Updated
Nursing School Requirements: Prerequisites, GPA and TEAS (2026)
Most nursing programs require anatomy and physiology, microbiology, chemistry, statistics and psychology with a C or better, a GPA of about 2.5 to 3.0 or higher, and often an entrance exam such as the ATI TEAS (170 questions in 209 minutes). Each program sets its own floors and scores, so check every school on your list.
Below are the usual prerequisites, the grade, recency and repeat rules that trip people up, the TEAS and HESI A2, and a table of twelve ADN, BSN and accelerated BSN programs from their own pages, read November 3, 2026. For the application itself, step by step, see our guide to applying to nursing programs.
ADN, BSN or accelerated BSN: what changes?
AACN describes three routes to becoming an RN: a hospital diploma, an associate degree (ADN) usually at a community college, and a 4-year bachelor's (BSN). Graduates of all three take the same NCLEX-RN, and NCSBN requires graduation from an approved program to sit for it. Accelerated BSN programs are for people with a bachelor's in another field. AACN says they take 12 to 18 months including prerequisites and typically require at least a 3.0 GPA.
The requirements look alike across the three. The differences are in how high the bars sit: community college ADN programs often rank applicants by points, BSN programs often add a cumulative GPA floor, and accelerated programs expect a finished bachelor's degree and the science prerequisites before you start.
Which prerequisite courses do nursing programs require?
Nearly every program on our list asks for the same core:
- Anatomy and physiology I and II, with labs
- Microbiology, with lab
- Chemistry (general, or chemistry for health sciences)
- Statistics, or college algebra at some community colleges
- Psychology, and often human growth and development
- Nutrition, English composition and sociology at many programs
The rules around the courses matter as much as the list. Most programs accept a C, but UNC-Chapel Hill wants a B- in anatomy, physiology and microbiology, taken within 5 years, and OHSU wants a B- in every prerequisite within 7 years. Repeats are handled three ways: OHSU and Portland Community College use your latest grade, Kentucky your best grade, and UW-Madison counts every attempt.
What GPA do you need for nursing school?
Floors in our table run from 2.0 (Miami Dade's science GPA) to 3.0, and 6 of 12 programs set 3.0. The middle floor is 2.9 (our math). Floors only get you reviewed. At Washington State, the admitted class averaged a 3.69 cumulative GPA and an 81.45 on the TEAS, well above its 3.0 and 70 minimums.
Programs also read different GPAs: prerequisite only (Austin Community College, Valencia), science (Miami Dade, UNC), cumulative, or several at once. Our NursingCAS GPA calculator works out the version NursingCAS schools see.
Our worked example: how a retake changes your prerequisite GPA
An invented applicant, with our math. Grades count A = 4, B = 3, C = 2.
| Course | Credits | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Anatomy and Physiology I | Credits: 4 | Grade: B |
| Anatomy and Physiology II | Credits: 4 | Grade: A |
| Microbiology | Credits: 4 | Grade: C |
| Chemistry | Credits: 4 | Grade: B |
| Statistics | Credits: 3 | Grade: A |
| Intro Psychology | Credits: 3 | Grade: A |
Prerequisite GPA: 3.27. Now the applicant retakes microbiology and earns an A. Where the latest grade replaces the old one (OHSU, Portland Community College), the GPA rises to 3.64. Where every attempt counts (UW-Madison), both grades stay in and it rises only to 3.38. Same course, same A, very different result, so read each program's repeat rule before you retake anything.
The TEAS and HESI A2: what they test
The ATI TEAS (Version 7) has 170 questions in 209 minutes, in four timed sections. You can take it at a school, a testing center or at home with a remote proctor. ATI says 40% of test-takers must retake it, and you must wait at least 48 hours between attempts. There is no national passing score. Each program sets its own, from over 60% at Miami Dade to 78 at Valencia College.
| Section | Questions | Minutes | Seconds per question |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | Questions: 45 | Minutes: 55 | Seconds per question: 73 |
| Math | Questions: 38 | Minutes: 57 | Seconds per question: 90 |
| Science | Questions: 50 | Minutes: 60 | Seconds per question: 72 |
| English and language usage | Questions: 37 | Minutes: 37 | Seconds per question: 60 |
| Whole test | Questions: 170 | Minutes: 209 | Seconds per question: 74 |
English is the tightest section at about one question a minute, and math is the roomiest, so practice English under time. The science section leans on anatomy and physiology, 18 of its items by ATI's count, so take the TEAS after your A&P courses.
