Add UW Seattle as the high-value reach and Seattle Pacific as the strongest realistic private alternative. UW's traditional BSN does not require a prior bachelor's — only its accelerated program does — and resident tuition is a fraction of every private option. A newly state-approved PLU Auburn ABSN could become the best accelerated commute, but PLU has not yet published Auburn admissions or cohort details. Northwest is viable if its faith-based curriculum fits. Seattle University is technically open but difficult to justify at its price and after a 72.8% first-time NCLEX result in 2025.
UW, Seattle Pacific, Seattle University, and PLU's existing ABSN rule all converge on roughly 90 quarter credits before enrollment. Her projected 60+ after Fall 2026 leaves an estimated 30-credit gap. GPA and CNA experience are strengths; the sequencing problem is finishing enough total credit and each school's science prerequisites by Summer 2027. Do not fill the gap with random electives until every transcript has been audited — organic chemistry/biochemistry is the most likely course to separate the viable applications.
| Program | Admission fit | Main gate | Current deadline | Published cost signal | 2025 NCLEX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UW Seattle | Reach worth taking — strong GPA and CNA hours; highly competitive | 90 quarter credits + detailed science distribution | Jan 15, 2027 nursing | ~$26.8k resident tuition / 2 academic years | 85.43% |
| Seattle Pacific | Realistic private application — 3.85 matches recent 3.8 accepted average | 90 credits/DTA + 3.5 prereq GPA | Jan 15, 2027 | ~$45.3k tuition after current GPA scholarship, plus nursing fees | 85.57% |
| PLU Auburn ABSN | Potentially strong — but no Auburn application is public yet | Confirm the site is accepting 2027 cohorts and whether standard ABSN rules apply | Not published | Likely ~$74k with fees if Lynnwood pricing applies | 86.04% PLU combined |
| Northwest | Possible, but transfers are reviewed after current NU students | 59 semester credits + theology/elective rules | Jan 31 | ~$58k tuition/fees after current GPA scholarship | 86.49% |
| Seattle University | Eligible, but poor value unless aid is exceptional | 90 credits + 7 of 10 prerequisites by application fall | Dec 1, 2026 | ~$129k tuition before scholarships and added fees | 72.78% |
Campus-only commute planning from Lacey: Auburn is roughly 40–45 road miles; the three Seattle campuses roughly 60–67; Kirkland roughly 72–78 and therefore at the outer edge. Ordinary weekday traffic can turn the Seattle/Kirkland trips into 70–120+ minutes. More importantly, none of these schools guarantees that clinical placements will be near campus — the clinical drive can be better or worse than the classroom drive.
The regular UW BSN is a two-year junior-entry program and does not require a previous bachelor's degree. That corrects the most consequential omission in the first search: UW's accelerated BSN is closed to her because it requires a bachelor's, but the traditional BSN is not. She needs 90 quarter credits by the time she starts, every prerequisite at C or better, and the required natural-science combination. Her 3.85 is strong, and her two years of CNA work comfortably clear UW's 100-hour hands-on healthcare requirement, provided at least 100 hours are documented in one setting within the specified recent window. No TEAS is required.
| When | What |
|---|---|
| Nov 2026 | Nursing application opens; confirm the exact date when UW rolls the cycle |
| Jan 15, 2027 | School of Nursing deadline for Fall 2027 |
| Feb 28, 2027 | Current published UW transfer-admission deadline — verify for the 2027 cycle |
| Apr 2027 | Expected nursing decision window |
| Fall 2027 | Start six-quarter, full-time BSN |
| ~Jun 2029 | Graduate and sit the Washington NCLEX |
Six full-time quarters over two academic years, with more than 600 patient-care hours. UW names UW Medical Center, Harborview, Seattle Children's, and Virginia Mason among its clinical environments. That network is excellent, but from Lacey it also means early-morning travel into Seattle and no assumption that campus parking solves the clinical commute. UW arranges the placements. The program is not designed around maintaining a normal work schedule; ask current students what level of per-diem CNA work has actually been sustainable.
| Year | NCLEX first-attempt (WA Board of Nursing) | Test takers |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 86.52% | 141 |
| 2022 | 78.72% | 141 |
| 2023 | 90.91% | 143 |
| 2024 | 93.03% | 201 |
| 2025 | 85.43% | 199 |
The 2025 result fell from 2024 but was not an isolated collapse — several Washington BSN programs also dropped that year. The five-year range is the more useful signal than a single cohort. UW Seattle is state-approved and nationally accredited.
Published 2026–27 resident tuition is approximately $13,406 per academic year, or about $26,812 across two years before nursing supplies, transportation, and future tuition increases. She can still use federal and Washington aid if eligible. Even without grant aid, the tuition gap versus the private universities is large enough that UW belongs in the portfolio despite uncertain admission.
