ADN Programs in Wisconsin

Alverno College

Alverno College

Milwaukee, WI
Average NCLEX Pass Rate
  • RN Programs: 88.0%
Bellin College

Bellin College

Green Bay, WI
Average NCLEX Pass Rate
  • RN Programs: 94.7%
Available tracks: ADN, LPN to ADN
Average NCLEX Pass Rate
  • LPN Programs: 98.7%
  • RN Programs: 95.7%
Average NCLEX Pass Rate
  • LPN Programs: 84.0%
  • RN Programs: 86.3%
Average NCLEX Pass Rate
  • RN Programs: 92.7%

The Cardinal Stritch University ADN program is intended to equip students with practical nursing abilities.

The program is intended to offer a large range of clinical practice in different health care setting and hospitals including sites such as St. Joseph’s Hospital, Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital, Agape Community Center, Sinai-Samaritan Medical Center, Oak Creek Health Department and Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.

The program takes 70 credit hours to complete with 32 credits of general requirement courses and 38 credits of nursing courses.

Admission Requirements:

  • Complete the application for admission
  • Submit High school transcripts or GED equivalency certificate (Cumulative GPA of 2.50 or higher)
  • ACT or SAT scores (for applicants applying directly out of high school)
  • NLN-Pre Admission Examination for Registered Nurses
  • ASSET Test for University placement in Math, English and Reading
  • Copy of CNA certification

The application deadline for enrollment in the fall semester is the 1 of March and the 1st of October for spring enrollment. All applicants will be notified by writing regarding the decision reached by the program as to their application.

Average NCLEX Pass Rate
  • RN Programs: 97.0%
Available tracks: ADN, LPN to ADN
Average NCLEX Pass Rate
  • LPN Programs: 97.3%
  • RN Programs: 94.3%

The Chippewa Valley Technical College Nursing program allows students who complete the first year of the program to sit for the licensure exam for Practical Nursing. The program is accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission.

The full time option of the program is open to admission in August and in January. The part time study option is only offered for August enrollment.

Students enrolled in the program are eligible to sit for the national licensure exam at the end of their first year to be licensed as a practical nurse and at the end of their second year of enrollment for licensure as a Registered Nurse.  

Initial Admission Requirements:

  1. Official high school diploma or GED equivalency certificate
  2. Official transcript for all college level coursework
  3. COMPASS pre-admission assessment
  4. Criminal Background Check

The program also requires documented proof of completion of CNA training and current CPR certification for healthcare providers from the American Heart Association or professional rescuer certificate from the American Red Cross.

Students are encouraged to complete general education requirements for the ADN before enrolling for the nursing core courses.

Applicants who are in the process of fulfilling general requirements will be placed on a waiting list from the time that application documents are received.

Applicants wishing to transfer credits for college level coursework can submit official documents for transcript evaluation to evaluate the credits earned. 

Available tracks: ADN, LPN to ADN
Average NCLEX Pass Rate
  • RN Programs: 90.3%
Edgewood College

Edgewood College

Madison, WI
Average NCLEX Pass Rate
  • RN Programs: 97.0%
Available tracks: ADN, LPN to ADN
Average NCLEX Pass Rate
  • LPN Programs: 94.3%
  • RN Programs: 100.0%

The Fox Valley Technical College ADN Program prepares students to offer direct care in a range of healthcare settings. The program is fully approved by the Wisconsin State Board of Nursing and is accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, Inc.

The Fox Valley Nursing program requires a total of 70 credits for graduation out of which 38 need to be credits earned in nursing courses while the remaining 32 credits consist of general education and elective credits.

Students can complete general education classes and theoretical classes at the Fox Valley campuses. Clinical experience will be offered by the school’s faculty at a range of health care facilities in the community.

Students in the nursing program will be required to allocate 21 to 26 hours every week for in class instruction, laboratory sessions and clinical practice.

Requirements for Admission:

  • Applicants are expected to attend a mandatory information session
  • Official high school transcripts or GED equivalency certificate
  • Skills Assessment
  • Applicants admitted to the ADN program will be required to meet the following requirements:
    • Current CNA license
    • Accuplacer Scores
    • Clinical Documentation Policy
    • Complete General Education Requirements

Students who successful complete the requirements of the program will be eligible to apply to sit for the National Licensure exam. The State of Wisconsin Department of Regulation and Licensing can impose a restriction on the license of candidates who fail a criminal background check.