The HESI A2 from Elsevier can cover math, reading, vocabulary, grammar, biology, chemistry, anatomy and physiology, and physics, and each program picks the sections it wants. Texas A&M's accelerated BSN wants 75% in each section, taken within the past 12 months. Some schools use neither: Portland Community College uses a reasoning test (HSRT-AD), and Santa Monica College says it does not use the TEAS.
Do you need CNA certification or healthcare hours?
Usually not as a requirement, but they can add points. UW-Madison says it does not require a CNA license. Portland Community College gives 2 points for 240 to 999 healthcare hours and 4 points for 1,000 or more. Austin Community College adds 3 points for honorable military service or a healthcare license or certification, and Washington State considers up to 500 hours. Log your hours with dates as you go.
Once you get an offer, expect clinical clearance. Portland Community College, for example, requires a criminal background check, a ten-panel drug screen, proof of immunizations and CPR/BLS certification before the program starts.
Nursing school requirements at twelve programs
Each row comes from the program's own page, read November 3, 2026. Our count: 5 use the TEAS, 1 the HESI A2, 2 another test and 4 list no entrance exam.
| Program | Type | GPA minimum | Entrance exam | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin Community College | Type: ADN | GPA minimum: 2.7 prerequisite | Entrance exam: TEAS, ranked in points bands from 68% | Watch for: A&P II and microbiology within 5 years |
| Portland Community College | Type: ADN | GPA minimum: 3.0 prerequisite | Entrance exam: HSRT-AD reasoning test | Watch for: Science and some other courses expire after 7 years |
| Miami Dade College | Type: ADN | GPA minimum: 2.5 cumulative, 2.0 science | Entrance exam: TEAS composite over 60% | Watch for: A&P within 10 years, no more than 2 D, F or W grades in science |
| Valencia College | Type: ADN | GPA minimum: 3.0 prerequisite | Entrance exam: TEAS composite of 78 | Watch for: C or better, no points rubric |
| Santa Monica College | Type: ADN | GPA minimum: 2.3 in anatomy, physiology and microbiology | Entrance exam: NLN NEX, not the TEAS | Watch for: Those sciences within 5 years, one repeat allowed |
| UW-Madison | Type: BSN | GPA minimum: 2.75 prerequisite and cumulative | Entrance exam: No TEAS | Watch for: C or higher in all seven prerequisites, every attempt counts |
| UT Health San Antonio | Type: BSN | GPA minimum: 3.0 prerequisite | Entrance exam: TEAS of 65 | Watch for: C or higher in every prerequisite |
| Washington State | Type: BSN | GPA minimum: 3.0 cumulative and prerequisite | Entrance exam: TEAS of 70, taken within a year | Watch for: C or better in each prerequisite |
| UNC-Chapel Hill | Type: BSN | GPA minimum: 2.8 cumulative and science | Entrance exam: None listed | Watch for: B- or better in A&P and microbiology, within 5 years |
| University of Kentucky | Type: Accelerated BSN | GPA minimum: 2.5 cumulative and science | Entrance exam: None listed | Watch for: Best grade counts on repeats |
| Texas A&M | Type: Accelerated BSN | GPA minimum: 3.0 prerequisite and nursing science | Entrance exam: HESI A2, 75% in each section | Watch for: Two prerequisite failures in 5 years makes you ineligible |
| OHSU | Type: Accelerated BSN | GPA minimum: 3.0 cumulative and prerequisite | Entrance exam: None listed | Watch for: B- or higher, within 7 years, latest grade counts |
Accelerated programs are short. UW-Madison runs a 1-year accelerated BSN, Texas A&M a 15-month program and Kentucky a 16-month one.
