10 Nursing Schools That Accept Academically Dismissed Students

Being academically dismissed from nursing school can feel like the door just slammed shut on a career you've been working toward. But a dismissal doesn't have to be permanent. Many programs have formal readmission or reinstatement policies built specifically for students in your position, and other schools are simply more flexible than others when reviewing an application that includes a dismissal in your history.

There are several colleges that accept academically dismissed students, including nursing schools that accept dismissed students. Below, you'll find 10 nursing programs with real, published policies for students who've been in your shoes — plus what actually goes into a strong readmission application, and how to decide whether reapplying or transferring makes more sense for you. 

Do Nursing Schools Accept Academically Dismissed Students?

though it depends heavily on the school and, just as importantly, on why you were dismissed. Academic dismissal usually happens when you fail one or more nursing courses, fall below a required GPA, or don't meet a clinical performance standard. That's different from being dismissed for unsafe clinical practice, an academic integrity violation, or a professionalism issue — those situations are treated far more strictly, and most schools won't consider readmission at all if that's the reason you left.

If you're searching for a nursing school that accepts failed students, you'll find that most programs build some kind of off-ramp into their policies for purely academic dismissals: a waiting period (often one semester to two years), a formal petition or committee review, and sometimes a cap on how many times you can attempt readmission. Meeting those requirements doesn't guarantee you a seat, either — nursing cohorts are limited by clinical site availability, so space matters as much as your record does. Additionally, depending on your college progress, you may want to consider a fresh start program.

10 Nursing Schools That Accept Academically Dismissed Students

Academic dismissal doesn’t have to mean the end of your career goals. Below, we’ve featured 10 nursing programs with documented, publicly available policies for students who've been academically dismissed — either from their own program or another one.

1. Bryan College of Health Sciences

Bryan College of Health Sciences is one of the best colleges in Lincoln, Nebraska, and offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). The private, nonprofit college is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), and its BSN program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

Students dismissed from Bryan's nursing program can reapply and restart the program once at least one year has passed since their dismissal. Readmission is granted only one time per program, and students dismissed for safety, professionalism, or academic integrity violations aren't eligible to reapply.

2. Columbia State Community College

Columbia State Community College is a public two-year college based in Columbia, Tennessee, with an Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) program. The college holds institutional accreditation through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), and its nursing program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).

Students who leave the nursing program in good standing can request one readmission into the second, third, or fourth semester, as long as they reapply within three years of leaving. Readmission isn't automatic even within that window, since it also depends on space available in each course. Also good to note: statewide aid programs can make Columbia State one of the free online community colleges in Tennessee. 

3. Excelsior University

As a fully online institution based in Albany, New York, Excelsior University takes a different approach to nursing education, offering an exam-based Associate in Nursing degree alongside its RN to BSN completion program. The university carries institutional accreditation from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), and its RN to BSN program holds accreditation from ACEN; the associate-level nursing program is approved through the New York State Board of Regents.

Excelsior spells out its dismissal policy in detail: students who fail to earn the minimum required grade in a nursing major course within two attempts are academically dismissed, but — unlike students dismissed for policy violations or excessive withdrawals — they're allowed to appeal directly to the dean of the school. That appeal has to explain what's changed since the dismissal that would set the student up to succeed the second time around.

4. Florida Atlantic University

Florida Atlantic University (FAU) is a public research university in Boca Raton, Florida, and its Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing offers a BSN. The university holds institutional accreditation from SACSCOC, while the BSN program itself is accredited by CCNE.

If you're dismissed from FAU's nursing program for academic reasons, you get exactly one shot at petitioning for readmission through the college's Admission and Progression Subcommittee. That committee weighs several factors together — why you were dismissed, how strong your record was otherwise, how much time has passed, whether there's room in the program, and how solid your plan is to keep the same problem from happening again.

5. Herzing University

Founded in Milwaukee in 1965, Herzing University is now a private, nonprofit institution with campuses across the country and a large online division, offering associate, diploma, and prelicensure BSN nursing programs. It's institutionally accredited by the HLC, and its individual nursing programs carry accreditation from ACEN, CCNE, or both, depending on the campus and program level.