Available tracks: ADN, LPN to ADN
Average NCLEX Pass Rate
  • LPN Programs: 94.0%
  • RN Programs: 94.3%

The Gateway Technical College Associate Degree in Nursing was designed as per the Wisconsin Technical College System requirements set by the National League for Nursing.

The program is intended to prepare students with the theoretical and practical skills to offer quality nursing care and to become successful candidates for the National Licensure Examination to be licensed as a Registered Nurse.

Students entering into the program are required to complete the petition process. The college maintains an open door admissions policy accepting all students 18 years of age and older.

Admission Requirements:

  • Fill the application for admission
  • Take the Gateway Technical College Placement test
  • Submit official transcripts for all college level coursework
  • Submit Background Information Disclosure form, CPR certification, and required licensing

Students can apply to college at any time but applications received by the 1st of January for the summer semester, the 1st of July for the fall semester and the 1st of October for the Spring Semester will be offered priority.

Applicants will fall under one of the three acceptance status categories. Applications that have met all the requirements for admission will receive ‘Full Acceptance Status'.

Applicants who meet all admission requirements but for whom remediation is required will have a ‘Remedial Acceptance Status’ and applicants required to meet admission requirements will fall in the ‘Conditional Acceptance Status.’


Available tracks: ADN, LPN to ADN
Average NCLEX Pass Rate
  • LPN Programs: 89.0%
Average NCLEX Pass Rate
  • LPN Programs: 100.0%
  • RN Programs: 55.7%
Average NCLEX Pass Rate
  • LPN Programs: 87.7%
  • RN Programs: 27.0%

The Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College Associate Degree Nursing Program is designed to offer diverse perspective for healthcare.

The mission of the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa ADN program is nursing is to prepare students in the art of providing nursing care and contributing to the care of the community. Students are challenged by the curriculum to think critically as well as enhancing personal knowledge and growth.

The program incorporates the Ojibwa Environmental Knowledge on the curriculum to include a diverse range of perspectives on the issue of healthcare. Graduates from the ADN program will be equipped for basic nursing and to pass the National Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses.

Admissions Requirements:

  • High school certificate or GED certificate
  • COMPASS Test
  • Minimum college GPA of 2.00
  • Current Certified Nursing Assistant License
  • CPR certification for Health care providers
  • Health Assessment with immunizations series (including screening for contagious diseases)
  • Cover Letter and resume (Personal statement should provide a summary who the applicant is)
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Criminal background check (students who fail the background check will be dropped from the program)

Admission to the college is open to all students but in line with the mission of the college preference will be given to Indian applicants.



Average NCLEX Pass Rate
  • LPN Programs: 100.0%
  • RN Programs: 94.7%

The Lakeshore Technical College Nursing program is a rigorous which evaluates students on the basis of preparation of direct patient care.

Admission Requirements:

  • Entrance Assessment Scores (Accuplacer/ACT)
  • Health Occupations Entrance Assessment or HESI
  • Transcripts
  • Criminal background check (required for clinical trials)
  • Health assessment (including TB and immunizations series)
  • Meet Chemistry requirements (some nursing course have a chemistry prerequisite)
  • Attend program advising session
  • Fill Functional Abilities Statement of Understanding Form (The nursing program requires students to have the motor and analytical skills demanded by the program)

Transfer students can have credits from an accredited institution applied towards the program at LTC. The applicant must have earned a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 for prior credit to be accepted.

The courses being transferred need to be generally equivalent to or exceeding the credit value of the same or similar course at LTC and need to be of the same content standard.

The college reserves the right to put time limits to credits earned in the past to accommodate to technological changes in that field. Transfer applicants are required to bring original transcripts from the institutions at which the credits were earned.

Available tracks: ADN, LPN to ADN
Average NCLEX Pass Rate
  • LPN Programs: 96.7%
  • RN Programs: 95.3%

The Madison Area Technical College Nursing Program is accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission and approved by the WI Department of Regulation. Students who successfully complete the program are eligible to apply to sit for the national licensure exam to acquire a license as a Registered Nurse.

