How to Apply to Nursing (BSN) at the University of Connecticut: A Four-Year BS at Storrs, Declared at Application with High School Biology and Chemistry Required, a February 1 Change-of-Major Route if Not Admitted, and the Path for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

At the University of Connecticut (UConn), the undergraduate nursing degree is offered by the Elisabeth DeLuca School of Nursing on the Storrs campus. Unlike our general life-sciences guide for UConn, this one covers only the nursing Bachelor of Science: how you get in, what the thresholds are, what you study and what it costs. It summarises UConn’s published information for fall 2027 entry for U.S. applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, followed by transfer students.

1. Degree and program

• Traditional track (Bachelor of Science): on the Storrs campus; the School says the curriculum “typically requires four academic years of full-time study” and that graduates are eligible for the licensure examination (NCLEX) as registered nurses. It admits for fall only, and undergraduate nursing courses are offered only at Storrs.
• Direct admission, not apply-after-pre-nursing: high school students apply to UConn and declare nursing as their major; first-year applications are reviewed by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Students not admitted to nursing at entry use the internal change-of-major process (Section 2), which the School says does not guarantee admission.
• Curriculum shape: the first four semesters are arts, humanities and sciences foundations; students start nursing courses in the first year, but most are in the second half; the last four semesters are small-group clinicals. Students practice assessment and technical skills in the Clinical Simulation Learning Center.
• Honors: UConn’s Honors Program invites rising sophomores and juniors; the School says a minimum 3.4 GPA is required, students complete a thesis (four options; the site links explanations for the applied clinical and research options), and Honors students do not get early nursing clinical selection. Applications are in the early spring of the first or second year.
• Other routes: people with a bachelor’s degree in another field can apply to the one-year CEIN/BS accelerated second-degree program (Avery Point, Stamford, Storrs and Waterbury; the overview page shows a September 1 deadline); master’s, DNP and PhD programs are not covered here. There is also a Waterbury-to-Storrs pathway (Section 3). RN-to-BSN is not described on the pages we read; ask the School.
• Accreditation: the baccalaureate, master’s, DNP and post-graduate APRN certificate programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
• Whether the program is STEM-designated is not stated on the pages we read; ask admissions.

2. How you get in, and the thresholds

• First-year applicants: apply through the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and declare nursing. The School says admission is competitive and applicants “should have credentials placing them in the upper range of their high school graduation class”; they must have completed high school or college coursework in both biology and chemistry. The admissions requirements page likewise says high school chemistry and biology are required for nursing applicants.
• Extra application question: nursing applicants answer one additional question on the factors that influenced their motivation to pursue a career in nursing, including activities, academics and life experiences.
• Recommendations: the School’s page says letters of recommendation “are not required and will not be reviewed”, while the general first-year instructions list two optional letters. Both statements appear; nursing applicants should follow the School’s page and can confirm with nursingadmissions@uconn.edu. The admissions office says interviews are not part of the process.
• Entrance exams and GPA cut-offs: TEAS, HESI or similar exams are not mentioned. No separate GPA or prerequisite-grade cut-off is published for first-year applicants.
• Clinical or volunteer experience: not required on the first-year pages we read; not stated.
• Students already at UConn who were not admitted to nursing: may apply between January 1 and February 1 through an online form for the following fall. The FAQ says they are normally expected to have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0, with a math/science GPA equal or higher to be competitive; the page lists in-progress or completed college Biology (BIOL 1107) and Chemistry (CHEM 1122, 1124 and 1125, or 1127), says hybrid or online lab sciences are not accepted, and requires a statement of motivation. Decisions use the academic record, courses taken and space, and are emailed before spring break. If accepted, the page says the program takes three years to complete.
• Background check, health and vaccines, insurance: the Office of Clinical Placement Coordination (OCPC) publishes the undergraduate nursing checklist. By April 15 of sophomore year: MMR, varicella, hepatitis B, Tdap, COVID-19 vaccine, polio, tuberculosis, a physical exam, front and back of a health insurance card, CPR (American Heart Association BLS Provider), consent and attestation, resume, photo, and HIPAA and OSHA training. July 1–15: an annual basic background check with FACIS Level 3 and a 12-panel drug screen. October 1: an updated seasonal influenza vaccine. Students buy a Complio subscription and the screening items; amounts are not on the pages we read. OCPC also states that even though recreational marijuana use is legal in Connecticut, UConn must share positive marijuana test results with placement facilities, which will most likely treat them as failing, and the programs are not responsible for arranging placements for students who cannot meet a facility’s requirements.

