Massachusetts Community Colleges
Nursing Programs
Compare nursing programs across community colleges in this state. ADN, LPN, and pre-nursing pathways with section counts and transfer details.
5 colleges · 83 sections · 31 unique courses · Fall 2026 · Updated today
Massachusetts community colleges are the most popular launchpad into nursing in the state — 5 MassCC institutions offer the coursework and clinical hours required for the NCLEX-RN or NCLEX-PN exam, and many graduates step directly into staff-nurse roles at local hospitals without ever attending a four-year school. The associate degree in nursing (ADN) typically takes two years full-time; LPN programs run 12–18 months.
This term, the 83 sections across these 5 colleges span the full nursing pipeline: pre-nursing prerequisites like anatomy and microbiology, the clinical ADN sequence, and bridge-to-BSN pathways for nurses planning to continue toward a bachelor's. Programs vary in clinical site partnerships, NCLEX pass rates, and waitlist length, so it pays to compare each college's awards-per-year and graduate earnings below before choosing where to apply.
Earnings & outcomes for Nursing graduates
Federal College Scorecard data on what graduates of this program actually earn after completion. Where a school’s cohort is too small to publish, we show the national benchmark for the same field of study.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, per-program (4-digit CIP) data. CIP 5138 — Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. School cohorts are suppressed by the federal source when fewer than ~30 completers in the reporting cohort.
Colleges offering Nursing
| College | Sections | Courses | Online | Awards/yr | 5-yr earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenfield Community College | 25 | 8 | — | 73 | $76,694 |
| Middlesex Community College | 24 | 12 | — | 87 | — |
| Springfield Technical Community College | 16 | 7 | — | 123 | $81,228 |
| Berkshire Community College | 10 | 10 | — | 124 | $84,914 |
| Bunker Hill Community College | 8 | 4 | — | 134 | $86,904 |
Nursing Availability Snapshot
How nursing sections are being offered across 5 colleges in Massachusetts this term (83 sections total).
Delivery format
- in person79 (95%)
- hybrid4 (5%)
When sections meet
- Morning (before noon)62
- Afternoon (noon–5 PM)14
- Evening (5 PM and after)2
- Asynchronous / TBA5
Start dates
Sections begin on 6 distinct dates. 3 late-start more than two weeks after the term's earliest start.
Instructor diversity
Taught by 57 distinct instructors across 5 colleges.
Degree requirements by college
Expand a college to see the courses required for graduation. Data sourced from each college's official catalog.
Berkshire Community College2 programs
Bristol Community College1 program
General Courses
27 credits- BIO 233Human Anatomy and Physiology I(4 cr)not offered
- BIO 234Human Anatomy and Physiology II(4 cr)not offered
- BIO 239Elements of Microbiology(4 cr)not offered
- CSS 101College Success Seminar(1 cr)not offered
- ENG 101Composition I: College Writing(3 cr)not offered
- ENG 102Composition II: Writing about Literature(3 cr)not offered
- PSY 101General Psychology(3 cr)not offered
- PSY 252Child Development(3 cr)not offered
Program Courses
36 credits- NUR 100Introduction to Professional Nursing(1 cr)not offered
- NUR 101Fundamentals of Nursing(8 cr)not offered
- NUR 102Parent-Child Health Nursing(8 cr)not offered
- NUR 201Nursing Care of the Adult I(9 cr)not offered
- NUR 202Nursing Care of the Adult II(9 cr)not offered
- NUR 203Trends in Nursing(1 cr)not offered
Source: College catalog
Bunker Hill Community College2 programs
Cape Cod Community College1 program
Requirements
21 creditsFirst Semester
9 creditsSecond Semester
11 creditsThird Semester
16 creditsFourth Semester
11 creditsSource: College catalog
Greenfield Community College3 programs
Holyoke Community College2 programs
Massasoit Community College4 programs
MassBay Community College3 programs
Middlesex Community College3 programs
Mount Wachusett Community College1 program
Recommended Course Sequence
74 credits- MAT 143Statistics(3 cr)not offered
- BIO 109Concepts in Biology (or Life Science for Allied Health)(4 cr)not offered
- BIO 203Anatomy and Physiology I(4 cr)not offered
- BIO 204Anatomy and Physiology II(4 cr)not offered
- BIO 205Microbiology(4 cr)not offered
- ENG 101College Writing I(3 cr)not offered
- NUR 111Foundations Of Nursing(7 cr)not offered
- PSY 105Introduction To Psychology(3 cr)not offered
- NUR 114Nursing Care Of The Childbearing Family(8 cr)not offered
- PSY 110Human Growth And Development(3 cr)not offered
- ENG 102College Writing II(3 cr)not offered
