Dakota Wesleyan University

Dakota Wesleyan University provides a rigorous and highly personalized nursing education. The traditional BSN on the Mitchell campus is a four-year, campus-based program that emphasizes early clinical immersion and leadership development. For those entering the field more quickly, DWU launched a 24-month Associate of Science (A.S.) in Nursing in both Sioux Falls and Rapid City (starting August 2025), designed as a hybrid model to provide flexibility for students while maintaining high clinical standards. Additionally, the university offers a 100% online RN-to-BSN for working nurses, which can be completed in as little as 12 months using 7-week modules. The curriculum is built around four "spheres of care": disease prevention, chronic disease care, regenerative care, and hospice/supportive care.

The program’s clinical heartbeat is the Glenda K. Corrigan Health Sciences Center in Mitchell, which features four advanced Simulation Labs. These labs are equipped with high-fidelity manikins that allow students to practice life-saving skills—such as stabilizing a stroke patient or assisting in childbirth—in a "safe" environment before entering clinical rotations. DWU maintains strong partnerships with major regional providers, including Avera Queen of Peace, Sanford Health, and Huron Regional Medical Center. Because the student body is purposefully small, nursing students benefit from intimate clinical ratios and direct mentorship from faculty who often have decades of specialized experience in areas like NICU and Emergency Medicine.

Compared to other South Dakota institutions, DWU is distinguished by its holistic admission process and its LPN-to-BSN pathway, which grants 30 transfer credits to Licensed Practical Nurses. Admission to the nursing major is competitive, typically requiring a 3.0 cumulative GPA for priority admission and successful completion of the TEAS entrance exam. The university's commitment to quality is underscored by its recent candidacy for ACEN accreditation for the new A.S. program and its 100% job placement record for BSN graduates over the last several years.