10 Online Nursing Schools That Accept ACE Credits 2026

If you've picked up college-level knowledge outside a traditional classroom, whether through military service, workplace training, or a self-paced course, there's a good chance it could count toward your nursing degree. That's where ACE credits come in, and finding nursing schools that accept ACE credits can meaningfully cut down on both the time and cost of getting to a BSN.

Here's the thing worth knowing upfront: not every school treats ACE credit the same way, and acceptance can look very different depending on whether that credit is headed toward general education requirements or your actual nursing coursework. There are several colleges that accept ACE credits, and below, you'll find 10 that offer real online nursing programs alongside a genuine track record of putting those credits to use.

What Are ACE Credits?

ACE credits come from the American Council on Education, which evaluates nontraditional learning experiences and issues formal credit recommendations that colleges can choose to honor. Rather than requiring you to retake material you've already mastered, ACE evaluations translate that outside learning into a language colleges understand: course equivalencies, credit hours, and recommended placement.

These recommendations can come from a range of sources, including:

• Military training and service, documented through a Joint Services Transcript (JST) or Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) transcript
• Workplace training programs run by employers, corporations, or professional associations
• Self-paced course providers like Sophia Learning, Study.com, and StraighterLine, whose courses are pre-evaluated and ACE-recommended
• Professional certifications and licenses in fields where ACE has reviewed the underlying coursework

It's important to understand that an ACE recommendation isn't a guarantee of credit. Each college independently decides which ACE recommendations it will honor, how many credits it will award, and where those credits can be applied within a specific degree program.

Do Online Nursing Schools Accept ACE Credits?

Most online nursing schools accept ACE credits, though how generously varies a lot from school to school. Some of the institutions on this list have built their entire model around serving adult learners, military students, and people with substantial prior learning, so ACE credit acceptance is baked into how they operate. Others will consider ACE recommendations but evaluate them case by case, with more limits on what actually applies.

The detail that matters most for nursing students specifically: ACE credit tends to transfer more easily into general education and elective requirements than into core nursing-major coursework. Before enrolling anywhere, it's worth asking admissions directly how ACE credit applies to your specific program, since the answer can shift depending on whether you're looking at prerequisites or the nursing major itself. 

10 Online Nursing Schools That Accept ACE Credits

Here's a closer look at 10 online nursing programs with genuine, documented ACE credit acceptance, along with what students should know about how those credits actually apply. 

1. Bellevue University 

Bellevue University, based in Bellevue, Nebraska, is a private, nonprofit institution built around serving adult and working learners. The university is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), and its online RN-to-BSN program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

Bellevue accepts ACE-recommended coursework from StraighterLine, one of the more common self-paced credit providers among adult and military students, alongside its standard transfer credit review. As with most schools on this list, that credit tends to apply most readily to general education requirements rather than nursing-major coursework, so it's worth confirming which specific prerequisites it can satisfy before you enroll in a course expecting it to count.

2. Charter Oak State College

Charter Oak State College, located in New Britain, Connecticut, was built from the ground up around adult learners with prior college credit, military training, and workplace experience. The college holds institutional accreditation from the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), and its RN/ADN-to-BSN completion program is accredited by CCNE.

Few schools on this list match Charter Oak's flexibility with outside credit: it accepts up to 87 transfer credits toward a bachelor's degree, drawing from prior coursework, military training, certifications, and formal prior learning assessment. That generosity is part of the school's core mission rather than an exception, which makes it a strong option for students with a substantial ACE-eligible background.

3. Excelsior University

As a fully online institution based in Albany, New York, Excelsior University has built its reputation around prior learning assessment since 1971. The university carries institutional accreditation from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), and its RN-to-BSN program holds accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).

Excelsior accepts ACE and NCCRS credit recommendations, along with military transcripts, as part of its broader transfer credit policy. One important limit to know: for nursing degree programs specifically, credit from these nontraditional sources is accepted only in a limited amount, so while general education requirements may see generous acceptance, the nursing major itself is evaluated more conservatively. 

4. Liberty University

Liberty University, a private university in Lynchburg, Virginia, offers an online RN-to-BSN program alongside a wide range of other online degrees. The university holds institutional accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), with its nursing programs accredited by CCNE.

