Nursing degrees
Every nursing credential, compared.
CNA, LPN, ADN, BSN, MSN, DNP, NP, CRNA, CNM, CNS. Pick the path that lets you start. The next door opens once you're inside.
The decision at a glance.
Core credentials students choose between at the entry-level decision, plus the two graduate exits. Tap a credential below the table for the full card.
| Credential | Typical time | Exam | What you become |
|---|---|---|---|
| CNA | 4 to 12 weeks | State CNA competency exam | Nursing Assistant |
| LPN / LVN | 12 to 18 months | NCLEX-PN | Practical or Vocational Nurse |
| ADN | 2 years after prerequisites | NCLEX-RN | Registered Nurse |
| BSN | 4 years | NCLEX-RN | Registered Nurse |
| ABSN | 12 to 18 months (after a non-nursing bachelor's) | NCLEX-RN | Registered Nurse |
| MSN | 2 to 3 years after BSN | Specialty certification (varies by track) | APRN-eligible (track-specific) |
| DNP | 3 to 4 years from BSN, 1 to 2 from MSN | Specialty certification (varies by track) | Doctoral-level clinician |
Not sure which row is you?
Let the Path Finder rank your options.
Eight short questions, several ranked paths, real timeline, real cost. Published methodology, never a black-box score.
Run the Path FinderAll the paths, grouped by stage.
Tap a tier, then a credential, to see prerequisites, scope, and salary signal.
- How this fits the path
Typical time
4 to 12 weeks (program length) plus state certification.
Prerequisites
High school diploma or GED. CPR certification (often during the program).
Scope
Basic patient care under an RN or LPN: vital signs, hygiene, feeding, transfers, repositioning, simple measurements. No medication administration.
Where you work
Skilled nursing facilities, long-term care, hospitals, home health, hospice.
Best for
Anyone who wants paid hospital exposure before committing to a multi-year nursing program. A first credential, not a destination.
Watch out for
Physically demanding, often-undervalued work. Many ADN and BSN students keep CNA shifts through school for income and clinical reps.
Salary signal
BLS national median for Nursing Assistants. See current BLS numbers ↗
- Read the full guide
Typical time
12 to 18 months, plus NCLEX-PN.
Prerequisites
High school diploma. Program entrance exam (varies). Some require CNA experience.
Scope
Med passes (most routes), wound care, basic assessments, IV maintenance in some states. Works under an RN or physician. Specific scope varies by state.
Where you work
Long-term care, clinics, physician offices, some hospitals (declining over time), home health.
Best for
Faster path to a license and steady income, with the option to bridge to RN later.
Watch out for
Many hospitals are hiring RNs over LPNs. The ceiling is real. Plan an LPN-to-RN bridge before you start.
Salary signal
BLS national median for Licensed Practical Nurses. See current BLS numbers ↗
- Read the full guide
Typical time
2 years of program after prerequisites (so 3 to 4 calendar years total). Plus NCLEX-RN.
Prerequisites
Anatomy & Physiology I/II, microbiology, chemistry, statistics, English composition, psychology. Minimum GPA varies. TEAS or HESI A2 entrance exam.
Scope
Full RN scope of practice. Same NCLEX-RN as BSN graduates. Strong clinical hours. Most state community colleges offer ADN programs at much lower tuition than BSN routes.
Where you work
Hospitals (especially community and non-Magnet), long-term care, home health, public health, clinics.
Best for
Cost-sensitive students who want to start working as an RN as fast as possible.
Watch out for
Many Magnet hospitals require or strongly prefer BSN. Plan an RN-to-BSN bridge within two years of starting work.
Salary signal
BLS national median for Registered Nurses. See current BLS numbers ↗
- Read the full guide
Typical time
4 years (or 2 years upper-division after prerequisites). Plus NCLEX-RN.
Prerequisites
Same science and general-education prerequisites as ADN, plus humanities and university-level statistics.
