Oklahoma Nursing Schools And Programs

Oklahoma pairs a low cost of living with competitive nursing pay, and many hospitals add retention bonuses and loan forgiveness for nurses who work in Health Professional Shortage Areas. This guide covers how to become a nurse in Oklahoma, what the work pays, and the licensing requirements.

The Best Nursing Schools in Oklahoma

Nurses in Oklahoma need at least an associate degree in nursing (ADN), though many employers prefer a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN). The degree you choose shapes your career and salary prospects, and a strong program prepares you to pass the NCLEX-RN.

Oklahoma City University runs the Kramer School of Nursing, including an accelerated BSN that finishes in 16 months. Programs serve learners with and without an RN license, and students train in the Meinders Simulation Center.

• Programs: BSN; MSN; DNP; Ph.D. in nursing; post-master's certificate
• Campus: Oklahoma City
• Type: Private
• Accreditation: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
• Undergraduate Tuition: $28,094 per year
• Graduate Tuition: $590 per credit
• NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 90.2% first-time
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $63,900 for bachelor's graduates (College Scorecard)

Oklahoma Baptist University offers a BSN and an LPN-to-BSN option, with coursework in pharmacology and the foundations of professional nursing practice.

• Programs: BSN; LPN-to-BSN
• Campus: Shawnee
• Type: Private
• Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
• Tuition: $29,330 per year
• Admission Requirements: Minimum 3.0 high school GPA or top-half class rank; ACT 20, SAT 1030, or CLT 66 for regular admission
• Minimum Time Commitment: Four years for the traditional BSN
• NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 100% first-time
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $52,110 for bachelor's graduates (College Scorecard)

Oklahoma Christian University runs a 126-credit prelicensure BSN that emphasizes critical thinking and patient outcomes. Students take leadership and community health nursing, complete clinical rotations, and finish with a capstone.

• Program: BSN
• Campus: Edmond
• Type: Private
• Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
• Tuition: $24,550 per year
• Admission Requirements: Minimum 3.0 GPA; prerequisites complete or in progress; 58.7% TEAS score
• Minimum Time Commitment: Four years
• NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 91.7% first-time
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $53,360 for bachelor's graduates (College Scorecard)

Southern Nazarene University offers a four-year BSN with clinical rotations in regional healthcare facilities.

• Program: BSN
• Campus: Bethany
• Type: Private
• Accreditation: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
• Tuition: $27,000 per year
• Admission Requirements: High school transcript; SAT or ACT scores; TEAS scores; minimum 2.75 GPA to progress past pre-nursing courses
• Minimum Time Commitment: Four years
• NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 76.5% first-time
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $58,670 for bachelor's graduates (College Scorecard)

Redlands Community College offers a four-semester ADN focused on professional behavior and clinical decision-making, with coursework in physiology and microbiology and practice in the school's simulation lab.

• Program: ADN
• Campus: El Reno
• Type: Public
• Accreditation: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
• Tuition: $155 per credit in-state; $240 per credit out of state
• Admission Requirements: Transcripts; "C" or higher in general chemistry; TEAS score of 65% or higher; minimum 2.5 GPA; background check
• Minimum Time Commitment: Four semesters
• NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 54.8% first-time
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $58,670 for associate graduates (College Scorecard)

Tulsa Community College runs an associate of applied science (AAS) with two tracks: a traditional path and a career-mobility path for LPNs and paramedics moving to RN. Coursework covers pharmacology, medical safety, pediatric nursing, and adult health.

• Program: AAS in nursing
• Campus: Tulsa
• Type: Public
• Accreditation: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
• Tuition: $113 per credit in-state; $338 per credit out of state
• Admission Requirements: Approved certification for the traditional track or an Oklahoma LPN license or National Paramedic Registration for the mobility track; "C" or better in all prerequisites
• Minimum Time Commitment: Three to four semesters
• NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 87% first-time
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $60,690 for associate graduates (College Scorecard)

Eastern Oklahoma State College offers a two-year AAS in nursing with a track for LPNs and EMT paramedics, including coursework in family nursing and current issues in nursing.

• Program: AAS in nursing
• Campus: Wilburton
• Type: Public
• Accreditation: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
• Tuition: $115 per credit in-state; $236 per credit out of state
• Admission Requirements: Minimum 2.5 GPA; minimum ACT 19; science prerequisites; current EMT, CNA, or LPN/paramedic license; background screening
• Minimum Time Commitment: Two years
• NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 100% first-time
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $63,010 for associate graduates (College Scorecard)

Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College offers an AAS in nursing with a traditional track and a fast track for qualified paramedics and LPNs, plus a pre-BSN program that prepares students to transfer to a four-year school.

