Allen College
Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) · Waterloo, IA · school's own site (opens the school's website in a new tab)
ActiveIn personlast verified Oct 2026
Prerequisites
The courses Allen College says you need before you start, as published on its own pages. Credits, labs, and minimum grades are shown where the school states them.
- 01Lifespan / Human Growth & DevelopmentLifespan Growth and Development (Admission PDF: Human Growth & Development)Starred: required of bachelor's holders; counts in the 3.0 core GPA.
source · allencollege.edu
“Lifespan Growth and Development* 3”
credits3labnomin gradeC - 02OtherPsychology or Sociology ElectiveStarred on the General Education PDF (required of bachelor's holders) but not among the 11 core courses on the Admission Requirements PDF, so the C- 'remaining general education' minimum applies and it is not in the core GPA. Confirm with Allen whether degree holders need it.
source · allencollege.edu
“Psychology or Sociology Elective* 3”
credits3labnomin gradeC- - 03Anatomy & Physiology IAnatomy & Physiology I with LabStarred; counts in the 3.0 core GPA; may be repeated only once.
source · allencollege.edu
“Anatomy & Physiology I with Lab* 3”
credits3labrequiredmin gradeC - 04Anatomy & Physiology IIAnatomy & Physiology II with LabStarred; counts in the 3.0 core GPA; may be repeated only once.
source · allencollege.edu
“Anatomy & Physiology II with Lab* 3”
credits3labrequiredmin gradeC - 05General ChemistryGeneral Chemistry with LabStarred; counts in the 3.0 core GPA; may be repeated only once.
source · allencollege.edu
“General Chemistry with Lab* 3”
credits3labrequiredmin gradeC - 06MicrobiologyMicrobiology with LabStarred; counts in the 3.0 core GPA; may be repeated only once.
source · allencollege.edu
“Microbiology with Lab* 3”
credits3labrequiredmin gradeC - 07NutritionHuman NutritionStarred; counts in the 3.0 core GPA.
source · allencollege.edu
“Human Nutrition* 2”
credits2labnomin gradeC - 08StatisticsStatisticsStarred; counts in the 3.0 core GPA.
source · allencollege.edu
“Statistics* 3”
credits3labnomin gradeC
Minimum grades
C or higher in the prerequisite core general education courses; C- or higher in the remaining general education courses
source · allencollege.edu
“Grade C or higher in prerequisite core general education courses ▪ Grade C- or higher in the remaining general education courses”
Prerequisites done by the deadline
You may apply before finishing the prerequisites; every admission requirement, including the prerequisites and the CNA/HSP/NU 250 requirement, must be complete before the program starts. No 'X of Y' rule or in-progress maximum is published.
The Admission Requirements PDF adds that all materials must be received before admission consideration and that the prescribed general education coursework must be completed before starting the program.
source · allencollege.edu
“Applicants can apply prior to completing all prerequisite coursework; however, all admissions requirements must be completed before starting the program.”
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Do prerequisites expire?
Course attempt limits
Natural science courses (A&P I, A&P II, Chemistry, Microbiology) may be repeated only once: at most two enrollments each. No time window is stated.
Whether a withdrawal counts as an enrollment is not stated.
source · allencollege.edu
“Natural science courses (A&P I, A&P II, Chemistry, and Microbiology) may only be repeated once. Students may only enroll in these courses twice.”
Course age limit Not published. Confirm with the school. No recency rule on the BSN page or the Admission Requirements, General Education, Application Materials or Tuition PDFs.
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
GPA and grades
Minimum cumulative GPA for admission
2.8 cumulative college GPA on a 4.0 scale
Listed under 'Transfer Applicants' (applicants with 25 or more college credits, which includes bachelor's holders).
source · allencollege.edu
“A minimum college cumulative grade point average of 2.8 on a 4.0 scale”
Core-course GPA
3.0 in the core courses. For applicants with a bachelor's degree at application the GPA uses only the starred courses: Human Growth & Development, A&P I with lab, A&P II with lab, Microbiology with lab, Chemistry with lab, Human Nutrition and Statistics. Non-degree applicants: all 11 core courses (adding English Composition, Oral Communication, Intro to Sociology and Intro to Psychology).
How repeats are counted is not stated.
source · allencollege.edu
“A minimum grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) in the following core courses: o English Composition o Oral Communication o Intro to Sociology o Intro to Psychology o Human Growth & Development* o Anatomy and Physiology I with lab component* o Anatomy and Physiology II with lab component* o Microbiology with lab component* o Chemistry with lab component* o Human Nutrition* o Statistics* ... *Courses used in GPA for students with a previous bachelor’s degree at the time of application”
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Is there an entrance exam?