SPU's two-year transfer BSN is the strongest new private-school candidate. She needs a DTA associate degree or 90 transferable quarter credits before entering nursing, a 3.5 prerequisite GPA, and C or better in every prerequisite. At least four prerequisites must be complete when she applies, including two sciences. The school reports a 3.8 average GPA for accepted 2026–27 transfer/post-baccalaureate students; her 3.85 is on target, though the program is still selective and publishes no acceptance rate.
The nine prerequisites are general psychology, lifespan psychology, general chemistry with lab, organic chemistry or biochemistry with lab, statistics, nutrition, A&P I and II, and microbiology. All must be complete by July 1 before entry. SPU accepts one application for two 40-student cohorts: Autumn and Winter placement is randomized, although an applicant may request the later Winter start.
| When | What |
|---|---|
| Nov 15, 2026 | Transfer BSN application opens |
| Jan 15, 2027, 9 p.m. | Deadline for Autumn 2027 / Winter 2028 consideration |
| by Jul 1, 2027 | All prerequisites and the 90-credit/DTA requirement must be complete |
| Autumn 2027 or Winter 2028 | Start six-quarter nursing sequence |
| ~Jun or Dec 2029 | Graduate, depending on assigned cohort |
Six full-time quarters over two years, with approximately 720 clinical hours beginning in the first quarter. SPU cites more than 150 clinical partners across metropolitan Seattle, including UW, Harborview, Swedish, Seattle Children's, Evergreen, and Valley Medical. That breadth is a training advantage and a commute risk: an assigned clinical could be in Seattle, the Eastside, or South King County. Transportation is the student's responsibility.
| Year | NCLEX first-attempt (WA Board of Nursing) | Test takers |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 89.71% | 68 |
| 2022 | 77.42% | 93 |
| 2023 | 79.52% | 83 |
| 2024 | 86.08% | 79 |
| 2025 | 85.57% | 97 |
Published 2026–27 tuition is $45,648 per year. At her GPA, the current transfer scholarship table shows $23,000 per year, reducing two years of tuition from $91,296 to about $45,296 before need-based aid. Add roughly $2,400 of clinical course fees, $1,200 of lab fees, the Falcon Advantage book/materials charge, testing and compliance costs, background check, uniforms, and parking. A planning number around $50k before need grants is reasonable; only a written aid letter makes it real.
The Washington Board of Nursing's April 2026 list includes a separately approved Pacific Lutheran University Auburn ABSN at 1002 15th Street SW, Auburn, with a CCNE accreditation mark and no conditional-approval warning. That is the strongest geographic finding in the wider search: Auburn is materially closer to Lacey than Lynnwood and avoids crossing central Seattle before every lab day.
PLU's public ABSN admissions site still directs applicants to Lynnwood and does not publish an Auburn application, cohort dates, labs, clinical geography, or pricing. State approval means PLU is authorized to operate the program; it does not prove that a 2027 cohort is open. Every detail below is the existing PLU ABSN rule used as a planning assumption, not a verified promise about Auburn.
Washington reports all PLU BSN graduates together rather than separating Tacoma, Lynnwood, and any future Auburn cohort. The combined first-time NCLEX result was 78.03% in 2023, 93.51% in 2024, and 86.04% in 2025. Auburn has no site-specific graduate outcomes yet.
Northwest's prelicensure BSN in Kirkland is a legitimate two-year transfer route with no prior bachelor's requirement, but it is the outer-edge commute and the most institutionally specific fit. The curriculum explicitly integrates Christian ministry, transfer students still complete Bible/theology requirements, and the nursing sequence includes a required cross-cultural "Nursing Practice as Ministry" experience. External transfer candidates are considered only after qualified current Northwest students.
The prerequisite/general-education grid totals roughly 59 semester credits. The nursing prerequisite GPA must be at least 3.0, with at least 2.7 in each core course. Transfer students with 44+ credits still need three Bible/theology courses and three electives; DTA associate holders still need two Bible/theology courses plus six elective credits. Northwest says no more than six prerequisites may remain at the January 31 deadline "including one core course" — wording that must be clarified before building a schedule around it.
| When | What |
|---|---|
| Jan 31 | Nursing application deadline |
| Mar | Selected applicants complete an asynchronous video interview |
| early Apr | Admission decisions expected |
| Fall | Start four-semester nursing sequence |
| ~May 2029 | Graduate if starting Fall 2027 |
Four semesters over two academic years, with clinical practice in every semester. Students are responsible for transportation, and placements may be farther from Lacey than the Kirkland campus. The required cross-cultural ministry experience also carries a substantial separate fee. This is not a generic private BSN with a few religion credits added; the faith integration is a core part of the program and should be evaluated as a fit decision.
| Year | NCLEX first-attempt (WA Board of Nursing) | Test takers |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 95.56% | 45 |
| 2022 | 82.50% | 40 |
| 2023 | 95.35% | 43 |
| 2024 | 97.22% | 36 |
| 2025 | 86.49% | 37 |
Published 2026–27 tuition is $35,999 per year. The current transfer scholarship for a 3.6+ GPA is $13,000 per year, bringing two years of tuition to approximately $45,998. Published nursing-specific charges total roughly another $12,435 — including the cross-cultural ministry experience, ATI testing, practicum, and ExamSoft — for a planning total near $58k before books, transportation, and need aid. Confirm every fee for the 2027 cohort because the nursing-fee sheet may change.
