East Tennessee State University Nursing: Programs, Ballad Health Training & Requirements (2026)
The ETSU College of Nursing anchors the Tri-Cities corridor with a deep pre-licensure footprint (Traditional BSN, Continuous Enrolled—accelerated—BSN, LPN-BSN), strong completion pathways (RN-BSN, Dual Degree), and graduate programs through the DNP and PhD. Below: school-reported NCLEX data, official 2025–26 cost snapshots, and links to verify policies with ETSU and the Tennessee Board of Nursing.
Contents
Quick Facts
Key Takeaway
ETSU situates nursing inside the Academic Health Sciences Center with interprofessional training in Bishop Hall, partnerships with Ballad Health, multiple accelerated-BSN campus hubs (Johnson City, Kingsport, Sevierville), and six nurse-managed clinics referenced on the college’s recruitment pages—useful if you want rural-and-regional clinical breadth in East Tennessee.
Overview & Why Students Choose East Tennessee State University
East Tennessee State University is a public institution in Johnson City serving one of the state’s largest nursing programs by enrollment. Through the College of Nursing, ETSU stacks pre-licensure options (Traditional BSN, Accelerated BSN via the Continuous Enrolled BSN track across three cities, and LPN-BSN) beside online-friendly post-licensure work (RN-BSN, Dual Degree) and graduate ladders (MSN concentrations, DNP—including the Tennessee Joint DNP with Tennessee Tech—and PhD programs).
Because the college publishes annual NCLEX summaries and partners with Ballad Health and the wider ETSU Health ecosystem, applicants can usually trace clinical exposure from academic simulation through large regional delivery systems and nurse-managed clinics.
The College of Nursing website lists first-time NCLEX-RN pass rates of 93% (2024) and 90% (2023). Confirm the latest board-level reporting for your cohort through the Tennessee Board of Nursing and the college’s outcomes page.
Reasons students choose ETSU
Regional clinical depth
Marketing and academic pages highlight Ballad Health alignment, nurse-managed clinics, and interprofessional training inside the Academic Health Sciences Center—helpful if you want exposure across inpatient and community settings in Appalachia.
Multiple pre-licensure entry points
Beyond the Traditional BSN, ETSU offers LPN-BSN, a Continuous Enrolled (accelerated) BSN with distinct cohort sites, and Military Pathway supports tied to ROTC for eligible students.
Stackable online graduate programs
MSN concentrations (FNP, PMHNP, Nursing Administration, Nursing Education) run primarily online with practica; DNP and PhD pathways extend research and practice doctorates without leaving the same institution.
Published outcome transparency
ETSU posts NCLEX pass rates and some certification exam outcomes on etsu.edu/nursing, which makes baseline benchmarking easier before you talk with advisors.
Nursing Programs Offered
ETSU separates pre-licensure, post-licensure, and graduate nursing pathways on etsu.edu/nursing. The bullets below mirror the college’s published list (August 2025 site revisions); always confirm catalog wording before applying.
Pre-licensure (undergraduate)
Traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Four-year BSN housed with the broader university recruitment pages; emphasizes Ballad Health partnerships, Academic Health Sciences Center integration, and simulation in Bishop Hall.
Accelerated BSN (ABSN)—Continuous Enrolled BSN
Five-semester, 75 nursing-credit curriculum with cohorts in Johnson City (summer start), Kingsport (spring), and Sevierville (fall). Applicants typically use NursingCAS where the college directs.
LPN to BSN
Bridge option for licensed practical nurses seeking the BSN; details and prerequisites sit on the college’s LPN-BSN microsite.
Post-licensure (undergraduate)
RN to BSN
Completion track for associate-prepared RNs; ETSU marks several programs as blended online at the college level—verify synchronous requirements with advisors.
Dual Degree pathway
Designed for students finishing ADN coursework while taking BSN classes, then transitioning into RN-BSN after licensure; coursework is asynchronous online except for the final RN practicum.
Graduate & doctoral
Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
Concentrations: Family Nurse Practitioner, Nursing Administration, Nursing Education, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Mostly asynchronous online with practicum immersions; RN-to-MSN option exists for non-nursing bachelor’s graduates who complete bridge courses.
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Practice doctorate with blended online delivery; includes the Tennessee Joint DNP delivered with Tennessee Tech per ETSU’s professional licensure disclosures.
PhD in Nursing
Research doctorate preparing nurse scientists; housed with ETSU Online graduate nursing listings.
Post-graduate APRN & specialty certificates
College pages reference post-master’s APRN certificates (e.g., adult-gerontology primary care, family, psychiatric mental health), a health-care genetics post-baccalaureate offering, and a post-graduate nursing administration certificate.
ETSU warns that clinical placement outside Tennessee may require regulator approval. If you live outside the state, read the college’s disclosure block on etsu.edu/nursing and confirm placement rules before committing.
