How to Become a Registered Nurse (RN) in Washington

Registered nurses in Washington are some of the best-paid in the country, and the state needs thousands of new RNs every year. Most people start at a community or technical college with an associate degree in nursing (ADN), which takes about two years once you’re admitted. Getting admitted is the hard part. Here is how the process works, what it costs, what RNs earn and where to apply.

Quick answer

• Time: about two years (six quarters) of nursing courses for an ADN, after one to two years of prerequisites. A BSN at a university takes about four years.
• License: graduate from a nursing program approved by the Washington State Board of Nursing, then pass the NCLEX-RN.
• Cost of the license: $138 for a single-state license or $203 for a multistate license, plus the NCLEX registration fee paid to Pearson VUE.
• Pay: Washington RNs earned a median of $124,200 a year (about $59.71 an hour), compared with $97,550 nationally.
• Timing: each college opens applications for a few weeks a year, at different times. Check our Washington Nursing School Application Tracker.

What registered nurses do

RNs assess patients, plan and manage their care, give medications and treatments, run and read monitoring equipment, teach patients and families, and supervise LPNs and nursing assistants. They work in hospitals, clinics, surgery centers, long-term care, home health, schools, public health and many other settings.

Your paths to becoming an RN in Washington

Path	Where	Time in the nursing program
Associate degree in nursing (ADN)	Community and technical colleges	About 2 years after prerequisites
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)	Universities and some colleges	About 4 years total
LPN to RN bridge	Community and technical colleges	About 3 to 5 quarters for licensed LPNs
LPN to BSN	Green River, Columbia Basin, Olympic (veterans and LPNs)	Varies by college

Most Washington ADN programs are a transfer degree (the Associate in Nursing DTA/MRP). That means you can pass the NCLEX, start working as an RN and later finish a BSN, often online or at a community college that offers an RN-to-BSN. Some employers prefer a BSN for certain roles, so it helps to plan that step from the start.

ADN or BSN?

An ADN is the faster, cheaper way to get licensed and start earning. A BSN takes longer but opens more doors for leadership, public health and graduate school. Both take the same NCLEX-RN and lead to the same RN license.

Washington RN license requirements

1. Graduate from a nursing program approved by the Washington State Board of Nursing (or an equivalent out-of-state program).
2. Apply for your RN license with the Board of Nursing, part of the Department of Health.
3. Register for the NCLEX-RN with Pearson VUE and wait for your authorization to test.
4. Pass the NCLEX-RN. After four failed attempts, Washington requires an approved NCLEX prep course before you test again.

License fees

Fee	RN
Initial license, single-state	$138
Initial license, multistate	$203
Renewal, single-state	$138
Renewal, multistate	$158

Source: Washington State Board of Nursing license fees. The NCLEX registration fee is paid separately to Pearson VUE.

Washington is part of the Nurse Licensure Compact. If Washington is your primary state of residence, a multistate license lets you work in other compact states. Oregon is not a compact state, so Portland-area jobs still need an Oregon license.

How to get into a Washington RN program

Nearly every Washington ADN program is competitive and ranks applicants by points. What earns points differs by college, but these are the big ones:

• Prerequisite grades. Expect courses like anatomy and physiology I and II, microbiology, chemistry, English composition, psychology, math or statistics and nutrition. Science grades usually count the most.
• Entrance test. Many programs use the ATI TEAS. Bellevue College awards points for 70% in each content area, Shoreline Community College wants 70% in each section, Seattle Central asks for 75% overall and Spokane Community College sets 65%. Others skip it: South Puget Sound and Bellingham Technical College don’t use the TEAS, Walla Walla dropped it starting in 2026, and Clark College uses a video assessment instead.
• Healthcare experience. Working as a CNA, medical assistant, EMT or similar can add points at some schools.
• Info sessions. A few programs, such as Highline College and Peninsula College, give points for attending an info session.
• More than one application. Apply everywhere you can realistically attend. Windows run from late fall to early summer, so plan them on our nursing application tracker.

Where to train: Washington ADN programs

These public colleges offer a pre-licensure RN program (ADN), listed alphabetically. Several also offer part-time, evening or weekend options.

