Temple College of Public Health Nursing: Programs, Requirements & Outcomes (2026)
Temple’s Department of Nursing—within the Christopher M. Barnett College of Public Health—delivers a traditional BSN, a 16-month Accelerated BSN (ABSN) for career changers, and CCNE-accredited DNP pathways, with clinical training anchored at the Health Sciences Campus and major Philadelphia hospitals. This guide summarizes verified bulletin details, Temple bursar 2025–26 tuition for the College of Public Health tiers, and where Pennsylvania publishes NCLEX-RN outcomes by program.
Contents
Quick Facts
Key Takeaway
Temple embeds nursing within a CEPH-accredited public health college: students train in the Nursing Resource Center’s high-fidelity sim labs on the Health Sciences Campus and rotate through tier-one Philadelphia pediatric and adult hospitals—while paying the College of Public Health undergraduate “Public Health” tuition tier listed on Temple’s official bursar PDF (plus the department’s per-semester nursing program fee).
Overview & Why Students Choose Temple CPH Nursing
Northeast Philadelphia’s Health Sciences Campus and Paley Hall give Temple nursing students proximity to Temple University Hospital and a dense corridor of tertiary referral centers. The department’s chair emphasizes community-engaged practice “in the heart of northern Philadelphia,” with CCNE-accredited BSN and DNP programs aligned to NCLEX-RN eligibility for graduates of the pre-licensure pathways.
Undergraduate students should expect a technology-heavy curriculum: the Barnett College of Public Health requires laptops and uses the Nursing Resource Center’s simulation suites to rehearse inpatient, outpatient, and emergency scenarios before hospital rotations.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported on Jan. 25, 2024 that Temple’s BSN program was among Philadelphia-area schools returned to full Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing approval after first-time NCLEX performance cleared the state’s 80% benchmark. For the latest Board-published percentage and candidate counts for Temple’s BSN row, use Pennsylvania’s multi-year RN NCLEX spreadsheet on the nursing education programs page; this guide cites the Oct 2024–Sep 2025 column in the 2024–2025 workbook (PDF).
Reasons students choose Temple’s nursing programs
Integrated public-health context
Nursing sits inside a CEPH-accredited college alongside epidemiology, social work, and rehabilitation sciences, which supports interprofessional coursework such as the college core HRPR 1001 described in the Undergraduate Bulletin.
High-volume clinical footprint
The BSN bulletin lists partners such as Temple University Hospital—Main Campus, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania for required clinical experiences.
Accelerated entry option
Career changers with a prior non-nursing bachelor’s can pursue the 16-month, 63-credit Accelerated BSN (ABSN) sequence spelled out in the Accelerated BSN Bulletin entry.
Practice-focused doctoral training
Post-BSN DNP students can prepare for Family–Individual Across the Lifespan or Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP roles, with Post-Master’s DNP tracks that optionally add Health Systems Leadership.
Nursing Programs Offered
Use the hierarchy below to separate pre-licensure, accelerated, and doctoral pathways—terminology matches the Temple Undergraduate Bulletin and the Department of Nursing leadership message.
Pre-licensure (Traditional BSN)
The four-year BSN requires a minimum of 124 credits (2025–26 bulletin year), including 61 nursing major credits plus prerequisites in biology, chemistry, anatomy & physiology, statistics, and public health. First-year entrants complete a one-year pre-nursing track before entering the upper-division nursing sequence; transfers and intra-university applicants follow the same prerequisite scaffolding but face limited seats.
Pre-licensure (Accelerated BSN · ABSN)
Accelerated BSN (ABSN) at Temple is the official second-degree track: students transfer 58 credits of GenEd/prerequisites from a prior bachelor’s, then complete 63 nursing credits across four consecutive semesters (including summer) ending about 16 months after entry. Prerequisite science grades must be C or better, and applicants need a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA per the bulletin.
Doctoral (Doctor of Nursing Practice)
Temple’s CCNE-accredited DNP includes Post-BSN-DNP NP concentrations (Family-Individual Across the Lifespan; Adult-Gerontology Primary Care) and Post-Master’s DNP options with an optional Health Systems Leadership concentration for master’s-prepared nurses, as summarized in the department chair’s public message.
Traditional BSN
124-credit CCNE-accredited BSN with 973 hours of clinical/lab experiences and a Nursing Resource Center simulation core.
Accelerated BSN (ABSN)
63 nursing credits in 16 months for prior bachelor’s graduates; March 1 bulletin deadline (confirm against admissions).
Doctor of Nursing Practice
Post-BSN and Post-Master’s pathways with NP specialties and optional health-systems leadership.
