Skip To Main Content
absn-banner

Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing, ABSN

Take the most efficient path to licensure as a nurse at Colby-Sawyer. Our 16-month, in-person ABSN program is designed for people with a non-nursing bachelor’s degree who want to change careers. Our rigorous coursework and clinicals will prepare you to become an RN and have a rewarding and meaningful career in healthcare. You will learn from professional and caring experts in our next-generation clinical and academic facilities. Over the last three years, Colby-Sawyer ABSN students have achieved a 100% National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) pass rate.

Program Details

Term Starts: January or September
Program Duration: 16 months
Course Format: In person
Credits: 64
Tuition: $57,800*
Housing: On-campus accommodations available

*Excludes ABSN program-specific fees not covered by financial aid. Contact admissions for more information.

absn-pic-new

Why Choose Colby-Sawyer’s ABSN Program

  • Nursing experience not required.

  • Clinicals at New Hampshire’s No. 1 hospital, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center.

  • Learn in our $19 million next-generation clinical and academic center. 

  • Financial aid available.

  • 100% job placement.

  • 100% NCLEX pass rate the last three years.

ccne-accredited

Real-World Clinical Experience at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Colby-Sawyer's dynamic, longstanding partnership with Dartmouth Health ensures that our nursing students gain an exceptional clinical education at New Hampshire’s only academic health system and Level I trauma center. Through clinical placements and internships at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, our students gain hands-on experience in a world-class healthcare environment. Many Colby-Sawyer nursing graduates accept positions at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center.

Advanced Simulation and Hands-On Training 

At Colby-Sawyer, you’ll apply classroom and laboratory lessons to real-life medical scenarios in clinical settings. In the Gail Graham Lee ’62 Simulation Center at the Schaefer Center for Health Sciences, you will practice care in medical-surgical, pediatric, intensive care, and labor and delivery environments. Twelve hospital beds have patient-monitoring devices and manikins that simulate a variety of health conditions. Clinical rotations at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center broaden students’ knowledge and skills, provide a sense of the fulfillment that comes with delivering exceptional healthcare, and lend perspective about possible career directions and specialties.

Designed for Career-Changers with No Nursing Experience 

Colby-Sawyer's ABSN program is designed with career-changers in mind. If you hold a bachelor’s degree in any field, have a GPA of 3.0 or higher and have successfully completed introductory prerequisite courses, you are eligible. Nursing experience is not required. Dedication, critical thinking and a commitment to learning are what you need.

absn-banner-scholarship

ABSN Scholarships and Financial Support

Your ABSN is closer than you think. Apply for a $6,000 scholarship to make your education more affordable and accessible.

Learn More

 

 

 

What is an Accelerated BSN (ABSN)?


Who is the ABSN for? 

Our 16-month ABSN program is designed for people with a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing-related field who want to pursue a career as a registered nurse (RN). 

What is the difference between the ABSN and BSN programs? 

The ABSN is a 16-month accelerated program designed exclusively for career-changers with a bachelor’s degree in another field who want to pursue nursing. The BSN program is a traditional, four-year undergraduate program. 

How will an ABSN help me with my nursing career? 

ABSN graduates work as registered nurses (RNs) in a variety of healthcare facilities, including hospitals, clinics, private practices and community-based healthcare organizations. Given the shortage of nurses across the U.S., holding a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) provides opportunities to secure a job where you want to live. ABSN graduates are also prepared to pursue a graduate degree in nursing. Colby-Sawyer’s  Master of Science in Nursing program includes three tracks: clinical nurse leader, nursing education, and nursing management and executive leadership. 

Admissions Requirements for the ABSN Program

Who is eligible to apply? 

Colby-Sawyer's ABSN program is designed with career-changers in mind. You are eligible if you hold a bachelor’s degree in any field, have an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher, and have successfully completed the introductory prerequisite courses. 

Prerequisite Courses 

Prerequisite courses can be found here. 

ABSN Application Information 

To apply for the ABSN program, you must: 

  • Complete the NursingCAS  Application.  

  • Submit official transcripts from the college/university where you earned a B.S. or B.A. 

  • Have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0. 

  • Have completed the biology prerequisites within the last five years. 

  • Have a C or better in all prerequisites. 

  • Have a B- or better in biology prerequisites (Anatomy and Physiology I and II, Microbiology).

        ‣ Applications may be reviewed conditionally with two or fewer prerequisite courses remaining. 

  • Submit a professional resume. 

  • Participate in an admissions interview. 

  • Provide TOEFL scores (international applicants). 

ABSN Program Length and Timeline 

How long is the ABSN Program? 

16 months

Start Dates  

September & January 

Path to Graduation and Licensure 

Colby-Sawyer nursing graduates consistently score above the state and national averages the first time they take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). This standardized exam, required for licensure in all 50 states, tests the knowledge, skills and abilities of nursing graduates. Colby-Sawyer scores are higher because our expert faculty begin preparing students for the NCLEX-RN in the very first nursing course.

Not only will you graduate well-prepared to begin a rewarding career — you’ll likely graduate with a job! Many Colby-Sawyer nursing graduates are offered positions prior to graduation at a variety of healthcare facilities, including hospitals, clinics, private practices and community-based healthcare organizations.

