SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) - Have you considered becoming a nurse but assumed you couldn't afford tuition? If so, perhaps you should reconsider. After all, a recent study has shown that two Louisiana universities have made the top five list of the least expensive nursing programs in the country!

According to the study, the least expensive online nursing program in the United States is found at The University of Louisiana at Monroe. The college’s nursing program length is 14 months; each credit costs $200, and students must complete 120 credits to graduate.

ULM also offers an accelerated RN to BSN program where licensed registered nurses (RN) may quickly complete a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).  

McNeese State University in Lake Charles, is the second-most-affordable nursing school in the nation. Their program is ten months, and credits cost between $233 and $300 each. You can earn your Master of Science in Nursing or become a Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner in the university's Doctor of Nursing Practice program.

This information was provided by Research.com, which conducted a study that ranked universities with online nursing degrees. They obtained data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, Peterson's Data, College Scorecard, and the National Center for Education Statistics to determine which of the nation's online nursing degrees were the most affordable.

Considerations included program length, tracks and concentrations, the costs per credit, the required number of credits to graduate, and accreditations.

Tallahassee Community College in Florida came in third place for affordability. They have a four-year program to license nurses and an associate degree in nursing available, too.

Florida SouthWestern State College's online nursing program costs $121.71 per credit for in-state students and almost $800 for out-of-state students.

Another Florida school, Broward College, came in fifth place with its hybrid and fully remote nursing courses. Credits begin at #122,90 for in-state and $243.30 for out-of-state students. They offer accreditations through the Collegiate Nursing Education and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Where do other nursing schools rank on the list? Check out the following table to learn about the most affordable online nursing courses available in the country.

The most affordable colleges for online nursing programs 

Rank	College	Program length	Tracks and concentrations	Cost per credit	Required credits to graduate	Accreditation
1	The University of Louisiana at Monroe	14 months	RN-BSN, LPN-BSN, MSN	$200	120	CCNE, SACSCOC
2	McNeese State University	10 months	MSN, DNP-Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing	$233-$300	120	CCNE, SACSCOC
3	Tallahassee Community College	Four years	N/A	$100.83-$128.51	120	ACEN, SACSCOC
4	Florida SouthWestern State College	Four terms	ASN	$125.71 (in-state), $795.34 (out-of-state)	120	ACEN, SACSCOC
5	Broward College	12-18 months	N/A	$122.90 (in-state), $243.30 (out-of-state)	123	CCNE, SACSCOC
6	Georgia Southwestern State University	One to two years	MSN	$159-$199	120	CCNE, SACSCOC
7	University of Central Florida	One to three years	RN-BSN, MSN, DNP, PhD	$179.19 (in-state), $715.80 (out-of-state)	120	CCNE, SACSCOC
8	Columbus State University	One year	MSN	$199	123	CCNE, SACSCOC
9	Cleveland State University	One year (online), two years (blended)	MSN	$237.30 (in-state), $240.30 (out-of-state)	120	CCNE, HLC
10	Florida International University	One year	DNP	$235.57 (in-state), $648.87 (out-of-state)	120	CCNE, SACSCOC

For more information about the study, visit https://research.com/degrees/most-affordable-online-nursing-programs.

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