Nursing school enrollment takes a dip—AACN

Enrollment in college nursing programs experienced its first year-over-year decline in two decades in 2022, a potentially worrisome sign amid industry struggles to recruit and retain staff, declines in residency applications and an aging healthcare workforce. 

Between 2021 and 2022, the number of students in entry-level baccalaureate programs declined by 1.4%, or 3,518 students, according to a survey by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. It marks the first decrease in Bachelor of Science in Nursing program students since 2000.

In 2001, 77,958 students were enrolled in entry-level programs. In 2021, enrollment was 256,578 students. Last year, it was 253,060 students, according to the survey released Tuesday.

Other levels of nursing programs have also seen enrollment declines. 

In 2022, programs advancing registered nurses with diplomas or two-year degrees to bachelor’s degrees recorded a 16.9% decline in enrollment, dropping by 19,871 students. Enrollment in master’s programs decreased by 9.4%, meaning 13,965 fewer students. Doctorate nursing programs fell by 4.1%, or 183 students. 

Having fewer nursing students in the school-to-workforce pipeline could affect the industry’s ability to bounce back from clinician shortages. 

Nearly 100,000 registered nurses have left their roles due to pandemic-related stresses, according to a 2023 survey by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. 

A pre-pandemic Health and Human Services Department study projected there would be demand for more than 3.6 million registered nurses by 2030.

Meanwhile, nursing schools have had to turn away thousands of qualified applicants due to a shortage of faculty and clinical training sites, according to the association's survey. 

Last year, 78,191 qualified applications were rejected by nursing schools nationwide. More than 66,000 of the applications were for entry-level baccalaureate programs. 

The number of applications sent to entry-level and higher-degree programs decreased by 5.3%, with schools receiving 721,182 applications in 2021 and 683,002 in 2022.