The pertinent question here could be: Where is the best state to be a Registered Nurse? California is still the highest paying state for RNs… Stop!

Before you go rushing to California, take note of the number of newly graduates from this state. If you don't have your BSN, getting hired could take several months.

I attended a community college and a private catholic hospital. If you wish only to remain small but effective, this is the cheapest way to go. Big, well known nursing schools, mean bigger tuition.

Like it was mentioned above, doing your homework before applying anywhere is important. The school you attend MUST be accredited or all your studying would be for nothing. I was an LVN for around 15 years and finally got my RN in 1999. I decided to go back to college and graduated from Loma Linda University in 2010. I currently am finishing up my MSN and will graduate from Gonzaga University next year. I have a great deal of loan debt, but where I attended means a lot to me. I've been to both great and not so great colleges and universities and getting a good, solid education is important to me. I can repay what I owe later and my husband will help with that also.

As a graduate of a diploma program, it definitely matters which level you choose. There are other things to consider as well. Like whether you have to continue to work as you get that education. If you already have some nursing education, can you challenge some courses so that you don't have to spend so much time in classes and can get to upper level courses sooner. Do you want to attend regularly scheduled classes or can you get some of them online? What is your schedlue like? Family obligations? In this day, if I were starting over, I would not even look at AD schools because there is no where to go with those degrees other than the bedside unless you work in a small institution and are reallygood at what you do. Then you might be able to work in some specialty type jobs but there are certainly no management opportunities for that level. It takes a lot of consideration and thought.

I think it does matter which nursing school you attend. Not all nursing schools are accredited and I think that makes a big difference. You always want to make sure you do your research and see what the schools graduation rate is and what their post graduation employment rate is.

Picking a school right for you is the conglomeration of a lot of factors.  How much will tuition be, will I have to commute or live there, and what kinds of employment opportunities does the school offer post-graduation?  Do they offer online classes in the event of personal endeavors getting in the way?  Make an informed decision, and attend a nursing school tailored to your individual needs.