How Much Does Nursing School Cost?

So you’re thinking about attending nursing school next semester? You’d probably like an idea of just how much that little endeavor is going to cost you. Nursing schools vary wildly in tuition costs and some of the better schools can be extremely expensive. You’ll want to get the exact tuition costs from your own school, but here’s an idea of what you can expect to pay for each semester at a nursing school.

• Tuition and fees: $800-$30,000 per semester depending on the school
• Books and supplies: $200-$1,000 per semester
• State nursing exams and licenses: $200-$500 (typically around graduation)
• Commuting: All depends on your location, but with rising gas prices this could easily run you thousands over a couple years.
• Miscellaneous (living expenses, medically required insurance, etc) - $2,500-$10,000

Estimated Grand Total: $5,000 - $40,000 per semester

Paying for Nursing School

As you can see, paying for nursing school is no walk in the park and many people find it all but impossible to work while attending school. However, you do have access to several different types of financial aid. Here’s a look at some of the ways you can get help in paying for nursing school:

• Federal Financial Aid
• Federal or State Grants
• Private Student Loans
• Federal Work-Study Programs
• Nursing School Scholarships
• Tax Credits (The Lifetime Learning Tax Credit and the Hope Scholarship Tax Credit)
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Tuition Remission
• Tuition Waivers
• Scholarships (government, school, private, etc)

Additional Resources

• Costs Stifle Nursing Schools
• Schools, Lacking Funds for Nursing Programs, Reject Eligible Applicants