How much does nursing school cost?​

The cost of nursing school can vary depending on the degree you seek, where you go to school and the expenses you have. Understanding the average cost of nursing school can help you figure out how much you will need to fund your education. 

 Once you have figured out your nursing school costs, you will be prepared to learn about available financing options, such as grants, scholarships, programs, and federal or private student loan applications. 

Nursing degree costs by nursing program

The average cost of your nursing program can vary based on the degree you are looking to get. These are some of the average costs you could expect to pay for your nursing program. 

Which additional costs can you expect in nursing school?

There are many additional costs to attending nursing schools that can raise the overall price of nursing schools. Here are some of the additional costs you could expect to pay. 

• NCLEX exam: $200 to $350. This exam determines whether a graduate is qualified to safely practice as a nurse.
• State nursing licensing application: $50 to $200. This license is a requirement to legally practice as a nurse in your state.
• Background check: $50 to $100. Background checks are required before hiring to ensure individuals with clean records are entrusted to take care of patients.
• Uniform: $100 to $300. This will be scrubs or anything else required to wear at your job or internship.
• Clinical supplies: $200 to $600. This can include a stethoscope, blood pressure cuff, a watch with a second hand, penlight and bandage scissors.
• Textbooks: $500 to $1,500. While this can be expensive, renting any required course materials or buying used could reduce this cost.
• Other expenses: $520 to $2,460. This can include insurance, transportation, access to education platforms, immunization and drug screenings. 

Overall, these expenses can raise the attendance cost of nursing school by $3,000 to $8,000 annually. 

Financial assistance options to cover nursing school

A number of financial assistance options can help students looking to cover the cost of nursing school. 

Federal grant opportunities and FAFSA eligibility

Filling out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, will show you the grants, loans and work-study programs you could qualify for. Many federal programs are available to help offset the price of attending nursing school that you will only be eligible for after completing your FAFSA. Most federal grants do not need to be repaid. 

Nursing-specific scholarships and employer tuition assistance

Several nursing-specific scholarships and employer tuition assistance plans offer to help offset the cost of school. Some of the scholarships could cover the full cost of attending nursing school, while others can cover up to $75,000. State scholarships can offer somewhere in the range of $1,000 to $20,000 a year but may require you to work in an area with a shortage of healthcare professionals.  

Hospital loan forgiveness and service-based repayment programs

Nurses could have the option to reduce or remove their student loan debt through Public Service Loan Forgiveness, or PSLF, or a service-based repayment program. PSLF can cancel your remaining loan balance when working full time for a qualified employer. 

Service-based repayment programs can offer a percentage or fixed amount to your student loan debt if you work full time in a qualifying Health Professional Shortage Area, or HPSA, or nursing school. 

Federal and private student loan options for nursing students

For those who may still have education costs after exploring some of these programs can apply for federal or private student loans*. These student loans can be used to cover any cost you may have at school. 

If you have a federal student loan that you are looking to change the terms of, you can refinance into a private student loan. 

^{*Before applying for a private student loan, students should first consider federal student aid, grants, scholarships, work-study, and federal student loans.}