How to Apply to Drexel University’s Nursing (BSN) Degree: Apply to the Major as a First-Year Student, a Four-Year Plan With One Six-Month Co-op or a Five-Year Plan With Three, Three Years of High School Math and Two of Lab Science, and the Path for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Drexel University is in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, runs on quarters and is known for alternating classroom study with cooperative education (co-op). The bachelor’s in nursing (BSN) is offered by the College of Nursing and Health Professions. The nursing page describes BSN options for freshmen and students apply by major; the pages we read do not describe a separate pre-nursing stage followed by another application, and they do not say whether entering nursing courses depends on a GPA threshold. Drexel does not publish that on the pages we read, so ask admissions (enroll@drexel.edu) or the college recruitment team (ASKCNHP@drexel.edu). This guide summarises Drexel’s published information for fall 2027 entry for U.S. applicants, international applicants, applicants from China and transfer students.

1. Degree and program

• Degree: Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN); the catalog lists a minimum of 181.0 credits (plans of study total 176.5–181.0). Freshman options: a four-year plan with one six-month co-op in the third year, or a five-year plan with three six-month co-ops (18 months in all): an introduction to the contemporary healthcare network, then acute and chronic illness, then a specialty nursing concentration.
• Co-op: the college says co-op employment is built into every nursing student’s plan of study, with students employed as paid staff at major health care agencies.
• Approval and licensure: the catalog says the BS in Nursing is approved by the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, and graduates are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN; the college page says its baccalaureate, master’s and DNP programs are accredited by CCNE.
• NCLEX pass rates: the college page gives two figures on different bases. One says a first-time pass rate of 96–100% (no year or basis stated); another says the College of Nursing and Health Professions’ pass rate for Q4 (July–September) 2025 was 96.38% against a national average of 84%. Say which one you are quoting.
• Other tracks in one line: people who already hold a non-nursing bachelor’s degree can apply to the Accelerated Career Entry (ACE) BSN (transfer instructions page); the tuition page also lists an RN/BSN program. Neither is covered here.
• Honors/research program and STEM designation: not on the nursing pages we read; not published there. Pre-health advising is outside this guide; check Drexel’s site.

2. How you get into nursing (first-year)

• How to apply: through the Common App or the Coalition App with Scoir. Drexel encourages applicants to list two different programs as first and second choice, and you can also ask to be considered for the undeclared First-Year Exploratory Studies program. To change major after applying, email enroll@drexel.edu.
• Seats and score thresholds: the pages we read give no nursing seat count and no GPA or test cut-off; not published there. Drexel only says admission considers high school performance, recommendations, test scores (optional) and the essay.
• TEAS/HESI, interview, clinical or volunteer experience: not listed on the first-year application or nursing pages; not published there.
• Compliance: the nursing page says the college has a compliance process that may be required of every student, some steps take significant time, so plan ahead, and it points to a Compliance page; a document of Technical Standards for admission, progression and graduation also exists. We did not read those pages, so check them for background checks, health examinations, vaccinations and insurance.
• Internal transfer: to move into the BSN co-op program from another Drexel college, the college lists: two quarters or semesters at Drexel with a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher; a C or better in science courses that will count toward the BSN; and a review of any completed co-op against the BSN co-op requirements.
• Whether admission is guaranteed: the pages we read do not say whether a first-year admit is guaranteed a place in the nursing courses; not published there, so ask the college.

3. Prerequisites, curriculum and credit

• High school prerequisites (Nursing and Health Professions): three years of mathematics (algebra I and II, geometry) and two years of a laboratory science (biology, chemistry or physics).
• Years one and two (catalog): three English composition courses (ENGL 101–103 or 111–113); Anatomy and Physiology I–III (HSCI 101–103, 5 credits each); Microbiology (BIO 226, 5 credits); Health Chemistry I (CHEM 108, 3) and CHEM 103 (4.5); nutrition (NFS 220 and NFS 315); General Psychology and Developmental Psychology (PSY 101, PSY 120); Introduction to Sociology (SOC 101); Economics of Health Care Systems (ECON 240); Health-Care Ethics I (HSAD 210); Statistics for Health Sciences (HSCI 345, 4.5); MATH 101 or an equivalent by placement exam; and one 4-credit language course.
• Nursing courses: the catalog lists NURS 120 Contemporary Health Care, pathophysiology, health assessment, fundamentals, genetics, Health and Illness Concepts I–III, mental health, pharmacology I–II, reproductive health, population health, pediatrics, gerontological nursing, leadership, research basis and a comprehensive concepts course, plus 9 credits of nursing electives.
• Clinical: the college says clinical groups have 6–8 students per faculty member and rotate through adult health, women’s health, pediatrics, psychiatric and mental health, community, gerontology and complex/critical care. Total clinical hours and a list of clinical partner hospitals are not on the pages we read; not published there.
• AP/IB credit: not on the pages we read; ask admissions.
• Writing: the catalog says students must pass three writing-intensive courses before graduating, two of them in the major.

