That said, there are some very good online programs for people who are already RN (or even LPN) from diploma and associates programs who want to progress to the bachelor’s level. There are also some very good master’s level programs.

These require that you already have some level of certification and that you have a place to practice your skills (ie: you work in a patient care setting).

If you pick a regionally accredited school (and in nursing you’ll also need professional accreditation) then you’ll find that online coursework is actually harder than the in-the-class counterpart. The online class only changes the venue and not the material covered – nursing is one of those things that is best learned (most often) in the practical lab environment.

Make sure the school you’re looking at is accredited (regionally and professional) and that your state will accept a degree from that school as eligibility to take the nursing exams before you spend any time or money.