How to Apply to the Nursing (BSN) Program at the University of Delaware: A Four-Year Traditional BSN in the School of Nursing, Direct Admission as a Freshman With a Single 1 December Nursing Deadline, No Transfer Applicants Accepted Into Nursing, and the Path for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

The University of Delaware (UD) is a public university in Newark, Delaware. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is offered by the School of Nursing in the College of Health Sciences; UD calls it the “Traditional BSN”: four years, on campus, with freshmen admitted directly to nursing. The baccalaureate nursing program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). This article covers the undergraduate BSN only; UD’s master’s and doctoral nursing programs are outside its scope. Below are the points for fall 2027 entry, split into U.S. domestic, international, Chinese and transfer applicants. The companion life-sciences article covers UD’s other health-related majors; here nursing gets its own detail.

1. Degree and program

• Traditional BSN: UD says this four-year program is designed for students who want to become Registered Nurses and “welcomes students directly into the nursing program as freshmen”. The nursing major page on the admissions site calls it a traditional undergraduate program for beginning nursing students, including high school graduates and change-of-major students, a four-year on-campus program in which students are directly admitted and begin the nursing curriculum as freshmen.
• Other formats: RN-to-BSN and second-degree accelerated BSN: not on the undergraduate pages we read. The traditional BSN page says graduates with a GPA of at least 3.0 are offered advanced admission to the Master of Science in Nursing (a copy of the nursing license and the direct admission application, with fees waived); that is a graduate matter, mentioned in one line.
• Learning and engagement: the School of Nursing lists service-learning, study abroad, community engagement, undergraduate research and clinical experiences mentored by practicing nurses; the Center for Simulation Innovation, Interdisciplinary Education, and Entrepreneurship (CSIIDEE) for clinical and decision-making skills; and a student-founded community organization, Lori’s Hands. The admissions-site page lists career pathways (perioperative, community/public health, behavioral health, maternity, critical care/emergency, primary care, rehabilitation, medical-surgical and more).
• Honors Nursing: the School of Nursing has an Honors Nursing program: living in the Honors residence hall with access to Nursing Living Learning Community events, faculty-led research, early and varied clinical exposure, and global health study abroad. Entry criteria for Honors Nursing are not published; the university Honors College requires an application by the 1 November Early Action deadline.
• STEM designation: the major finder has a “DHS STEM” filter, but the nursing page we read does not say whether nursing is in it; not published.
• Total credits, total clinical hours, named clinical partners: not given on the School of Nursing undergraduate pages; the official curriculum is in catalog.udel.edu (an Acalog catalog, not accessed under our rules), so not published on the pages we read. The School of Nursing page only says students carpool, use mass transit or drive to clinical sites, and some are within walking distance.
• NCLEX-RN pass rate: not published on the pages we read.

2. How you get in: direct freshman admission

• Direct admission: the School of Nursing FAQ says it admits students directly to the nursing program and nursing courses start in the first year (an introductory course in fall, a population health and service-learning course in spring). Admitted students are guaranteed a place and, provided they are in good standing, progress through the program without reapplication, with guaranteed classes and clinical rotations.
• Restricted major: the FAQ calls nursing a “restricted major”.
• Deadline: completed applications and materials must be submitted before 11:59 p.m. on 1 December to be considered for nursing; the pages state “there is no early action or regular decision for the nursing program”. Nursing decisions are released by 15 February.
• Seats, nursing-specific GPA or test cut-offs, prerequisite grade requirements: not published. The freshman page gives university-wide mid-50% ranges for admitted students: high school GPA 3.68–4.22, SAT 1240–1390, ACT 28–32 (self-reported; not nursing-only).
• Interview: UD does not conduct admissions interviews. Clinical or volunteer experience requirements: not stated; not published.
• Background check and drug screening: the School of Nursing’s estimated additional costs table lists “Background Check and Drug Screening $73/year”, which indicates this step exists; the rules themselves, plus health exams, immunizations and insurance, are not published, so ask the School of Nursing (ud-nursing@udel.edu, 302-831-1253).
• Housing: all residential freshmen who are not in the Honors Program are required to live in the nursing Living and Learning Community. The FAQ also says you need a laptop.
• Changing into nursing from another UD major: the FAQ sends matriculated freshmen to the registrar’s change-of-major guidelines and says nursing is a restricted major; the GPA, seats and timing are not published (the change-of-major page we read does not mention nursing).

