Which Is Better for an Undergraduate Nursing Pathway: Johns Hopkins or Emory?

The biggest practical difference is that Emory offers a direct, traditional undergraduate BSN pathway, while Johns Hopkins does not offer a prelicensure BSN for first-year undergraduates. At Emory, students can earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, complete required clinical education, and become eligible to take the NCLEX-RN after graduation. Johns Hopkins undergraduates would need to complete a different bachelor’s degree first and then pursue a separate entry-level nursing program.

Emory’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing gives undergraduates a straightforward four-year route into registered nursing. Its program combines nursing coursework, simulation training, and clinical placements connected to Emory Healthcare and the broader Atlanta medical community.

Johns Hopkins could make sense for someone who wants to major in a related undergraduate field, such as public health or neuroscience, and intentionally plans to enter nursing through a graduate program afterward. But that path is longer, requires another application process, and can involve substantially more total tuition. For a high school senior seeking the clearest undergraduate pathway to becoming an RN, Emory is the better choice.