New Jersey 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 · 211 sections · 41 unique courses · Fall 2026 · Updated today
New Jersey community colleges are the most popular launchpad into nursing in the state — 5 NJ County Colleges 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 211 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rowan College at Burlington County | 145 | 19 | 8 | 220 | $82,279 |
| Raritan Valley Community College | 30 | 7 | — | 150 | $89,499 |
| Bergen Community College | 21 | 9 | 1 | 188 | $111,636 |
| Atlantic Cape Community College | 9 | 4 | 4 | 235 | $85,744 |
| Hudson County Community College | 6 | 2 | — | 180 | $93,970 |
Nursing Availability Snapshot
How nursing sections are being offered across 5 colleges in New Jersey this term (211 sections total).
Delivery format
- in person198 (94%)
- online13 (6%)
When sections meet
- Morning (before noon)63
- Afternoon (noon–5 PM)23
- Evening (5 PM and after)32
- Asynchronous / TBA93
Start dates
Sections begin on 8 distinct dates. 54 late-start more than two weeks after the term's earliest start.
Instructor diversity
Taught by 49 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.
Bergen Community College3 programs
Common Nursing courses
- NUR 131Fundamentals of Nursing Lab(17 sections)
- NUR 132Fundamentals of Nursing Clinic(17 sections)
- NUR 142Nur Care Childbrng Fam. Clinc.(16 sections)
- NUR 147Nurs Care Child./Fam. Clinic.(16 sections)
- NUR 241Nur Care Pnts w/MH Alt Clinic(15 sections)
- NUR 246Nr Pnts Md Srg Hlth Alt Clnc(15 sections)
- NUR 251Adv Cncpts of Nurs Care Clinc(14 sections)
- NURS L01FOUND OF NURSG LAB(12 sections)
- NUR 220Nutrition in Nurs. & Hlthcare(6 sections)
- NURS S01FND NRSG DEMO LAB(5 sections)
- NUR 130Fundamentals of Nursing(4 sections)
- NUR 148Nursing in Community Clinical(4 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 New Jersey’s typical pay to the national picture before choosing where to study.
New Jersey's typical pay is about 20% 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 New Jersey 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 New Jersey 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 New Jersey 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 NJ County Colleges 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 New Jersey?
- Strong and growing. BLS projects RN employment to grow 6% nationally through 2032 — faster than the average occupation — and New Jersey faces the same aging-population pressure driving demand. Most New Jersey 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 New Jersey’s nursing programs stack up.
Other programs in New Jersey
Some programs may not be offered at every college — pages render only when the program meets a coverage threshold for the state.