Herzing takes a two-pronged approach for students who don't make it through the nursing program the first time. If you're dismissed after failing a required competency retake, you can appeal to transfer into a different, non-nursing program at Herzing rather than starting over from scratch elsewhere; separately, the school's Pre-Nursing associate degree track exists specifically for students whose GPA fell short of BSN requirements, giving them a way to rebuild their GPA and requalify for a future nursing cohort.

6. Manhattan Area Technical College

Located in Manhattan, Kansas, this public technical college offers both a Practical Nursing (PN) certificate and an ADN program. Manhattan Tech is one of the best trade schools in Kansas; it holds institutional accreditation from the HLC, and its nursing programs are accredited by ACEN.

The school's Nursing Admissions & Progression Committee allows one reinstatement at the PN level and a separate one at the ADN level, so a setback in one program doesn't necessarily cost you a shot at the other. That said, students dismissed for unsafe clinical practice, unprofessional behavior, or academic dishonesty aren't eligible to petition for reinstatement at all.

7. Oregon Coast Community College

Oregon Coast Community College, in Newport, Oregon, offers an ADN program as part of the six-college Oregon Consortium for Nursing Education (OCNE). The college is institutionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), and its nursing program is approved by the Oregon State Board of Nursing. It’s one of the top online community colleges in Oregon.

Rather than a rigid waiting period or attempt limit, OCCC reviews readmission requests from dismissed nursing students case by case. The college looks for documented evidence that a student has addressed whatever led to the dismissal before deciding whether to let them back into the program.

8. Truckee Meadows Community College

Truckee Meadows Community College’s (TMCC) Maxine S. Jacobs Nursing Program, based in Reno, Nevada, is a public community college ADN program. TMCC is one of the best online community colleges in Nevada and carries institutional accreditation from the NWCCU, while its nursing program is accredited by ACEN.

Students who don't pass a required nursing course can be readmitted into that same course up to twice, for a maximum of two readmissions across the entire program. After that point, a student isn't eligible to continue pursuing the degree at TMCC, which makes it a comparatively generous — but still finite — safety net.

9. University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, located in Aurora, Colorado, is a public health sciences campus whose College of Nursing offers a BSN. The campus is institutionally accredited by the HLC, and the nursing program itself is accredited by CCNE.

While it’s one of the easiest nursing schools to get into in Colorado, reapplying here comes with a built-in condition: students dismissed from the BSN program may reapply one year later, but only if their original dismissal notice specifically states that reapplication is an option. Even then, readmission isn't automatic — applicants are evaluated against whatever admission criteria are current at the time they reapply.

10. Western Governors University

Western Governors University (WGU) is a private, nonprofit, fully online institution offering both a prelicensure BSN and an RN to BSN completion program. WGU holds institutional accreditation from the NWCCU, and its nursing programs are accredited by CCNE.

Students dismissed from the prelicensure BSN program can formally appeal for readmission by submitting an appeal statement, an academic improvement plan, and a $100 readmission fee, then realigning with a new cohort within two years of their withdrawal. Readmission isn't guaranteed, though, and certain dismissals — including a failed final assessment attempt, a second clinical failure, or a conduct violation — may not be eligible for appeal at all.

How We Rank Schools

To create this list, we review data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), along with program-level details published by each university. Because this list is specifically about nursing programs for students recovering from an academic dismissal, we weighted a few additional factors on top of the standard institutional data:

• A documented readmission or reinstatement policy: Every school on this list has a publicly available policy that specifically addresses students who were academically dismissed from a nursing program, rather than just a general "contact admissions" suggestion.
• Accreditation: All schools are institutionally accredited, and every nursing program included is either accredited by ACEN or CCNE, or approved by its state board of nursing.
• Transparency: We prioritized schools whose readmission requirements — waiting periods, appeal steps, eligibility exceptions — are clearly published rather than buried in a handbook or left vague.
• Program relevance: We looked for a mix of prelicensure and RN-completion programs, and a mix of online and in-person options, so the list serves students at different points in their nursing education.

Learn more about our ranking methodology. 