3. Prerequisites, curriculum and clinicals

• High school courses: 16 units at graduation, 15 of them college preparatory: English 4, math 3, social science or history 2, two units of a single foreign language (3 strongly recommended), laboratory science 2 and electives 3; nursing applicants need high school chemistry and biology.
• Nursing prerequisites: no prerequisite list is given for direct admission; the change-of-major and transfer routes name college biology and chemistry (see above and Section 7). Whether anatomy and physiology, microbiology, statistics, nutrition or developmental psychology are prerequisites is not stated on the pages we read; see the School’s “Sample Curriculum, 2026-2027” and ask the School.
• Credit by exam: how AP or IB credit applies to nursing is not stated on the pages we read.
• Clinicals: in the last four semesters, mandatory clinical hours are completed at health care agencies across Connecticut. The School lists sites including CT Children’s Medical Center, Hospital for Special Care, Lawrence & Memorial Hospital, UConn Health Center, Backus Hospital, Hartford Hospital, St. Francis Hospital, Yale New Haven Hospital and Middlesex Hospital. It also says it is affiliated with about 70 health care agencies within 75 miles of Storrs, uses a 1:8 ratio in clinical practicum courses, and students arrange their own transportation. Total clinical hours are not stated.
• Class size: nursing classes range from 19 to 120 students depending on the course.
• Waterbury-to-Storrs pathway: years 1–2 at UConn Waterbury (core curriculum of 52 credits plus 15 credits of introductory nursing courses with labs), years 3–4 at Storrs (60 credits of advanced nursing coursework and clinical practicum). Moving to Storrs requires a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5, all prerequisites at C or better, and all clinical, lab and simulation requirements. You enter through the UConn first-year application; whether international students are eligible is not stated.
• NCLEX pass rate: not on the pages we read. Licensure note: UConn states that the curriculum meets the educational requirements for licensure as a registered nurse in Connecticut, and that it has not determined whether it meets requirements in other states or territories; check the rules of any state where you plan to be licensed before accepting an offer. UConn has a licensure-by-state page.

4. Rounds, deadlines and materials (fall 2027 entry)

• First-year dates from admissions (page labeled fall 2027): Early Decision November 1; priority for merit and Honors December 1; Storrs campus regular deadline January 15; FAFSA February 15. The School’s overview page also shows January 15 for the BS.
• Materials: Common App or Coalition App (one only); $80 non-refundable fee; a 250–650-word personal essay; U.S. high school applicants use the free STARS self-reported record (or an official transcript; STARS is due January 15 for regular applicants); SAT/ACT optional. The middle 50% for Storrs students admitted for fall 2026 who submitted scores was SAT 1320–1460 and ACT 29–34; these are university-wide, not nursing figures.
• Nursing-specific platform or supplement: the pages say first-year students apply through the Office of Undergraduate Admissions; NursingCAS is not mentioned and no separate nursing supplement is described beyond the extra question above.

5. Three groups of readers

U.S. applicants:

• Follow Sections 2 and 4; in-state versus out-of-state costs are in Section 6. Whether nursing gives priority to Connecticut residents is not stated.
• Connecticut residents or Connecticut high school students who apply for fall 2027 between October 15 and November 2, 2026 have the application fee waived.

International applicants:

• Application and deadlines: the same dates as first-year (November 1 ED, December 1 priority, January 15 at Storrs); $80 fee, payable by check or money order as well; high school transcripts include senior classes and latest grades; non-English documents need an official certified English translation; SAT/ACT optional.
• English: required if your primary language is not English. Listed minimums: TOEFL 4.5 (79 out of 120 in the page’s parenthesis), IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 110, LanguageCert Academic 70, Pearson PTE Academic 60. Waivers include two years of a U.S. secondary school with graduation, SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 510 or higher, and ACT 24 on English, Reading and Composite. Applicants who are otherwise admissible but short may receive conditional admission through the UConn American English Language Institute (UCAELI). This is the university-wide rule; whether nursing sets a higher bar is not stated.
• Courses: the international page describes college-preparatory work in English, mathematics, physical science and social science and does not repeat nursing’s biology and chemistry requirement; the School’s page requires high school or college biology and chemistry. Follow the School’s page and confirm with nursingadmissions@uconn.edu.
• Places, clinical access, licensure exam, Social Security number: whether international students face limits in nursing places or clinical courses, can sit the licensure exam, or need a Social Security number for clinical placement is not stated on the pages we read; ask nursingadmissions@uconn.edu.
• After admission: a passport copy, a signed Financial Declaration Form and financial support documents are needed for the I-20; see UConn’s funding guidelines for amounts.
• International scholarships: the Global Excellence, Global Distinction and Global Leader Awards are merit-based, renewable for four years, valued at a fixed amount set yearly, with priority for applications completed by December 1. The page gives no dollar figures.