Department leadership messaging highlights BSN, ABSN, and DNP—not standalone MSN or RN-to-BSN tracks. If you need a post-licensure completion program, confirm current offerings directly with Temple because catalogs change.
NCLEX-RN Pass Rate
Pennsylvania’s State Board of Nursing publishes multi-year RN NCLEX workbooks (Excel/PDF) that list each approved program’s first-time pass rates and candidate counts. Download the current file from the Pennsylvania Department of State nursing education programs hub and locate Temple University’s bachelor of science in nursing row—figures update as new testing cycles close.
News coverage adds regulatory context: The Philadelphia Inquirer (Jan. 25, 2024) reported that Temple’s BSN program moved back to full Board approval along with several peer Philadelphia schools after first-time pass rates exceeded Pennsylvania’s 80% requirement for the cycle discussed in that story. Compare any newspaper summary with the official spreadsheet before making enrollment decisions.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| NCLEX-RN first-time pass rate (Temple BSN) | According to Pennsylvania’s 2024–2025 RN NCLEX five-year spreadsheet, the Temple University BSN row lists 85.14% first-time (63 passed / 74 tested) in the Oct 1, 2024–Sep 30, 2025 testing year (leftmost data column). Confirm current figures in the newest workbook and with Temple. |
| Source | Pennsylvania Department of State — 2024–2025 RN NCLEX spreadsheet (PDF); hub: PA DOS — nursing education programs. Confirm current data with the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing and Temple. |
NCLEX outcomes change by cohort and exam version. Always confirm the latest Temple row in the Board’s most recent workbook.
International Students & Internationally Educated Nurses
Temple admits international students university-wide, but nursing adds clinical clearance, immunization, and Pennsylvania background-check rules that can affect placement. Treat the bullets below as a checklist—not legal advice—and validate every item with Temple’s International Affairs office, Graduate/Undergraduate Admissions, and the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing.
- English-language proficiency: Confirm minimum TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo scores for your program level (undergraduate vs graduate) with Temple admissions.
- Transcript / credential evaluation: Determine whether Temple requires a specific evaluator (for example WES) for nursing prerequisites or prior degrees.
- Pennsylvania Board of Nursing: Internationally educated nurses seeking licensure by examination or endorsement must follow PALS instructions and CGFNS steps as applicable.
- Immigration & visa status: Clinical courses may impose restrictions on F-1 CPT/OPT timing; confirm with Temple ISSS before accepting admission.
Requirements change; verify with Temple and the Pennsylvania Board of Nursing before you commit to a start term.
Admissions: A Realistic Look
Temple’s Nursing BSN admissions page stresses competitive, capacity-limited entry: freshmen enter a pre-nursing track, external transfers must meet higher GPA bars, and current Temple students use a dedicated intra-university transfer form that opens each November. ABSN applicants must already hold a non-nursing bachelor’s, complete science prerequisites with grades of C or better, and present at least a 3.0 overall GPA.
Application timeline
| Entry Term | Deadline | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional pre-nursing / ABSN (freshman & external) | Feb. 1 (per Temple Nursing BSN admissions) | Uses Common Application; $55 fee unless waived. |
| Intra-university transfer (current Temple students) | March 1 (per Temple Nursing BSN admissions) | Qualtrics form opens November; recommended for students with fewer than ~30 credits. |
| ABSN (bulletin) | March 1 (per Accelerated BSN Bulletin) | If this differs from the central admissions page for your cycle, follow the Department of Nursing’s most current instructions. |
| Doctor of Nursing Practice | Varies by concentration | See Temple Graduate School and DNP admissions. |
Admissions snapshot
| Factor | Details |
|---|---|
| Acceptance rate (nursing-specific) | Not publicly disclosed |
| Minimum GPA | 3.25 high school GPA for first-year BSN; 3.5 college GPA for external transfers; 3.0 for ABSN (bulletin). |
| TEAS / HESI | Not stated on the central Temple Nursing BSN admissions page reviewed for this guide—confirm with the Department of Nursing for your entry term. |
| Essential functions | Temple publishes technical standards (mobility, motor skills, hearing, vision, tactile ability) that applicants must be able to meet for safe patient care. |
Tuition & Cost of Attendance
Nursing undergraduates in the Barnett College of Public Health are billed under the College of Public Health — Public Health undergraduate rate on Temple’s official 2025–26 tuition schedule PDF, plus the University Services Fee and the department’s nursing program fee described in the Undergraduate Bulletin.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate full-time semester tuition (12–18 credits) | Pennsylvania resident: $11,724/semester · Out-of-state: $20,376/semester. Academic-year total (fall+spring): $23,448 in-state / $40,752 out-of-state. |
| Undergraduate part-time / overload per credit | PA $651 per credit; out-of-state $1,132 (under 12 credits). Overload credits above 18 are charged at $977 (PA) / $1,698 (out-of-state) per credit per the same PDF. |
| University Services Fee (fall/spring) | $528 per semester when registered for 9+ credits (2025–26 PDF). |
| Nursing program fee | $1,500 per semester for BSN and ABSN majors (Undergraduate Bulletin, 2025–26 year). |
| Graduate DNP / CPH Public Health rate (per credit) | $1,204 (PA resident) / $1,649 (out-of-state) for College of Public Health “Public Health” graduate programs on the 2025–26 schedule—confirm your DNP billing category with the Bursar. |
| Source | Temple University Tuition Rates PDF (2025–26) · Tuition calculator · July 2025 tuition announcement |
Room, board, books, transportation to clinicals, and health insurance (required for clinical nursing students) add to your cost of attendance. Review Temple Student Financial Services cost-of-attendance worksheets for the full picture.