Entrance exam Not published. Confirm with the school. No TEAS or HESI mention in the application materials list or on any checked page; not stated as 'none'.
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Where can courses be taken?
Where prerequisites can be taken
Any regionally accredited institution; no named-provider restrictions published
The site has a 'Partner Institutions' page (not fetched).
source · allencollege.edu
“General education prerequisite courses are taken at another regionally accredited institution and transferred to Allen College.”
AP / CLEP credit
Official AP score reports are accepted (college code 3610); which courses AP may satisfy, any credit limit, and CLEP are not published
source · allencollege.edu
“Official AP score report using code 3610, if applicable”
Online labs Not published. Confirm with the school. A lab component is required for A&P I, A&P II, Chemistry and Microbiology; online delivery is not addressed.
source · allencollege.edu
“General education courses are taken at another regionally accredited institution before beginning the BSN program at Allen College.”
Pass/fail grades Not published. Confirm with the school.
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Application deadlines and start dates
Upcoming cycles Allen College publishes. A date without a year on the school's page is noted rather than guessed.
Summer start · WaterlooRolling admissionRolling admission with no published deadline: materials can be submitted as completed, a complete file takes 3 to 4 weeks to review, and all prerequisites plus the CNA/HSP/NU 250 requirement must be complete before the program starts. The exact start date is not published; the 2026-27 cost sheet lists a Summer 26 term.
source · allencollege.edu
“The Accelerated BSN program begins in the summer and fall semesters. Required application materials can be submitted as they are completed, but all materials must be received before admission consideration. Review of completed applicant files requires 3 to 4 weeks. Complete applications are reviewed on a rolling basis”
Fall start · WaterlooRolling admissionRolling admission with no published deadline: materials can be submitted as completed, a complete file takes 3 to 4 weeks to review, and all prerequisites plus the CNA/HSP/NU 250 requirement must be complete before the program starts. The exact start date is not published.
Application
Allen College's own application portal; not NursingCAS
Portal: allencollege.edu/future-students/admissions/application. NursingCAS is not mentioned anywhere.
source · allencollege.edu
“The following materials must be submitted through the application portal: 1. Online Application Form 2. Non-refundable $50 application fee”
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Cost
Tuition and fees as the school publishes them. Living costs vary; the source link has the full table.
Tuition
$729 per credit hour (2026-2027). Three semesters at 18 credits: tuition $39,366 plus fees $5,820 = $45,318 direct costs; total estimated cost of attendance $67,242.
Fees include a $61 per credit lab fee, $275 graduation fee, $3,310 NCLEX Complete Package, $40 professional membership and $473 for Lippincott, Iowa licensing and NCLEX registration. 'Tuition and fee charges may be different if you are not registered for 18 credits a semester.'
source · allencollege.edu
“Undergraduate Tuition per Credit Hour $729 ... Tuition $13,122 $13,122 $13,122 $39,366 Fees $1,940 $1,940 $1,940 $5,820 ... Subtotal (Direct Costs) $15,106 $15,106 $15,106 $45,318 ... TOTAL $22,414 $22,414 $22,414 $67,242”
Application fee
$50, non-refundable
source · allencollege.edu
“2. Non-refundable $50 application fee The following materials must be emailed to admissions@allencollege.edu: 3. Additional application questions”
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Other requirements
What the school asks for beyond courses and scores.
Prior degree
A bachelor's degree is not required. Applicants with a bachelor's degree at application complete only the starred general education courses; other transfer applicants (25 or more college credits) complete the full 70-credit general education list before starting.
This file encodes the bachelor's-holder path. Non-degree applicants: Humanities 15 (Written Composition 3, Oral Communication 3, Humanities Electives 9); Social Sciences 15 (Intro to Sociology 3, Intro to Psychology 3, Lifespan G&D 3, Psych/Soc Elective 3, Other Social Science Elective 3); Natural Sciences & Math 18; Additional 22 (Diversity Elective 3, General Electives 19).
source · allencollege.edu
“* Applicants with a bachelor’s degree at the time of application must complete only these requirements.”
CNA
Before the program starts: CNA certification, Health Support Professional (HSP) certification, or Allen College NU 250 Clinical Skills I (grade C or higher). NU 250 is a 1-credit, 6-week hybrid summer course ($790 plus materials).
source 1 · allencollege.edu
“One of the following are required prior to starting the program: Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) certification, Health Support Professional (HSP) certification or successful completion of Allen College NU 250 Clinical Skills I*”
source 2 · allencollege.edu
“Allen College BSN students who successfully complete this course with a grade of C or higher do not need to complete CNA certification.”