4. Rounds and materials (fall 2027 entry)

The pages below print no year on their dates; check that they apply to fall 2027 entry.

• Early Decision (ED): due 15 November, decisions in mid-December; binding, so admitted students must enroll and withdraw other applications; deposits due 15 January.
• Early Action (EA): due 15 November, decisions in mid-December, non-binding, deposits due 1 May.
• Regular Decision (RD): due 15 January, decisions by 1 April, non-binding.
• Winter Entry Program: a separate listing (due 1 October, decisions by 1 November). We did not read whether nursing offers winter entry; ask admissions.
• Application fee: $65; waived for U.S. veterans and their dependents, children of Drexel employees and Pennsylvania residents, and others can request a Common App or Coalition fee waiver.
• Essay and recommendation: a 250–650-word essay through the Common App or Coalition; one recommendation from a school or college counselor (BA/BS+MD programs ask for two, which does not apply to nursing).
• Transcripts: official high school transcripts covering grades 9, 10 and 11 plus 12th-grade work in progress; self-submitted transcripts are not accepted.
• Testing: Drexel practices No Harm Test-Optional review: SAT/ACT are not required, strong scores can help and will not hurt, and not submitting does not affect aid or merit scholarships. BA/BS+MD programs must submit SAT or ACT scores; nursing is not among them.
• Nursing-specific deadline, supplements, NursingCAS: the first-year pages list no separate nursing deadline or supplement; not published there, so ask the college.

5. U.S. applicants

• Tuition (2026–27): for four- and five-year full-time programs, $21,026 per term plus a $790 general fee per term (billed in co-op terms too); a $300 first-year program fee applies in the first year only. The page lists one rate and no resident/non-resident split.
• Nursing fees: the Nursing Co-op program fee is $1,000 in the first term and $437 each quarter after; the page says college programs carry equipment and patient fees.
• Aid: U.S. citizens and permanent residents must file the CSS Profile and the FAFSA for the most aid; CSS Profile is due 25 November (ED/EA) or 1 February (RD) and the FAFSA priority date is 1 February. Applicants who want only federal or state need-based aid file the FAFSA alone.
• In-state preference: other than the application-fee waiver for Pennsylvania residents, not published on the pages we read.

6. International applicants

• English proof: applicants whose first language is not English and who lack three full years of English-medium instruction must submit TOEFL iBT, TOEFL Essentials, IELTS, PTE, Duolingo English Test or Cambridge C1/C2. Drexel’s TOEFL code is 2194. The pages we read give no minimum scores and do not say nursing requires more; not published there.
• Exemptions: English as a first language; three full years at a school where English is the primary language of instruction; or SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 600+ or ACT English 27+.
• Financial documents: the first-year page says Drexel prefers these with the full application: the I-20 application form, a passport photo page, and a current official bank letter in your or your sponsor’s name or a non-Drexel scholarship letter; all in English.
• Aid: international applicants must submit the CSS Profile to be considered for institutional need-based aid. No nursing-specific international scholarship appears on the pages we read.
• Cost estimate (2026–27, for I-20 financial proof): the international cost page estimates, for “All Programs” over three quarters, $65,798 tuition and fees, $19,398 living and $3,200 other, $88,396 in total; nursing is not listed separately.
• Clinical courses, the licensure exam, Social Security number: not addressed on the nursing and international pages we read; ask the college and the international office.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: not mentioned on the pages we read; not published there, so ask admissions.
• Transcripts: the international first-year transcript page has a China entry. Current high school students: an official transcript from year 3 of junior school and years 1 and 2 of senior school. Graduates: an official transcript from junior year 3 and the final transcripts from senior years 1, 2 and 3, plus official copies of the original Chinese graduation certificate; anything not in English needs a certified translation. Drexel also says a transcript is official only when sent directly from the school to admissions, or officially signed, stamped in color and sealed.
• Huikao materials: not mentioned; not published there.
• English: the transfer instructions add that for applicants from Mainland China the TOEFL ITP Plus for China is accepted wherever the TOEFL iBT is accepted; that sentence appears on the transfer page, not the first-year page.