Liberty allows students to transfer up to 90 credits toward a bachelor's degree, and military training and coursework can count toward that total based on ACE credit recommendations. Given how large that transfer allowance is relative to many other schools, it's a program worth considering for students with a significant amount of prior military or workplace learning to apply.

5. National University

National University is a private, nonprofit, veteran-founded institution based in San Diego, California, offering both a prelicensure BSN and an RN-to-BSN completion program. The university is institutionally accredited by WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), and its nursing programs carry CCNE accreditation.

National University stands out for how directly it ties military experience to nursing-specific credit: students with military medical training, such as Corps School experience, may qualify for advanced placement directly into upper-level nursing coursework, not just general education requirements. That makes it one of the more distinctive options on this list for students whose military background is medically relevant.

6. Southern New Hampshire University 

Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), based in Manchester, New Hampshire, offers a large catalog of online degrees, including an RN-to-BSN program with no caps or waitlists. The university carries institutional accreditation from the NECHE, and its nursing programs hold CCNE accreditation.SNHU allows students to transfer up to 90 credits toward a bachelor's degree, drawing on a wide range of ACE-recommended sources, including military training, corporate and workplace training programs, and professional certifications. The university also has dedicated staff available to help students, including but not limited to those with military backgrounds, navigate the credit evaluation process.

7. Thomas Edison State University

Thomas Edison State University (TESU), a public institution based in Trenton, New Jersey, was founded specifically to serve adult learners through a degree-completion model built around prior learning. TESU is institutionally accredited by the MSCHE, and its online RN-to-BSN program carries CCNE accreditation.

TESU accepts up to 90 credits from noncollegiate sources combined, including ACE and NCCRS recommendations from military training, corporate training, professional certifications, and exam credit like CLEP and DSST. Few schools evaluate this range of sources as thoroughly, which makes TESU a strong option for students bringing in credit from more than one type of prior learning.

8. University of Alaska Anchorage

The University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA), located in Anchorage, is a public university offering an RN-to-BSN program delivered primarily online, with two required in-person clinical experiences. UAA is institutionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), and its nursing programs carry accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).

UAA evaluates ACE-recommended credit from multiple sources, including military training documented through a Joint Services Transcript, as well as standardized exams like CLEP and DSST. It's worth understanding one limit clearly, though: ACE-based credit at UAA is generally granted as elective credit rather than toward nursing-major requirements, so it can shorten the general education portion of a degree without accelerating the nursing coursework itself.

9. University of Maryland Global Campus

University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC), headquartered in Adelphi, Maryland, is built around serving working adults and career-focused learners through fully online programs. The university holds institutional accreditation from MSCHE, and its RN-to-BSN program is accredited by CCNE.

UMGC has offered online RN-to-BSN coursework since 2014 and maintains a notably generous transfer credit policy, including credit for prior learning, workplace training, and ACE-recommended coursework from a variety of sources. That flexibility, combined with a long track record of serving adult learners, makes it one of the more established options on this list for students bringing in outside credit of any kind. 

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 NWCCU, and its nursing programs are accredited by CCNE.

WGU's competency-based model pairs naturally with ACE credit from many sources, whether that's military training, workplace certifications, or self-paced courses through providers like Sophia Learning or StraighterLine. Enrollment counselors are available to help students identify which recommendations apply, and because WGU lets students move through material as quickly as they can demonstrate mastery, incoming credit of any kind can have an outsized effect on how fast a student progresses toward graduation.

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 ACE credit acceptance, we weighted a few additional factors on top of the standard institutional data:

• Documented ACE credit acceptance: Every school on this list has a publicly available policy or track record of evaluating ACE-recommended credit, whether from military training, workplace certifications, or self-paced course providers.
• Accreditation: All schools are institutionally accredited, and every nursing program included is accredited by CCNE or ACEN.
• Online nursing program availability: We prioritized schools offering genuine online RN-to-BSN or prelicensure BSN programs, so the list serves students actually pursuing a nursing degree remotely.
• Transparency: We noted where ACE credit applies broadly across a degree versus where it's limited to general education and elective requirements, so you know what to expect before enrolling. 

Learn more about our ranking methodology. 

How to Transfer Your ACE Credits to Nursing School

Getting ACE credit applied to your nursing degree involves a few concrete steps, and doing them in the right order can save you time and prevent surprises later.

