How to Apply to the Nursing (BSN) Program at Auburn University: Pre-Nursing First, a Second Application to the College of Nursing in the Sophomore Year with Essay and Interviews, No Guarantee of Entry from University Admission, and How Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants Are Admitted

Auburn University is a public university in Alabama. Its nursing program is in the College of Nursing. This guide covers only the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). It follows the official pages for fall 2027 entry and is split into U.S. applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, with a section on transfer students at the end. Auburn’s combined life-science and health guide is a separate article, so we do not repeat it here.

The key point: Auburn’s BSN is not direct entry. New students are admitted to the university as pre-nursing majors, complete prerequisite coursework, and then submit a second application to the College of Nursing’s professional program (upper division, the junior and senior years). The College’s pages repeat that “admission to Auburn University does not guarantee admission to the College of Nursing”, and the Bulletin adds that, because enrollment is limited, students who meet the minimum requirements may not all be interviewed or admitted.

1. Degree and program

• Degree and routes: the College’s undergraduate BSN has a traditional BSN (for new students and transfers) and an RN-to-BSN (for licensed nurses; one line only, and a concurrent option exists for students finishing an associate degree). The site says the College does not offer a separate second-degree program, and people with a bachelor’s degree in another field are encouraged to apply to the upper division.
• Approval and accreditation: the Bulletin says the baccalaureate, master’s and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs are accredited by CCNE and the prelicensure BSN program is approved by the Alabama Board of Nursing.
• Length and start dates of the professional program: the College’s FAQ says the upper division (junior and senior years) begins twice a year, in the summer and the fall semester, and takes five semesters. The site says class plus clinical time is 30–40 hours a week, typically two class days and two to three clinical days; the Bulletin says that from the first semester students take required clinical and classroom experiences, including some night and weekend clinicals.
• Honors/research and STEM: the nursing pages we read give no nursing honors program details and do not say whether the BSN is STEM-designated; the Bulletin lists honors versions of some courses (such as NURS 1017 and 4047) for the Honors College.

2. How you get into nursing, and the thresholds

• Step one: be admitted to Auburn, usually declaring pre-nursing. The pre-nursing major combines Auburn’s general education with the College’s prerequisites, and students are assigned a nursing advisor. The site says any student who meets the admission requirements may apply to the BSN program, though eligible students are encouraged to declare pre-nursing.
• Step two: apply to the professional program. The site says pre-nursing students typically apply in the sophomore year (the pre-nursing page says the fall of the sophomore year). Applications are taken once a year. The traditional BSN page says “Application opens August 2027!”; the transfer page says the application opens in mid-August and closes in late August; specific deadlines are posted when the application opens. You must already be admitted to Auburn and have an Auburn email address to receive the link.
• What the application contains: a short-answer response, prior health-care-related and/or military experience, and servant-leadership experience; the review also uses transcripts, a personal essay, and traditional and situational interviews. The Bulletin says interviews are held once a year in the fall semester and decisions are sent before the end of fall semester.
• The desired characteristics: the College lists a set of desired characteristics, including academic attainment, prior health-care experience, resilience, dedication, empathy, leadership through service, professional values, innovative thinking, collaboration, oral communication and capacity for improvement, each scored from the application, essay, traditional interview or situational interview. The site says shadowing hours are not counted; it wants consistent patient-care experience (CNA work, jobs in health-care facilities, internships, HOSA clinical hours) and says a week of shadowing or a summer internship will likely not earn points. It also mentions an applicant workbook that explains the formula; we did not read it.
• Academic attainment: the Bulletin says courses marked ** in the plan are used to calculate the academic attainment score: Principles of Biology BIOL 1020, Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II (BIOL 2500, 2510), General Microbiology BIOL 3200, Fundamentals of Chemistry CHEM 1030, Statistics for Biological and Health Sciences STAT 2510 and Nutrition and Health NTRI 2000.
• Eligibility (traditional BSN page): (1) at least three of these five science prerequisites completed within the past five years: BIOL 1020/1021, CHEM 1030/1031, BIOL 2500/2501, BIOL 2510/2511, BIOL 3200/3201; (2) no more than 19 credit hours planned for the spring semester after fall admission; (3) a science GPA of at least 2.0 in no fewer than three completed courses; (4) all prerequisites completed with a C or higher before admission. Eligibility is determined at the end of the summer term.
• The transfer page words eligibility differently: besides three of the five sciences (within five years), it requires no more than 10 pre-nursing credit hours outstanding at the end of the fall semester, an academic attainment average of 3.0 or higher at the time of application, and all pre-nursing courses completed with a C or higher by the end of the following spring. The two pages (19 hours and a 2.0 science GPA versus 10 hours and a 3.0 average) differ; ask the College which applies to you (aucon@auburn.edu).
• Entrance exam, medical and background requirements: the pages do not mention TEAS or HESI. The Bulletin says students admitted to the professional program must have a current drug screen and background check, and should expect costs for a health examination, liability and health insurance, uniforms and equipment, a laptop with designated specifications, standardized exams and software, and NCLEX review, all paid by the student.
• Is entry guaranteed? No. If you are not admitted, the site suggests applying to other nursing programs at the same time, changing your major, or talking with your advisor about other routes to a BSN.
• Moving in from another major at Auburn: students admitted to Auburn in any major may apply to the professional program if they meet the eligibility requirements above.

