Pittsburgh Colleges and Universities
November 24, 2014
Trade Schools for All Interests
November 24, 2014If you have ever been in the hospital, you know that nurses are the front line when it comes to your health care and wellness. Luckily, the Pittsburgh region is fortunate to have a number of excellent nursing schools providing education for all levels of nursing.
Butler County Community College
BC3 located in Butler, Pennsylvania, offers an Associate in Applied Science Degree to students pursuing their license as a Registered Nurse after completing the school’s two-year program.
California University of Pennsylvania Department of Nursing
California University of Pennsylvania offers three education tracks in nursing. Students wishing to become Registered Nurses attend classes through Community College of Allegheny County at Cal U’s campus, enabling them to receive an Associate Degree in Nursing. Upon graduation, students may continue their training in Cal U’s BSN program. Those already with a BSN can further their education with an MSN in Nursing Administration and Leadership.
Carlow University
Carlow’s School of Nursing was founded in 1948. Today, it offers nursing programs at three locations: Greensburg, Cranberry, and at its main campus in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood for BSN, RN to BSN, and graduate nursing programs. In 2010, its Doctor of Nursing Practice received full accreditation from the Commissions on Collegiate Nursing Education.
Chatham University
Located between Pittsburgh’s Shadyside and Squirrel Hill neighborhoods, Chatham offers three online degree programs. The RN to BSN program allows UPMC Shadyside School of Nursing graduates to complete the BSN in 26 credits. The MSN program consists of core MSN courses and specialty tracks, and the Doctor of Science in Nursing prepares graduates to become leaders in the health care field.
Citizens School of Nursing
Citizens School of Nursing was founded in 1913 and is sponsored by Allegheny Valley Hospital. Located in New Kensington, it is part of the West Penn Allegheny Health System and the Allegheny Health Network. The two-year, hospital-based program prepares students to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). In addition, Citizens School of Nursing has established an educational mobility plan with the Penn State University Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program, where qualified graduates of Citizens School of Nursing may be eligible for admission to the extended Penn State University BSN program with advanced standing.
Community College of Allegheny County
CCAC offers nursing programs at five locations: Allegheny, Boyce, North, and South campuses as well as the CCAC at California University of Pennsylvania Campus. Each campus utilizes the nearby hospitals for clinical instruction. The program prepares students for the NCLEX-RN examination and entry-level practice.
Community College of Beaver County
CCBC offers programs in Nurse Aide, Practical Nursing (LPN), and an Associate Degree in Nursing. Students receive clinical laboratory experience in a variety of hospitals and health facilities in the Beaver, Allegheny, and Lawrence County areas.
Duquesne University School of Nursing
Duquesne was the first school in Pennsylvania to establish a BSN program in 1937 and the first in the nation to establish an online nursing Ph.D. in 1997. It offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in nursing. Located in downtown Pittsburgh, Duquesne introduced its online RN/BSN in the fall of 2014.
Franciscan University of Steubenville
Located in Steubenville, Ohio, Franciscan University offers an undergraduate degree in nursing. Franciscan’s program is engaged with the university’s Catholic faith. Students receive clinical experience in medical, surgical, 
pediatric, psychiatric, obstetric, and community health nursing.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana University, located in Indiana, Pennsylvania, offers two undergraduate nursing degree programs: the BS in Nursing and the BS in Nursing Practical Nurse Track. In addition, it offers four graduate programs: the MS in Nursing/Education Track, the MS in Nursing Administration Track, MS in Nursing, and the Ph.D. in Nursing.
La Roche College
La Roche College, located in the northern suburbs of Pittsburgh, offers a spectrum of nursing programs. In addition to an Associate Degree in Nursing, RN to BSN Completion Program, and a Master of Science in Nursing, it also offers two certificate programs: Forensic Nursing and School Nurse.
Mercy Hospital School of Nursing
In 1893, the Sisters of Mercy founded the Mercy Hospital School of Nursing, a hospital-based diploma school of nursing. Today, it is sponsored by UPMC Mercy Hospital, a part of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Located in downtown Pittsburgh, the school has graduated more than 6,200 nurses, and students can earn up to 30 transferable credits from Carlow University.
Ohio Valley School of Nursing
Ohio Valley School of Nursing, located just outside of the City of Pittsburgh in Kennedy Township, provides a 21-month RN diploma program, which is fully accredited. The school is affiliated with Robert Morris University so that students may earn 27 general education credits while working toward achieving their diploma in nursing. In addition, students/graduates can opt to attend La Roche College, where they are eligible to receive a tuition discount toward completion of their BSN or MSN.
