Easiest Nursing Schools to Get Into in Pennsylvania (2026)

If you are hunting for the "easiest" nursing schools to get into in Pennsylvania, let's set the frame honestly: "easiest" means the most accessible published requirements, not a guaranteed seat and not a weaker program. Every accredited Pennsylvania BSN prepares you for the same NCLEX-RN. What varies a lot in PA is the entry model: some schools publish clear GPA floors, and an unusually large group direct-admits freshmen through general university admissions with no separate nursing application.

Before the list, three ground rules:

• Published minimums are floors, not promises. Meeting a 2.7 floor makes you eligible; competitive applicants usually clear it comfortably.
• Pennsylvania is a low-exam state. Almost none of the schools below require the TEAS or HESI, so GPA and science grades carry more weight.
• Numbers change every cycle. These figures are accurate as of July 2026; check the school's page for current numbers before you apply.

Want a shortcut? Check your odds free against real Pennsylvania requirements, or compare all Pennsylvania nursing programs in one view.

How we ranked "most accessible"

We sorted Pennsylvania BSN programs in our database by their published cumulative GPA floor, lowest first, and noted science GPA and exam requirements. Only schools with real, published cutoffs made the numbered list; direct-admit programs with no numeric floor get their own section below.

The most accessible Pennsylvania BSN programs by published GPA floor

1. Neumann University (Aston)

• Cumulative GPA floor: 2.7
• Science GPA: 3.0
• Exam: None

Neumann has the lowest published cumulative floor on this list at 2.7, with rolling admission and no entrance exam. The catch is the 3.0 science GPA computed from A&P I/II, Microbiology, and Chemistry, so the science transcript is the real gate.

2. West Chester University (West Chester)

• Cumulative GPA floor: 2.75
• Prerequisite science GPA: 2.75
• Exam: None

West Chester, a PASSHE public, requires a 2.75 cumulative and 2.75 prerequisite-science GPA to progress into core nursing courses, with no entrance exam listed. Matching 2.75 floors on both numbers make it one of the most forgiving published profiles among PA publics.

3. Misericordia University (Dallas, PA)

• Freshman floor: 80 high school average (about a 2.8), B or above in HS science and math
• Exam: None

Misericordia's traditional day BSN publishes a freshman minimum high school average of 80 with rolling admissions and no entrance exam. Note this is a high school threshold, so it applies to freshman entry rather than college transfer GPA.

4. Thomas Jefferson University (Philadelphia)

• Cumulative GPA floor: 3.0
• Science GPA: 3.0
• Exam: None (an interview may be required)

Jefferson runs a 2+2 model: a high-school-entry Pre-Nursing track (3.0 HS GPA), then an upper-division Traditional Track requiring roughly 55 to 60 prerequisite credits at a 3.0 cumulative and 3.0 science GPA. Application deadline is June 15.

5. La Salle University (Philadelphia)

• Cumulative GPA floor: 3.0
• Science GPA: 3.0 across Chemistry, Microbiology, and A&P I/II
• Exam: None

La Salle's four-year BSN uses matching 3.0 floors plus a C or higher in Developmental Psychology, Statistics, and Nutrition. No TEAS, HESI, or CASPer is mentioned anywhere in the requirements.

6. Duquesne University (Pittsburgh)

• GPA floor: 3.0
• Exam: None (SAT/ACT also waived)

Duquesne is a direct-admit freshman BSN with a published 3.0 minimum GPA and no test requirement of any kind. High school algebra, biology, and chemistry are recommended preparation rather than hard prerequisites.

7. Marywood University (Scranton)

• Overall GPA: 3.0 or higher for admission
• Exam: None

Marywood asks for a 3.0 overall GPA, a B or better in science cognates, and a 3.0 QPA to progress. No entrance exam and no separate science-GPA threshold are published.

8. Wilkes University (Wilkes-Barre)

• Overall GPA: 3.0 or higher
• Exam: None

Wilkes requires a 3.0 overall GPA and C+ or higher in A&P I/II, Microbiology, and Fundamentals of Chemistry, with no more than one course repeated. No entrance exam is stated.

Direct admission: Pennsylvania's biggest "accessible" angle

A large share of PA programs admit freshmen straight into the nursing major through general university admissions. That removes the separate nursing application, but it does not make the seat easy: you compete in the school's general pool, and some of these pools are selective. You apply through the university's regular admissions office, then keep progression requirements once enrolled.

• [Villanova University](/programs/villanova-university) (Villanova): four-year direct-admit BSN, test-optional, no nursing exam; requires a year each of high school biology and chemistry. Early Action is November 1.
• [Drexel University](/programs/drexel-university) (Philadelphia): direct-admit co-op BSN through central admissions with no published cutoff, but the 2025-26 entering class averaged about a 3.79 high school GPA, so treat it as competitive.
• [Penn State](/programs/pennsylvania-state-university) (University Park): direct-admit freshman BSN, fall start only, December 1 deadline, no nursing exam, and no fixed published minimum GPA. (Partially verified.)
• [DeSales University](/programs/desales-university) (Center Valley): rolling Apply Anytime admission with direct-admit thresholds of 1130 SAT or 23 ACT, or a 3.3 unweighted GPA if applying test-optional.
• [University of Scranton](/programs/university-of-scranton) (Scranton): direct-entry four-year BSN with no entrance exam and no officially published minimum GPA.

Schools we left off the ranked list, and why

• [Temple University](/programs/temple-university) (Philadelphia) lists a 3.25 high school GPA for its Pre-Nursing entry, above the floors featured here, though there is no entrance exam.
• University of Pennsylvania and University of Pittsburgh publish no official GPA floor; the figures in our database (3.3 and 3.5) are estimates, and both programs are highly selective, which is the opposite of this list's purpose.
• Cedar Crest College, Robert Morris, and Gannon publish partial requirements without a clear numeric overall-GPA floor, so we could not rank them fairly.

How to turn a low floor into an acceptance

1. Treat the science GPA as the real cutoff; A&P and Microbiology grades decide most PA files.
2. Apply early where admission is rolling (Neumann, Misericordia, DeSales).
3. For direct-admit schools, your high school record is the application, so line up strong biology and chemistry grades.

Go deeper with how to get into nursing school in Pennsylvania, check what GPA you need for nursing school, or see nursing schools you can get into with a 3.0 GPA.

Find your best-fit Pennsylvania program

A published floor tells you where the door is, not how wide it opens. See your odds free against real Pennsylvania cutoffs, or browse every Pennsylvania 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.*