS, 2021).
Speech therapists may also work with patients who have difficulty eating or swallowing.
How Fast Can I Get an Online Bachelor's in Nursing?
How long it takes to get your bachelor's degree can depend on many factors, including if you enroll full time vs. part time or if you choose to take summer classes. Bachelor's degrees normally take four years to complete, but an accelerated nursing program can help you earn a degree in 2-3 years.
If you already hold a degree, you can earn your second bachelor's degree even more quickly — many programs will let you obtain a degree in less than two years.
What Can I Expect From an Accelerated Online Bachelor's in Nursing Program?
An accelerated online bachelor's in nursing is a great way to launch a career in nursing or switch careers. You can expect classes focusing on healthcare fundamentals, healthcare administration, biology, and other fields.
The programs will also focus on practical skills and developing confidence in treating patients. These programs prepare you to take the NCLEX exam or pursue additional degrees after graduation.
Featured Online BSN Degrees
What Are Admission Requirements for an Accelerated Online Bachelor's in Nursing Program?
Most accelerated online bachelor's in nursing have flexible entry requirements. At a baseline, you must have a high school degree or GED diploma, complete an application, and meet a minimum GPA requirement.
While some schools require standardized test scores, like the SATs, many do not. Every school has different admissions requirements, and you can speak to admissions advisors at individual schools for further information.
Getting an RN vs. BSN vs. MSN
A registered nurse (RN) is a nurse who has graduated from a state-approved nursing school and has passed the standardized licensing exam. A BSN is a bachelor of science in nursing degree, which typically requires 3-4 years of coursework. If you'd like to start working sooner, however, you can earn an associate degree in nursing instead, which takes two years.
A master of science in nursing (MSN) is a graduate-level nursing degree indicating you've received advanced training in the nursing field. Nurses with MSNs can go on to work in advanced positions, like nurse practitioners or nurse midwives.
Featured Online BSN Degrees
What Can I Do With an Accelerated Online Bachelor's in Nursing Degree?
Students with a BSN can work in many different settings. They can work at hospitals in both inpatient or outpatient care, work in government or community health, or work in health administration and management.
Career Outlook
You can pursue many nursing careers with a BSN. As the U.S. population ages, nursing and other healthcare careers are in increasingly high demand. Salaries for nurses tend to be well above the national average salary for all occupations of $45,760.
| Nursing Jobs | Median Annual Salary (2021) |
|---|---|
| Registered Nurse | $77,600 |
| Nurse Practitioner | $123,780 |
| Dietitian/Nutritionist | $61,650 |
| Speech-Language Pathologist | $79,060 |
| Respiratory Therapist | $61,830 |
Remember that pay and demand vary by location. You can speak with your school's academic and career services office for more information about opportunities and pay in your state.
Frequently Asked Questions About Accelerated Online BSN Degrees
Is an accelerated bachelor's degree in nursing right for me?
Generally, a bachelor's degree in nursing is great for students with lots of empathy, a desire to help people, and the ability to operate in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment.
While only you can decide if a bachelor's degree in nursing is right for you, it is worth noting many strengths of working in nursing.
Many nurses find their work highly fulfilling, and nurses are always needed. Beyond that, a degree in nursing can open many opportunities in the healthcare field.
Are accelerated nursing degree programs affordable?
Generally speaking, accelerated nursing programs can be quite affordable, with some programs charging as little as $2,500 a year in tuition. While prices vary by program, some online degrees can be more affordable than in-person degrees.
Financial aid, including scholarships, is also often available for students. Talk to a financial aid advisor to determine how to pay for your degree. They can help determine what programs might be best for you.
How much money can I make with a BSN degree?
With a BSN degree, you can make a fairly good salary as a nurse — with some nurses earning up to six figures. RNs make a median salary of $77,600 (BLS, 2021).
However, this also opens the door for additional education opportunities, such as graduate school. For example, nurse practitioners and healthcare administrators have median salaries of over $100,000.
What courses will I take in an accelerated online bachelor's in nursing program?
In an accelerated BSN program, you can expect to take the same courses you would in a traditional BSN program — but in a shorter time frame. This includes classes like human physiology, introduction to research, health informatics, and sociology.
You may have opportunities to specialize and take elective courses that introduce you to physical therapy, speech pathology, nutrition, or other fields of nursing.