Student Outcomes & Career Prospects
Use board-published NCLEX workbooks as the primary quantitative outcome for pre-licensure graduates, then supplement with Temple consumer-information or career-services disclosures if you need employment context.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| NCLEX-RN first-time pass rate | 85.14% (63/74) for Temple University BSN in the Oct 2024–Sep 2025 column per Pennsylvania’s 2024–2025 RN NCLEX spreadsheet (PDF in NCLEX section). |
| Pennsylvania regulatory status (news context) | Philadelphia Inquirer, Jan. 25, 2024: reported Temple BSN among programs restored to full Board approval after meeting the state’s first-time pass benchmark discussed in that article. |
| Job placement / salary | Not publicly disclosed on this page; request the latest graduate outcomes report from Temple career services or the Department of Nursing. |
| Source | NCLEX: PA DOS nursing education publications; news context: Inquirer (linked in References). Confirm current cohorts with Temple and the Board. |
Is Temple Nursing the Right Fit for You?
Choose Temple if you want an urban, hospital-dense clinical map and a public-health-framed curriculum; hesitate if you need guaranteed online flexibility or the lowest-cost associate pathway.
✓ Good fit for students who—
- Want Level-I trauma, NCI-designated cancer center, and quaternary pediatric exposure within a short shuttle ride of campus.
- Value a 16-month ABSN option after finishing another bachelor’s degree.
- Plan to continue into a CCNE-accredited DNP with NP specialties housed in the same department.
✗ May not be ideal for students who—
- Need a fully online pre-licensure program (Temple’s BSN/ABSN are campus-based clinical models).
- Expect an advertised RN-to-BSN completion track—Temple’s public nursing overview centers on BSN, ABSN, and DNP.
- Prefer a very small private cohort without public-college scale general-education courses.
Local Healthcare Ecosystem
Philadelphia’s nursing labor market is anchored by academic medical centers, pediatric specialty hospitals, and community safety-net systems—exactly the mix Temple cites for BSN clinical placements.
| Facility | Details |
|---|---|
| Temple University Hospital — Main Campus | Flagship acute-care site for the Temple University Health System; referenced in the BSN bulletin clinical list. |
| Fox Chase Cancer Center | NCI-designated cancer center named in Temple’s clinical rotation examples. |
| Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) | Pediatric quaternary center listed among ABSN/BSN clinical affiliates. |
| Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania | Penn Medicine tertiary hospital cited for clinical experiences. |
| Jeanes, Episcopal, Holy Redeemer, St. Christopher’s | Additional bulletin-listed community and pediatric partners illustrating breadth of rotations. |
Student Experience & Campus Life
Nursing facilities cluster at the Health Sciences Campus: the Nursing Resource Center pairs high-fidelity manikins with debrief rooms, while marketing materials for the ABSN highlight dedicated bedside, EMS, inpatient simulation, and outpatient exam suites inside Paley Hall. Students travel between North Philadelphia instructional sites via the Temple shuttle described in the bulletin.
Beyond simulation, Barnett College of Public Health sponsors interdisciplinary student organizations and expects every CPH student to arrive with a laptop meeting published IT standards—plan accordingly for software licenses used in clinical documentation courses.
Resources & Next Steps
Contact & location
- Campus location
- Philadelphia, PA
- Address
- 1210 W. Berks Street, Paley Hall, Philadelphia, PA 19122, US
- Department telephone
- 215-204-4622 (Department of Nursing)
- BSN program director
- Laura Rauth, MSN, RN, CNS — laura.rauth@temple.edu · 215-204-6835 (per Undergraduate Bulletin)
- Website
- Barnett College of Public Health (cph.temple.edu)
Official links
Your “Next 7 Days” checklist
- Bookmark the Department of Nursing programs page and download the latest handbook or FAQ PDFs if offered.
