Connecticut Nursing Schools And Programs

Connecticut pays nurses above the national median and recently joined the Nurse Licensure Compact, which makes practicing across state lines easier. Here are the top programs, what licensure costs, and what you can expect to earn.

The Best Nursing Schools in Connecticut

Compare programs on the factors that matter most to you: tuition, NCLEX pass rate, accreditation, financial aid, and acceptance rate. Every school below is nationally accredited.

Yale University offers eight graduate programs plus pre- and post-doctoral research, with a high-tech simulation and assessment lab.

• Program(s): Graduate entry prespecialty in nursing (GEPN); MSN; DNP (leadership and clinical); post-master's certificates in adult/gerontology acute care, family, pediatric, and psychiatric-mental health NP
• Campus: New Haven
• Type: Private
• Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
• Tuition: $23,557/semester (GEPN and MSN); $15,637/semester (DNP leadership); $20,000/semester (DNP clinical); $1,820/credit (post-master's certificates)
• Admission Requirements: Vary by program; all require a bachelor's degree
• Onsite Requirements: Yes

The University of Connecticut was the state's first public school to offer a BSN and grants degrees and certificates at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels.

• Program(s): BSN; MSN; DNP; PhD; graduate certificates; certificate entry into BSN
• Campus: Storrs
• Type: Public
• Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
• Tuition: $925/credit (graduate); $15,030 (in-state undergraduate); $37,698 (out-of-state undergraduate)
• Admission Requirements: Vary by program
• Onsite Requirements: Vary by program

Quinnipiac University offers bachelor's through doctoral programs and partners with more than 300 clinical sites. Among 2020 graduates, 95% found a job or were pursuing further education within six months.

• Program(s): BSN; MSN; online MSN in operational leadership; RN-to-MSN in operational leadership; post-bachelor's DNP in nurse anesthesia; online DNP
• Campus: Hamden
• Type: Private
• Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
• Tuition: $49,170/year (undergraduate); $1,085/credit (MSN, post-bachelor's DNP in nurse anesthesia, online DNP); $750/credit (online operational leadership MSN); $575/credit undergraduate and $750/credit graduate (RN-to-MSN)
• Admission Requirements: Vary by program
• Onsite Requirements: Vary by program
• NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 94% first-time
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $75,550 (bachelor's), per College Scorecard

Fairfield University's Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing focuses on vulnerable and underserved populations.

• Program(s): Traditional BSN; accelerated second-degree BSN
• Campus: Fairfield
• Type: Private
• Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
• Tuition: $53,630/year; $765/credit (RN-to-BSN); $875/credit (BSN second degree, non-cohort); $12,875/semester (BSN second degree)
• Admission Requirements: Vary by program
• Onsite Requirements: Yes
• NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 93% first-time
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $76,750 (bachelor's), per College Scorecard

Sacred Heart University offers 13 undergraduate and graduate nursing options, online and onsite, with simulation and critical skills labs.

• Program(s): BSN; second-degree BSN; online RN-to-BSN; online RN-to-BSN-to-MSN; post-bachelor's DNP; online MSN (clinical nurse leader, nursing education, nursing management and executive leadership, or family nurse practitioner); online post-master's DNP; online home health certificate; online graduate certificates in nursing education and in nursing management and executive leadership
• Campus: Fairfield
• Type: Private
• Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
• Tuition: $995/credit (DNP); $695/credit (MSN); $955/credit (MSN-FNP); $22,480/semester (undergraduate, with a nursing differential on some courses)
• Admission Requirements: Vary by program
• Onsite Requirements: Vary by program
• NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 99% first-time
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $74,930 (bachelor's), per College Scorecard

Central Connecticut State University offers BSN, RN-to-BSN, and MSN programs with simulation suites and nursing-specific scholarships.

• Program(s): BSN; RN-to-BSN; MSN
• Campus: New Britain
• Type: Public
• Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
• Undergraduate Tuition: $5,731/term (in-state); $7,272/term (New England residents); $12,433/term (out-of-state)
• Graduate Tuition: $6,424/term (in-state); $8,343/term (New England residents); $13,036/term (out-of-state)
• Admission Requirements: Vary by program
• Onsite Requirements: Yes
• NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 100% first-time
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $68,140 (bachelor's), per College Scorecard

Norwalk Community College offers a four-semester ADN through the Connecticut Community College Nursing Program.

• Program: ADN
• Campus: Norwalk
• Type: Public
• Accreditation: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
• Tuition: $166/credit (in-state); $249/credit (NEBHE); $498/credit (out-of-state)
• Admission Requirements: High school or GED diploma; college preparatory coursework; TEAS results; SAT or ACT scores if used for the math requirement
• Minimum Time Commitment: 4 semesters
• Onsite Requirements: Yes
• NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 95% first-time
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $64,990 (associate), per College Scorecard

Northwestern Connecticut Community College offers an ADN through the same statewide program, with an accelerated 18-month option.