3. Prerequisites and curriculum

• High school courses: the Bulletin “strongly recommends” high school mathematics, chemistry and biology, along with other college-preparatory courses in social science, history, literature and English composition.
• Pre-nursing plan (Bulletin, 66 hours): freshman fall — BIOL 1020/1021 Principles of Biology, CHEM 1030/1031 Fundamentals of Chemistry, ENGL 1100, MATH 1120 Precalculus Algebra and a history core course; spring — BIOL 2500/2501 Anatomy and Physiology I, ENGL 1120, STAT 2510, NTRI 2000 and a history core course. Sophomore fall — BIOL 2510/2511 Anatomy and Physiology II, ethics (PHIL 1020 or 1030), core fine arts, core humanities and PSYC 2010 (or SOCY 1000); spring — BIOL 3200/3201 General Microbiology, a literature core course, a social science core course, NURS 2020 Dosage Calculation and Medical Terminology, NURS 2030 Foundations of Professional Nursing and NURS 2040 Professional Nursing Across the Lifespan. All pre-nursing courses need a C or better before the upper division.
• Professional program (junior and senior years): (122 credit hours for the whole degree). Courses include pathopharmacology, health assessment, community and public health nursing, clinical judgment for simple and stable, acute and mental-health conditions, preconception through adolescence, complex conditions, professional leadership, evidence-based practice, a licensure course and a preceptorship, plus specialty electives (for example pediatric critical care, wellness in aging, perinatal, cardiac, trauma, perioperative nursing and healthcare in the global arena). The summer-admission and fall-admission plans differ.
• Progression (Bulletin): a C or Satisfactory in every professional-program course and an overall GPA of 2.0; a course may be repeated one time only; a grade below C in two or more professional courses, or a GPA below 2.0, means being dropped from the professional program with no readmission. Transfer credit is not generally allowed for professional-program courses.
• AP credit: the Bulletin says advanced placement credit in pre-nursing courses is granted under university policy, with proficiency examinations or AP (CEEB) “with accepted score”; the College asks students expecting AP or dual-enrollment credit to bring their courses and grades to their Camp War Eagle advising session. We did not read the score tables.
• Clinical sites: the site says locations range from large hospitals to small rural clinics, including the Auburn-Opelika area, Montgomery, Birmingham, Mobile, Columbus (Georgia), LaGrange (Georgia) and Atlanta; the FAQ says most clinicals are in the Auburn-Opelika area, with others in Montgomery, Birmingham, Mobile and Columbus. Travel to clinical sites is the student’s cost. Total clinical hours are not given on the pages we read.
• NCLEX-RN: graduates are eligible to apply to sit for the NCLEX and then follow the procedures of the Alabama or another state board of nursing. The pages we read give no pass rate; ask the College.