• Bellevue College (Bellevue): full-time and part-time
• Bellingham Technical College (Bellingham): full-time and part-time
• Big Bend Community College (Moses Lake)
• Centralia College (Centralia)
• Clark College (Vancouver, at WSU Vancouver): three entry points a year
• Columbia Basin College (Pasco)
• Everett Community College (Everett)
• Grays Harbor College (Aberdeen)
• Highline College (Des Moines)
• Lake Washington Institute of Technology (Kirkland)
• Lower Columbia College (Longview): two cycles a year
• Olympic College (Bremerton)
• Peninsula College (Port Angeles)
• Pierce College (Puyallup): traditional and evening/weekend
• Renton Technical College (Renton)
• Seattle Central College (Seattle Colleges, with classes at North and South Seattle too)
• Shoreline Community College (Shoreline): full-time and part-time
• Skagit Valley College (Mount Vernon and Whidbey Island)
• South Puget Sound Community College (Olympia): daytime and evening/weekend
• Spokane Community College (Spokane)
• Tacoma Community College (Tacoma)
• Walla Walla Community College (Walla Walla and Clarkston)
• Wenatchee Valley College (Wenatchee and Omak)
• Whatcom Community College (Bellingham)
• Yakima Valley College (Yakima)

Already an LPN? Bridge programs are offered at Bellingham Technical College, Centralia College, Clover Park Technical College, Edmonds College, Lower Columbia College, Olympic College, Pierce College, Shoreline Community College, Skagit Valley College, Tacoma Community College and Walla Walla Community College, with LPN-to-BSN options at Columbia Basin College, Green River College and Olympic College. New to nursing? Read how to become an LPN in Washington.

See which Washington nursing programs are accepting applications right now: Washington Nursing School Application Tracker

How much RNs make in Washington

Washington RNs earned a median of $124,200 in May 2025, about 27% more than the national median of $97,550. The Portland–Vancouver and Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue areas paid the most.

Area	Median pay (May 2025)	Hourly
United States	$97,550	$46.90
Washington	$124,200	$59.71
Portland–Vancouver–Hillsboro (OR-WA)	$130,310	$62.65
Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue	$128,260	$61.66
Olympia–Lacey–Tumwater	$125,020	$60.11
Walla Walla	$116,970	$56.24
Wenatchee	$112,280	$53.98
Spokane–Spokane Valley	$111,750	$53.73
Kennewick–Richland	$106,410	$51.16
Yakima	$102,950	$49.50

Source: O*NET OnLine, BLS OEWS May 2025.

Job outlook in Washington

Washington had about 65,030 RNs in 2024, and employment is projected to grow 18% to about 76,400 by 2034. That means about 5,800 openings a year. Nationally, RN employment is projected to grow about 6%.

Step-by-step: how to become an RN in Washington

1. Choose the ADN programs you could attend and print their prerequisite and points lists.
2. Finish your prerequisites, focusing on strong science grades.
3. Take the TEAS or other entrance test if your programs use one.
4. Get healthcare experience if you can, such as working as a CNA.
5. Apply during each program’s window. Track them on our nursing application tracker.
6. Complete the program, including clinical rotations.
7. Apply for your license with the Washington State Board of Nursing and pass the NCLEX-RN.
8. Consider an RN-to-BSN once you’re working.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to become an RN in Washington?

Plan on about three years for an ADN: roughly one year of prerequisites and two years in the nursing program. A BSN takes about four years.

How competitive are Washington nursing programs?

Very. Most programs get more qualified applicants than seats and rank them by points, so strong prerequisite grades and applying to several colleges matter.

Can I apply to more than one nursing program?

Yes, and you should. Each college runs its own application, and the windows fall at different times of the year.

Do I need the TEAS?

It depends on the college. Many use it, but South Puget Sound, Bellingham Technical College, Walla Walla and several others don’t, and Clark College uses a video assessment.

How much does the Washington RN license cost?

$138 for a single-state license or $203 for a multistate license, plus the NCLEX registration fee paid to Pearson VUE.

Can I become an RN if I’m already an LPN?

Yes. LPN-to-RN bridge programs give you credit for your practical nursing training and usually take three to five quarters.

Sources

• Washington State Board of Nursing: License fees
• Washington State Board of Nursing: Licensing by exam
• NCSBN: Washington and the Nurse Licensure Compact
• O*NET OnLine: RN wages in Washington (BLS OEWS May 2025)
• O*NET OnLine: RN projections in Washington
• BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Registered Nurses