I am deciding on whether or not I want to get my BSN at a cc or transfer and get it at a 4 year university. What are the major benefits of both? CC is a whole lot cheaper for me; however, what am I missing out of a major university?.. I just don’t know if it’s worth it in the long run.
If anyone has anything to add, please share, or personal experience. Thank you!
You could apply to a couple different options and see which one ends up being a better choice in the end, considering NET price that you would pay. The net cost of a 4 year college will vary greatly depending upon many factors, including whether you are eligible for merit aid and need-based aid, and by how much aid is available from that college. You can go to each college’s net price calculator to get a rough estimate of net cost.
If you can get accepted to 4 year in-state public college and receive some grants and use federal loans, you may find that the 4 year option is not much more expensive. You may also find that the community college option has a long waiting list to start classes, and that there may not be any guarantee that you be accepted into their nursing program at the time you start community college classes.
Your employment options will be better with a BSN. Some other people have said that many hospitals only hire BSNs,
If you get an associates degree, the hope is that you can find an employer who will subsidize your BSN as you work. However, that may take many years to accomplish.
Could you tell us which Community College offers a BSN degree?
A few of the state CC in GA offer BSN among other majors. I think it’s move to make college more affordable.
I got my nursing degree at a CSU where there were 30,000 students attending. However, my world was the nursing program so it did not matter really that there were all these other students. All my classes practically were nursing ones so I don’t know you will really miss much. You will get very close with your fellow students between doing clinical rotations and study groups and the rest of the school does not seem to be a your focus.
@Lakemom which CSU did you attend?
I went to SF state. But I graduated in 1981, a long time ago 
Where you get your BSN will not likely matter much in the end. Do you want the four-year living on campus experience? And, if so, how much $$ is it worth to you? Remember, once you get that BSN you will likely be working many hours. Looking back, I wish I had done the traditional four year college, live on campus, party like a rock-star route vs. the business school/cc path. I do sometimes feel like I missed something, even now 35 years later.
One additional factor is distance to clinicals, which often start early in the morning. If the clinicals are close to a 4 year college, it may be convenient to live on or near campus. If you are already commuting 45 minutes to a community college and the clinicals are another hour away, that can be time-consuming and expensive.
Living on-campus for some students creates too many social distractions, while for other students, it allows them to get away from distractions at home.
One thing to consider is whether or not you will be able to transfer into a 4 year program from a cc program.
@techmom99 there are many online BSN completion programs–Ohio University has one. Your diploma is the same and the boards for an AAS and BSN are the same do theres no test after the BSN completion
There are plenty of colleges that offer BSN degrees for people who already have a RN certification.
However, you probably will not be eligible for any financial aid for that second degree. Most colleges mainly offer financial aid to incoming freshmen. There are times when it is cheaper to attend a 4 year college that will offer you substantial financial aid for all 4 years compared to attending a cheap college for 2 years and then paying full sticker price for the last 2 years to an expensive college.
How do you do clinical rotations and the like in an online program? Do you have to go to that state or do they help you get them where you live?
I am curious because for a while, my D was thinking of getting a second masters in music therapy (first is in special ed with music concentration) and the least expensive online program required going to another state for a couple of weeks at a time once or twice during the process.
@techmom99 The clinical in the bridge BSN is not clinical per se. In community health you found a site that met certain criteria and shadowed there, most of the rest were didactic–heavy paper writing. OU doesn’t even have a brick and motor class–just on line videos and such. Some on-line masters degrees in nursing let you chose your own clinical sites near you. YMMV