- Compare your transcripts to prerequisite tables in the BSN and ABSN bulletin entries.
- Confirm whether your pathway requires TEAS/HESI or other exams; call 215-204-4622 if the website leaves ambiguity.
- Open the Pennsylvania DOS nursing education programs page and save the newest RN NCLEX workbook.
- Estimate cost using the Temple tuition calculator plus the $1,500/semester nursing fee.
- DNP applicants should review DNP admissions for portfolio items and recommendation requirements.
- Set calendar reminders for Feb. 1 / March 1 deadlines based on your applicant type.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Temple University College of Public Health nursing CCNE-accredited?
Yes—Temple’s Department of Nursing states that its baccalaureate and DNP programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. Double-check program-level status with CCNE, Temple, and the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing before you enroll.
What is Accelerated BSN (ABSN) at Temple?
Accelerated BSN (ABSN) is Temple’s official second-degree pre-licensure track: about 16 months and 63 nursing credits after approved prerequisites, intended for applicants who already hold a non-nursing bachelor’s degree.
Where do I find Temple’s exact first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate?
According to Pennsylvania’s 2024–2025 RN NCLEX spreadsheet (PDF), the Temple University BSN row shows 85.14% first-time (63 of 74) in the Oct 1, 2024–Sep 30, 2025 testing year (leftmost column). Confirm the newest workbook on the nursing education programs page.
What GPA do I need for Temple’s traditional BSN?
Temple lists a minimum 3.25 high school GPA for first-year applicants and a 3.5 college GPA for external transfer applicants; ABSN candidates need a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA according to the Accelerated BSN Bulletin.
When are Temple nursing applications due?
Temple’s Nursing BSN admissions page lists February 1 for freshman/external pre-nursing and ABSN applicants and March 1 for intra-university transfers. The Undergraduate Bulletin for ABSN also lists March 1—if documents disagree, follow guidance from the Department of Nursing for your cycle.
How much is Temple nursing tuition in 2025–26?
Temple’s bursar PDF places undergraduate CPH “Public Health” majors at $11,724 per semester for Pennsylvania residents and $20,376 for out-of-state students (12–18 credits), plus the $528 University Services Fee at 9+ credits and a $1,500 nursing program fee each semester. Graduate Public Health-tier credits are $1,204 (PA) / $1,649 (out-of-state).
Does Temple offer MSN or RN-to-BSN?
The department chair’s public overview highlights BSN, ABSN, and DNP—not a freestanding MSN or RN-to-BSN pathway. If you need either option, ask admissions directly because catalogs can add tracks over time.
What clinical sites does Temple nursing use?
The Undergraduate Bulletin examples include Temple University Hospital—Main Campus, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Jeanes, Episcopal, Holy Redeemer, and St. Christopher’s, among others.
Was Temple ever on Pennsylvania’s nursing program watch list?
Regional reporting in 2023 noted several Philadelphia BSN programs—including Temple—that were under heightened Board scrutiny during a tough NCLEX cycle. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported on Jan. 25, 2024 that Temple and several peers returned to full approval after pass rates improved relative to Pennsylvania’s 80% first-time benchmark discussed in that article—still verify current status on the Board website.
References
- Temple University — Department of Nursingcph.temple.edu/academics/departments/nursing
- Temple University — Nursing BSN admissionstemple.edu nursing BSN admissions
- Temple University Undergraduate Bulletin — Nursing BSNbulletin.temple.edu — Nursing BSN
- Temple University Undergraduate Bulletin — Accelerated BSNbulletin.temple.edu — Accelerated BSN
- Temple University — Message from the Nursing chaircph.temple.edu message from the chair
- Temple University — Tuition Rates PDF (2025–26)bursar.temple.edu Tuition_Rates.pdf
- Temple University News — 2025–26 tuition announcementtemple.edu news July 2025 tuition
- Pennsylvania Department of State — Nursing education programsPA DOS nursing education programs
- Pennsylvania DOS — 2024–2025 RN NCLEX five-year spreadsheet (PDF)2024-2025 RN NCLEX spreadsheet
- The Philadelphia Inquirer — Temple NCLEX / Board status (Jan. 25, 2024)inquirer.com Jan. 25, 2024
- 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 alignment of Tuition Rates PDF figures with the College of Public Health “Public Health” rows, program inventories with the Temple Undergraduate Bulletin and department chair message, and NCLEX guidance with Pennsylvania Department of State publications.
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 the institution and the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing.
Published: March 31, 2026 · Last reviewed: March 31, 2026 · Medical Review Process · Editorial Policy
