Nursing Programs
Become a leader within the heartbeat of healthcare.
Unlock Career and Leadership Opportunities
The time is right to advance your nursing career. American College of Education (ACE) offers accredited, fully online nursing programs1 that can open doors to nurse leadership, administration or educator positions. You’ll be immersed in evidence-based, innovative curriculum, helping you channel your passion into better patient care and nurse mentorship.
From CCNE-accredited degree programs to career-relevant certificates, learn from our faculty practitioners, actively working in the field and eager to offer practical insights from their lived experiences. We enable you to pursue your professional and educational goals, fitting seamlessly into your busy schedule so you won’t miss a beat.
Skills and Knowledge Gained
As a registered nurse, we recognize that you are a skilled clinician with a strong grasp of foundational nursing knowledge. Continuing your education will deepen your skills for leading care and influencing outcomes.
Here are just some of the skills and knowledge you’ll gain by continuing your nursing education beyond an associate degree:
- Delegation, prioritization and team leadership skills
- Communication strategies for high-stakes situations
- Conflict resolution and professional influence
- How to evaluate clinical research and best practices
- Stronger clinical decision-making using current science
- Healthcare policy basics and how it impacts practice
- Ethics and decision-making in complex care environments
- Understanding quality dashboards and performance metrics
- Confidence communicating with leadership and stakeholders
Nursing Career Alignment
While you can become a registered nurse with an associate degree, most nurses find that a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is the best foundation for building robust and successful nursing careers. From there, more advanced degrees can lead to Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) roles, as well as qualify you for leadership, administration and educator positions.
Nursing Program Admission
ACE’s nursing programs all require evidence of an active, unencumbered RN license. Other requirements, like prior program completion or GPA, vary by academic level. Find detailed admission requirements for your program of interest on the program’s page.
*Source: Student Right to Know
Nursing Program FAQs
What can you do with a nursing degree?
An Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) helps you become a registered nurse. More advanced nursing degrees can help you move beyond staff nursing roles into positions of leadership, such as charge nurse, preceptor, clinical nurse leader, nurse manager, nurse educator and more.
How long does it take to get a nursing degree online?
The time it takes to complete a nursing degree online will mostly depend on the academic level of the program. Bachelor’s degrees typically take four years to complete, but RN to BSN programs can be much shorter because you transfer in credits you’ve already completed from an associate degree.
If earning a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree is your goal, the time it takes will vary based on the type of program you choose. If you already have a BSN, you can earn your MSN in 16 months2 at ACE. However, you could also explore RN to MSN programs that may take you a little longer but can get you from associate to master’s through a concentrated, accelerated pathway. The RN to MSN program at ACE gives you the opportunity to earn two degrees – your BSN and your MSN – in 31 months.2
Doctoral-level degrees in nursing can take anywhere from three to five years to complete. ACE’s Ed.D. in Nursing Education can be completed in three years.2
How much does a nursing degree cost?
Program cost will typically depend on the academic level of the program as well as the number of credits required to complete the program. Program format can also be a factor, with fully online programs typically costing less than in-person ones.
ACE’s tuition is among the lowest when it comes to nursing degrees. For example, our RN to BSN has a per credit tuition cost of $380 while the average cost of our competitors’ is $482.3 For our BSN to MSN, our per credit tuition cost is also $380, while our competitors average out at $536.3
What’s the difference between an ADN and a BSN?
An ADN is a degree at the associate level, whereas a BSN is at the bachelor’s level. Both degrees can prepare you to work in nursing, but a BSN program will cover more than what’s in an ADN program. With an ADN, you gain skills related to direct patient care and core nursing competencies. With a BSN, you’ll learn bedside skills and get broader preparation for navigating a profession within the healthcare system, including training in leadership, evidence-based practice and population health. For a deep dive into the differences between ADN and BSN programs, see our comparison guide.
What degree is needed to be an RN?
Typically, an ADN is sufficient to become an RN as long as you also pass the NCLEX-RN exam. However, being an RN with a BSN equips you with more knowledge and skills that can lead to more career opportunities.
1Select programs may require student teaching, an internship or practicum.
2This is an estimated time to completion. Actual completion time may vary depending on the number of transfer credits applied, availability of courses, satisfactory pace, multiple course requests, successful course completion, and meeting program milestones as required.
3Internal research conducted in October 2025
Apply Today
Our Enrollment Counselors are here to answer your questions and walk you through the enrollment process.