How to Strengthen Your Readmission Application

Getting readmitted after a dismissal isn't just about waiting out the clock — most committees are looking for real evidence that this time will be different. A few things can meaningfully strengthen your case:

• Address the root cause directly: If a failed clinical rotation, a specific course, or a personal circumstance led to your dismissal, name it plainly in your appeal rather than glossing over it. Committees tend to respond better to a clear-eyed explanation than a vague one.
• Show concrete steps you've taken since then: Retaking a prerequisite, earning a strong grade in a related course, picking up healthcare experience as a CNA or medical assistant, or addressing a personal issue (with documentation, if relevant) all demonstrate that you've used the time productively.
• Write a specific, honest personal statement: Avoid generic language like "I'll try harder." Instead, explain what you understand differently now and what you'll do differently going forward.
• Line up strong letters of recommendation: An instructor, employer, or advisor who can speak to your work ethic or growth since the dismissal can carry real weight, especially if your transcript alone doesn't tell that story.
• Follow the process exactly: Missed deadlines or incomplete paperwork are an easy, avoidable way to get an appeal rejected before a committee even weighs the substance of your case.

Reapplying vs. Transferring — Which Is Right for You?

Once you've decided to pursue a nursing degree again, you'll generally have two paths: petition your original school for readmission, or start fresh somewhere new. Neither is inherently the better choice — it depends on your situation.

Reapplying to your original school can be the more straightforward route. Your prior coursework is already on file, the program already knows your history, and if your dismissal was tied to a specific, addressable issue, a readmission committee that's seen your full story may be more forgiving than a brand-new school evaluating you cold. The tradeoff is that some programs cap you at one readmission attempt, and your dismissal will inevitably be part of the conversation.

Transferring to a new program gives you more of a fresh start, particularly at a school with holistic or flexible admissions. You won't be walking into a classroom where faculty already have opinions about you, and some students find that a change of environment helps them succeed the second time around. You'll still need to disclose the dismissal and explain what's changed, but a new school is evaluating your whole application rather than reopening a specific case file.

Some students pursue both routes simultaneously to keep their options open — there's no rule against submitting a readmission petition to your original school while also applying elsewhere.

FAQs About Nursing Schools for Academically Dismissed Students

Being dismissed from a nursing program raises a lot of questions about what happens next. Here are answers to some of the most common ones.

Will I Automatically Be Readmitted if I Meet the Requirements?

Meeting the eligibility criteria for readmission — the waiting period, GPA, or petition paperwork — gets you considered, not guaranteed a spot. Most programs review requests case by case and weigh factors like why you were dismissed, how much time has passed, and whether there's space in the cohort. Clinical site capacity limits how many students a program can take back each term, regardless of how strong your case is.

Does the Reason for My Dismissal Matter?

The reason for your dismissal can make a significant difference. Programs generally distinguish between academic dismissals (failing a course or falling below a GPA threshold) and dismissals tied to unsafe clinical practice, professionalism violations, or academic dishonesty. Many schools, including several on this list, won't consider readmission at all for the latter category, so it's worth reviewing a program's specific policy language before you apply.

Can I Still Get Financial Aid After an Academic Dismissal?

It depends on your standing with federal Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements, which are separate from your nursing program's own academic standards. If a dismissal or repeated coursework pushed you below SAP, you may need to file a separate SAP appeal with the school's financial aid office before your federal aid — including loans, grants, and work-study — can be reinstated. It's worth contacting a financial aid advisor directly, since SAP policies vary by school and aren't always tied to program-level readmission decisions.

How Long Do I Need to Wait Before Reapplying?

Waiting periods vary widely, from as little as one semester to as much as two years, depending on the school and program. Some schools, like Florida Atlantic University, don't specify a fixed waiting period at all and instead evaluate readmission requests as they come in. Check the specific policy at any school you're considering, since applying too early — before you're eligible — can result in an automatic denial.

Will an Academic Dismissal Affect My Ability to Get an RN License Later?

State boards of nursing license you based on completing an approved program and passing the NCLEX-RN, not on your academic history at a prior school. That said, some state boards ask about academic dismissals on licensure applications, particularly if the dismissal involved a conduct or safety issue rather than a straightforward academic one, so it's worth checking your state board's specific application requirements once you're closer to graduation.

Find Your Perfect Nursing Program

A dismissal isn't the end of your nursing career — it's a detour, and as this list shows, plenty of schools have built real, structured paths back to a nursing degree for students who've been in exactly this position. Explore the resources on Learn.org to find out more about nursing schools and requirements, or reach out to specific nursing programs directly.