• Program: ADN
• Campus: Winsted
• Type: Public
• Accreditation: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
• Tuition: $166/credit (in-state); $249/credit (NEBHE); $498/credit (out-of-state)
• Admission Requirements: High school or GED diploma; college preparatory coursework; TEAS results; SAT or ACT scores if used for the math requirement
• Minimum Time Commitment: 18 months (4 semesters)
• Onsite Requirements: Yes
• NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 90% first-time
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $63,000 (associate), per College Scorecard

The University of Hartford offers BSN, RN-to-BSN, and MSN programs with clinical placements at major Hartford-area facilities.

• Program(s): BSN; RN-to-BSN; MSN
• Campus: West Hartford
• Type: Private
• Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
• Undergraduate Tuition: $20,852/term
• Graduate Tuition: $665/credit
• Admission Requirements: Vary by program
• Onsite Requirements: Yes
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $80,310 (bachelor's), per College Scorecard

Naugatuck Valley Community College offers a 65-credit ADN through the Connecticut Community College Nursing Program, with transfer pathways to a bachelor's.

• Program: ADN
• Campus: Waterbury
• Type: Public
• Accreditation: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
• Tuition: $166/credit (in-state); $249/credit (NEBHE); $498/credit (out-of-state)
• Admission Requirements: High school or GED diploma; college preparatory coursework; TEAS results; SAT or ACT scores if used for the math requirement
• Minimum Time Commitment: 4 semesters
• Onsite Requirements: Yes
• NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 98% first-time
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $66,610 (associate), per College Scorecard

How to Choose a Nursing Program in Connecticut

Start with tuition, since it drives how much debt you carry after graduation, then balance it against the financial aid each school offers. Connecticut also runs a student financial aid portal listing state-specific options such as the CHESLA loan program and the Roberta B. Willis Scholarship. Beyond cost, weigh acceptance rate, online availability, and accreditation. Your program must be accredited to qualify you for the NCLEX-RN, and its pass rate signals how well it prepares students.

Why Become a Nurse in Connecticut

Like nearly every state, Connecticut faces a nursing shortage, driven by an aging workforce and nurses moving out of hospital roles. The state began addressing it in 2007 with faculty-expansion funding, loan repayment, and recruitment and retention campaigns, and the Connecticut Center for Nursing Workforce tracks the data. Connecticut is not a right-to-work state, so union membership cannot be required as a condition of employment.

Connecticut joined the Nurse Licensure Compact and fully implemented it on October 1, 2025. Resident RNs and LPNs can now apply for a multistate license, and nurses from other compact states can practice in Connecticut on their existing multistate licenses.

Salary and Job Outlook for Nurses in Connecticut

Connecticut's cost-of-living index is 119.5, against a national baseline of 100. RNs in the state average roughly $103,000, above the national RN median of $93,600, and nurse practitioners average about $140,000, above the national NP median of $129,210 (BLS, May 2024). The higher pay helps offset the state's cost of living. APRNs work mainly in physicians' offices, hospitals, outpatient care centers, and academic settings. Demand is projected to keep growing across both roles over the decade.

Steps to Becoming a Nurse in Connecticut

The Connecticut Board of Examiners for Nursing, under the Department of Public Health, oversees licensure. You must complete an accredited program that meets Connecticut guidelines.

RN Requirements

Graduate from a BSN or ADN program accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, pass the NCLEX-RN, and apply online through the Department of Public Health. Licensure requires a $180 application fee, transcripts, degree validation, and a passing NCLEX-RN score. Nurses moving in from another state apply by endorsement. Renewal is online, up to 60 days before expiration, with a $110 fee plus continuing education contact hours, including two hours on screening for psychological conditions and two hours on suicide prevention.

APRN Requirements

Practicing as an APRN requires an accredited MSN or DNP that meets Connecticut guidelines, an active RN license, and national certification approved by the board. APRNs must carry professional liability insurance and hold a Connecticut Controlled Substance Registration to prescribe controlled substances. An APRN must practice in collaboration with a licensed physician for 2,000 hours before practicing independently. The initial APRN application fee is $200, and renewal is $130.

Licensing Timelines

New nurses must license by examination. The board can take up to four weeks to issue a license after receiving all documents. Nurses with a current out-of-state license can get a temporary permit within 15 business days of the board receiving the required documents and fee; that permit is valid for 120 days and is not renewable. An RN license is good for one year and expires in your birth month each year.