Cost & Financial Aid 

ABSN Tuition Overview

Our Financial Services Office provides a comprehensive overview of college costs for each program. The Financial Aid Office will work with you and your family to develop payment plans and to discuss scholarships, grants, loans and work-study opportunities so that you can benefit from a Colby-Sawyer education.

Helene Fuld Health Trust Scholarship

Colby-Sawyer College supports future nurses through the Helene Fuld Health Trust Scholarship. In each cohort, six ABSN students receive $6,000 awards so their nursing education is more affordable and accessible. More information can be found here.

Other Scholarships

Information about additional scholarships can be found here.

ABSN Program Curriculum & Format 


Coursework Overview 

We provide hands-on training in our classrooms and laboratories in four semesters over 16 months. At Colby-Sawyer, you will learn in simulated state-of-the-art hospital and outpatient clinic rooms with in-person instruction supplemented by clinical experiences at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. 

Hands-on Clinical Training 

Hands-on training begins in Colby-Sawyer's nursing classrooms and laboratories, where you will apply your knowledge in simulated, state-of-the art hospital and outpatient clinic rooms. You will experience multiple clinical rotations, preparing you for real-world nursing practice. 

Simulation Lab Experience  

At Colby-Sawyer, you’ll apply your classroom and laboratory learning in real-life medical scenarios in clinical settings. In the Gail Graham Lee ’62 Simulation Center at the Schaefer Center for Health Sciences, you will practice care in medical-surgical, pediatric, intensive care, and labor and delivery environments. The 12 beds have patient-monitoring devices and manikins — which mimic human anatomy and physiology — that simulate various health conditions.   

Clinical rotations at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center will broaden your knowledge and skills, offer you a sense of the fulfillment that comes with providing exceptional healthcare, and provide perspective about the direction you want to take in your nursing career. 

Full-Time Program Expectations 

As an ABSN student, you will enroll in a full-time, 16-month, in-person program. The carefully sequenced curriculum includes classroom and clinical instruction. 

Job placement and career paths 

Where Colby-Sawyer Nursing Graduates Work 

Not only will you graduate ready to practice — you’ll likely graduate with a job! Most Colby-Sawyer nursing graduates are offered positions prior to graduation at a variety of healthcare facilities, including hospitals, clinics, private practices and community-based healthcare organizations. Many choose to continue employment at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. 

100%

NCLEX
pass rate in 2025

No. 1

Best Undergraduate Teaching in 2024

U.S. News & World Report

$94k

Annual median
RN wage

100%

Graduates employed in their field within 6 months of graduation

The image depicts a modern, well-lit office space with a reception area in the foreground, where two people are engaged in conversation. The background shows a long hallway with additional rooms and people walking through.
Coffee Before Class

Victor’s Corner Café, which serves Starbucks food and beverages, is a popular gathering spot.

A modern interactive table sits in the foreground of a bright classroom filled with students and desks in the background.
Transformative Training

One outstanding feature in the anatomy and physiology lab is the Anatomage Table — a 3D anatomy and medical education system. Students virtually explore the human body using high-resolution medical imaging of cadavers.

A nursing student is greeted at the front desk of the Gail Graham Lee Nursing Simulation Center at Colby Sawyer’s Schaefer Center.
Welcome to Schaefer

A hospital-style nurses’ station is located just outside the Gail Graham Lee ’62 Nursing Simulation Center.

Nursing students sit around a table discussing patient care in Colby-Sawyer’s Schaefer Center for Health Sciences.
Prepare for Healthcare

Two skill labs hold a total of 12 beds with patient-monitoring devices and manikins that simulate various health conditions. Here, students review a lesson with their professor.

A class of nursing students sit around a table listening to a clinical lecture in the nursing simulation lab at Colby Sawyer.
Thoughtful Design

Sliding glass doors accommodate concurrent instruction.

A nursing student practices listening to the heartbeat of a patient in a clinical simulation at Colby Sawyer’s Schaefer Center for Health Sciences.
Real-life Scenarios

Manikins, which mimic human anatomy and physiology, present a variety of medical symptoms.

The image shows a medical examination room with a patient sitting on an examination table and a healthcare professional standing next to them, engaged in conversation.
Comfort and Privacy

A nursing student does a clinical assessment in one of the three medical exam rooms.

Accelerated BSN students practice clinical skills under the observation of Colby-Sawyer faculty
Feedback and Support

In the control room, instructors observe and talk with students, as well as adjust patient variables in real time and record sessions for subsequent debriefs.  

A classroom setting with students and a teacher engaged in a discussion, with a whiteboard and various learning materials visible in the background.
Reflect and Improve

Small group discussions and analyses take place in debriefing rooms.

Colby Sawyer nursing students learn to set up an IV in the interactive lab.
Collaborative Learning

Nursing students perfect their skills without compromising patient safety.

The image shows two healthcare workers, likely nurses, attending to a patient lying in a hospital bed. The patient appears to be an elderly individual, and the nurses are providing care and assistance to them.
Clinical Excellence

Students gain competence and confidence in the state-of-the-art Schaefer Center.

Accelerated BSN (ABSN) Program FAQs

Endorsed by Experts

For more than 30 years, Colby-Sawyer’s nursing program has been recognized for its quality, integrity and high standards by state and national accreditation agencies.