- Official transcripts from all colleges; foreign transcripts evaluated by Educational Perspectives as a Catalog Match
source · allencollege.edu
“Transcripts from outside the United States must be evaluated by Educational Perspectives as a Catalog Match. If a Catalog Match is not completed, the evaluation will NOT meet the requirement”
- English proficiency for applicants whose first language is not English, before admission consideration
source · allencollege.edu
“Applicants whose first language is not English must prove English proficiency prior to admission consideration.”
- A letter of good standing from the previous institution when applying from another nursing program
source · allencollege.edu
“Applying from another nursing program requires a letter of good standing from the previous institution to be considered for admission.”
- Holistic review; meeting the criteria does not guarantee admission
source · allencollege.edu
“Meeting admission criteria does not guarantee admission into the program. Allen College uses a holistic admission review.”
- Current LPNs may take a NACE competency exam and be exempt from NU 335 Fundamentals of Clinical Nursing
source · allencollege.edu
“Current LPN's will be allowed to take a competency exam through NACE and may be exempt from NU 335 Fundamentals of Clinical Nursing.”
- Iowa licensure notice: conviction of certain felonies makes an individual ineligible for licensure (Iowa Code 147.3)
source · allencollege.edu
“The Iowa Code (Chapter 147.3) states that conviction of certain felonies will make an individual ineligible for licensure.”
Interview Not published. Confirm with the school. No interview is listed among the application materials; not stated as 'none'.
Essays Not published. Confirm with the school. The materials list includes 'additional application questions' emailed to admissions; their content is not published.
source · allencollege.edu
“2. Non-refundable $50 application fee The following materials must be emailed to admissions@allencollege.edu: 3. Additional application questions”
Letters of recommendation Not published. Confirm with the school. No letters are listed among the application materials; not stated as 'none'.
Healthcare experience Not published. Confirm with the school. No healthcare-hours requirement is published beyond the CNA/HSP/NU 250 requirement.
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Good to know
What the school says about the program that is not a requirement: how it selects, how many it admits, what to expect.
Format
On campus: in-person coursework and clinical experiences from the first semester (540 clinical/simulation hours; 225-hour final-semester internship)
The hybrid track is a separate, non-accelerated BSN option.
source · allencollege.edu
“Accelerated and traditional tracks are on campus. Hybrid track is online with limited onsite immersions.”
Starts
Summer and fall, twice a year; rolling admission with no published deadlines
source · allencollege.edu
“The ABSN program begins twice each year in the summer and fall term.”
Last verified Oct 2026 · Something wrong here? Report an error
Sources
Every page we read for Allen College, with when we last checked it. Tier 1 is the program's own pages; tier 2 the nursing school's general pages; tier 3 university-wide pages.
- BSN program page (accelerated, traditional and hybrid tracks)tier 1 · program page · checked Oct 14, 2026
- ABSN Admission Requirements (PDF)tier 1 · pdf · checked Oct 14, 2026GPA minimums, grade minimums, the 11 core courses and which are starred for bachelor's holders, the natural-science repeat rule, rolling review.
- ABSN General Education requirements (PDF)tier 1 · pdf · checked Oct 14, 2026Full 70-credit general education list; starred items are the only ones bachelor's holders must complete. Names 'Lifespan Growth and Development' where the Admission Requirements PDF says 'Human Growth & Development'.
- ABSN Application Materials (PDF)tier 1 · pdf · checked Oct 14, 2026
- ABSN Tuition and Fees 2026-2027 (PDF)tier 1 · tuition · checked Oct 14, 2026
- NU 250 Clinical Skills I registrationtier 2 · other · checked Oct 14, 2026NU 250 is a 1-credit, 6-week hybrid summer course ($790 plus materials) that satisfies the CNA requirement with a grade of C or higher. 'Summer 2027 registrations will open in spring 2027'.
Open questions we're still checking
- No application deadlines are published for the summer or fall starts (rolling only; 3 to 4 week review), and exact start dates are not published.
- No prerequisite recency limit, pass/fail policy, CLEP policy, AP credit limit or online-lab policy is published.
- The General Education PDF stars 'Psychology or Sociology Elective' as required of bachelor's holders, but the Admission Requirements PDF omits it from the core-course list; confirm whether degree holders need it.
- Course naming differs across PDFs: 'Lifespan Growth and Development' vs 'Human Growth & Development'.
- Whether a withdrawal counts toward the two-enrollment cap on natural science courses.
- The content of the 'additional application questions' is not published on the fetched pages.
- No entrance exam, interview or letters of recommendation are listed, but none is stated as explicitly not required.
Something wrong here? Report an error
ABSNcheck summarizes requirements that schools publish on their own websites, with a link to each source and the date we last verified it. Schools change requirements, sometimes contradict themselves, and make individual decisions. Results show whether you meet published minimums; they are not an admission decision or a guarantee, and are not official advice from any school. Always confirm requirements with each program before you apply or enroll in a course.
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