Scope
Full RN scope plus leadership, research, public-health, and community-health coursework. Same NCLEX-RN as ADN grads.
Where you work
Every RN setting plus larger hospitals (Magnet, academic medical centers, ICU/OR/NICU paths) that prefer BSN-prepared nurses.
Best for
Anyone aiming at Magnet hospitals, specialty units (ICU/OR/NICU), or eventual graduate-level nursing.
Watch out for
Costs more than ADN by a wide margin. Required for almost every NP or CRNA program later.
Salary signal
BLS national median for Registered Nurses. See current BLS numbers ↗
- Read the full guide
Typical time
12 to 18 months of full-time program. Plus NCLEX-RN.
Prerequisites
An existing non-nursing bachelor's degree plus nursing prerequisites.
Scope
Full BSN curriculum compressed. Same NCLEX-RN.
Where you work
Same as BSN.
Best for
Career switchers with a non-nursing bachelor's who want the BSN without four more years.
Watch out for
Brutal pace. Full-time job plus overtime. Savings or loans, not part-time hours.
Salary signal
BLS national median for Registered Nurses. See current BLS numbers ↗
- How this fits the path
Typical time
12 to 24 months depending on credit transfer.
Prerequisites
Active LPN license, sometimes minimum work experience.
Scope
Builds on LPN coursework and clinical hours to reach ADN or BSN-level RN licensure.
Where you work
Same as ADN/BSN after completion.
Best for
LPNs who already work in the field and want to stop hitting the LPN ceiling.
Watch out for
Credit-transfer rules vary by program. Verify before you commit a year of your life.
Salary signal
BLS national median for Registered Nurses. See current BLS numbers ↗
- How this fits the path
Typical time
9 to 18 months. Most programs are online or hybrid.
Prerequisites
Active RN license (ADN-prepared).
Scope
Upper-division BSN coursework only. No new clinicals required.
Where you work
Same RN settings, with more doors opening (Magnet hospitals, leadership tracks, grad school).
Best for
ADN-prepared RNs who need the BSN for hospital policy, leadership roles, or graduate-school admission.
Watch out for
Most employers reimburse a portion. Ask HR before you enroll.
Salary signal
BLS national median for Registered Nurses. See current BLS numbers ↗
- See specialty roles
Typical time
2 to 3 years of MSN or DNP program after BSN + RN experience.
Prerequisites
BSN, active RN license, typically 1-2+ years of RN experience.
Scope
Diagnose, prescribe, and manage primary-care patients across the lifespan. Scope varies by state (full / reduced / restricted practice).
Where you work
Primary care clinics, urgent care, family medicine practices, community health, some hospitals.
Best for
RNs who want broad-scope autonomous practice across age groups.
Watch out for
Practice-authority varies by state. Check your state's Board of Nursing for whether FNPs have full, reduced, or restricted authority before relocating.
Salary signal
BLS national median for Nurse Practitioners. See current BLS numbers ↗
- See specialty roles
Typical time
2 to 3 years of MSN or DNP program.
Prerequisites
BSN, RN license, typically psych or mental-health RN experience.
Scope
Diagnose and treat mental-health conditions across the lifespan. Prescribe psychotropic medications. Therapy and medication management.
Where you work
Inpatient psych, outpatient mental health, addiction medicine, telehealth, private practice (in full-practice states).
Best for
RNs drawn to mental-health work and the combination of pharmacology + therapy.
Watch out for
Mental health is high-need and growing fast. Burnout risk is real. Self-care isn't optional.
Salary signal
BLS national median for Nurse Practitioners. See current BLS numbers ↗
- See specialty roles
Typical time
2 to 3 years of MSN or DNP program.
Prerequisites
BSN, RN license, typically acute-care or ICU RN experience.
Scope
Diagnose and manage acutely-ill adult patients (or pediatric in PNP-AC). ICU, step-down, hospital medicine, specialty teams.
Where you work
Hospital systems, ICUs, specialty services (cardiology, pulmonology, surgery teams).