3. Prerequisites and curriculum

• High school courses: for U.S. citizens and permanent residents the freshman page suggests 16 units: English 4, mathematics 3 (Algebra 1 or higher), science 3 (including 2 labs), history/social sciences 3, academic electives 3. The page adds that some engineering and business majors require at least precalculus; nursing is not in that list. The freshman and international pages list no further high school chemistry or biology requirement for nursing and the nursing pages do not either; not published, ask the School of Nursing.
• Sample curriculum (the admissions-site nursing page): freshman year includes UNIV101, KAAP 220/230 and 221/231 (Fundamentals of Anatomy & Physiology I and II with labs), CHEM 101 General Chemistry, NTDT 200 Concepts in Nutrition, ENG 110, PSYC 100 General Psychology or a Social Behavioral breadth course, NURS 120 Introduction to Population Health (service learning), NURS 233 Professional Nursing Practice and NURS 234 Simulated Clinical Practicum. Sophomore year includes NURS 243 Pathophysiologic Foundations, NURS 263/264 Health Assessment and lab, NURS 246/247 Family Health & Wellness and practicum, NURS 222 Pharmacology Across the Lifespan, HLTH 241 Ethical Aspects of Healthcare, STAT 200 Statistics and MEDT 270 Medical Microbiology. Junior year includes NURS 362 Healthcare Research and Evidence-Based Practice, NURS 375 Nursing Care of Adults II, NURS 330 Clinical Learning Lab, NURS 353/365 Nursing Care of Adults Practicum I, NURS 337 Nursing Care of Children, NURS 335 Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing, and practicums NURS 357 and 355. Senior year includes NURS 408, 428/429 Women’s Health and practicum, 418 Public and Global Health, 438 Leadership in Professional Nursing Practice, 448 Clinical Reasoning, 475 Nursing Care of Adults Practicum II, 477 Community Health Nursing, and the mandatory NURS 485 Integrative Practicum – Capstone Preceptorship (marked “MANDATORY” on the page). This is a sample; UD says program and curriculum information is subject to change.
• AP and IB credit: the School of Nursing FAQ says AP credits typically cover free electives; AP Statistics equals STAT 200 and AP Psychology equals PSYC 100 with an approved score; other AP courses cover free electives and/or breadth requirements. The preparing-to-apply page says an AP score of 3 or higher can earn UD credit. How IB scores apply to nursing requirements: see the registrar’s test credit page; not published for nursing.
• Breadth requirements: all students complete at least 12 credits of university breadth courses (3 in each of four categories), each with a minimum grade of C-.

4. Rounds and deadlines (fall 2027 entry)

• Timeline (the freshman page prints no year, so confirm it is for fall 2027 entry): application opens 1 August; 1 November Early Action and Honors College deadline; 1 December nursing deadline (also the School of Music priority deadline); 15 January regular admission priority deadline; nursing decisions by 15 February; other regular decisions by mid-March. The page notes that applications submitted after 11:59 p.m. on 1 November are considered on a space-available basis for Early Action and Honors.
• Platform and fee: the Common Application or Coalition application; $75 non-refundable fee.
• Materials: the Common/Coalition essay; for U.S. applicants, high school grades through the Self-Reported Transcript and Academic Record System (STARS), with official final transcripts required after admission and enrollment; SAT/ACT optional; up to two optional letters of recommendation. Nursing-specific supplements: not stated; not published.
• Testing policy: test-optional. You may choose “I want my test scores to be considered” or “I am interested in being considered without my test scores”. Codes: SAT 5811, ACT 0634; the SAT is superscored and the highest ACT composite is used; the writing sections and Subject Tests are not required. UD says choosing not to submit scores does not negatively affect your application.
• Home-schooled and other records: a transcript, a sample portfolio or research paper (and optional scores) for home-schooled applicants; high school transcripts and certificates for equivalency applicants; an official academic record for narrative-grading schools. All are on the freshman page.

5. U.S. domestic applicants

• UD is public and charges differently for in-state and out-of-state students. 2026-27 full-time (12+ credits) tuition: Delaware residents $15,740; non-residents $42,470; mandatory full-time fees $2,550; standard housing $9,286 and food $7,328. The billable academic-year total is $34,904 in state and $61,634 out of state (the out-of-state estimate of total yearly cost of attendance including non-billable items is $65,884).
• Nursing differential charge: UD says students in Lerner, Engineering, Music, the Honors College and the School of Nursing pay a differential charge. For students admitted from fall 2025, full-time Nursing is $2,500 per year (part-time $1,250); continuing students admitted earlier pay $1,500 (part-time $750).
• Estimated additional nursing costs (School of Nursing): clinical fees $405; AllHeart uniform (including shoes) $95–$165; lab fees $650; UD campus parking (optional) $500; background check and drug screening $73/year; stethoscope $65–$300; blood pressure cuff $20–$100; scissors $7–$15; pen light $5–$15; goggles $10–$25 (ranges where the cost depends on selection).
• Home-state preference: the School of Nursing’s Schultz Scholarship is for Delaware residents (Kent County first). Whether admission itself favors Delaware residents is not stated on the pages we read; not published.
• Scholarships: typical in-state merit awards are Trustee $7,000, Presidential $5,000, Provost $4,500 and others, per year; Delawareans entering as freshmen may also qualify for the income-based First State Promise (FAFSA each year). The School of Nursing has named scholarships for students enrolled in the major (undergraduate applications are generally due 1 May each year; the Buxbaum Scholarship 15 May and the Schultz Scholarship 15 April), and Air Force ROTC scholarships are open to nursing undergraduates.