How you apply, and how competitive it is
Some programs use the shared NursingCAS application (Portland Community College, UW-Madison, UT Health San Antonio, Washington State and Texas A&M), and others take applications directly. Our NursingCAS guide covers fees and dates, and our step-by-step application guide covers essays and letters.
Expect competition. Portland Community College takes up to 40 students a year from over 400 applicants, and AACN reports that US bachelor's and graduate nursing programs turned away 92,672 qualified applications in 2025, for lack of faculty, clinical sites, classroom space, preceptors and budget.
Checklist before you apply
We wrote these from the program pages above.
- List every program you might apply to and note its GPA floor, exam and deadline. They differ more than you would think.
- Check which GPA each one reads: prerequisite only, science, cumulative, or all three.
- Check recency. Anatomy, physiology and microbiology often expire after 5, 7 or 10 years.
- Check the repeat rule before you retake a course. Some use your latest grade, some your best, and some count every attempt.
- Book the TEAS or HESI A2 only after your last science prerequisite, and leave time for a retake before the deadline.
- Log healthcare hours (CNA, hospital volunteering, medical assistant work) with dates. Some programs give points for them.
- Confirm whether the program uses NursingCAS or its own application.
The last step: the nursing school interview
Some programs interview the applicants who clear their floors, such as Portland Community College's panel interview and UT Health San Antonio's interview on the Kira platform. Expect to be asked why you want to be a nurse, and more from our nursing school interview questions. Try this one out loud.
“How have you prepared yourself for the demands of nursing school?”
Programs ask this to see whether you know what you are signing up for. Name what you have already done that looks like nursing school, and how you handle a heavy load.
Example answer written by Confetto (the applicant is invented)
I took anatomy and physiology and microbiology while working 25 hours a week as a CNA at a rehab center, and I finished with A's in both A&P courses. That term taught me to plan my week on Sunday and study in short blocks between shifts.
The CNA work also showed me the physical side of the job, from twelve patients on a night shift to families who need things explained twice. I know the program will be faster than anything I have done, so I have already arranged to cut my hours to weekends once classes start.
Sources: AACN, ATI, Elsevier, NCSBN and each program's own page, linked throughout. All checked November 3, 2026. Requirements change each cycle, so confirm on the program's site.
Frequently asked questions
What are the prerequisites for nursing school?
Most programs ask for anatomy and physiology I and II, microbiology, chemistry, statistics or college algebra, psychology and often nutrition or human development, usually with a C or better. Selective programs want a B- in the sciences, and many require them within 5 to 10 years. See UNC's prerequisite list as an example.
What GPA do you need for nursing school?
Most floors sit between 2.5 and 3.0. In our table of 12 programs, 6 set a 3.0 floor and the middle floor is 2.9. Admitted students are usually well above the floor: Washington State's admitted average was 3.69. See Washington State's admission averages.
What is on the TEAS, and what score do you need?
The ATI TEAS has 170 questions in 209 minutes across reading, math, science and English and language usage. There is no national passing score. Programs set their own, such as 65 at UT Health San Antonio, 70 at Washington State and 78 at Valencia College. See ATI's TEAS exam details.
Do all nursing programs require the TEAS?
No. In our table 5 use the TEAS, 1 uses the HESI A2, 2 use another test and 4 list no entrance exam. UW-Madison, for example, says it does not require the TEAS. See UW-Madison's BSN FAQ.
Do you need to be a CNA to get into nursing school?
Usually not. UW-Madison says it does not require a CNA license. Healthcare hours can still help: Portland Community College gives points for 240 or more hours, and Austin Community College adds points for a healthcare license or certification. See PCC's points for healthcare hours.
What are the requirements for an accelerated BSN?
A bachelor's degree in another field plus the science prerequisites. AACN says accelerated programs take 12 to 18 months including prerequisites and typically require at least a 3.0 GPA. Texas A&M also asks for a HESI A2 score of 75% in each section. Read AACN's accelerated programs fact sheet.