• Request the right transcript for your credit source: Military training is documented through a Joint Services Transcript (JST) or Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) transcript. Workplace training and certifications typically require an ACE transcript ordered through the American Council on Education's National Guide.
• Get an equivalency evaluation before you enroll or pay for anything: Most schools will review your transcript and tell you which specific courses or requirements your credit will satisfy, so you're not guessing.
• Ask specifically how the credit applies to your program: Since ACE credit tends to apply more readily to general education and electives than to nursing-major coursework, get clarity on exactly where your credit will and won't count.
• Submit official documentation, not just a summary: Schools generally require an official transcript sent directly from the issuing organization, not a personal copy or printout.
• Keep records of everything you submit: If a credit doesn't transfer the way you expected, having your original documentation on hand makes it much easier to appeal or ask follow-up questions.

Benefits of Using ACE Credits for Nursing School

Beyond the obvious appeal of saving money, ACE credits can meaningfully change the shape of your path to a nursing degree:

• Save time and tuition costs: Every course you don't have to retake is money and time you get back, which adds up quickly at schools that accept a generous number of ACE credits.
• Get formal recognition for real experience: Military medical training, workplace certifications, and other prior learning often represent genuine, hard-earned knowledge that ACE evaluation puts into a form colleges can act on.
• Skip redundant coursework: If you've already mastered material through training or work experience, ACE credit lets you move past it instead of sitting through content you already know.
• Accelerate toward licensure or a bridge program: For students moving toward an RN-to-BSN completion or a prelicensure program with a related background, ACE credit can shorten the overall timeline to graduation.
• Build momentum at competency-based schools: At schools like Western Governors University, where you progress as fast as you can demonstrate mastery, incoming ACE credit can have an outsized effect on how quickly you finish.

FAQs About Online Nursing Schools That Accept ACE Credits

ACE credits raise a lot of practical questions, especially since acceptance varies so much by school. Here are answers to some of the most common ones.

What Is the Difference Between ACE Credit and College Credit?

ACE credit isn't college credit on its own — it's a recommendation from the American Council on Education that a specific learning experience is equivalent to a certain amount of college-level coursework. Whether that recommendation actually becomes credit on your transcript depends entirely on whether the college you're attending chooses to accept it.

Can ACE Credits Count Toward Nursing Major Courses, or Only Electives?

It depends on the school, but in most cases, ACE credit applies more easily to general education and elective requirements than to core nursing-major coursework. Nursing licensure courses tend to be evaluated more strictly regardless of source, since they're directly tied to NCLEX preparation, though a few schools, like National University, do offer advanced placement into nursing coursework for certain military medical backgrounds.

How Do I Request My Military Transcript for ACE Credit Evaluation?

Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Army National Guard service members and veterans can request a Joint Services Transcript (JST) online through the JST website. Air Force personnel who completed coursework through the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) request their transcript directly from that organization instead.

Do All Colleges Accept ACE Credit Recommendations?

While thousands of colleges nationwide recognize ACE recommendations in some form, each school independently decides which recommendations to accept, how many credits to award, and where those credits can be applied. It's always worth confirming a specific school's policy rather than assuming acceptance.

Can Workplace Training or Certifications Earn ACE Credit, Not Just Military Experience?

ACE evaluates a wide range of nontraditional learning beyond military training, including corporate training programs, professional certifications, and self-paced courses through providers like Sophia Learning, Study.com, and StraighterLine. If a training program or course has gone through ACE evaluation, it may carry a credit recommendation that colleges can choose to honor.

Is There a Limit to How Many ACE Credits a School Will Accept?

Many schools cap the total number of credits they'll accept from noncollegiate sources, sometimes combining ACE, NCCRS, CLEP, DSST, and other prior-learning credit into a single overall limit. Thomas Edison State University, for example, caps combined credit from these sources at 90 for a bachelor's degree, and similar caps are common elsewhere.

Find Online Nursing Programs

ACE credits can genuinely shorten the path to a nursing degree, but how far they'll take you depends entirely on the school and whether that credit applies to general education or the nursing major itself. To find out more, explore the resources and programs featured on Learn.org, and reach out to specific schools directly to confirm exactly how your ACE credit will apply.