Nursing program named one of the most affordable in state

College Choice website has named the Pitt-Bradford nursing degree one of the 10 most affordable in Pennsylvania for 2017.

College Choice is an independent website that publishes rankings and reviews to help students choose the best college for them.

The website editors cited the Institute of Medicine's goal to reach an 80 percent level of registered nurses who hold a bachelor's degree as one of the reasons they undertook an analysis of the most affordable nursing programs in every state. Pennsylvania was first.

Pitt-Bradford ranked 10th of the 57 colleges and universities in Pennsylvania that offer a bachelor's degree in nursing.

College Choice noted that in-state tuition for nursing students at Pitt-Bradford is $13,372. The website explained that students can study for an Associate of Science in Nursing, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing or pursue a bachelor's degree if they are currently licensed as a registered nurse.

Pitt-Bradford students completing the associate degree have a three-year average pass rate on the nursing licensure exam ranging from 88.3 to 98 percent and have consistently exceeded the national three-year average for the past four years.

“Nursing students learn not only concepts but practical skills that will be applied for a number of healthcare-related responsibilities,” the website said, including assessing patient needs, educating patients and maintaining medical records.

Students experience clinical rotations in local settings. For the years 2011-2014, all of the RN to BSN students were working in nursing within a year of graduation.

A listing of sample courses included Professional Nursing Concepts and Nursing Research.

To see the full review, visit www.collegechoice.net/rankings/most-affordable-nursing-degrees-in-pennsylvania/.