Ashland University College of Nursing & Health Sciences

Established in 1878, Ashland University is a private university in Ashland, Ohio. It is affiliated with the Brethren Church. 60 students enrolled during the first school year. For the 2018 school year, over 5,700 students were enrolled. The university offers almost 70 undergraduate programs and 9 graduate programs. It is structured into four colleges, including the Dwight Schar College of Nursing. The Mansfield General Hospital established the college in 1919. In 2010, the college was acquired by Ashland University. The new building for the College of Nursing opened in 2012. The 46,000-square-foot building cost nearly $20 million, including $5 million from alumni.

Ashland University offers four undergraduate nursing programs. These CCNE-accredited programs include traditional BSN, accelerated BSN, LPN to BSN, and RN to BSN. Students that decide to enroll in the traditional BSN program spend their first two years completing core coursework. Clinical experiences at local hospitals and clinics begin during their junior year. The accelerated program is completed in 15 months over 4 semesters. Students also complete 64 credit hours of clinical, laboratory, and observation instruction. Registered nurses who want to obtain their BSN may enroll in an online RN to BSN program. The online courses allow RNs to continue working while they earn their degree.