8 Reasons to Consider a Private Nursing School Education
Exploring undergraduate programs in nursing will plunge you deep into the world of accreditation, rankings, financial aid, and admission requirements. But there are also a lot of subjective factors that go into choosing the nursing degree program that best fits your individual personality and RN practice goals. Do you prefer the atmosphere of a small private school or a big state university? Should you choose a nursing school in a big city or a small college town? Which nursing programs have the co-curricular, guidance, and support programs that will personally serve you best?
We can’t tell you which nursing degree program is best for you, but we can tell you what Gustavus offers our nursing school students, to help you make an educated decision. Gustavus is a small, private, liberal arts college where nursing students receive a strong cross-disciplinary education as well as expert guidance from our nursing faculty and a broad array of personalized student support programs. Consider visiting our campus to meet us in person, and keep reading to discover the top reasons you might consider a private nursing school education at Gustavus.
1. Class size
A small private nursing program facilitates crucial relationships.
If one of your nursing college priorities is an intimate school setting and small average class sizes, you’ll want to consider private colleges over a state university. However, private nursing schools still vary widely. Check college and university websites to compare school population, program size, average class size, and faculty-to-student ratio.
As a private, liberal arts school, Gustavus is dedicated to cultivating a tight-knit school community with a robust mentorship culture. Classes at our college are 100% faculty taught, historically average class size of only 15 students. The entire college student population is around 2100, and our nursing department currently accepts 40 students per year. A small private school of nursing allows you to work closely with your cohort of fellow future nurses as you earn your nursing degree, forging relationships that enrich your life personally and professionally.
Many nursing programs have excellent professors, and our nursing faculty are top notch. But even the best instructors are constrained by the realities built into the school and the academic program. Spreading resources thin affects the health and vitality of the faculty, the program at large, and ultimately the quality of nursing education students receive. So we keep our program and nursing class sizes firmly in check to ensure that our nursing faculty can deliver you personalized guidance and expert advice throughout your four years here.
2. Expert guidance
A network of dedicated programs support students from day one.
In addition to small average class size, another key benefit of private schools is that they often offer students more personalized support programs than you will find in a state university setting. As you explore private college nursing programs, ask how well the college supports your personal journey as a nursing college student. Private college guidance programs should work with you closely throughout your college education, up to and including your eventual transition to graduate school or a nursing career.
At Gustavus we support our nursing school students with a robust network of interconnected programs starting the day they arrive at college. Here are some of those:
- Academic Support Center. As a Gustavus nursing student the ASC is your one-stop college success hub. The ASC helps students with plotting out their 4-year school plan, developing effective college study skills, receiving needed accommodations, and otherwise making the most out of their time in college.
- One-on-one faculty mentorship program. All first-year Gustavus students are paired with a faculty advisor for expert one-on-one support as they begin their college career. After their first semester in school students can select their own advisor, choosing a nursing faculty mentor for targeted guidance from an experienced nursing professional.
- Alumni mentorship program. For additional perspective, advice, and networking, you can opt into the Gustavus Mentoring Program. Seek out potential mentors through the Gusties Connect online networking program, then meet one on one with a Gustavus alumni mentor to learn about their college experience, school successes and mistakes, and transition from college to professional practice. Share your college struggles, ask questions, and expand the horizons of what’s possible as you chart your personal path forward in the field of health care.
- Writing Center. Our rigorous liberal arts program means you will be doing a lot of writing in your time as a nursing student, and our Writing Center is dedicated to helping you practice and hone your writing skills with one-on-one review and feedback sessions, in person or online.
- Peer Academic & Accessibility Coach program. We even have a program for students to help other students. PAA coaches are Gustavus students from various academic programs who are trained to support fellow students with essential college skills such as time management, study habits, and academic program planning.
- Health services program. As part of our commitment to holistic wellbeing, we provide all students with physical and mental health services, including counseling and sexual health resources.
Each nursing student and each college experience is different, so a broad web of support programs ensures you find the faculty, staff, peers, and alumni that sync up with your unique personality, challenges, and educational goals.
3. Liberal arts
A cross-disciplinary nursing school program means well-rounded nurses.
Most nursing programs, whether at a private college or state university, offer a BSN, or bachelor of science in nursing degree. At Gustavus our students earn a BSN in line with the values of our school’s Challenge Curriculum. Courses are designed to produce lifelong learners, deep critical thinkers, and engaged global citizens. As a private liberal arts college, we are invested in our students reaching their full potential as nurses and as human beings.
As an aspiring nurse you might wonder, does a BSN deliver the practical clinical education required to be a successful registered nurse or gain admission to an MSN program for advanced practice? Absolutely. typically the graduating has a 100% RN job placement rate within 9 months of program completion, and each year around 90% of our nursing college students pass the NCLEX exam to become registered nurses on their first try.
So what does an RN education look like inside a liberal arts degree program? In the first two years of college, nursing school students explore a broad range of foundational and elective courses that may include subjects such as philosophy, literature, history, cultural studies, and fine arts. Your junior and senior years in the program will focus on nursing classes, including experiential clinical education in our state-of-the-art health science facilities..
By studying across the curriculum and fine-tuning their communication skills, our students gain a holistic college education that cultivates cross-disciplinary thinking and habits of mind that are critical to the success of future nurses and other professionals alike.
4. Experiential learning
Explore the exciting world of college outside the classroom.
Experiential learning is built into the Gustavus school of nursing, with all students in the program completing hands-on science lab and simulation training as part of their nursing degree requirement. Our college curriculum also offers a diverse collection of optional experiential learning programs inside and outside the school of nursing:
- Study-away programs. Half of all Gustavus students participate in a study-away program during their college career, with options ranging from full-semester international college exchange programs to summer term travel programs. Programs include destinations from Africa to Sweden, and the Center for International and Cultural Education has over 60 years of experience running study-away programs with a vast network of partners across the globe.