NCLEX-RN Pass Rate
According to the ETSU College of Nursing “Student Outcome Data” section on etsu.edu/nursing, the program’s first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate was 93% in 2024 and 90% in 2023. The same page also lists selected national certification pass percentages for MSN graduates (for example, PMHNP and FNP cohort metrics)—use those only with the year and exam name provided there.
Because these figures are school-reported annual summaries rather than a line-item extract from a state spreadsheet, pair them with Tennessee Board publications when you need cohort-level verification.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| NCLEX-RN first-time pass rate (2024) | 93% (per ETSU College of Nursing website, student outcome data) |
| NCLEX-RN first-time pass rate (2023) | 90% (same source) |
| Source | ETSU College of Nursing — Student Outcome Data; Tennessee Board of Nursing for regulatory reporting. Confirm current cohort statistics with both. |
NCLEX outcomes change by cohort and campus track. Always confirm the latest pass rates with the Tennessee Board of Nursing and ETSU before using any number in academic or employer planning.
International Students & Internationally Educated Nurses
ETSU enrolls domestic and international students across its colleges; nursing clinical compliance adds another layer beyond standard graduate admissions. Treat the checklist below as planning cues—not legal advice—and confirm each item with ETSU Global, the College of Nursing graduate office, U.S. immigration advisers, and the Tennessee Board of Nursing.
- English proficiency: Request current TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo minimums from Graduate Admissions and the College of Nursing.
- Credential evaluation: Determine whether ETSU requires a specific NACES-member evaluation for prior nursing coursework.
- Tennessee licensure pathway: Internationally educated nurses may need CGFNS reports, English exams, or remedial coursework before NCLEX authorization—confirm with the Board.
- Visa & clinical placement: Hybrid programs still require in-person practica; make sure your visa status supports travel to assigned sites in Tennessee or approved border facilities.
Disclosures on etsu.edu/nursing note multi-state clinical restrictions; international students should ask how those rules intersect with their residency status.
Admissions: A Realistic Look
ETSU routes some applicants through the main undergraduate portal, others through NursingCAS (the Continuous Enrolled BSN page explicitly links there). Graduate nursing uses the ETSU graduate application with concentration-specific start terms—MSN-FNP allows fall or spring, while administration, education, and PMHNP tracks historically start in fall.
For competitive limited-access programs, assume prerequisite science GPA, entrance exams (if required), and early advising matter even when the university does not publish a single “nursing acceptance rate.”
Application timeline (examples)
| Entry Term | Deadline | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Continuous Enrolled BSN (varies by site) | Confirm on NursingCAS / advising page | Johnson City summer, Kings spring, Sevierville fall—per accelerated BSN page. |
| Dual Degree RN-BSN | Summer admission (annual) | Coursework mostly asynchronous; final practicum on site. |
| MSN (most concentrations) | Fall (several); FNP also spring | See ETSU Online MSN FAQ for term availability. |
Admissions snapshot
| Factor | Details |
|---|---|
| Acceptance rate (nursing-specific) | Not publicly disclosed on the pages reviewed for this guide. |
| Graduate GPA expectation | MSN materials cite a bachelor’s GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for most applicants; RN-to-MSN bridge paths add nursing course requirements. |
| GRE | Not required for the MSN program per ETSU Online. |
| TEAS / HESI (undergraduate) | Not publicly disclosed here—confirm with the undergraduate handbook or NursingCAS checklist. |
| Military Pathway | College of Nursing advertises guaranteed admission considerations for up to 10 qualified ROTC students per cohort; verify current MOU details with ROTC and nursing admissions. |
Applicant tips
If you target the Continuous Enrolled BSN, map the campus-specific start immediately—housing and clinical commutes differ sharply between Johnson City, Kingsport, and Sevierville. RN-BSN and Dual Degree applicants should line up transcript evaluations early through ETSU’s articulated agreements portal if you are partnering with a Tennessee community college.
Tuition & Cost of Attendance
ETSU’s Office of Financial Aid publishes Average Fall/Spring budgets for 2025–2026. Tuition and fee lines below are not your bill—they are standardized budget components used for aid packaging. Nursing courses often add per-credit program fees; cross-check the Bursar’s fee tables after you register.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate tuition & fees (in-state) | $10,994 academic-year budget based on 15 credits each fall and spring (excludes online/special course fees). |
| Undergraduate tuition & fees (regional out-of-state: KY, VA, NC, SC, GA—first-time freshmen/transfers) | $11,894 under the same assumptions. |
| Undergraduate tuition & fees (all other out-of-state) | $15,194 under the same assumptions. |
| Graduate MSN example (per credit, ETSU Online) | $672 TN resident; $835.50 eRate for fully web-based out-of-state students; $1,513 out-of-state—plus institutional fees. |
| Estimators | Undergraduate tuition estimator; Online / graduate paying for college. |
| Source | ETSU Cost of Attendance (2025–2026); MSN tuition table. Confirm amounts with the Bursar before budgeting. |
The College of Nursing maintains a nursing scholarships page; honors nursing scholars may qualify for stackable awards through the Undergraduate Research Honors Program described on etsu.edu/nursing/undergrad/hid.php.