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

University admission (you must first be admitted to Auburn)

• Freshmen: the application opens 1 August; Early Action has four rounds with required materials due 15 September, 15 October, 15 November and 1 December (printed as 2026), with decisions in mid-October, mid-November, mid-December and early February; Regular Decision closes 1 February 2027 with decisions in early March. For scholarship consideration your file must be complete by one of the early action rounds. The enrollment deposit is due 1 May 2027. The page refers to “summer and fall 2027”.
• Fee and materials: $50, nonrefundable (a fee waiver option is available to those who qualify); official ACT or SAT scores are required for a complete application (Auburn is not test-optional); a high school transcript; Auburn’s own application or the Common Application. Auburn accepts the ACT Superscore Report and calculates a superscore for the SAT and for individual ACT score reports, using only the best result. Optional extras: an Activities and Interests form (up to 20 items) and an Additional Academic Achievements form (AP, dual enrollment, research and more); a personal statement and academic letters of support are optional.
• Nursing has no separate deadline inside the university application: university admission and the College’s professional-program application are two separate steps (section 2).

College of Nursing professional-program application

• Once a year, in August (the traditional BSN page says “opens August 2027”); interviews in the fall semester, decisions before the end of fall; the professional program starts in summer or fall. Specific open and close dates are “posted when applications open”; check the official page for the year.

5. Three kinds of applicant

U.S. applicants

• Tuition: the pages we read do not give in-state or out-of-state tuition figures (the freshman page’s “Tuition” link goes to a page we did not visit); check Auburn’s tuition page. The site says that, as a land-grant institution, Auburn’s mission is to serve Alabama residents and that it considers the mix of in-state and out-of-state students.
• Middle 50% for students who enrolled in fall 2025: residents ACT 25–31 and SAT 1250–1450, non-residents ACT 28–32 and SAT 1280–1370; GPA 3.87–4.33 for both. These are university-wide freshman figures, not nursing figures.

International applicants

• Admission to Auburn: a $60 application fee for international freshmen; ACT or SAT is required; English proficiency (TOEFL iBT 79, IELTS 6.5, PTE 53; or English 1100 and 1120 at a U.S. institution with a C or better in both; or graduation from a U.S. high school); official evaluated high school transcripts (from an independent credential evaluator, with a GPA reported on a U.S. scale; World Education Services is preferred); an Affidavit of Financial Support; and a supporting bank letter. Students with less English proficiency may enter through Auburn Global.
• Deadlines: fall term 1 February for freshmen and 1 July for transfers; the enrollment deposit is due 1 May (or 15 days after acceptance) for freshmen and 1 August for transfers. The page also lists 12 February as the freshman scholarship application deadline but does not say whether international students are eligible.
• Proof of funds: applicants must show funds for themselves and any dependents for a minimum of 9 months of tuition, fees, housing, food, books, personal items, transportation and insurance. The international cost estimate (February 2026) for 2026-27 is tuition and fees $39,658, living expenses $15,000 and health insurance $2,317, for a total of $56,975, plus $6,000 per accompanying dependent; the page adds that Architecture, Business, Nursing, Pharmacy and Veterinary Medicine programs “may incur additional professional fees”, so contact the department.
• Whether international students can apply to the professional program, take clinical courses or sit the licensure exam: the College’s pages, the Bulletin and the international pages do not say. The freshman, transfer and international pages state that “by federal law, the submission of certain information at the time of application is required”, including a social security number, ethnicity, date of birth and sex; whether that applies to international applicants, or whether nursing adds requirements, is not explained. Ask the College (aucon@auburn.edu) and international admissions.
• International transfers: see section 7.

Applicants from China

• The pages we read do not say how the Gaokao is used or whether Huikao (academic proficiency test) materials are needed, and give no statement specifically for Chinese applicants. The international page says foreign transcripts must be evaluated by an independent credential evaluator with a GPA on a U.S. scale. For what is not published, contact Undergraduate Admissions (334-844-6425) and the College of Nursing.

