Overview
Career outlook
Employers hire BSN-prepared registered nurses for direct patient care as well as roles requiring expanded leadership, research, and community-health competencies across nearly every healthcare setting.
Getting in
What Capella University asks for, taken from its own admissions page.
What you'll need
- Transcripts
- Background check
- Prerequisite courses
Online BSN (Prelicensure) with in-person clinicals, offered to residents of Minnesota and 12 other states; no application fee, applications at apply.capella.edu. ATI TEAS composite of 63% or higher required (waived for the accelerated pathway if the applicant holds a bachelor's with a 2.5+ GPA); high school diploma or GED, government photo ID, CastleBranch background check and a minimum of 4.5 transferable credits. 180 quarter credits over roughly 2 to 3 years; up to 84 transfer credits; tuition estimate of $52,875 is the minimum with maximum transfer credit (effective July 13, 2026).
Checked Oct 2026 on the school's site. Requirements change each cycle, so confirm before you apply.
Prerequisites
The prerequisites you'll need to meet to apply to this program at Capella University. Open a category to see each one.
Entrance exams
1
Health and background checks
1
Application basics
3
Paths
Routes into BSN. The first step is where you enroll today.
Pre-Nursing to RN
University BSN pathway
Ready to become a nurse? Start with Pre-Nursing, find university BSN programs that fit your goals, and get help planning your prerequisites and applications.
- Timeline
- 4 years
Pre-Nursing to RN
HBCU BSN pathway
Ready to become a nurse? Start with Pre-Nursing, find BSN programs at historically Black colleges and universities, and get help planning your prerequisites and applications.
- Timeline
- 4 years
CNA Exam Prep to RN
University BSN pathway
Ready to become a nurse? Start by preparing for your CNA exam, gain patient care experience, and get help planning your path into a university BSN program.
- Timeline
- 4 years
Georgia CNA to RN
University BSN pathway
Ready to become a nurse in Georgia? Start with your CNA, gain patient care experience, and get help planning your path into a BSN program at a Georgia university.
- Timeline
- 4 years