8. Costs and scholarships in brief

• Tuition, general fees and college program fees are in section 5 (2026–27). The pages we read do not list other clinical costs such as exam fees or uniforms; not published there. The tuition page notes that programs in the College of Nursing and Health Professions have associated equipment and patient fees; the figures are in the college fee table in section 5.
• Scholarships: the pages we read explain how to apply for aid (CSS Profile, FAFSA) but do not list nursing-specific scholarships; ask admissions or the college.

9. Transfer students

• Options: the nursing page offers transfer students a two-year (no co-op) plan, designed for students who have completed nursing-related prerequisites, and a three-year (one co-op) plan with fewer prerequisites. One earlier sentence on the same page says the non-co-op BSN is the only program for transfer students to apply for, which does not match the newer three-year option; ask admissions which applies.
• Two-year prerequisites (semester credits): English 6; general chemistry with labs 8; sociology 3; general psychology 3; developmental psychology 3; anatomy with lab 4; physiology with lab 4; microbiology with lab 4; human nutrition 3; statistics 3; college algebra 3; ethics 3; humanities elective 3; social science elective 3; general electives 6; language 3–4. Grades: college algebra needs B or better and everything else C or better; chemistry, anatomy, physiology and microbiology must be taken within five years before enrollment; Drexel says it does not waive or substitute prerequisites.
• Not all required at application: the page says applicants need not have all prerequisites finished when applying but must finish them before starting. The three-year plan lists: anatomy and physiology I–II with labs, general chemistry I–II with labs, microbiology with lab, English I–II, general psychology, college algebra, sociology and a foreign language.
• GPA: a minimum GPA for external transfer applicants is not on the pages we read; not published there (internal transfer: 2.75, see section 2).
• Materials: the application; a 250–650-word essay; official transcripts from every college attended (plus high school transcripts if you have fewer than 24 semester credits); SAT/ACT are not required; the $65 fee is waived for priority-deadline applicants. Associate-degree graduates of accredited community colleges can receive the Drexel Promise (a renewable scholarship for 50% of tuition).
• Deadlines (the page prints the 2026 fall and January 2027 terms; confirm fall 2027): fall priority 15 April, then rolling until one month before the term; for international applicants 14 June is the suggested I-20 deadline and 15 July the last date considered; winter (January) priority is 15 October. The page also notes program-specific limits on entry terms; whether nursing takes transfer students every term is not on the pages we read.
• International transfer: Drexel says all nursing BSN applicants with coursework from outside the United States (other than study abroad) must provide an official course-by-course evaluation from a NACES-accredited agency; non-U.S. transcripts need a notarized English translation and syllabi or course descriptions; English test scores are valid for two years. The pages we read do not say international transfer students are not accepted.
• ACE accelerated BSN: requires an earlier bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing major and three of the four required sciences (including two anatomy and physiology courses) at application; second-bachelor’s applicants are not eligible for institutional aid.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• Three years of math and two of lab science; Common App or Coalition with nursing as your major by 15 November (ED/EA) or 15 January (RD)
• Essay of 250–650 words, one counselor recommendation, official transcripts; testing optional
• Ask the college about compliance steps and conditions for entering nursing courses

International applicants (including China):

• Same materials plus English proof (or an exemption) and financial documents; file the CSS Profile if you want institutional need-based aid
• Chinese applicants follow the China transcript entry; how the Gaokao and Huikao are used is not published, so ask admissions

Transfer students:

• Two-year or three-year plan; prerequisites C or higher (college algebra B or higher); a NACES evaluation for coursework outside the U.S.
• Priority date 15 April (the page prints the previous cycle; confirm)

Sources: Drexel University, College of Nursing and Health Professions: BSN (Co-op); Catalog: Nursing BSN; First-Year Application Instructions; First-Year Admission Prerequisites; First-Year Deadlines; Standardized Testing Policies; Transfer Application Instructions; Transfer Admission Prerequisites; Transfer Deadlines; International Instructions; Transcript Requirements for International First-Year Applicants; Undergraduate Tuition; International student costs. Most dates on these pages carry no year and costs are 2026–27 figures; check that they apply to fall 2027 entry, and see Drexel’s website for the latest.