6. International applicants

• Direct and conditional admission: international freshmen can apply directly through the Common App or apply for conditional admission through the English Language Institute’s Academic Transitions. UD says conditional admission covers 150+ majors except nursing.
• International freshman timeline (no year printed; confirm): 1 November Honors College; 1 December nursing; 15 January direct-admission priority; nursing decisions by 15 February; other decisions by mid-March; 1 June conditional admission. The application fee is $75.
• Materials: official transcripts or examination results for all secondary and post-secondary work sent to Undergraduate Admissions; English proficiency scores; applicants who attended an international college or university must provide a credential evaluation from IERF (WES evaluations are no longer accepted).
• English proficiency (direct admission): TOEFL iBT 79 for tests taken before 21 January 2026, and “4” for tests on or after 21 January 2026 (as printed); IELTS 6.5; Duolingo 110+; TOEFL Essentials 8; PTE Academic 53; Cambridge B2 First 171; or SAT English (Reading and Writing) 550, ACT English 24, IB English 6, GCSE/IGCSE/O-Level English First Language C (6–9), among others. UD says meeting the minimum does not guarantee direct admission. Whether nursing sets a higher English requirement: not published.
• Whether international students may enter nursing directly, take clinical placements, sit for licensure, or need a Social Security number: the international timeline includes a nursing deadline, but the pages we read say nothing on the other questions; not published. Contact the School of Nursing (ud-nursing@udel.edu) and international admissions (international-admissions@udel.edu).
• Costs (2026-27): full-time tuition $42,470; mandatory full-time fees including the International Student Service fee $2,930; new student orientation fee $260 (first year only); medical insurance $3,888; standard housing $9,286 and food $7,328; billable total $66,162; with $4,250 of non-billed items the estimated yearly cost is $70,412. The nursing differential charge also applies (see section 5).
• Scholarships: all freshman international applicants are automatically considered for all possible scholarships, with no separate application. UD says awards range from $10,000 to $15,000 per year, and international students can also compete for Distinguished Scholars awards that can cover tuition and room and board, renewable with a 3.0 GPA. As a state-funded public university, UD says it cannot offer need-based financial aid to international students.

7. Applicants from China

• The admissions pages we read do not say whether the Gaokao is used, what transcript or huikao documents are needed, or give any China-specific note; not published. Contact international admissions (international-admissions@udel.edu).
• The international page’s “Mathematics Preparation” table lists “Chinese National Curriculum: Senior Secondary Mathematics through Grade 12”, but that table is about most programs in the Lerner College of Business and Economics and the College of Engineering (precalculus-level preparation) and does not mention nursing, so we do not apply it to nursing.
• What we can confirm is in section 6: applicants who attended an international college need an IERF evaluation; English scores follow the table in section 6.

8. Transfers

• Transfers from other institutions into nursing: under “Requirements by Major”, the transfer page says for Nursing: “The nursing program is not available to transfer applicants.” So transfer applicants, including international transfers, cannot apply into nursing as transfers; the freshman deadline for nursing is 1 December (section 4).
• General transfer information: suggested deadlines are 1 June for fall and 1 November for spring; the application fee is $75; international transfer applicants with an international college need an IERF evaluation and can email the international admissions team with questions.
• Changing in from another UD major: see section 2; nursing is a restricted major and the details are not published.

9. Pre-health advising

The nursing pages we read do not describe a separate pre-health advising office; not published. The School of Nursing FAQ does describe academic support: undergraduate teaching assistants, free tutoring and faculty-led support sessions.

10. Things to remember

• UD nursing is direct freshman admission with one 1 December deadline: no Early Action or regular round for nursing, and conditional admission excludes nursing.
• The site says nursing is not available to transfer applicants; the freshman deadline for nursing is 1 December.
• Nursing-specific GPA and test cut-offs, seat numbers, NCLEX-RN pass rates, official credits and clinical hours are not on the pages we read.
• Out-of-state and international students should budget the nursing differential charge ($2,500 per year for students admitted from fall 2025) and the estimated additional nursing costs on top of tuition.

Sources: University of Delaware, Nursing major page on the admissions site (with sample curriculum); School of Nursing undergraduate programs; Traditional BSN; Undergraduate Honors Nursing; School of Nursing scholarships; Freshmen admissions; International admissions; Transfer admissions; In-state freshmen costs and scholarships; Out-of-state freshmen costs and scholarships; International costs and scholarships; Test credit (AP/IB and others); Changing majors. Information is for the fall 2027 entry cycle (costs are 2026-27 figures; where a page prints no year, check that the date is for fall 2027 entry). Check UD’s website for the latest.