Community college nursing program?

It depends if your school offers a 2 year RN program. Two year diploma programs are being phased out, but some still remain. You'd need to talk to someone in admissions. I know you can do community college and take some general education classes and pre-nursing classes ... and later transfer to a college which offers a nursing program.

Admission into a good community college program can be more competitive than a 4-year program. The reason is simple.

The community college in my town (which has an excellent NCLEX pass rate) can get you an ASN for $108 per credit hour if you're a resident. The Big-10 school across the street has a BSN program that charges $249 for residents. The NAIA school with the nationally recognized program on the other side of town wants $12,000 a semester for ASN or BSN; more for your MSN-NP. You can take up to 18-hours for that fee, but that's suicidal in that program. $12-k for 12-hours is more reasonable.

So which school do you think most people apply to first (and note that all three have unusually strong programs)? And if you got rejected by the university, what is the name of the creek you are now up?

Usually even the nursing programs at community college, you have to be accepted into. Go talk to a counselor at the community college you are thinking about to get specific instructions.