Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) Program Admission Requirements

RCTC’s Associate Degree Nursing Pre-requisites

*Admissions for the Associate Degree Nursing Program is changing for the Fall 2025 program year. Please read the requirements below for updates.*

Pre-requisites Needed By Application Deadline

  • Cumulative GPA of 2.5 including all transfer credits within 5 years
  • Raw cumulative required science GPA of 2.5
    • GPA includes all attempts of BIOL 1217, 1218, and CHEM 1117 in the past 5 years
  • Nursing Admissions Exam, Health Science Reasoning Test (HSRT), completed at RCTC

* Please call the Welcome and One Stop Center at 507-285-7557 for further information on academic assessments.

Pre-requisites Needed By Program Start Date

  • Completion of a college-level nursing assistant course or active-status as a CNA
  • HEALTH 1110 or equivalent BLS For Healthcare Provider/Professional must be completed prior to the start of nursing core classes – online certification is not acceptable
  • Students are required to pass both a national and state background check

 

RCTC’s Practical Nursing (PN) to Associate Degree Nursing Mobility Prerequisites

NOTE: These must be complete prior to the application deadline.

  • Hold a valid Minnesota LPN License.
  • Current BLS for Healthcare Provider
  • Completion with a ‘C’ or better in the general education courses required for the semester I of the Generic ADN program: BIOL 1217, CHEM 1117, ENGL 1117.
  • Cumulative GPA of 2.5 calculated over previous 5 years.
  • Please see PN-ADN Mobility Application for point structure.

 

ADN Admission Point Structure

Students will register for the Health Science Reasoning Test (HSRT) online. The test will be administered in the RCTC Testing Center, located on Main Campus in room AT 209, but students must use the link above to register for a session and pay their fee.

Program Admission Structure

  1. The combined total HSRT composite score and raw science GPA will be utilized to rank applicants.
  2. HSRT composite score divided by a factor of 10 (Ex: Composite score of 72% = 7.2).
  3. In the event of a tied combined total HSRT composite score and raw science GPA, the applicant with the highest HSRT Inference sub-score will advance in rank. If a further tie exists, the applicant with the highest HSRT Deductive sub-score will advance in rank.

Applications of students not accepted into the program each round will not be retained. If a student chooses to reapply, the student must resubmit the entire application for the next admission cycle (HSRT scores are valid for two years.)

Raw Science GPA
3.75 – 4.00 = 11
3.50 – 3.74 = 9
3.25 – 3.49 = 7
3.00 – 3.24 = 5
2.75 – 2.99 = 3
2.50 – 2.74 = 1

If you have additional questions, see the Nursing Program FAQs. Questions regarding the Program Admission Requirements can be directed to Jennifer Dahle, Nursing Advisor, at Jennifer.Dahle@rctc.edu.

Transfer Students

  • Submit final official transcripts from ALL previously attended colleges and, if needed, high school. Your most current final official transcripts need to be on file at RCTC prior to the admission deadline.
  • If a course is questionable, ALWAYS submit a Transfer Credit Equivalency Request available at eForms.
    If necessary, submit placement test results from other colleges.
  • If your major is something other than Associate Degree Nursing, your transfer evaluation will NOT be correct. You may request, at Admissions, to have your major changed and your transcripts re-evaluated for Nursing.

 

Health Science Reasoning Test (HSRT) – Preparation Resources

  • HSRT Sample Tests
    Links to two sample tests that show how the test interface works.
  • HSRT Test Prep – Quizlet
    Flashcards, test questions, matching
  • HSRT YouTube Videos
    Several videos providing an overview of HSRT test, sample questions/answers and test tips.
  • iPREP