The program is designed to prepare nurses to practice with technical competence and judgment in a range of clinical settings.

The program recognizes the need to develop the proper mental preparation of the profession by emphasizing the need for self-direction, helpful attitudes, an interest in the welfare of other people and the willingness to faithfully follow procedures as well as being able to work and communicate within a healthcare team.

Admission Requirements:

  • High School Diploma, GED equivalency certificate (higher documented degree if you are a second degree student)
  • Test Scores (COMPASS/ASSET/ACT/SAT)
  • Residency (out of state residents cannot be placed on a waiting list)
  • Complete curriculum pre-requisites (Some pre-nursing science courses require a chemistry pre-requisite taken in the last five years.)

Successful applicants are required to attend a mandatory orientation session and students who fail to attend the orientation may forfeit their seat. New students can activate their student accounts online to gain access to class registration information.

Average NCLEX Pass Rate
  • RN Programs: 100.0%
Marian University

Marian University

Fond Du Lac, WI
Average NCLEX Pass Rate
  • RN Programs: 96.0%
Average NCLEX Pass Rate
  • RN Programs: 95.7%
Mid-State Technical College

Mid-State Technical College

Wisconsin Rapids, WI
Available tracks: ADN, LPN to ADN, Paramedic to ADN
Average NCLEX Pass Rate
  • LPN Programs: 99.0%
  • RN Programs: 98.3%
Average NCLEX Pass Rate
  • LPN Programs: 88.7%
  • RN Programs: 96.3%

The Milwaukee Area Technical College Nursing program offers a curriculum that matches programs that are offered in four year colleges and universities maintaining high standards to facilitate credit transfers.

The program does not have a waiting list. Applicants admitted via a petition process. 

Students selected for the program will only be admitted on the basis of MATC district residency, followed by Wisconsin residency and non residents unless otherwise stated.

Petitioning is the formal process of students enrolled in the MATC or eligible for enrollment to submit application documents for entry in the specific program in the School of Health Sciences.

Requirements for the Petition Process

  • Be officially admitted to the MATC with an active code for the RN program
  • Good Academic Standing
  • Complete all pre-requisite courses with a ‘C’ grade or higher
  • Complete NLN pre-admission for RN programs
  • Completion of CNA Training
  • Current CPR certification from the American Heart Association, Healthcare Provider Level
  • Health assessment certification with all necessary immunizations
  • Criminal Background check

The school notifies students the status of their application within 45 days after the deadline for petition has passed. If your are selected, you are required to attend mandatory program specific orientations or will forfeit your seat.

Average NCLEX Pass Rate
  • RN Programs: 95.3%
Available tracks: ADN, LPN to ADN
Available tracks: ADN, LPN to ADN
Average NCLEX Pass Rate
  • RN Programs: 94.7%
Available tracks: ADN, LPN to ADN
Average NCLEX Pass Rate
  • LPN Programs: 83.3%
  • RN Programs: 92.3%
Available tracks: ADN, LPN to ADN
Average NCLEX Pass Rate
  • LPN Programs: 96.0%
  • RN Programs: 95.3%

The Northcentral Technical College ADN program prepares students to promote optimal health in delivering patient care in the nursing process. The program requires 70 credits for graduation. Students are prepared to provide supervision and direction in the handling of basic nursing care.

Graduates from the program are eligible to apply to sit for the National Council Licensure Exam for RNs as licensure for practice.

Pre-program Admission Requirements:

  • Application for Admission
  • High School transcript or GED
  • Transcripts for college level coursework
  • Admission Testing

After successfully completing pre-program admission requirements students can fulfill particular requirements to prepare for petition:

  • College level pre-requisite courses
  • CPR certification for healthcare providers
  • Criminal background check
  • Attend a mandatory orientation
  • Register for core courses by registration deadline
  • Certified Nursing Assistant certification

Students who are unable to register for the core program by the deadline, not attend the program orientation or who fail to take core courses before the start of the semester will lose their seat and need to re-apply for the program in the future.

The program requires CPR certification to be maintained throughout enrollment in the nursing program, as well as a criminal background check and complete the college’s health requirements, to meet documentation of immunization.