Campus Highlights: Chamberlain University
Welcome to the first in a new series: NurseDeck’s spotlight on nursing schools! We aim to give you the real scoop about various programs offered, a glimpse into campus life and atmosphere, and how the schools prepare you for nursing in the real world. Whether you are a new nursing student entirely or are pondering whether to go back for a higher degree, we hope you find this series helpful in assessing your options.
For our first Campus Highlight, we are focusing on Chamberlain University. No doubt you’ve heard of it — Chamberlain is the largest school of nursing in the country. With 23 campuses and a flexible selection of in-person and online degree options ranging from BSN to MSN to DNP, Chamberlain University has a nationwide reach.
Although online programs were once judged with a hefty dose of side-eye from traditionally educated nurses, nowadays online and virtual nursing school degrees are more widely accepted and respected.
The equitable access they provide to underrepresented nurses who may otherwise be deterred from a standard 4-year undergrad degree experience is vital in today’s nursing shortage times, especially with their scale, graduating thousands of nurses with BSN degrees and advanced nursing degrees.
Chamberlain University is divided into two colleges — the College of Nursing, which offers a pre-licensure three-year BSN degree, an RN to BSN program, as well as graduate programs to obtain either an MSN or DNP degree. Within the MSN program, students can choose from one of nine specialty tracks — Family NP, Adult-Gerontology NP, Psych-Mental Health NP, Nurse Educator, Nurse Executive, Nursing Informatics, Healthcare Policy, and Population Health. Finally, their College of Health Professionals houses MPH, MSW, and PA degree programs.
Many prospective nursing students find themselves cruising Chamberlain’s site because of its flexible degree offerings. Chamberlain offers flexibility and aims to meet students where they are while providing support along the way.
Raina J., a BSN student at Chamberlain-Jacksonville found the support from professors above and beyond when it came to juggling school and family commitments: “There were a few times where my daughter was sick, and I wasn’t able to make it to campus. All of my professors were supportive, flexible and willing to make adjustments in their own schedules to help me out.”
For pre-licensure students going for their BSN, tuition costs at Chamberlain, an accredited school, are estimated to be between $89,000 to $101,000 for 9 semesters. Currently the national average for obtaining a BSN ranges from $40,000-$200,000 at accredited schools. Cost is affected by in-state vs. out-of-state tuition rates, length of program, and whether the school is a public or private institution.
Chamberlain offers a fast-tracked, three-semester school year to obtain your BSN in three years instead of four. With its broad reach, Chamberlain boasts more than 1,000 education alliances with national healthcare organizations.
That means programs like tuition assistance and reimbursement have the potential to be built into your degree and future employment. In addition, Chamberlain reports that more than 90% of its students receive some kind of financial assistance.
Between financial aid, student loans, scholarships and grants, and work-study, Chamberlain University has an admission team at their disposal who are skilled at helping your tuition dollars stretch.
Lastly, Chamberlain seems to be doing their part when it comes to educational justice. Chamberlain is the leading grantor of BSN degrees to under-represented minority students in the United States. This is thanks in part to a framework they’ve developed to break down socio-economic barriers, which they refer to as the Social Determinants of LearningTM.
Chamberlain believes so strongly in equitable representation in nursing, that they even have an associate provost for social mission and academic excellence, which is currently held by Dr. Kenya Beard, EdD, AGACNP, CNE, ANEF, FAAN.
Overall, Chamberlain is a solid choice for pre- and post-licensure nursing degrees. With its scheduling flexibility, tuition-assistance options, and solid accreditation, it deserves to be added to your list of possible school options.
