Mount Carmel College of Nursing

About Mount Carmel College of Nursing

Mount Carmel began as a nursing school founded by the Sisters of the Holy Cross in 1903. It became a baccalaureate degree-granting institution in 1990, introduced graduate education in 2003 and added its Doctor of Nursing Practice program in 2015. That progression explains its present identity: a small, specialized college focused on professional nursing education rather than a university offering a broad range of majors. The college is owned by and affiliated with Mount Carmel Health System, part of Trinity Health. This relationship shapes its healthcare-centered environment, but MCCN remains separately recognized as a higher-education institution. The Higher Learning Commission provides institutional accreditation, while the Ohio Department of Higher Education authorizes the BSN, MS and DNP awards. Its baccalaureate, master’s, post-master’s certificate and DNP nursing programs also hold specialized accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. For prospective students, the main decision is whether MCCN’s narrow professional focus fits their goals. Students seeking nursing education can choose among entry-to-practice, degree-completion, accelerated and advanced graduate routes. Those wanting extensive non-nursing majors, a large residential university environment or broad elective choice should recognize that this is not MCCN’s model. The institution is Catholic in heritage and mission, but its published student information describes a community open to people from varied backgrounds and beliefs.

Admissions requirements depend on the applicant’s nursing background and intended credential. For the traditional BSN, MCCN accepts first-year and transfer applicants. Published criteria require high-school graduation or a GED, specified college-preparatory work completed with grades of C or better, and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 for direct acceptance or 2.75–2.99 for provisional acceptance. The traditional program is test-optional. Applicants with education completed abroad must follow the college’s credential-evaluation rules. The current application page lists June 1 for fall and November 1 for spring entry to the traditional BSN and Second Degree Accelerated Program. The accelerated route additionally requires a previously earned bachelor’s degree. RN-to-BSN applicants must hold an RN license; its published deadlines vary by entry session. Master’s and DNP applications currently list June 1 for fall and November 1 for spring, while certificate deadlines vary by term. Applicants should confirm the relevant deadline before applying because the page does not label these dates with a specific admission year. Master’s applicants generally need an accredited US baccalaureate nursing degree, a 3.0 cumulative GPA, an unencumbered RN license, a résumé, two recommendations and a faculty interview. Additional clinical and state-authorization conditions apply. MCCN does not issue Form I-20 and therefore cannot enroll applicants who require the institution to sponsor I-20 student status; it may consider international applicants who do not require that documentation.

Undergraduate study includes a traditional BSN for students without previous nursing experience, an online RN-to-BSN completion route for licensed registered nurses, and a Second Degree Accelerated Program for applicants who already possess a bachelor’s degree. The accelerated option is offered in 13- and 18-month formats. The traditional curriculum begins with general education and then combines nursing theory with laboratory and clinical learning in acute-care and community settings. Graduates of the prelicensure BSN routes are prepared to seek eligibility for the NCLEX-RN; completion of a program does not itself confer RN licensure. At graduate level, MCCN lists online master’s tracks in Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, Nursing Leadership–Clinical Operations, Nursing Education and Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. The college also offers an online Doctor of Nursing Practice and post-graduate certificate options. Because advanced-practice programs involve clinical experiences, availability can depend on the student’s state of residence, professional board rules and the ability to secure an appropriate clinical site and preceptor. The academic environment is professionally concentrated. MCCN’s published campus information identifies a health sciences library, computer laboratory, learning laboratories, classrooms and meeting spaces. This structure may suit students who want nursing to frame most of their college experience. Applicants should examine the current catalog and plan of study for their exact route, especially prerequisites, clinical scheduling, state authorization and whether courses are campus-based, hybrid or online.

Key Highlights

• Founded as a nursing school in 1903 and authorized today to grant BSN, MS and DNP degrees.
• Institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
• Owned by and affiliated with Mount Carmel Health System, a member of Trinity Health.
• Specialized almost entirely around nursing preparation and professional advancement.

Student Life & Environment

Student life at MCCN is built around a relatively focused community of nursing students rather than a large residential-university system. Published involvement options include Student Senate, the Student Nurse Association of Mount Carmel and Men in Nursing, and students may join an existing organization or explore forming a new one. Academic calendars, student handbooks, library services and campus support resources are organized through the student portal and college offices. Support services listed by the college include counseling, accessibility services, a Student Success Center, a care team and safety resources. Students may bring cars, and the college states that they are responsible for transportation to clinical sites beginning in the sophomore year. Designated campus parking is free, and the campus is also on a public bus route. These transportation requirements deserve attention because clinical learning may occur away from the main instructional building. Current housing information differs from older MCCN materials. The college now directs students to a housing partnership with Ohio Dominican University, approximately a ten-minute drive from MCCN and connected through Columbus public transit. Residents there may use ODU dining, recreation, wellness and student-life programs. Applicants should contact ODU Residence Life for current availability, contracts and charges rather than relying on historic descriptions of MCCN-owned apartment-style residences.

Location & Surroundings

MCCN’s main campus is at 127 South Davis Avenue in Columbus. The college identifies the setting as the historic Franklinton neighborhood, west of central Columbus. Its specialized campus contains classrooms, faculty and staff offices, student gathering space and nursing-oriented learning facilities rather than the extensive amenities of a large comprehensive university. Columbus is Ohio’s state capital and a major metropolitan area, giving nursing students access to a broad healthcare environment. MCCN’s relationship with Mount Carmel Health System is an important part of its local context, although applicants should not assume that every class, clinical placement or eventual job will be located at one Mount Carmel facility. The traditional BSN describes clinical education in both acute-care hospitals and community-based settings. Daily mobility is a practical consideration. The college permits student cars and offers designated free parking, but students are expected to provide their own transportation to clinical sites from the sophomore year. A city bus line serves MCCN, and the current partner housing at Ohio Dominican University is described as about a ten-minute drive away and accessible through the COTA transit system.

Costs & Career Outcomes

For 2026–2027, MCCN publishes tuition by credit hour rather than one universal annual price. The listed rate is $979 per credit for the traditional prelicensure undergraduate program, $716 for the Second Degree Accelerated Program, $345 for RN-to-BSN study, $1,009 for master’s and post-graduate certificate coursework, and $1,128 for DNP coursework. The page also warns that books, transportation, meals, uniforms and clinical-compliance expenses such as immunizations, drug screening and background checks are the student’s responsibility. A student’s actual bill therefore depends on program, credit load and required clinical expenses. MCCN uses the FAFSA to assess federal, state and institutional aid eligibility. For 2026–2027, its financial-aid page advises applicants to file as soon as possible and gives March 15 as the priority date; the federal school code is 030719. Full-time traditional undergraduates may be considered automatically for institutional merit scholarships when admitted. Students should use their individual aid notification and current program plan rather than the older $11,675 database tuition value, which does not match the college’s 2026–2027 program-specific pricing structure. Career preparation is tightly connected to professional nursing. Prelicensure graduates must still meet applicable board requirements and pass the NCLEX-RN to become registered nurses. Graduate students should verify whether their program, clinical placement and certification plan satisfy rules in the state where they intend to practice. MCCN promotes employment outcomes on its website, but the prominently displayed 100% figure refers to 2021 graduates, so it should not be treated as a current 2026 placement rate.