Student Outcomes & Career Prospects
Workplace demand for BSN graduates in upper East Tennessee remains tied to Ballad Health’s hospitals, mountain community providers, and ETSU’s own nurse-led clinics. The college’s marketing pages reference local hiring pathways, but this guide only quantifies outcomes that ETSU publishes with context.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| NCLEX-RN first-time pass rate | 93% (2024) and 90% (2023) per ETSU College of Nursing “Student Outcome Data.” |
| APRN certification exams (examples, school-reported 2024) | College site lists ANCC PMHNP (MSN) pass outcomes as 100% (school-reported), ANCC FNP (MSN) as 95.25%, AANP FNP (MSN) as 89%, and Post-Grad FNP as 89%—confirm cohort definitions and methodology on etsu.edu/nursing before comparing programs. |
| Job placement rate | Not publicly disclosed as a single percentage on the pages reviewed; ask the College of Nursing career liaison for graduate surveys. |
| Source | ETSU College of Nursing; confirm current data with the Tennessee Board of Nursing. |
Is East Tennessee State University the Right Fit for You?
Choose ETSU if you want a public university nursing program tightly integrated with a regional health system and multiple BSN entry schedules; look elsewhere if you need a single large metro market or guaranteed fully remote pre-licensure training.
✓ Good fit for students who—
- Plan to live or work in the Tri-Cities, Smokies gateway communities, or other Ballad-served counties.
- Want both Traditional and accelerated BSN seating options plus online RN-BSN/MSN ladders at the same institution.
- Value nurse-managed clinics and interprofessional simulation tied to an academic medical partnership.
✗ May not be ideal for students who—
- Require a strictly online pre-licensure program (ETSU’s BSN clinical practica remain in-person).
- Prefer a small private cohort environment—ETSU nursing intentionally operates at scale.
- Need definitive published nursing acceptance rates or test-score thresholds that ETSU does not post centrally.
Local Healthcare Ecosystem
Johnson City anchors the Tri-Cities alongside Kingsport and Bristol, giving nursing students access to tertiary hospitals, rural critical-access facilities, and population-health initiatives stretching toward the Appalachian corridor. ETSU emphasizes collaboration with Ballad Health (the dominant integrated network in upper East Tennessee/southwest Virginia) plus university-owned clinics that emphasize primary-care reach.
| Facility / system | Details |
|---|---|
| Ballad Health | Named partner on ETSU’s BSN recruitment pages; likely major site pool for med-surg, critical care, and population health rotations. |
| ETSU nurse-managed clinics | Undergraduate marketing cites six nurse-managed clinics offering longitudinal primary-care exposure. |
| Johnson City Medical Center (Ballad) | Flagship acute-care hospital minutes from main campus—common site for high-acuity experiences. |
| Holston Valley Medical Center (Kingsport) | Supports the Kingsport Continuous Enrolled BSN cohort’s community and hospital placements. |
| Smoky Mountain region | Sevierville cohort places students closer to Great Smoky Mountains gateway communities and seasonal population shifts. |
Student Experience & Campus Life
ETSU nursing students split time between didactic classrooms, high-fidelity simulation in Bishop Hall within the Interprofessional Education & Research footprint, and clinical rotations that may range from tertiary centers to rural clinics. The Undergraduate Research Honors Program adds faculty-mentored thesis work for selected BSN scholars (GPA thresholds apply), with scholarships of $2,500 per year noted for eligible admits.
ROTC-affiliated students can pursue the Military Pathway—combining Army ROTC leadership labs with nursing sequencing and advertised scholarship pathways. Student governance and professional-development activities are available through college advising channels and the broader ETSU student life ecosystem.
Resources & Next Steps
Contact & location
- Campus location
- Johnson City, TN
- Main university address
- 1276 Gilbreath Drive, Box 70300, Johnson City, TN 37614-1700, US
- College of Nursing phone
- 423-439-4578
- College of Nursing email
- nursing@etsu.edu
- Main university phone
- 423-439-1000
- Website
- etsu.edu
Official links
Your “Next 7 Days” checklist
- Open the College of Nursing homepage and note the outcome data block plus the track that matches you (Traditional, Continuous Enrolled, LPN-BSN, RN-BSN, Dual Degree, graduate).
- If you pursue the Continuous Enrolled BSN, create your NursingCAS account and confirm document requirements for the Johnson City, Kingsport, or Sevierville cycle.
- Traditional BSN applicants should launch the ETSU application portal referenced on the in-person BSN page.