• Program: AAS in nursing
• Campus: Miami
• Type: Public
• Accreditation: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
• Tuition: $99 per credit in-state; $305 per credit out of state
• Admission Requirements: ACT scores; TEAS scores; high school or GED transcript; current applicable license for the fast track; minimum 2.5 GPA in required classes; minimum 2.33 overall GPA; "C" or better in biological science prerequisites
• Minimum Time Commitment: Two years
• NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 91.8% first-time
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $51,210 for associate graduates (College Scorecard)

Oklahoma State University Oklahoma City offers a nurse science AAS with a traditional pathway and a transition pathway for LPNs and paramedics, including coursework in complex nursing concepts and pharmacology.

• Program: Nurse science AAS
• Campus: Oklahoma City
• Type: Public
• Accreditation: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
• Tuition: $128 per credit in-state; $371 per credit out of state
• Admission Requirements: Acceptance to OSU-OKC; prerequisites with a "C" or better; pre-admission nursing entrance exam scores
• Minimum Time Commitment: Two years
• NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 91.5% first-time

Rogers State University offers a traditional BSN, an online RN-to-BSN, and a bridge to the traditional BSN entry. About 95% of traditional BSN students land RN jobs before graduating.

• Programs: BSN; RN-to-BSN
• Campus: Claremore
• Type: Public
• Accreditation: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
• Tuition: $157 per credit in-state; $435 per credit out of state
• Admission Requirements: High school or GED diploma; ACT scores; official college transcripts if available
• Minimum Time Commitment: Varies by program
• NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 81.8% first-time
• Median Earnings Two Years After Graduation: $58,220 for associate graduates (College Scorecard)

How to Choose a Nursing Program in Oklahoma

Accredited programs in Oklahoma award ADN and BSN degrees but not diplomas. Choose based on your career goals, budget, background, and the time you can commit. Associate degrees take at least two years, bachelor's degrees about four. Online programs often run shortened semesters without set class times, but you still complete clinical placements at local hospitals and clinics. Program length drives cost, and financial aid varies by school. A program's NCLEX pass rate and acceptance rate are good signals of how well it prepares students.

Why Become a Nurse in Oklahoma

Oklahoma is projected to add RN jobs faster than the national rate: 9.1% growth versus the 7% national average, per BLS projections. The state is one of the 41 Nurse Licensure Compact states, alongside neighbors Kansas, Texas, Arkansas, Colorado, and Missouri, so nurses licensed here can hold a multistate license and work across compact states without extra requirements.

Like most states, Oklahoma faces a nursing shortage, which means incentives. OU Health offers retention bonuses, and because Oklahoma has no nurse-to-patient ratio mandates, those incentives matter. The National Health Service Corps offers loan repayment to nurses working in areas hit by the opioid epidemic.

Salary and Job Outlook for Nurses in Oklahoma

RN and NP pay in Oklahoma runs below national averages, but so does the cost of living. RNs earn an average of $66,600 a year, against a national mean of about $98,430 (BLS, May 2024). NPs average $112,750 in Oklahoma, close to the national average of $114,510. Oklahoma's cost-of-living index of 88.2 ranks third lowest in the country, behind Kansas and Mississippi.

Statewide RN employment is projected to grow 9.1%, above the 7% national rate, and NP employment 19.4%. Pay varies by metro, with Oklahoma City at the top.

Highest-Paying Metro Areas for RNs in Oklahoma

Metropolitan Area	Median RN Salary
Oklahoma City	$68,020
Lawton	$67,350
Tulsa	$66,250
Enid	$63,200

Source: BLS

Steps to Becoming a Nurse in Oklahoma

You need at least an ADN to work as a nurse in Oklahoma. Approved programs run a minimum of two years and 64 credits. Requirements vary by nurse type.

RN Requirements

Complete an ADN at minimum, though many students earn a BSN before taking the NCLEX. Apply for licensure by examination, or by endorsement if you hold a current license in another state. As a compact state, Oklahoma issues multistate licenses. Applicants must be at least 18, graduate from an Oklahoma Board of Nursing-approved program, gain clinical experience across pediatrics, maternal-newborn, adult medicine, and psychiatric mental health, and clear a criminal background check.

APRN Requirements

APRNs need an MSN or DNP to work as a certified registered nurse anesthetist, certified nurse midwife, clinical nurse specialist, or NP. Programs must be accredited by ACEN, CCNE, or the Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation. APRNs typically certify in a specialty population, such as adult-gerontology, pediatrics, women's health, or psychiatric and mental health, and must hold a valid RN license.

Frequently Asked Questions About Nursing in Oklahoma

Yes, Oklahoma is a compact state. Nurses can hold a multistate license that lets them work across the 41 Nurse Licensure Compact states. Request the multistate license when you apply for licensure here.

New RNs in Oklahoma start near the bottom 25th percentile, about $56,190 a year or $27.01 an hour. The top 90th percentile earns roughly $85,160 (BLS).

High-performing hospitals include OU Health, the University of Oklahoma Medical Center, Integris Southwest Medical Center, and St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa.

Plan on at least two years of full-time study for an ADN, the fastest path, or about four years for a BSN. Paramedics and current LPNs can use a fast-track degree to become RNs.