Bachelor's Nursing Admission Requirements

See what you need to qualify for our nursing programs at Lewis University.


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BSN Requirements

Requirements For Applicants As Freshman Students

  • Applicants must have graduated from an approved high school with a combination of grade point average, class rank, and ACT or SAT score which indicates a strong likelihood of success in university studies.

  • Applicants must have accumulated 18 high school units. Three of those units should be in English; the remaining 15 units should be chosen from a college preparatory curriculum.

  • Applicants for admission must complete an Admission Application and have their high schools forward an official student transcript. Students must have their ACT or SAT scores sent to the Office of Admission. Veterans must submit a DD214.

Additional Requirements for Nursing Students

  • First-year applicants to the nursing program are strongly advised to have completed one year of high school chemistry and two years of high school mathematics, with a grade of "C" or above in each class.

  • First-year applicants who plan to major in nursing should contact the Office of Admission for the current minimum ACT or SAT composite score.

  • Admission, progression, curriculum, and graduation policies of the pre-licensure track are subject to change in order to comply with the requirements of the current Illinois Nursing and Advanced Practice Nursing Act, Rules for the Administration of Nursing and Advanced Practice Nursing Act, and The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2021).

  • Students must receive a grade of "C" in required science courses to progress to the next semester in the program. Students who receive only one failing grade in a science (C-, D, F, or W), will be allowed to repeat that course once. Science theory and science labs are counted as separate classes. Upon a second failed science, or if the student fails or withdraws from both theory and lab during the semester, the student will be notified that they have been academically dismissed from the nursing major. A student may repeat a required general education support course in which they earn a "C-", "D", "F", or "W" only once and if the student does not earn a minimum of a "C" on the second attempt they will be academically dismissed from the nursing major. Dismissal from the College of Nursing and Health Professions does not necessarily result in dismissal from the University.

  • Prior to entering clinical courses, every pre-licensure College of Nursing and Health Sciences student must complete a disclosure form, similar to the disclosure required by the Illinois Department of Finance and Professional Regulations in the application for licensure as an RN and meet requirements of clinical agency.

  • Every pre-licensure nursing student must have completed a physical examination form and received the required immunizations. Yearly drug screenings, background checks, and flu shots must be completed every consecutive fall semester and prior to entering Sophomore II clinical courses.

  • Every College of Nursing and Health Sciences student is subject to the college's Chemical Impairment Policy.

Requirements for Entering Transfer Students


A transfer student applicant (traditional programs) is defined as a degree-seeking student who has earned a minimum of 12 semester (18 quarter) hours of transferable credit at a regionally accredited post-secondary institution. Transfer student applicants need to have earned a minimum 2.75 cumulative transfer grade point average based upon all transferable courses to be considered for admission. (Transfer students are not required to submit ACT or SAT scores or high school transcript.) Credits earned through Prior Learning Assessment cannot be used to meet the minimum credit hour requirement for admission.

Official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended must be sent to the Office of Admission. Students must be in good academic, disciplinary and financial standings at previous colleges/universities attended. An evaluation of transfer credit will be forwarded with the acceptance letter showing courses accepted in transfer and courses/hours that still need to be completed at Lewis.

The Office of Admission will consider applications only after the following steps have been completed:

  • An application is submitted.
  • Official transcripts are received by the Office of Admission from each college and/or university attended.
  • Kaplan Admission Test or ATI TEAS results are submitted results are submitted (for nursing majors only).

Bachelor's to BSN Requirements

  • You must have earned a bachelor's degree in any subject from a regionally accredited college or university, with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75.
  • You must submit an application.
  • You must successfully complete the KAPLAN Admission Test (KAT).
  • After passing the KAT, you will be required to attend an information session.