- Download the current ETSU catalog nursing sections and compare prerequisites to your transcripts.
- Run the tuition estimator and save the PDF for family conversations; add nursing course fees from the Bursar tables.
- Email nursing@etsu.edu with location-specific questions (especially clinical commute expectations).
- Bookmark the Tennessee Board of Nursing page for licensure updates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is East Tennessee State University a good school for nursing?
ETSU’s nursing unit is CCNE-accredited at the BSN, MSN, DNP, and post-graduate APRN certificate levels, partners with Ballad Health, and publishes school-reported NCLEX data (93% in 2024; 90% in 2023). Third-party “best online program” badges on etsu.edu/nursing are marketing aids—confirm outcomes with ETSU and the Tennessee Board of Nursing.
What nursing programs does ETSU actually list online?
The college advertises Traditional BSN, Continuous Enrolled (accelerated) BSN, LPN-BSN, RN-BSN, Dual Degree, MSN concentrations (FNP, Nursing Administration, Nursing Education, PMHNP), DNP (plus Tennessee Joint DNP), PhD pathways, and several post-master’s certificates. Delivery ranges from on-campus pre-licensure work to mostly online graduate coursework.
What is the NCLEX-RN pass rate for ETSU nursing?
Per the College of Nursing’s “Student Outcome Data,” first-time NCLEX-RN pass rates were 93% (2024) and 90% (2023). Confirm the newest totals with the Tennessee Board of Nursing before you rely on them for decisions.
How much should I budget for ETSU undergraduate nursing in 2025–2026?
ETSU’s cost-of-attendance tables budget undergraduate tuition and fees at $10,994 per year for Tennessee residents taking 15 credits in both fall and spring; eligible neighboring-state freshmen/transfers are budgeted at $11,894; all other out-of-state students at $15,194. Nursing course fees may raise your actual charges—see the Bursar PDFs.
Does ETSU require the TEAS exam for its BSN tracks?
This guide does not quote a universal TEAS requirement from a single page—some pathways may use NursingCAS materials instead. Read the current undergraduate handbook and the NursingCAS checklist for your specific campus cohort.
Where does ETSU place nursing students clinically?
Official pages emphasize Ballad Health collaborations, simulation in Bishop Hall, six nurse-managed clinics, and multi-site accelerated cohorts across Johnson City, Kingsport, and Sevierville. Site lists rotate—ask the clinical placement office for the latest affiliates.
Does East Tennessee State University offer an accelerated BSN?
Yes—the Continuous Enrolled BSN is ETSU’s accelerated sequence (75 nursing credits across five semesters) with separate admission cycles for each regional site. Use the college’s accelerated page for curriculum tables and NursingCAS instructions.
What MSN options and costs are published for ETSU?
ETSU Online lists asynchronous MSN tracks in FNP, Nursing Administration, Nursing Education, and PMHNP with per-credit tuition ($672 in-state, $835.50 eRate, $1,513 out-of-state) plus practicum logistics coordinated through the graduate clinical office.
Who can I call at ETSU nursing for admissions help?
Reach the Office of Student Services at 423-439-4578 or nursing@etsu.edu. ROTC students should also loop in Army ROTC advisors when pursuing the Military Pathway.
References
- East Tennessee State University — College of Nursing (programs, NCLEX outcomes, accreditation statement)etsu.edu/nursing
- ETSU — Undergraduate BSN recruitment (Ballad Health, clinics, NCLEX note)etsu.edu/bachelor/nursing.php
- ETSU — Continuous Enrolled / Accelerated BSN curriculumetsu.edu/nursing/undergrad/accelerated_bsn.php
- ETSU — Cost of Attendance (2025–2026 undergraduate & graduate budgets)etsu.edu/financial-aid-and-scholarships/cost/cofa.php
- ETSU Online — MSN concentrations and per-credit tuition tableetsu.edu/online/graduate-degrees/masters-nursing.php
- ETSU Bursar — tuition/fee tables & calendarsetsu.edu/bf/bursar/tuitioninfo/calendar.php
- Tennessee Board of Nursing (regulatory oversight)tn.gov nursing board
- National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN)ncsbn.org
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Registered Nursesbls.gov/ooh
Editorial Standards & Review
About the author: Francesco Di Siena, RN, writes evidence-based nursing education guides for NurseOnShift.
Review: This page was reviewed by Araceli Collado, RN, for NCLEX sourcing, tuition table alignment, and program-list accuracy against ETSU’s public nursing pages.
Disclaimer: This page is for general reference only. It does not constitute professional, admissions, or financial advice. Requirements, deadlines, tuition, and policies change; always verify with East Tennessee State University and the Tennessee Board of Nursing.
Published: April 1, 2026 · Last reviewed: April 1, 2026 · Medical Review Process · Editorial Policy