6. Costs and scholarships

• Nursing extras: the Bulletin says students admitted to the professional program should expect a professional fee associated with the clinical courses, plus uniforms, equipment, travel to clinical sites, a smartphone able to retrieve required information, a laptop, standardized exams and software, NCLEX review, a health examination, and liability and health insurance; drug screens and background checks are the student’s cost. The figures are in the College’s “Detailed Expenses by Semester” document, which we did not read.
• Tuition: see section 5; the in-state and out-of-state figures were not on the pages we read, and the international estimate is $39,658 for tuition and fees.
• Scholarships: the pre-nursing page tells students to apply through the Auburn University Scholarship Opportunity Manager (AUSOM); the freshman page puts the financial aid and scholarship priority deadline in early February (AUSOM and FAFSA), and says your file must be complete by one of the early action rounds for scholarship consideration.

7. Transfer students

• University admission (transfer): transfers must first be admitted to Auburn as pre-nursing majors. The fee is $50. The criteria are 24 or more semester hours, at least two core courses and a 2.5 cumulative GPA (2.8 for the College of Architecture), with an “additional review” for GPAs of 2.4 and up. Fall: the application opens 1 August, is due 1 July, with documents due 15 July; spring: 1 November; summer: 1 May. Admission is contingent on space.
• The College of Nursing’s transfer notes: the Bulletin says transfers apply through Enrollment Services and the College reviews transcripts to decide how much pre-nursing credit is allowed; contact the College early. Credit is not granted for grades below C, and transfer credit is generally not allowed for professional-program courses. The College’s transfer page says you must be admitted to Auburn as a pre-nursing student and that, if admitted to the program, the curriculum requires you to be in person at Auburn in the spring semester. To get the nursing application link you must be admitted to Auburn (the page says “for spring semester”) and have paid the $300 enrollment deposit; the page’s timeline also calls mid-August the last day to submit a complete Auburn application and pay the deposit. Those dates differ from the university’s 1 July fall transfer application deadline and 1 August transfer deposit date above, and the pages do not explain how they fit together; ask the College.
• Eligibility: as in section 2 (the transfer page’s version: three of five sciences, no more than 10 pre-nursing hours outstanding, academic attainment of 3.0 or higher, prerequisites at C or better). The College points to the transfer equivalency table and aucon@auburn.edu for questions.
• International transfers: the international page lists a $60 fee, evaluated college transcripts, TOEFL/PTE scores, an affidavit and a bank letter; with 24 or more hours, a 2.5 GPA and at least two core courses. Whether international transfers can enter the nursing professional program is not stated; ask the College.

8. Pre-health advising

Auburn’s website has separate pre-health pages that we did not read for this guide; nursing uses its own pre-nursing route, advised by the College of Nursing.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• Apply to Auburn as pre-nursing; Early Action rounds through 1 December, Regular 1 February; official ACT/SAT required; $50 fee
• Finish the prerequisites with a C or better, then apply to the College of Nursing in the fall of the sophomore year: short answer, health-care experience, leadership, essay and two kinds of interview; entry is not guaranteed

International applicants (including China):

• $60 fee; ACT/SAT required; TOEFL 79 / IELTS 6.5 / PTE 53; evaluated transcripts; affidavit and bank letter (estimate $56,975 a year)
• Gaokao use, Huikao materials, and international students’ access to the nursing professional program, clinical courses, licensure and social security number rules are not stated; ask the College and admissions

Transfer students:

• Be admitted to Auburn as pre-nursing (24 hours or more, GPA 2.5), meet the College’s eligibility, and apply in August; write to aucon@auburn.edu

Sources: Auburn University, College of Nursing home; College of Nursing: undergraduate programs; College of Nursing: pre-nursing; College of Nursing: traditional BSN; College of Nursing: transfer students; Bulletin: College of Nursing; Bulletin: traditional nursing plan; Freshman admissions; International admissions; Transfer admissions; International cost estimate. Where a page prints no year, check that the date is for fall 2027 entry. Costs are 2026-27 estimates; check Auburn’s website for the latest.