Easiest Nursing Schools to Get Into in Michigan (2026)

Searching for the "easiest" nursing schools to get into in Michigan? Here is the honest framing: "easiest" does not mean guaranteed, and it does not mean low quality. Every accredited Michigan BSN program is rigorous, and all of them prepare you for the same NCLEX-RN exam. What we can do is rank Michigan schools by how accessible their published minimum requirements are: the lowest GPA floors, the programs with no entrance exam, and the direct-admit paths that skip a separate nursing application.

Three truths before the list:

• Minimums are floors, not guarantees. A 2.5 GPA floor means you cannot apply below that line, not that a 2.5 gets you in. Competitive admits usually land well above the minimum.
• Michigan is unusually light on entrance exams. Most programs on this list require no TEAS or HESI at all, which puts even more weight on your prerequisite grades.
• Cutoffs change every cycle. The numbers below are accurate as of July 2026; always check the school's page for current numbers before applying.

Want to skip the guesswork? Check your odds free against real Michigan requirements, or browse all Michigan nursing programs side by side.

How we ranked "most accessible"

We pulled the published cumulative GPA floor and entrance-exam requirement for each Michigan BSN program in our database, then sorted lowest GPA first. Only schools with real, published cutoffs appear in the numbered list. Where a school leans on a prerequisite GPA instead of a cumulative one, we say so.

The most accessible Michigan BSN programs by published GPA floor

1. University of Detroit Mercy (Detroit)

• Cumulative GPA floor: 2.5 (3.0 if applying test-optional)
• Exam: None
• Deadline: Transfers apply by June 1 for Fall; freshmen enter via direct admission

Detroit Mercy's direct-entry traditional BSN has the lowest published cumulative floor in the state at 2.5, paired with a 2.5 high school math/science GPA and no entrance exam. Freshmen are admitted directly into the four-year program. (Partially verified; confirm on the official page.)

2. Spring Arbor University (Spring Arbor)

• Cumulative GPA floor: 2.67
• Exam: None

Spring Arbor asks for a 2.67 cumulative GPA at application plus a B- or better in microbiology, A&P I and II, and chemistry. Note that these numbers come from the 2023-2024 catalog, so verify against a current page before you plan around them.

3. Grand Valley State University (Allendale)

• Cumulative GPA floor: 2.7
• Science GPA: 2.7
• Exam: None
• Deadlines: Short windows: January 1 to 8 for Fall, August 1 to 8 for Winter

GVSU's Kirkhof College of Nursing publishes 2.7 cumulative and science floors with C or better in all prerequisites. The school openly notes admission is highly competitive, so treat 2.7 as the entry ticket, not the target. Mark those one-week application windows on your calendar.

4. Ferris State University (Big Rapids)

• Cumulative GPA floor: 2.7
• Exam: None
• Deadline: One 15-day window per year, beginning the first Monday in February

Ferris State requires a 2.7 overall GPA, with B- or better in biology and math prerequisites and C or better in chemistry. A quarter of seats are reserved for competitive admission, and the once-a-year window makes timing critical.

5. Lake Superior State University (Sault Ste. Marie)

• Cumulative GPA floor: 2.7
• Exam: TEAS at the "overall proficient level or higher" (no numeric percent published)
• Deadlines: First Friday of May for Fall; first Friday of December for Spring

LSSU pairs a 2.7 cumulative floor with C or better in each pre-nursing course. It is the only school in this ranked list that requires the TEAS, though no numeric cutoff is published.

6. Michigan State University (East Lansing)

• Cumulative GPA floor: 2.75
• Exam: None
• Deadlines: April 1 for Fall; November 1 for Spring

MSU's upper-division BSN selects on GPA alone: 2.75 cumulative with a 2.0 or better in each prerequisite, no entrance exam, no CASPer. There is also a separate freshman direct-admit path for strong high school applicants (ACT 28 or SAT 1240).

7. Northern Michigan University (Marquette)

• Cumulative GPA floor: 2.75
• Exam: None
• Deadlines: February 1 for Fall; October 1 for Winter

NMU requires a 2.75 or greater cumulative GPA for review, with C- or better in all prerequisites. No entrance exam and no separate science GPA keeps the checklist simple.

8. University of Michigan-Flint (Flint)

• GPA floor: 2.75 in your most recent 30 credits, plus a 2.75 prerequisite GPA
• Exam: None

UM-Flint's traditional BSN looks at your most recent 30 credits rather than your full transcript, which can help students whose grades improved over time. Prerequisites need a C+ minimum (C in chemistry). (Partially verified; confirm on the official page.)

No GPA floor at all: prerequisite-only and exam-only paths

A few Michigan schools skip the cumulative GPA floor entirely:

• [Wayne State University](/programs/wayne-state-university) (Detroit) computes GPA on prerequisites only: 3.0 minimum with a C or better in each, no entrance exam, application due May 1.
• [Oakland University](/programs/oakland-university) (Rochester) uses a 3.0 pre-nursing GPA across five courses with B- or better in each, combined with an essay and reference into a composite score. No exam.
• [Eastern Michigan University](/programs/eastern-michigan-university) (Ypsilanti) publishes no GPA cutoff at all. Admission is ranked on the ATI TEAS within a 485-point system, with per-section passing thresholds (Reading 69%, Math 63%, Science 46%, English 60%). If your GPA is rough but you test well, EMU is the standout option. Apply by May 15.

Direct admission: apply once, through general admissions

• [University of Michigan](/programs/university-of-michigan) (Ann Arbor) admits freshmen directly to its BSN via the Common App, test-optional for 2025-26, with no TEAS or HESI. Early Action is November 1. Our database lists a 3.3 GPA for U-M, but that figure is an estimate, not a published cutoff, so do not treat it as official. And do not mistake direct entry for accessible: Michigan's general pool is highly selective.
• [Western Michigan University](/programs/western-michigan-university) (Kalamazoo) and [Saginaw Valley State University](/programs/saginaw-valley-state-university) (University Center) both publish 3.0 floors for their standard routes and offer freshman direct admission from high school (3.6 GPA at WMU; 3.5 GPA with ACT 26 or SAT 1200 at SVSU).

We left Central Michigan University off the ranked list because its official criteria page publishes per-course grade minimums but no numeric GPA floor, and Davenport University because its standard route publishes no GPA or TEAS minimum at all (admission is competitive on TEAS plus a short-answer question).

How to actually get in

1. Aim well above the published floor, especially in A&P and microbiology.
2. Map every deadline early: Michigan windows range from one week (GVSU) to 15 days (Ferris) to fixed dates.
3. If you are targeting EMU or LSSU, prep for the TEAS with a margin above the thresholds.

For the deeper playbook, read how to get into nursing school in Michigan, see what GPA you need for nursing school, or browse nursing schools that don't require the TEAS.

Find your best-fit Michigan program

Published minimums are the starting line, not the finish. See your odds free against real Michigan cutoffs, or compare every Michigan nursing program side by side.

*This guide is for planning purposes only, not official admissions advice. Confirm current requirements on each school's official admissions page before applying.*