Oklahoma Nursing Schools And Programs

The Best Nursing Schools in Oklahoma

Nurses in Oklahoma need at least an associate degree in nursing (ADN), though many employers prefer a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN). The degree you choose shapes your career and salary prospects, and a strong program prepares you to pass the NCLEX-RN.

Oklahoma City University runs the Kramer School of Nursing, including an accelerated BSN that finishes in 16 months. Programs serve learners with and without an RN license, and students train in the Meinders Simulation Center.

• Programs: BSN; MSN; DNP; Ph.D. in nursing; post-master's certificate
• Campus: Oklahoma City
• Type: Private
• Accreditation: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
• Undergraduate Tuition: $28,094 per year
• Graduate Tuition: $590 per credit
• NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 90.2% first-time
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $63,900 for bachelor's graduates (College Scorecard)

Oklahoma Baptist University offers a BSN and an LPN-to-BSN option, with coursework in pharmacology and the foundations of professional nursing practice.

• Programs: BSN; LPN-to-BSN
• Campus: Shawnee
• Type: Private
• Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
• Tuition: $29,330 per year
• Admission Requirements: Minimum 3.0 high school GPA or top-half class rank; ACT 20, SAT 1030, or CLT 66 for regular admission
• Minimum Time Commitment: Four years for the traditional BSN
• NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 100% first-time
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $52,110 for bachelor's graduates (College Scorecard)

Oklahoma Christian University runs a 126-credit prelicensure BSN that emphasizes critical thinking and patient outcomes. Students take leadership and community health nursing, complete clinical rotations, and finish with a capstone.

• Program: BSN
• Campus: Edmond
• Type: Private
• Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
• Tuition: $24,550 per year
• Admission Requirements: Minimum 3.0 GPA; prerequisites complete or in progress; 58.7% TEAS score
• Minimum Time Commitment: Four years
• NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 91.7% first-time
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $53,360 for bachelor's graduates (College Scorecard)

Southern Nazarene University offers a four-year BSN with clinical rotations in regional healthcare facilities.

• Program: BSN
• Campus: Bethany
• Type: Private
• Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
• Tuition: $27,000 per year
• Admission Requirements: High school transcript; SAT or ACT scores; TEAS scores; minimum 2.75 GPA to progress past pre-nursing courses
• Minimum Time Commitment: Four years
• NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 76.5% first-time
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $58,670 for bachelor's graduates (College Scorecard)

Redlands Community College offers a four-semester ADN focused on professional behavior and clinical decision-making, with coursework in physiology and microbiology and practice in the school's simulation lab.

• Program: ADN
• Campus: El Reno
• Type: Public
• Accreditation: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
• Tuition: $155 per credit in-state; $240 per credit out of state
• Admission Requirements: Transcripts; "C" or higher in general chemistry; TEAS score of 65% or higher; minimum 2.5 GPA; background check
• Minimum Time Commitment: Four semesters
• NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 54.8% first-time
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $58,670 for associate graduates (College Scorecard)

Tulsa Community College runs an associate of applied science (AAS) with two tracks: a traditional path and a career-mobility path for LPNs and paramedics moving to RN. Coursework covers pharmacology, medical safety, pediatric nursing, and adult health.

• Program: AAS in nursing
• Campus: Tulsa
• Type: Public
• Accreditation: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
• Tuition: $113 per credit in-state; $338 per credit out of state
• Admission Requirements: Approved certification for the traditional track or an Oklahoma LPN license or National Paramedic Registration for the mobility track; "C" or better in all prerequisites
• Minimum Time Commitment: Three to four semesters
• NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 87% first-time
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $60,690 for associate graduates (College Scorecard)

Eastern Oklahoma State College offers a two-year AAS in nursing with a track for LPNs and EMT paramedics, including coursework in family nursing and current issues in nursing.

• Program: AAS in nursing
• Campus: Wilburton
• Type: Public
• Accreditation: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
• Tuition: $115 per credit in-state; $236 per credit out of state
• Admission Requirements: Minimum 2.5 GPA; minimum ACT 19; science prerequisites; current EMT, CNA, or LPN/paramedic license; background screening
• Minimum Time Commitment: Two years
• NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 100% first-time
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $63,010 for associate graduates (College Scorecard)

Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College offers an AAS in nursing with a traditional track and a fast track for qualified paramedics and LPNs, plus a pre-BSN program that prepares students to transfer to a four-year school.

• Program: AAS in nursing
• Campus: Miami
• Type: Public
• Accreditation: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
• Tuition: $99 per credit in-state; $305 per credit out of state
• Admission Requirements: ACT scores; TEAS scores; high school or GED transcript; current applicable license for the fast track; minimum 2.5 GPA in required classes; minimum 2.33 overall GPA; "C" or better in biological science prerequisites
• Minimum Time Commitment: Two years
• NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 91.8% first-time
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $51,210 for associate graduates (College Scorecard)

Oklahoma State University Oklahoma City offers a nurse science AAS with a traditional pathway and a transition pathway for LPNs and paramedics, including coursework in complex nursing concepts and pharmacology.