Seattle University's junior-transfer BSN does not require a prior bachelor's and does not ask for the TEAS, recommendation letters, or CNA experience. Her CNA work can still appear in the activity log. The published academic floors are low — 2.0 cumulative and prerequisite GPAs, C or better in every prerequisite — so her grades are not the concern. The concern is paying a premium price for a program whose 2025 first-time NCLEX result fell to 72.78%.
She needs 90 quarter credits, 60 semester credits, or an associate/bachelor's degree by the summer before entry. Ten prerequisites cover A&P I and II, microbiology, introductory chemistry, introductory biology, general psychology, lifespan development, college algebra, statistics, and nutrition. Seven of ten must be finished by the end of the application fall, including at least one of A&P I/A&P II/microbiology and either statistics or algebra. All ten must be complete by the end of Spring 2027.
| When | What |
|---|---|
| Aug 2026 | Transfer nursing application opens |
| Dec 1, 2026 | Application deadline |
| Jan 5, 2027 | Updated Fall grades due |
| mid-Mar 2027 | Admission decision expected |
| Jul 1, 2027 | Final transcripts documenting all prerequisites due |
| Fall 2027 | Start the single annual transfer cohort |
| Summer 2029 | Finish final synthesis/transition/practicum term |
The transfer plan covers two academic years plus a final 13-credit summer practicum term. SeattleU cites Harborview, UW Medical Center, VA Puget Sound, Overlake, Evergreen, Seattle Children's, Swedish campuses, and Virginia Mason among clinical partners. As with SPU, the large network means a placement can land in Seattle or on the Eastside; geography is not guaranteed.
| Year | NCLEX first-attempt (WA Board of Nursing) | Test takers |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 83.55% | 152 |
| 2022 | 75.00% | 168 |
| 2023 | 86.55% | 171 |
| 2024 | 90.91% | 176 |
| 2025 | 72.78% | 180 |
A one-year result should not decide a school by itself, but 131 passes among 180 first-time testers is a material due-diligence flag — especially at this price. Ask whether the 2025 result was concentrated in a particular curriculum transition or cohort, what remediation followed, and what the school's internal 2026 trend shows.
Published 2026–27 tuition is $59,400 per academic year. Two academic years cost $118,800; the final 13-credit summer at the current $792/credit rate adds about $10,296, making tuition alone roughly $129,096 before annual increases. Add the $490-per-quarter nursing program fee and general fees. Transfer students receive automatic merit consideration, with currently published awards of at least $8,000 per year, but SeattleU does not publish a guaranteed 3.85 award large enough to close the gap. Washington College Grant support for private nonprofits is also being reduced beginning Fall 2026, so old aid examples are not reliable for a new 2027 student.
PLU Tacoma would be one of the best commutes after Saint Martin's, but the school says its 2026–27 traditional transfer nursing cohorts are at capacity and that information for 2027–28 will be available by September 2026. Put a calendar reminder on September 1 and do not assume the closure continues. If transfer seats reopen, compare its traditional timeline, aid, and prerequisites directly against Saint Martin's and SPU.
| When | Action |
|---|---|
| Now | Send one transcript/course list to UW, SPU, SeattleU, and Northwest for four separate audits. Calculate exact quarter-to-semester credits. Call PLU about Auburn before treating it as real. |
| Aug 2026 | SeattleU application opens. Saint Martin's application should also open — continue the original three-program plan. |
| Sep 2026 | Recheck PLU Tacoma's 2027–28 transfer status. Lock Winter/Spring/Summer classes around overlapping prerequisites, not generic credit accumulation. |
| Nov 15, 2026 | SPU application opens. UW nursing application is expected in November. |
| Dec 1, 2026 | SeattleU deadline; submit only if the financial case is still plausible. |
| Jan 15, 2027 | UW nursing and SPU deadlines. |
| Jan 31, 2027 | Northwest deadline, if faith fit and transcript audit both clear. |
| by Feb 1, 2027 | Saint Martin's deadline under the conservative date from the original page. |
| Feb 28, 2027 | Current UW transfer-admission deadline; verify the 2027 date. |
| Spring–Summer 2027 | Reach 90 quarter credits and complete every admitted school's final prerequisites. Do not drop backup applications until a seat and usable aid letter are in hand. |
Apply to Saint Martin's, UW, and SPU; call PLU now to find out whether Auburn is real for 2027; recheck PLU Tacoma in September; treat Northwest as a fit-dependent extra and SeattleU as an aid-dependent extra; and build every remaining class around reaching 90 quarter credits while satisfying the overlapping sciences.