How to Become a Registered Nurse in Texas: Steps, License, and Pay
See if you qualify for Registered Nurse programs
Answer a few questions in 2 minutes. Free, no commitment.
To become a registered nurse in Texas, you graduate from a nursing program approved by the Texas Board of Nursing (BON), pass the Texas Nursing Jurisprudence Exam and the NCLEX-RN, and clear a fingerprint background check before the BON issues your license. The three main routes are a two-year Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), a four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), or an accelerated BSN if you already hold a bachelor's degree. Texas employs 271,380 registered nurses, the second most of any state, and pays them a median of $95,970 a year, according to May 2025 federal wage data. Pay runs higher in Dallas-Fort Worth ($101,420) and Houston ($99,830).
Finding an Approved Nursing Program in Texas
The Texas BON's approved list, updated October 1, 2026, counts 136 pre-licensure RN programs and breaks them down as 74 ADN, 62 BSN, 1 diploma, and 2 alternate-entry master's programs. Approved programs fall into three main categories:
- ADN programs at community colleges and other schools: about 2 to 3 years, and 59 of the 74 list an LVN-to-ADN track for licensed vocational nurses.
- BSN programs at universities: about 4 years, and 7 of the 62 list an LVN-to-BSN track.
- Accelerated BSN programs: 12 to 18 months for students who already hold a bachelor's degree in another field. Before you apply, check three things:
- BON approval: confirm the program is on the BON's current approved list.
- NCLEX pass rate: ask the program for its first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate.
- Clinical sites: ask where clinical rotations take place and how placements are assigned. Dreambound is a marketplace where students compare healthcare and vocational training programs side by side, sorted by location. Compare RN programs by state and city on Dreambound.
Career Paths and Opportunities after Becoming a Registered Nurse
- Specialty Nursing: Focus on areas like pediatrics, critical care, or oncology.
- Advanced Practice Nursing: Pursue further education to become a Nurse Practitioner (NP), Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM), or Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA).
- Nursing Leadership: Take on management roles such as Nurse Manager or Director of Nursing.
- Travel Nursing: Work short-term contracts at facilities across the U.S.
- Teaching and Education: Train the next generation of nurses as a nursing instructor. LVNs in Texas can bridge to RN through the LVN-to-ADN and LVN-to-BSN tracks offered by approved programs. For the first license on that route, see becoming an LVN in Texas.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is an RN paid in Texas?
Texas RNs earned a median annual wage of $95,970, or $46.14 an hour, in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Dallas-Fort Worth had the highest metro median in the state, at $101,420.
What is the fastest way to become an RN in Texas?
For students who already hold a non-nursing bachelor's degree, an Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program is the quickest route, at 12 to 18 months. For everyone else, an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) takes about 2 to 3 years. Licensed LVNs can use a bridge track instead: 59 of Texas's 74 approved ADN programs list an LVN-to-ADN track on the BON's October 1, 2026 approved program list.
What do you need to be an RN in Texas?
You need to graduate from a BON-approved nursing program (diploma, ADN, or BSN), pass the Texas Nursing Jurisprudence Exam and the NCLEX-RN, and submit DPS and FBI fingerprints for a criminal background check. The BON charges $75 for the examination application, which includes the jurisprudence exam fee, and NCLEX-RN registration with Pearson VUE costs $200. Fingerprinting fees are separate and vary.
What is the Texas Nursing Jurisprudence Exam?
The Nursing Jurisprudence Exam is a 50-question, 2-hour online exam on Texas nursing law and Board rules. You need 75% to pass, you can retake it after 24 hours, and the BON requires it before it issues your Authorization to Test for the NCLEX.
Can I use my Texas RN license in other states?
Texas is a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact, so a Texas-resident RN with a multistate license can practice in other compact states. California and New York are not members, so working there means applying for that state's own license.
Starting Your RN Career in Texas
The Texas route to an RN license runs through four checkpoints: an approved program, a fingerprint background check, the Nursing Jurisprudence Exam, and the NCLEX-RN. The 75-day ATT window cannot be extended, so the NCLEX date is worth planning as soon as the BON emails your ATT. Dreambound lists RN programs by state and city across the United States.
