Best Nursing Schools in Brooklyn, NY in 2024 (On-Campus & Online)

Are you looking for some of the best nursing programs in NY? Are you thinking about sticking around Brooklyn to get started on the education you need to go far in your career? Consider finding a great nursing school in Brooklyn, NY. A career as a registered nurse is both challenging and satisfying and will provide a lucrative salary and great job security that will allow you to take financial and personal care of both you and your family. Also of great importance is the fact that the job outlook for registered nurses from 2018 to 2026 is the most promising of any career field and is expected to grow by 12%.

This rate of job growth is one of the highest projected rates of growth for any industry and is due to the aging baby boomer population and their increasing rates of diabetes mellitus, obesity, dementia, and cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and hypertension.  According to estimates by the Department of Labor, by 2025 there will be a shortage of at least 500,000 registered nurses. In addition, by 2022 there will be an estimated 1.05 million new job openings for registered nurses.

There are many different career advancement options available to those in the field of nursing. Some of the nursing specialty options include becoming a certified registered nurse anesthetist, a perinatal nurse, a flight nurse, a nurse-midwife, a Family Nurse Practitioner, a trauma nurse, a travel nurse, and a nurse manager.  Through further study, RNs interested in teaching or in research can obtain a master’s degree in nursing and even a Ph.D.

According to statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for a registered nurse in the United State as of May 2018 was $71,760. Government-employed registered nurses have an average annual salary of $73, 390, hospital-based registered nurses have an average annual salary of $73, 650, and registered nurses working in ambulatory healthcare facilities had an annual average salary of $63,990.

When choosing which nursing school is the best one for you, whether it’s an LPN nursing school in Brooklyn, NY, one of the nursing assistant schools in Brooklyn, NY, or a BSN program in New York, you should carefully consider the following when evaluating each school:

• The NCLEX-RN Exam Pass Rate

The NCLEX-RN Exam is a national nursing licensure computer exam that is based on a pass-fail system. It consists of 4 major categories and 8 sub-categories of questions. The questions are mainly multiple choice with 4 possible choices. There are also other types of questions such as fill in the blanks. The NCLEX – RN exam lasts for a maximum of 6 hours.

• The length of the program or the number of accredited hours required
• The admission prerequisites

There are 2 national nursing school accrediting bodies that would accredit a nursing school in Brooklyn:

1. ACEN – The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) provides accreditation to schools that offer diploma programs in nursing as well as associate, bachelor’s and graduate degrees in nursing.

2. CCNE – The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) which is associated with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing offers national accreditation for nursing schools that offer bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate programs in nursing.

We made a list compiling the best accredited nursing schools in Brooklyn, NY.

The Best Nursing School in Brooklyn, NY in 2024

1. SUNY Downstate Medical Center

SUNY Downstate Medical Center Nursing Program is located at 450 Clarkson Avenue Brooklyn, New York 11203.  It is conducted through a public medical school and hospital in New York City and is part of the State University of New York System. It serves 2.5 million residents. The nursing program has a 95% graduation rate.

• NCLEX RN Exam Pass Rate – 89.50%
• Program length –  Bachelor of Science in Nursing Accelerated Program for students with any Baccalaureate degree –  15 months
• Program length – RN-BSN degree – 1 year
• Admission Requirements – Prerequisites
•  Total Program Tuition –  Resident – $3,535 per semester
• Total Program Tuition –  Non-Resident – $8,490 per semester 

2. Brooklyn Adult Learning Center

The Brooklyn Adult Learning Center is located at 1475 Nostrand Avenue Brooklyn, New York 11216.  It provides a Certificate in Practical Nursing Training through its nursing program. It is located in Bedford-Stuyvesant, NY where the program is run by the New York City Department of Education.

• NCLEX PN Exam Pass Rate – 89.20%; out of 37 students who sat for the exam, 33 passed
• Program Length –  1 year
• Admission Requirements – Prerequisites
• Total Program Tuition – $2500
• Accreditation – New York City Department of Education

3. New York City College of Technology

The New York City College of Technology Nursing Program is located at 300 Jay Street Brooklyn New York 11201. New York City College of Technology was founded in 1946.  A minimum grade point average of 2.5 is required for graduation from the BSN program.

