Apply to Riverland's Nursing RN Dual Admission Program | Riverland College - Riverland

Nursing (RN Track) Apply

How to Apply to the RN Nursing Program

Important: Apply to Riverland first. Admission to the college is required before you can submit your Nursing Program application.

Spring 2028 Program Application

Application Status: CLOSED

  • Application Period is July 1 - October 1, 2027
  • Program begins: Spring Semester 2028

Fall 2027 Program Application

Application Status: CLOSED

  • Application Period is February 1 - April 1, 2027

Application Criteria

  • Complete the Health Science Reasoning Test (HSRT). This must be taken in person at a Riverland campus. A score of 75% or higher is required.
    • HSRT online version is not accepted. Only two HSRT attempts per application cycle are allowed; the highest score of these two attempts will be used. If a  student re-applies in another application cycle, the HSRT must be-retaken within the new application cycle. 
  • Provide proof of an active CNA registry or an unencumbered Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) license.
  • Complete all prerequisite courses with a grade of C or higher and a minimum combined GPA of 2.75.

Admission Requirements

Students accepted into the nursing program must register for and successfully complete NURS1200 Nursing Orientation.

This is a 16-hour, 0-credit course held:

  • August for fall semester
  • December for spring semester

Application Scoring

Applications are scored based on the following:

  • Prerequisite GPA (must be 2.75 or higher), including:
    • Chem 1121 – General, Organic, and Biochemistry
    • BIOL 2021 – Anatomy and Physiology I
    • BIOL 2022 – Anatomy and Physiology II
    • ENGL 1101 – Composition I
  • HSRT score (percentage divided by 10)

  • Riverland LPN graduates with a current LPN license receive an additional 0.5 points towards total score

Your prerequisite GPA can be found in your Degree Audit Report in eServices under Academic Records.

Example:
GPA = 3.20 and HSRT = 75% → (75 ÷ 10 = 7.50) → 7.50 + 3.20 = 10.70

Maximum possible score: 14 points

Note: If you have successfully completed Riverland Community College's Practical Nursing program, and are an LPN in Good Standing, 0.5 points will be added to your application score.

Accepted Scores

  • The accepted scores for Fall 2025 ranged from 11.38 to 10.46.

  • The accepted scores for Spring 2026 ranged from 12.40 to 11.06.

  • The accepted scores for Fall 2026 ranged from 12.79 to 10.96.