Applicants from China:

• UConn’s credentials table for China (National Curriculum): current students send official transcripts from senior middle school grades 10 and 11 showing grade 12 courses in progress; graduates send final transcripts from senior years 1, 2 and 3 plus official copies of the Chinese Graduation Certificate. Non-English documents need an official certified English translation.
• Whether the Gaokao is considered, how huikao records are handled, and any nursing-specific guidance for applicants from China are not stated on the pages we read; ask the admissions office (onestop@uconn.edu) and the School.

6. Costs and scholarships

• 2026–27 full-time Storrs undergraduate: tuition $17,010 in-state, $39,678 out-of-state, $26,028 New England Regional; university and student fees $4,564; on-campus housing (standard double) $8,288; Value meal plan $6,896; direct-cost subtotal $36,758, $59,426 and $45,776. The cost-of-attendance estimate (with an average housing figure, $1,020 for books and supplies, transportation and personal expenses) is $44,230 in-state, $67,108 out-of-state and $53,458 New England Regional.
• Nursing surcharge: the cost pages we read list no nursing-specific surcharge; this is not stated, so check the UConn Bursar. The estimate notes that professional and licensure fees (if applicable) are indirect costs; the compliance subscription and screening amounts are not on the pages we read.
• Scholarships: first-year applicants are automatically considered for most merit scholarships (Nutmeg, Day of Pride and Stamps need a supplemental application). The School also lists named scholarships, some for undergraduates and most requiring financial need, for example the Adomat Family Nursing Scholarship, Asher G. Zlotnick Memorial Nursing Scholarship and Bridget Jones Tyler Memorial Scholarship (minimum 3.0 GPA); ask the School’s admissions office how to apply. Whether international students can receive these is not stated.

7. Transfer

• External transfer: apply through UConn Admissions and list nursing as your first-choice major. The School’s page requires a cumulative GPA of 3.5 (4.0 scale); in-progress or completed college biology and college chemistry (hybrid or online lab sciences not accepted); a motivational statement of 350 words or fewer; February 1; fall only. The admissions restricted-programs page lists as minimum criteria a 3.5 cumulative GPA and completed prerequisites in biology, chemistry and mathematics, so the two pages differ on mathematics; confirm.
• Students with less than one year of college are evaluated on high school work and college performance. A grade of C or better is needed for transfer credit; UConn Admissions makes the final decision on which courses transfer. Admission is highly competitive and not all eligible applicants are admitted.
• International transfer: the same requirements as domestic transfer; international applications are not accepted for spring; a transcript evaluation is recommended, not required.

8. Pre-health advising

The nursing pages we read do not cover graduate-level pre-health advising; check the university’s website if you need it.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• Declare nursing on the application; high school chemistry and biology; Common App or Coalition App by January 15 (Storrs regular); SAT/ACT optional
• If not admitted: change-of-major form between January 1 and February 1 with a cumulative GPA of about 3.0 or higher

International applicants (including China):

• English: TOEFL 4.5 (79 out of 120), IELTS 6.5; certified translations of documents; ask nursingadmissions@uconn.edu about places, clinicals and licensure
• China: transcripts for senior years 1–3 and an official copy of the graduation certificate; use of the Gaokao is not stated

Transfer students:

• Apply by February 1 with a 3.5 GPA and college biology and chemistry (no online or hybrid labs); international transfer students cannot apply for spring

Sources: University of Connecticut, School of Nursing: Bachelor of Science; Clinical experiences; Nursing Honors Program; Nursing admissions overview; Undergraduate FAQ; Change of major and transfer; Nursing scholarships; Waterbury-to-Storrs Nursing Pathway; Clinical compliance (undergraduate nursing); First-year requirements; First-year deadlines; First-year instructions; International first-year applicants; International credentials; International financial and visa; International transfer; Transfer requirements; Transfer: restricted programs; Transfer deadlines; Merit scholarships; Cost of attendance. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27 figures). Some dates on the nursing pages (January 15, February 1) show no year; check UConn’s website to confirm they apply to fall 2027 entry.