Best Nursing Schools in Portland, Oregon in 2024 (On-Campus & Online)

If you’re looking for a nursing school in Oregon, you’re in luck. Attending one of the nursing schools in Portland, Oregon area to become a practicing nurse will provide for a challenging and satisfying career. It will involve not only providing and coordinating patient care but also educating patients and their family members about their health issues. In addition, a career in nursing provides a lucrative salary and a very stable employment opportunity with many benefits and perks such as full health insurance, malpractice and disability insurance and many opportunities for career advancement.

The employment of registered nurses is expected to grow by 12% from 2018 to 2026. This rapidly increasing job growth is mainly due to the growth of the aging population and the increasing rates of chronic medical conditions such as obesity, diabetes mellitus, dementia, and hypertension.  In addition, it is estimated that by 2025 there will be a shortage of at least 500,000 registered nurses. Further, by 2022 there will be an estimated 1.05 million new job openings for registered nurses.

There are many options available. You can become an RN or attend one of the LPN nursing schools in Portland, Oregon. Once you obtain your RN degree, there are many different career advancement options available to you. In addition to becoming a practicing registered nurse, some of the nursing specialty options can include becoming a certified registered nurse anesthetist, a neonatal nurse, a flight nurse, a nurse midwife, a Family Nurse Practitioner, a trauma nurse, a travel nurse, and a nurse manager.  You can also go on for further study to obtain a master’s degree in nursing and even a Ph.D. degree if you are interested in conducting research or participating as a nursing educator.

As mentioned above, a career in nursing provides a well-paying occupation that allows you to provide for yourself and your family.  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. More specifically, government-employed registered nurses had an average annual salary of $73, 390, hospital-based registered nurses had an average annual salary of $73, 650 and registered nurses working in ambulatory healthcare facilities had an annual average salary of $63,990.

Whether you’re looking for a BSN program in Oregon or another nursing program, you’ll be sure to find an option below. When choosing which nursing program in Portland, Oregon is the best one for you, you should carefully consider the following when evaluating each school:

·         What is the NCLEX-RN Exam Pass Rate?

The NCLEX-RN Exam (National Council Licensure Examination) is a nationally recognized nursing licensure exam that tests an applicant’s ability to apply nursing knowledge that is required to make nursing judgments.

·         What is the length of the program or the number of accredited hours required?

·         What are the admission requirements?

·         What is the amount of tuition required?

·         Is the nursing program nationally accredited?

There are 2 national accrediting bodies that are related to nursing schools.

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 post-bachelor’s 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.

The Best Nursing Schools in Portland, Oregon in 2024

1. University of Portland

The University of Portland is one of the best accredited nursing schools in Portland, Oregon. Located at 5000 N. Wilamette Blvd., Portland, Oregon 97203-5798, the University of Portland’s nursing program is celebrating its 85^th anniversary. It now has a new state-of-the-art Simulated Health Center with 17 acute care patient beds and 6 simulation suites with high-fidelity manikins.

·         NCLEX RN Exam Pass Rate – 83.66%

·         RN Program Length – 4 years

·         Admission Requirements – Prerequisites

·         Tuition – $33,327

·         Accreditation – CCNE

2. Concordia University

Concordia University is located at 9600 SW Barnes Rd. Ste 300 Portland, Oregon 97225. The 6 themes of Concordia Care include Human Creativity and Expression, Faith, Society and Culture, The Natural World, Human Beings and Being Human, and Communication and Language. Concordia University emphasizes a Christian faith-based community and has one of the highest NCLX pass rates in Oregon. 100% of Concordia University nursing program graduates are employed within 6 months. This program is rated as one of the top 10 nursing programs in Oregon.

·         NCLEX RN Exam Pass Rate – 91.67%

·         RN Program Length – 16 months/4 terms/59 credit hours

·         Admission Requirements – Prerequisites

·         Tuition – $15,790 per term

·         Accreditation – CCNE

3. Portland Community College

Portland Community College is located at 12000 SW 49^th Ave Portland, Oregon 97219. Portland Community College is a public institution that offers an Associate of Science in Nursing degree. Portland Community College is the largest post-secondary institution in the state of Oregon with 73,000 full-time and part-time students in the Portland Community College System. Beginning in 1961 the college first began the expansion process to accommodate more students. Expansion continued in 1968 with the naming of a new college district and in 1971 the name of the college district was again changed to the Portland Community College District.

·         NCLEX RN Exam Pass Rate – 95.16%

·         AASN Program Length –  2 years

·         Admission Requirements – Prerequisites

·         Tuition – $3802 – In-state

·         Tuition – $ 8446 – Out of State

·         Accreditation – ACEN

4. Concorde Career College (Portland)

Concorde Career College (Portland) is located at 1425 NE Irving St #300, Portland, OR 97232. Concorde Career College – Portland has a long history providing educational resources to the Portland community for over 50 years. They offer frequent class starts and day and evening classes. Students can graduate in as little as 12 months and qualified graduates can sit for the NCLEX – PN exam.

·         Program Length –  12 months/2 years

·         Admission Requirements – Prerequisites

·         Tuition – $22,523

·         Accreditation – ACEN

5. Linfield College – Good Samaritan School of Nursing 

Linfield College – Good Samaritan School of Nursing is located at 2255 NW Northrup Portland, Oregon 97210. Linfield College is a private undergraduate institution that is nationally recognized for its strong teaching faculty. Linfield College has 49 majors through 3 different programs. Linfield College – Good Samaritan School of Nursing has 3 different options available to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. One option is an accelerated RN – BSN program for RNs with diplomas or associate degrees.  Another option is an accelerated 15-month BSN program for those students with a previous baccalaureate degree.

·         NCLEX RN Exam Pass Rate – 80.63%

·         Program Length –  4 years

·         Admission Requirements – Prerequisites

·         Tuition – $42,699

·         Accreditation – CCNE

6. Sumner College Nursing Program

Sumner College Nursing Program which is located at 7535 NE Ambassador PL Ste. L Portland, OR. 97220 does not require any prerequisites since they are all embedded in their 24-month Associate Degree in Nursing program. Of note, 97% of the Sumner College Nursing Program graduates obtain work as registered nurses.

·         NCLEX RN Exam Pass Rate – 80.63%

·         Program Length –  2 years

·         Admission Requirements – None

·         Tuition – $42,390

·         Accreditation – ACICS

7. Oregon Health & Science University

Oregon Health & Sciences University School of Nursing is located at 3181 Sam Jackson Park Road Portland, Oregon 97239. They provide BSN, RNBS to Master’s, graduate and Doctoral degree nursing programs.

·         NCLEX RN Exam Pass Rate – 96.05%

·         Program Length –  4 years

·         Admission Requirements – Prerequisites

·         Total Program Tuition –  Resident – $56,459.769

·         Total Program Tuition –  Non-Resident – $86,963.76

·         Accreditation – CCNE

8. Walla Walla University (Portland)

Walla Walla University (Portland) School of Nursing is located at 10345 SE Market Street Portland, OR 97216. WWU was founded on Christian teachings and values of the Seventh Day Adventist Church. Feel free to call to arrange a tour of the entire campus including the nursing education facility.

·          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 – ACNE Accredited. Also accredited by the State of Oregon for the Walla Walla Nursing Program campus located in Portland.

Click on one of the above nursing schools in Portland, Oregon for more information.

Ranking Methodology

In ranking the best nursing schools in Portland, Oregon we took into consideration the schools with the top NCLEX-RN pass 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.