- Summer student nurse internship program. We strongly encourage future nurses to use the summer after their junior year to gain valuable clinical nursing experience in a nurse internship program with one of our local healthcare partners.
- Alaska clinical immersion program. Nursing seniors have the opportunity to take part in a special 4-week clinical immersion program in Fairbanks, AK for on-the-ground experience in public health education.
- Collaborative research program. Students in the school of nursing can delve into nursing science with collaborative research, working together with nursing faculty to create, execute, write up, and present original research projects.
5. Tuition assistance
We believe private nursing schools should be financially accessible.
Health care is a steadily growing professional field, and the demand for skilled nurses remains high. Entry-level RN jobs for nurses with a 4-year college degree deliver a solid middle-class salary, and registered nurses with an MSN or advanced clinical training often make six figures. Still, a private college education is a substantial investment in tuition and fees up front, and we know that many excellent prospective students do not have the resources to finance a 4-year nursing program.
We want to make a private liberal arts education more widely accessible, which is why Minnesota students with a family income of less than $80,000/year receive their first year’s college tuition free. Additionally, Gustavus disburses over $60 million in institutional financial aid to students annually and is ranked the top private school in Minnesota for financial support of low income students. If the cost of a private nursing school education feels out of reach, contact our Financial Aid Office to discuss scholarships, loans, grants, payment plans, and how we can help you get the tuition assistance you need to graduate from our nursing program.
6. Campus life
We’re not just a college; we’re a community.
As a private liberal arts school, we take education seriously. And we believe that educating the whole person means fostering a vibrant, supportive school community that studies, lives, explores, and has fun together. Here are just a few of the ways you’re invited to build community in your years at Gustavus:
- Choose from 120+ student organizations with something for everyone, from chess to fly fishing to anime to foreign languages to social justice initiatives. Don’t forget to check out the Gustavus Student Nursing Association!
- Try out for one of our 23 Division III varsity sports teams – or just show up and cheer them on with your friends.
- Attend theater shows, dance performances, music concerts, and art exhibits hosted throughout the school year by the fine arts and performing arts departments – or get involved and be part of the program!
- Connect spiritually through Christ Chapel or the Bonnier Multifaith Center. Meet fellow students who share your faith and forge interfaith connections that broaden and enrich your cultural landscape.
This is just a quick taste of student life at Gustavus. Student government, Greek life, community engagement programs, the student newspaper, and a seasonal schedule of all-school events mean you’ll never be short on ways to connect and build relationships. Feeling the energy to help launch a new initiative? We’re always open to student ideas!
7. Saint Peter, Minnesota
Our nursing school location is pretty much unbeatable.
You’ll undoubtedly spend a good deal of time on campus with your nursing cohort, roommates, and other fellow Gusties. But Gustavus is also perfectly positioned for countless off-campus adventures. Our school grounds occupy 340 acres in the cozy college town of Saint Peter, just 10 minutes from the mid-sized city of Mankato and an hour from the largest metropolitan center in the state, the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.
This means our students get the best of all worlds:
- Peaceful small town life. Grab fresh coffee and pastries, stop for Mexican food, visit the local microbrewery run by Gustie graduates, and fall in love with the welcoming small town of Saint Peter. Clear your head with a stroll through the beautiful 125-acre campus arboretum, and keep an eye out for local arts and music festivals.
- Mid-sized city culture. Go over to Makato to shop used books, records, or comic books, and catch a show at the Vetter Stone Amphitheatre or Mankato Civic Center. Mankato has everything from quirky hole-in-the-wall shops to big box stores, and if the Saint Peter festival scene isn’t enough for you, Mankato’s got your back with RibFest, Art Splash, and more.
- Big city adventures. Take a day trip to the Twin Cities to experience everything big city life has to offer. Visit the animals at the Como Zoo and Conservatory, sculpture garden, or catch a baseball game at Target Field. Parks, museums, theaters, historic landmarks, one-time events: the options for exploration are virtually endless.
- The wild outdoors. Our campus is nestled in the beautiful Minnesota River Valley, a perfect setting for nature lovers and outdoor sports enthusiasts. Hike through the woods at the nearby state park, kayak down the river with friends, or “rent” a bike free of charge from the Gusties on the Go Bike Program and explore Mankato’s 40 miles of scenic bike trails.
To get more involved in the Saint Peter community, check out the Community Engagement Center’s service programs. Through local partnerships Gustavus students mentor kids with special needs, visit the elderly in nursing homes, walk and socialize shelter dogs, build houses with Habitat for Humanity, and more.
8. Gustavus values
Make your life count: as a student, a nurse, and a global citizen.
What unites all the programs and experiences we’ve listed above? The Gustavus commitment to our five core values: excellence, community, justice, service, and faith. As a small private school we stay grounded in these commitments, consciously co-creating an environment that promotes human dignity, respectful discourse, and mutual thriving. Our private liberal arts program is designed from the ground up to foster the individual passions of our students to make their lives count.
As a future professional in the field of health care, your daily clinical work will involve serving people at their most vulnerable. As their nurse you are also their advocate, responsible for ensuring they receive expert care by communicating effectively with them and for them. You will be coordinating and prioritizing numerous tasks, finding creative solutions to rising issues, and navigating a complex system of interdependent job roles and personalities. We believe every piece of your college education should be preparing you to reach your full potential as a nurse, instilling expert knowledge as well as integrity, passion, and a deep personal sense of purpose.
The skills, habits, ethics, and lifelong relationships that are formed during our students’ college years shape them for deeply fulfilling lives of leadership in service to the greater good. If this sounds like the college community you’ve been looking for, we hope you’ll visit and get to know us better!
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