R.I.B.N.

WNC RIBN Program

The WNC Regionally Increasing Baccalaureate Nurses (RIBN) Program will dually admit and enroll you at Western Carolina University and at a partner community college. Currently the WCU School of Nursing has a RIBN partnership with Asheville-Buncombe Technical, Blue Ridge, Isothermal, Southwestern and Surry community colleges. The RIBN Program provides you with a four year, seamless associate to baccalaureate nursing education. Unlike in a traditional BSN program, you will have the opportunity to begin working as an RN at the start of your fourth year.

Degree Options

WNC Regionally Increasing Baccalaureate Nurses (RIBN) Program R.I.B.N.

School

College of Health and Human Services

Location

Online, Asheville (Biltmore Park)

Length

Full-Time or Part-Time

More About Our WNC Regionally Increasing Baccalaureate Nurses (RIBN) Program

The RIBN option makes a bachelor’s degree in nursing both affordable and accessible. The first three years will be hosted on the community college's campus, with one class taken each year online through WCU as advised by their community college advisor. Upon successful completion of the first three years, students finish their fourth year online through WCU and at the Biltmore Park instructional site.

See what students have to say about the RIBN Program.

Students applying to RIBN for Fall must meet admission requirements for both the community college and Western Carolina University.

Program Admissions

Admission is based on the following criteria:

Acceptance to one of the partnering Community Colleges and General Acceptance to WCU

To be eligible to apply to WNC RIBN directly from high school or before completion of at least 20 hours of college credit, a student must have an unweighted cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale in high school courses.

To be eligible to apply for admission to WNC RIBN after completion of at least 20 hours of college credit (100 level or higher), a student must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. The 20 hours will not include any developmental courses (below 100 levels).

Applicants will apply to the Community College first and once accepted they will be given a RIBN-specific link to apply to WCU.

ACT Composite Score

The state minimum for ACT is 19. Official high school scores are acceptable.

Note: a competitive ACT score is 24 or higher.

Applicants who have never taken the ACT or wish to improve their score may take/retake the exam through the WCU Testing Center or an approved ACT test site.

Applicants are allowed to retake the ACT once every 60 days (scores must be available by the application deadline).

ATI TEAS exam score of 70 or higher

To learn more, visit the TEAS website at teas.wcu.edu.

Students must apply first through the Community College RIBN Program. For more details, please contact one of the RIBN Student Success Advocates listed under Contact Information below.

Once you have been admitted by your supporting community college, you will then complete the University application and secondary application process within the WCU Admissions Catamount Portal.

Please note, part of this application process requires you submit official transcripts from all colleges you have previously attended. RIBN will not make decisions on unofficial transcripts.

The deadline for RIBN is March 1st each year.

Western Carolina University’s School of Nursing offers nationally ranked, accredited, highly affordable undergraduate and graduate programs at WCU’s main campus in Cullowhee, NC, at our Asheville instructional site, and online. Students have access to state-of-the-art classroom and lab space as well as opportunities for hands-on experience through on and off-site clinical partnerships and service learning programs.

School of Nursing

Undergraduate Degrees

Whether you are looking for a traditional, four-year program or hoping to progress from an RN to a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing (BSN), WCU offers a variety of award-winning nursing programs to fit your need.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)

RN to BSN

Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN)

WNC Regionally Increasing Baccalaureate Nurses (WNC RIBN)

Graduate Degrees

WCU is the leading provider in western North Carolina for master's and doctorate level nurse training. Programs are offered in a variety of formats, which allows nurses to pursue their graduate degree while continuing their career.

MSN Nurse Educator

MSN Nursing Leadership
Master’s Entry Prelicensure Nursing (MEPN)

Doctor of Nursing Practice (Post-MSN)

DNP Nurse Anesthesia

DNP Family Nurse Practitioner

DNP Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

Online Degrees

The fully online undergraduate, master's and doctoral-level training allows nurses to pursue their graduate degree while continuing their career. These programs provide students with academic and field-based experiences in core competencies.

RN to BSN

MSN Nurse Educator

MSN Nurse Leadership

You can use your electives to focus on one of 10 specializations. Choose from areas such as Accounting, Construction Management, Sport Management, and more.

Program Costs and Curriculum

Program Cost

The current total estimated cost of attendance for the RIBN Program is $19,350. The cost may vary based on Community College expenses and when WCU courses are taken during the program.
RIBN ESTIMATED COST OF ATTENDANCE

Reduced Tuition Through NC Promise: Use Your Advantage

This is made possible through the State of North Carolina's NC Promise program. Please note that this applies only to the WCU tuition and not the costs of the community college partner.

Curriculum

The curriculum plan will vary depending on the community college you are attending. Throughout the first three years students will complete 4 courses through WCU while enrolled at their Community College.

CURRICULUM PLAN

Students are required to complete all courses with a "C" or higher while maintaining no less than a 2.5 cumulative GPA.