Saint Louis University - Nursing Programs

Saint Louis University is a private Roman Catholic university in Saint Louis, Missouri. The university was founded in 1818 as the Saint Louis Academy, making it the oldest university west of the Mississippi River. It is a member of the 28-institution Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities and offers about 100 undergrad programs and 80 graduate-level programs. The campus includes 131 buildings spread across 235 acres. In the middle of the campus stands the Clock Tower, which was constructed in 1993. SLU is also the first American university to establish a campus in a European country, with the opening of a campus in Madrid, Spain.

The SLU School of Nursing offers eight different CCNE-accredited nursing programs, including three paths to earning a BSN. The BSN programs include the traditional BSN, accelerated BSN, and RN to BSN programs. Graduate programs include MSN, RN to MSN, accelerated MSN, DNP, and PhD programs. The BSN programs include practice labs to simulate real life medical situations. During the spring semester of the sophomore year, students begin placements at clinics in the area to receive clinical experience. In 2017, the BSN graduates had an NCLEX-RN pass rate of 94.4%, which is about seven percentage points higher than the national average.

Updated on: 08 Nov, 2025

Program Length & Format

Program duration: three semesters, 12 months;
begins in May each year
Credit hours for nursing courses: 53 credits within ABSN sequence
Program delivery: in-person on Saint Louis University campus, St. Louis, MO
Enrollment expectation: full-time recommended; the school advises students not to work during program

Admission Requirements

Applicants with prior baccalaureate or higher degree
minimum prior-college GPA: 3.20 on a 4.00 scale
Applicants with cumulative GPA below 3.20 considered via holistic review (items reviewed include community service, life experience, beliefs, integrity, maturity, leadership skills)
Junior-entry (undergraduate non-degreed) applicants: minimum cumulative GPA 3.20 and at least 77 transferable credits; minimum 130 total credits required to graduate from ABSN
All prerequisite courses must be completed with grade of C or higher prior to program start

Prerequisites

Required prerequisite courses for applicants holding a prior baccalaureate (credits): Chemistry (3), Human Anatomy (3), Human Physiology (3), Microbiology (3), Inferential and Descriptive Statistics (3), Theology/Religion (3), Philosophy (3), Human Growth and Development/Developmental Psychology (3), Social/Behavioral Science (3), English Composition II (3), Oral Communication (3), Fine Arts (3), one additional humanities/social science (3)
Junior-entry prerequisite list (credits): Written Composition II (3), Literature (3), Inferential and Descriptive Statistics (3), Oral Communication (3), Microbiology (3), Ethics or Philosophy (3), Human Anatomy (3), Human Physiology (3), Human Growth & Development Across Lifespan (3), Theology/Religion (3), Chemistry with Lab (4), General Psychology (3), History (3), Fine Arts (3)
Anatomy and Physiology option: Human Anatomy + Human Physiology can be substituted with Anatomy & Physiology I and II; must take either the paired courses or the single-course equivalents, not a combination

Application

Submit online application and pay associated application fee through the university application system; select "Saint Louis University"
Submit official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended; international transcripts require an official evaluated transcript from WES or ECE plus the official foreign transcript
Personal statement: attach within application, length one to two pages, double-spaced; outline nursing career goals
Letters of recommendation: one required; resume/CV optional
Applicants dismissed from previous nursing programs or with non-successful completion in courses such as pharmacology or pathophysiology are not eligible
Admission review process begins in August and continues weekly until program capacity is reached
Admissions decisions for junior-entry applicants begin in early January after application completion, transcript verification, and CAS fee payment
Selection follows a holistic review framework that includes academic metrics and non-academic factors listed in admission materials
Official transcript review occurs after all application components are received

Deadlines

No official application deadline
Application review begins in August and continues weekly until program is full
Program start term: summer session begins in May each year; courses proceed through two additional semesters

Cost & Financial Aid

Total program tuition per published table: $84,340

Clinical & Simulation Lab

Simulation facilities: two hospital units, four exam rooms, 16 hospital beds, two control rooms for instructor-operated manikins
Clinical experiences: in-person clinical rotations and practice lab included in curriculum; clinical partners located in St. Louis metropolitan area
Clinical components included in course sequence (examples: Complex Care Practicum, Adult/Older Adult Health courses, Maternal/Neonatal, Child Health, Psychiatric/Mental Health, Public Health Nursing)

International Students

International applicants must submit an official evaluated transcript from an accredited credential evaluation service (WES or ECE) plus the official foreign transcript
Academic records must include English translations where applicable