- NUR 220Medical Surgical Nursing, Part I(6 cr)not offered
- NUR 230Psychiatric Nursing(4 cr)not offered
- SOC 103Introduction To Sociology(3 cr)not offered
- NUR 204Trends In Nursing(3 cr)not offered
- NUR 222Medical-Surgical Nursing Part II(9 cr)not offered
Source: College catalog
North Shore Community College7 programs
Northern Essex Community College1 program
Requirements
- BIO 121Anatomy & Physiology I(4 cr)not offered
- BIO 122Anatomy & Physiology II(4 cr)not offered
- BIO 220Microbiology(4 cr)not offered
- ENG 101English Composition I(3 cr)not offered
- ENG 102English Composition II(3 cr)not offered
- NUR 100Health Assessment(1 cr)not offered
- NUR 110Nursing I(4 cr)not offered
- NUR 111Nursing Clinical I(3 cr)not offered
- NUR 112Nursing Lab I(1 cr)not offered
- NUR 113Pharmacology I(1 cr)not offered
- NUR 120Nursing II(4 cr)not offered
- NUR 121Nursing Clinical II(3 cr)not offered
- NUR 122Nursing Lab II(1 cr)not offered
- NUR 123Pharmacology II(1 cr)not offered
- NUR 205Issues in Professional Nursing(1 cr)not offered
- NUR 210Nursing III(4 cr)not offered
- NUR 211Nursing Clinical III(5 cr)not offered
- NUR 213Pharmacology III(1 cr)not offered
- NUR 220Nursing IV(5 cr)not offered
- NUR 221Nursing Clinical IV(5 cr)not offered
- PSY 101Introduction to Psychology(3 cr)not offered
- PSY 110Lifespan Psychology(3 cr)not offered
- SOC 101Introduction to Sociology(3 cr)not offered
Source: College catalog
Quinsigamond Community College6 programs
Springfield Technical Community College3 programs
Common Nursing courses
- NUR 201CPhysical/Mental Health III Cli(9 sections)
- NUR 101CPhys/Mental Health I Clinical(8 sections)
- NUR 011Open Lab(7 sections)
- NUR 101LPhysical/Mental Health I Lab(6 sections)
- NUR 203CMental Health Nursing Clinical(6 sections)
- NUR 101Physical/Mental Health I(4 sections)
- NUR 103CFundamentals of Practical Nursing Clinical(4 sections)
- NUR 201LLab: Nursing 3(4 sections)
- NUR 102Physical/Mental Health II(3 sections)
- NUR 098Fundamentals of Nursing Lab(2 sections)
- NUR 120Found of Patient Cent Care(2 sections)
- NUR 150Patient Ctr Care-Adult & Mh(2 sections)
Career outlook for Nursing graduates
Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data for the primary career outcome of this program (2024 OEWS release). Compare Massachusetts’s typical pay to the national picture before choosing where to study.
Massachusetts's typical pay is about 19% above the typical state — a strong sign of healthy local demand.
Wage data reflects all workers in the occupation, not just recent CC graduates — entry-level pay is typically lower. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I become a registered nurse from a community college?
- Yes. An associate degree in nursing (ADN) from any accredited Massachusetts community college qualifies you to sit for the NCLEX-RN exam — the same exam BSN graduates take. ADN-prepared RNs work in the same hospitals and earn the same starting wage as BSN-prepared RNs at most Massachusetts employers, though some larger health systems prefer or require a BSN within 5 years of hire.
- How long does the nursing program take?
- The ADN is typically a 2-year full-time program (4 semesters of core nursing courses after prerequisites). Most Massachusetts community colleges expect students to complete 1–2 semesters of prerequisites — anatomy, physiology, microbiology, English, statistics — before applying to the competitive nursing cohort, so the total time from first enrollment is often 3 years.
- Do nursing credits transfer to a bachelor's program?
- Yes. Every MassCC ADN program has at least one RN-to-BSN bridge partnership with a four-year university — usually the closest state university. ADN graduates can typically complete the BSN online in 12–18 months while continuing to work as an RN, often with their employer covering tuition.
- What's the demand for nurses in Massachusetts?
- Strong and growing. BLS projects RN employment to grow 6% nationally through 2032 — faster than the average occupation — and Massachusetts faces the same aging-population pressure driving demand. Most Massachusetts ADN graduates have job offers before completing the program; rural hospitals and long-term care facilities offer signing bonuses and tuition forgiveness to recruit RNs.
Compare Nursing programs in other states
Same comparison view, different state systems. Useful if you’re considering an out-of-state community college or just want to see how Massachusetts’s nursing programs stack up.
Other programs in Massachusetts
Some programs may not be offered at every college — pages render only when the program meets a coverage threshold for the state.