• Program: Nurse science AAS
• Campus: Oklahoma City
• Type: Public
• Accreditation: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
• Tuition: $128 per credit in-state; $371 per credit out of state
• Admission Requirements: Acceptance to OSU-OKC; prerequisites with a "C" or better; pre-admission nursing entrance exam scores
• Minimum Time Commitment: Two years
• NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 91.5% first-time

Rogers State University offers a traditional BSN, an online RN-to-BSN, and a bridge to the traditional BSN entry. About 95% of traditional BSN students land RN jobs before graduating.

• Programs: BSN; RN-to-BSN
• Campus: Claremore
• Type: Public
• Accreditation: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
• Tuition: $157 per credit in-state; $435 per credit out of state
• Admission Requirements: High school or GED diploma; ACT scores; official college transcripts if available
• Minimum Time Commitment: Varies by program
• NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 81.8% first-time
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $58,220 for associate graduates (College Scorecard)

How to Choose a Nursing Program in Oklahoma

Accredited programs in Oklahoma award ADN and BSN degrees but not diplomas. Choose based on your career goals, budget, background, and the time you can commit. Associate degrees take at least two years, bachelor's degrees about four. Online programs often run shortened semesters without set class times, but you still complete clinical placements at local hospitals and clinics. Program length drives cost, and financial aid varies by school. A program's NCLEX pass rate and acceptance rate are good signals of how well it prepares students.

Why Become a Nurse in Oklahoma

Oklahoma is projected to add RN jobs faster than the national rate of 5% from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), which adds about 189,100 openings a year nationwide. The state is one of the 41 Nurse Licensure Compact states (NCSBN), alongside neighbors Kansas, Texas, Arkansas, Colorado, and Missouri, so nurses licensed here can hold a multistate license and work across compact states without extra requirements.

Like most states, Oklahoma faces a nursing shortage, which means incentives. OU Health offers retention bonuses, and because Oklahoma has no nurse-to-patient ratio mandates, those incentives matter. The National Health Service Corps offers loan repayment to nurses working in areas hit by the opioid epidemic.

Salary and Job Outlook for Nurses in Oklahoma

RN and NP pay in Oklahoma runs below national averages, but so does the cost of living. Oklahoma RNs earn below the national RN median of $93,600 a year, and the state's nurse practitioners earn below the national NP median of $129,210 (BLS, May 2024). Oklahoma's cost-of-living index ranks among the lowest in the country, which stretches a nurse's paycheck further than the raw number suggests.

Statewide RN employment is projected to grow faster than the 5% national rate, and nurse practitioner roles are part of the advanced-practice group BLS projects to grow 35% from 2024 to 2034. Pay varies by metro, with Oklahoma City at the top.

Highest-Paying Metro Areas for RNs in Oklahoma

Source: BLS

Steps to Becoming a Nurse in Oklahoma

You need at least an ADN to work as a nurse in Oklahoma. Approved programs run a minimum of two years and 64 credits. Requirements vary by nurse type.

RN Requirements

Complete an ADN at minimum, though many students earn a BSN before taking the NCLEX. Apply for licensure by examination, or by endorsement if you hold a current license in another state. As a compact state, Oklahoma issues multistate licenses. Applicants must be at least 18, graduate from an Oklahoma Board of Nursing-approved program, gain clinical experience across pediatrics, maternal-newborn, adult medicine, and psychiatric mental health, and clear a criminal background check.

APRN Requirements

APRNs need an MSN or DNP to work as a certified registered nurse anesthetist, certified nurse midwife, clinical nurse specialist, or NP. Programs must be accredited by ACEN, CCNE, or the Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation. APRNs typically certify in a specialty population, such as adult-gerontology, pediatrics, women's health, or psychiatric and mental health, and must hold a valid RN license.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Oklahoma a Nurse Licensure Compact state?

Yes. Oklahoma is one of the 41 Nurse Licensure Compact (NCSBN) states, so a multistate license lets you work across participating states without applying separately in each one. Request the multistate license when you apply for licensure here.

What do registered nurses earn in Oklahoma?

Oklahoma RNs earn below the national RN median of $93,600 a year (BLS, May 2024), with new nurses starting lower and experienced nurses in Oklahoma City and Tulsa earning more. The state's low cost of living offsets much of the gap.

How does Oklahoma's NCLEX pass rate compare nationally?

Use each school's first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate as a quality signal. The national first-time pass rate for US-educated candidates was 91.2% in 2024 (NCSBN), so weigh a program against that benchmark before you enroll.

Where do Oklahoma nurses find the strongest job market?

High-performing employers include OU Health, the University of Oklahoma Medical Center, Integris Southwest Medical Center, and St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa. Many add retention bonuses and loan repayment for nurses in Health Professional Shortage Areas.

How long does it take to become an RN in Oklahoma?

Plan on at least two years of full-time study for an ADN, the fastest path, or about four years for a BSN. Paramedics and current LPNs can use a fast-track degree to become RNs.