Penn State New Kensington
Penn State New Kensington offers registered nurses the opportunity to earn a bachelor of science with a major in Nursing. The Penn State New Kensington degree is identical to the degree earned at the School of Nursing at Penn State University Park.
PTI (Pittsburgh Technical Institute)
PTI offers two nursing programs: the practical nursing program (LPN) and the Associate in Science in Nursing program. Located in Oakdale, Pennsylvania, PTI boasts a state-of-the-industry simulation lab. The Associate in Science Nursing degree program prepares students to sit for the RN exam. As a special benefit, PTI pays for the cost of this examination to students who successfully pass it.
Robert Morris University Department of Nursing
Robert Morris University’s Department of Nursing offers undergraduate and graduate degrees. It integrates the latest technology into its programs. Undergraduate nursing students purchase software applications that are downloaded to their smartphones, enabling students to have health care information at their fingertips while learning to care for patients in state-of-the-art clinical facilities.
Shadyside School of Nursing
Located in Pittsburgh’s East Liberty neighborhood, the Shadyside School of Nursing is a part of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. It offers full- and part-time RN diploma programs. Full-time students complete the program in 22 months, while part-time students attending evening and weekend classes complete the coursework in four years.
St. Margaret School of Nursing
St. Margaret School of Nursing was founded in 1910 and offers a 22-month diploma nursing program. A part of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, the program is offered at two locations: the Blawnox Campus and the McKeesport Campus. Each campus includes classrooms, conference rooms, a demonstration-learning laboratory, faculty offices, and a computer center.
St. Vincent College Health Career College
St. Vincent College located in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, has two graduate nursing degrees: A Masters in Health Science in Nurse Anesthesia in collaboration with Excela Health and the Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice. Enrollment is limited, and Excela Health anesthesia graduates are well regarded in the health care industry.
Slippery Rock University
Slippery Rock University, located north of Pittsburgh in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, offers an online RN to BSN program, which can be completed by taking courses either full-or part-time. The School Nurse certificate program is also an online program consisting of 21 graduate credits.
Trinity Health System School of Nursing
Located in Steubenville, Ohio, Trinity Health System School of Nursing was founded in 1912. It is owned and operated by Sylvania Franciscan Health, a Catholic organization associated with the Sisters of St. Francis, Sylvania, Ohio. Trinity offers a 24-month diploma nursing program.
University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing
The University of Pittsburgh in Oakland offers a traditional BSN program, which admits persons with a high school diploma, as well as an RN option track to the BSN for registered nurses who have received prior education in a community college or hospital program. It also offers an accelerated second-degree track for students who already have a baccalaureate degree in another field. Its MSN and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs are designed to prepare expert nurse practitioners, nurse clinicians, and nurse anesthetists, as well as to prepare knowledgeable practitioners in nursing education, nursing administration, informatics, or research management. Its master’s program has four majors with thirteen areas of concentration.
Washington Hospital School of Nursing
The Washington Hospital School of Nursing was founded in 1897 and provides a 24-month diploma program. Located in Washington, Pennsylvania, the hospital claims more than 4,000 alumni.
Waynesburg University
Waynesburg University offers three undergraduate nursing programs: the BSN program, the RN to BSN program, and the LPN to BSN program. Located in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, it also offers an MSN program as well as the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP).
West Liberty University
West Liberty University, in Wheeling, WV, offers a Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. Additionally, a School Nurse Program certification is offered.
West Penn Hospital School of Nursing
West Penn Hospital School of Nursing features a 22-month RN diploma program. Established in 1892, the program was the first nursing school in the nation to admit male students. Located in Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield neighborhood, it is part of the Allegheny Health Network. It is the only diploma nursing school in the area with on-site housing and day care.
Westmoreland County Community College
WCCC offers its nursing program at three locations: its main campus in Youngwood, Pennsylvania, the Indiana Education Center at Indiana County Community College, and the Greene County Education Center at the Evergreen Technology Park in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania. WCCC has the lowest tuition in the state and offers a two-tiered degree, the PN/AND, which is a five-semester program. After the first level of the program, students may apply for licensure as a practical nurse (LPN). Applications as a registered nurse can be made after the second level is completed.