Best for
ICU and acute-care RNs who want to keep working at that pace at a higher scope.
Watch out for
Long shifts in high-acuity settings. The intensity that drew you in as an RN is the same intensity at NP scope.
Salary signal
BLS national median for Nurse Practitioners. See current BLS numbers ↗
- See specialty roles
Typical time
3 to 4 years of doctoral (DNP) program. All CRNA programs are doctoral from 2025 forward.
Prerequisites
BSN, RN license, minimum 1 year of critical-care RN experience (typically 2+ for competitive programs).
Scope
Administer anesthesia for surgery, obstetrics, pain management, and procedures. Highly autonomous in many settings.
Where you work
Hospital ORs, surgery centers, OB units, pain clinics, rural hospitals (often as the sole anesthesia provider).
Best for
ICU RNs who want the highest-paid APRN path and have the temperament for high-stakes procedural work.
Watch out for
Admission is competitive. Programs are full-time, full-stop. Most students cannot work during the program.
Salary signal
BLS national median for Nurse Anesthetists. See current BLS numbers ↗
- See specialty roles
Typical time
2 to 3 years of MSN or DNP program.
Prerequisites
BSN, RN license, typically L&D or women's-health RN experience.
Scope
Pregnancy, labor and delivery, postpartum, well-woman gynecologic care across the lifespan. Prescriptive authority varies by state.
Where you work
Hospitals, birth centers, OB practices, public health, home-birth practices (in qualifying states).
Best for
RNs called to women's health and pregnancy care.
Watch out for
Call schedules are real. Birth doesn't keep business hours.
Salary signal
BLS national median for Nurse Midwives. See current BLS numbers ↗
- See specialty roles
Typical time
2 to 3 years of MSN or DNP program.
Prerequisites
BSN, RN license.
Scope
Expert-level practice in a specific specialty (cardiac, oncology, peds, mental health, etc.). Three domains: patient care, nursing practice, and systems/organization improvement.
Where you work
Hospitals (often consultancy or systems-improvement role), specialty practices.
Best for
RNs who love teaching, mentoring other nurses, and driving care-improvement projects.
Watch out for
Scope and authority vary widely by state and employer. Less standardized than NP or CRNA paths.
Salary signal
BLS national median for Registered Nurses (CNS roles vary). See current BLS numbers ↗
- Read the full guide
Typical time
2 to 3 years (full-time) or 3 to 4 years (part-time) after BSN.
Prerequisites
BSN, RN license, often work experience depending on the track.
Scope
Foundation for advanced practice (APRN), nursing education, nursing administration, informatics, or public-health leadership.
Where you work
Depends on track. Clinical advanced practice, academia, hospital leadership, public health.
Best for
RNs moving into advanced practice, leadership, or teaching.
Watch out for
Many APRN paths now require or prefer DNP over MSN. Check your target specialty.
- Read the full guide
Typical time
3 to 4 years after BSN (BSN-to-DNP) or 1 to 2 years after MSN (MSN-to-DNP).
Prerequisites
BSN or MSN, RN license.
Scope
Practice-focused doctorate. Highest clinical credential in nursing. Required for some APRN tracks (CRNA from 2025) and increasingly preferred for NP roles.
Where you work
Advanced clinical practice, hospital and system leadership, executive nursing, academic-practice partnerships.
Best for
Nurses who want the terminal clinical doctorate. Future-proofing for evolving APRN credential requirements.
Watch out for
Capstone project is a substantial commitment. Plan around it.
- See specialty roles
Typical time
4 to 6 years after BSN/MSN.
Prerequisites
BSN or MSN, strong academic record, research interest.
Scope
Research-focused doctorate. Generates new nursing knowledge.
Where you work
Academic faculty, research institutes, federal agencies (NIH, AHRQ), policy organizations.
Best for
Nurses called to research and academic careers, not direct clinical practice.
Watch out for
Long path with relatively low salary along the way. The payoff is intellectual, not financial.