For decades, Nursing has proven a reliable and rewarding career choice. However, there is an ever-growing need for RNs now, given the aging population and improved healthcare. With a 6% faster-than-average job outlook, this career can start you off as you slowly refine what health sectors or clinical specialties interest you most.
If you’re planning on getting an Associate’s or a Bachelor’s in Nursing, the choice between the two degrees influences promotion, wage, and career trajectory. Let’s unpack what that looks like in the day-to-day.
Associate Degree in Nursing
An ADN is a great place to start if you are considering a Nursing degree or even if you’re looking to switch careers and want a cost-effective segue into healthcare. With around 194,500 job openings each year, the lowest 10% earn no less than $66,030, and the highest 10% earn around $135,320. If you want to gain experience as an RN quickly, this is the most cost-effective, focused way to do it.
Bachelor of Science in Nursing
A BSN is a typical four-year degree. For eight semesters, you take pre-requisites and clinicals to pass the state licensure exam and become an RN. Like an ADN, this program includes in-person labs and extensive on-site clinical rotations in different specialties.
You’re probably still wondering: “What’s the difference really? Should I get an Associate’s vs. Bachelor’s in Nursing?”
The difference is that a BSN goes further, adding more general education, electives, and advanced courses in areas such as research, health policy, and community health, leading hospital systems to view you as a more well-rounded candidate, so you’ll be eligible for more job offerings and higher pay right off the bat.
Hospitals and other healthcare facilities often incentivize ADN-trained RNs to continue working full-time while completing their BSN online, allowing RNs to build on existing clinical skills and experience, while expanding into broader competencies that go beyond direct patient care.
Side-by-side comparison: Associate vs. Bachelor’s in Nursing
Once you receive your Bachelor’s degree in Nursing, you won’t have to worry about taking classes after working long shifts. Here’s a side-by-side comparison of what to expect in an associate or bachelor’s degree in nursing program.
| Area | ADN (71 credits) | BSN (120 credits) | Key differences |
|---|---|---|---|
| Program Length | 2-3 years | ADN core plus courses in Nursing Research, Health Policy & Systems, Community Health Nursing, Capstone, and Current Issues in Nursing | BSN includes an additional two years of coursework beyond the ADN level. |
| Gen-ed | ~ 31 credits | ~ 50 credits | BSN provides a broader liberal arts foundation for critical thinking, communication, and leadership. |
| Nursing courses | Foundations Of Nursing, Pharmacology, Health Assessment, Adult Care, Mental Health Nursing, Family Nursing, Leadership & Management | ADN core plus courses in Nursing Research, Health Policy & Systems, Community Health Nursing, Capstone, and Current Issues in Nursing | BSN adds policy, research, and community-focused courses to prepare for leadership, public health, and systems-level roles. |
| Specialty areas | Clinical rotations in multiple specialties | Adult care, family Nursing, mental health, plus community health, advanced leadership, public health, and capstone projects | BSN covers a wider range of clinical settings and populations. |
| Research training | N/A | Nursing Research course and evidence-based practice emphasis | Prepares BSN grads for roles in clinical research, quality improvement, and advanced studies. |
| Community & public health | Limited | Dedicated health promotion II: The community course | Promotion II: The Community course BSN builds skills for population health and prevention-based Nursing. |
| Capstone experience | Readiness for professional nursing practice (final semester) | Senior practicum plus nursing capstone II | The BSN capstone integrates research, leadership, and community practice. |
| Career prep | Prepares graduates for entry-level RN roles | Prepares for both nursing and leadership, as well as administrative, public health, research, and education roles | BSN broadens career scope and advancement opportunities |
The ADN limits its scope to coursework directly affiliated with patient care and nursing skills. This isn’t a bad thing—nursing roles require a strong foundation, leading to faster entry into the workforce. Consider this a good choice if speed and affordability are your priorities.
In contrast, the BSN expects you to study liberal arts, research, and public health. While not core to nursing as a vocation, this extended education opens doors to leadership roles, specialized nursing fields, and graduate-level opportunities.
While both paths lead to RN licensure, the BSN gives you more flexibility and advancement potential, simply because the industry values and rewards nurses who have more credentials.
What hospital systems prefer: Associate vs. Bachelor’s in Nursing
So, why do hospitals prefer a Bachelor’s in Nursing over an Associate’s degree? Well, researchers have found compelling evidence that those with BSNs handle critical situations with more fine-tuned knowledge, which supports an increase in policies that require baccalaureate-level education upon hiring. Due to staffing issues and a growing need for nurses, many hospitals ask for those with an ADN to sign contractual agreements to enroll in online part-time RN-BSN programs.
BSN graduates can pursue roles with leadership and specialized opportunities, like being a safety enforcer or shift manager. At the same time, someone with an ADN would have to increase their credentials and gain more experience shadowing others to be considered for such roles.
ADN nurses can build solid careers in long-term care, outpatient clinics, and community health, but advancing to a BSN opens more doors.
UB’s RN to BSN: Unlocking opportunities and specializations
Through University of Bridgeport’s RN to BSN program, licensed nurses can efficiently bridge this gap.
By transferring up to 90 credits, students can complete the degree in just one academic year plus a summer semester. UB graduates are prepared for roles such as nurse manager, public health nurse, case management nurse, clinical research coordinator, or nurse educator.
If you’re still considering whether to pick an Associate degree in Nursing or Bachelor’s degree in Nursing, it comes down to the primary outcomes that follow: An ADN gets you into nursing faster, while a BSN expands your opportunities from the start.
University of Bridgeport’s RN to BSN program makes advancing easy with generous transfer credits, flexible online courses, and the ability to graduate in just over a year.