• NCLEX RN Exam Pass Rate – 89.66%
• Program Length –  4 years
• Admission Requirements – Prerequisites
• Total Program Tuition –  Resident – $26,595
• Total Program Tuition –  Non-Resident – $37,560
• Accreditation – Middle States Commission on Higher Education

4. St. Frances College

St. Frances College School of Nursing is located at 180 Remsen Street Brooklyn Heights, New York, 11201. St. Frances offers 72 major and minor fields of study. In addition, there are 2 floors of new science labs and robotic simulators.

• NCLEX RN Exam Pass Rate – 83.3%
• Program Length –  4 years
• Admission Requirements – Prerequisites
• Total Program Tuition –  Resident – $26,188
• Total Fees –  $1,000
• Accreditation – CCNE

5.  LIU Brooklyn

LIU Brooklyn is located at One University Plaza Brooklyn, NY 11201. It offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), RN to BSN, and RN to MSN degree.

• NCLEX RN Exam Pass Rate – 82.3%
• Program Length –  4 years
• Admission Requirements – Prerequisites
• Total Program Tuition –  $36,452
• Accreditation – CCNE

6. Kingsborough Community College

Kingsborough Community College is located at 2001 Oriental Boulevard Brooklyn, New York 11235. They offer an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN).

• NCLEX RN Exam Pass Rate – 80.2%
• Program Length –  2 years
• Admission Requirements – Prerequisites
• Total Program Tuition –  Resident – $9600
• Accreditation – ACEN

7. Touro College

Touro College School of Nursing is located at 902 Quentin Road, Third Floor Brooklyn, New York 11223. They offer an associate degree in nursing, a bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN), and an RN to BSN program.

• NCLEX RN Exam Pass Rate – 66.7%
• Program Length –  4 years
• Admission Requirements – Prerequisites
• Total Program Tuition Per Semester –  $13,650
• Accreditation – CCNE

8. Medgar Evers College

Medgar Evers College is located at 1650 Bedford Avenue Brooklyn, New York 11225. It offers an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing degree, a Bachelor of Science Nursing degree and an RN to BSN Nursing degree. Ninety percent of nursing students who graduate from the Medgar Evans College Nursing Program are working as RNs upon completion of the program.

• NCLEX RN Exam Pass Rate –  75.6%
• Program Length –  2 years
• Admission Requirements – Prerequisites
• Total Program Tuition –  Resident – $6,030 per year
• Accreditation – New York Board of Education

9. Clara Barton High School

The Clara Barton High School Certificate in Practical Nursing Program is located at 901 Classon Avenue Brooklyn, New York 11225. This program prepares students to take the Practical Nursing exam. Qualified students can enter this program directly out of high school.

• NCLEX PN Exam Pass Rate – 47.6%
• Program Length –  4 years
• Admission Requirements – High School Diploma or GED
• Total Program Tuition –  Free
• Accreditation – New York State Certification 

10. ASA College

ASA College is located at 81 Willoughby Street Brooklyn, New York 11201. It offers an Associate in Applied Science Nursing Degree. This program prepares students for further study at the baccalaureate level. Graduates of the program will be qualified to sit for the NCLEX-RN to become registered professional nurses.

• NCLEX RN Exam Pass Rate –37.0%
• Program Length –  2 years
• Admission Requirements – Prerequisites
• Total Program Tuition –  Resident – $20,483
• Accreditation – ACEN 

11. St. Joseph’s College – Brooklyn

St. Joseph’s College – Brooklyn School of Nursing is located at 245 Clinton Avenue Brooklyn, New York. St. Joseph’s College – Brooklyn was founded in 1906 by the Sister’s of St. Joseph. It received its first permanent charter from the University of the State of New York in 1929. In 2015, St. Joseph’s College added a program for a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. St. Joseph’s College – Brooklyn now has nursing programs resulting in a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree; an MSN: Adult Gerontology–Clinical Nurse Specialist degree; an MSN: Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner degree; an MSN: Nursing Education degree, and an RN to BSN completion program.

• NCLEX RN Exam Pass Rate – 89.66%
• Program Length –  4 years
• Admission Requirements – Prerequisites
• Total Program Tuition – $27,894
• Accreditation – ACEN and the New York State Education Department

Ranking Methodology

In ranking the best nursing schools in Brooklyn, NY we took into consideration the schools with the top NCLEX-RN passage rates, the length of each program, the amount of tuition, the graduation rate, student ratings, student to faculty ratios and if the school was accredited.

Edits, Additions and Comments

We understand that other factors can also affect the ranking of nursing schools and we welcome any suggestions, recommendations or additions to the list. Please send any comments or questions via our contact form.