Central Connecticut State University

Central Connecticut State University is a public university in New Britain, Connecticut, with nursing based in Nicolaus Copernicus Hall on the 1615 Stanley Street campus. New Britain sits just southwest of Hartford, which matters because many nursing activities, including clinical placements described by the department as being across Greater Hartford, are tied to that commuting location.

Central offers three routes at the undergraduate level: the traditional BSN (120 credits and fully in-person), an Accelerated BSN (60 credits completed over 15 months, mixing on-campus, hybrid, and online coursework), and an RN to BSN designed for licensed RNs who want to finish the bachelor’s degree with 100% online nursing classes. The traditional BSN has multiple entry pathways, including Direct Admission for eligible high school applicants and a pre-nursing route that leads to a separate, competitive application to the nursing major.

Across programs, the teaching setup pairs on-campus skills development with simulation. The department highlights high-fidelity simulation and virtual reality technology, and RN to BSN students also have access to simulation suites and lab resources. For community-facing practice, students can work in Central’s Community Health Education Clinic, which the program uses to build comfort with patient interaction and clinic equipment in a supervised setting.

Admission expectations are concrete and structured, especially for the BSN: applicants complete specific science prerequisites (including General Chemistry with lab and biomolecular science) and submit an ATI TEAS score, with nursing applications due March 15. The RN to BSN pathway requires a current Connecticut RN license along with items such as CPR certification, insurance documentation, immunization and OSHA requirements, and a background check prior to the clinical course; the RN to BSN curriculum includes community practice experiences.

Central’s average weighted NCLEX-RN pass rate is 87.8% based on state Board of Nursing data, compared with Connecticut’s 2024 state average of 91.7%.