Maryland 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.
9 colleges · 374 sections · 82 unique courses · Fall 2026 · Updated today
Maryland community colleges are the most popular launchpad into nursing in the state — 9 Maryland CC 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 374 sections across these 9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prince George's Community College | 118 | 10 | — | 140 | $100,773 |
| Hagerstown Community College | 101 | 30 | 2 | 140 | $74,472 |
| Allegany College of Maryland | 48 | 11 | 35 | 284 | $71,930 |
| Anne Arundel Community College | 37 | 10 | 8 | 318 | $82,238 |
| Harford Community College | 25 | 10 | 2 | 249 | $77,429 |
| Frederick Community College | 21 | 9 | — | 170 | $84,425 |
| Wor-Wic Community College | 13 | 5 | — | 143 | $77,859 |
| Carroll Community College | 10 | 4 | — | 101 | $84,778 |
| Howard Community College | 1 | 1 | — | 301 | $81,504 |
Nursing Availability Snapshot
How nursing sections are being offered across 9 colleges in Maryland this term (374 sections total).
Delivery format
- in person272 (73%)
- hybrid55 (15%)
- online47 (13%)
When sections meet
- Morning (before noon)135
- Afternoon (noon–5 PM)62
- Evening (5 PM and after)20
- Asynchronous / TBA157
Start dates
Sections begin on 17 distinct dates. 373 late-start more than two weeks after the term's earliest start.
Instructor diversity
Taught by 50 distinct instructors across 9 colleges.
Degree requirements by college
Expand a college to see the courses required for graduation. Data sourced from each college's official catalog.
Anne Arundel Community College2 programs
Carroll Community College2 programs
Common Nursing courses
- NUR 1020Foundations of Nursing Practic(20 sections)
- NUR 1030Reproductive Health Nursing(15 sections)
- NUR 1040Physiological Integrity I(15 sections)
- NUR 2010Nursing Care Children/Families(15 sections)
- NUR 2020Physiological Integrity II(15 sections)
- NUR 2031Psychosocial Integrity(14 sections)
- NUR 2032Physiological Integrity III(14 sections)
- NUR 105CFoundations of Nursing: Clinic(9 sections)
- NUR 127CNursing Care Children:clinical(8 sections)
- NUR 127LNursing Care of Children: Lab(8 sections)
- NUR 229CNursing Care-Acute: Clinical(8 sections)
- NURS 101Introduction to Clinical Nursing(8 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 Maryland’s typical pay to the national picture before choosing where to study.
Maryland's typical pay is about 13% 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 Maryland 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 Maryland 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 Maryland 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 Maryland CC 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 Maryland?
- Strong and growing. BLS projects RN employment to grow 6% nationally through 2032 — faster than the average occupation — and Maryland faces the same aging-population pressure driving demand. Most Maryland 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 Maryland’s nursing programs stack up.
Other programs in Maryland
Some programs may not be offered at every college — pages render only when the program meets a coverage threshold for the state.