Becoming a Registered Nurse in Atlanta: Why Cambridge’s ACEN-Accredited ASN Is a Strong First Step

Maybe you are a CNA who has spent enough shifts beside RNs to know you can do their job. Maybe you are an LPN, a paramedic or a respiratory therapist who has hit the ceiling of your current license. Or maybe you are thirty-four, working in retail or logistics, and you have decided that the next decade of your life is going to mean something different.

Whichever of those you are, you have probably already discovered that metro Atlanta has no shortage of nursing programs. The harder question is which one is worth two years of your life. This article is about how to answer that question, and why ACEN accreditation at Cambridge’s Atlanta campus makes the answer clearer than it was a year ago.

Why does ACEN accreditation matter when choosing a nursing school in Atlanta?

Because it is the one quality signal that someone outside the school has verified. Websites, billboards and campus tours are all produced by the college. Accreditation is produced by peer reviewers and a Board of Commissioners with no stake in the outcome, who evaluate curriculum, faculty, resources, clinical placements and student outcomes against published national standards.

The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) is the only U.S. nursing accreditor that accredits programs at every level, from practical nursing through the clinical doctorate. It is also headquartered in Atlanta. The Associate of Science in Nursing program at Cambridge’s Atlanta campus now holds ACEN accreditation, with a most recent decision of Initial Accreditation, joining the ASN programs at Cambridge’s three Florida campuses.

For you, that has three practical consequences. Employers and nurse residency programs routinely screen for graduation from an accredited program. BSN and MSN programs commonly require it for admission. And it means the program has been held to the same standard as accredited nursing programs across the country.

What should I ask any Atlanta nursing program before I enroll?

Ask the same five questions everywhere, and compare the answers side by side. These are the questions we would want you to ask us, too:

• Is the nursing program itself accredited, and by whom? Institutional accreditation is not the same as nursing program accreditation. Ask for the programmatic accreditor by name and look it up.
• What are the NCLEX-RN pass rates, completion rates and job placement rates? Accredited programs publish outcome data. At Cambridge, it is on the program outcomes page.
• Where will I do clinical rotations, and who arranges them? A program that leaves you to find your own clinical sites is handing you its hardest job.
• Is there a faster route for what I already hold? If you are an LPN, paramedic or respiratory therapist, you should not have to start from zero.
• What happens after the RN? Ask whether there is a clear, affordable path to the BSN and beyond without transferring schools.

Which Atlanta ASN track is right for me?

It depends on the license you already hold. Both tracks lead to the same degree and the same NCLEX-RN eligibility; the Bridge track simply recognizes the training you already have.

	Traditional Track	Bridge Track
Designed for	Students with limited prior nursing or medical training, including CNAs and career changers	Licensed LPNs, paramedics and respiratory therapists
Length	Six semesters (about two years)	Five semesters
Credits	66	66
How it is taught	Classroom, simulation lab and supervised clinical rotations	Classroom, simulation lab and supervised clinical rotations
Where it leads	NCLEX-RN eligibility and RN licensure	NCLEX-RN eligibility and RN licensure

Program length, start dates and outcome data should always be confirmed with an admissions advisor, since cohort schedules vary.

I am a CNA, or not ready for a degree yet. Can I start smaller?

Yes. The Nursing Assistant diploma at the Atlanta campus is a short-format entry point into patient care. It lets you earn a paycheck in healthcare, confirm that bedside work is for you, and then step onto the ASN Traditional track when you are ready.

At Cambridge, we describe this as selling the ladder, not the degree. You do not have to commit to the whole climb on day one. You only have to take the next rung.

The best time to confirm a nursing program is accredited is before you enroll. In Atlanta, that question now has a clear answer.

What does the Atlanta job market look like for new RNs?

Large, varied and short of licensed nurses. Metro Atlanta is one of the largest healthcare markets in the Southeast, with major academic, nonprofit and community health systems alongside a deep network of long-term care, rehabilitation, dialysis, outpatient and home health employers. New ASN graduates commonly start in roles such as:

• Medical-surgical and telemetry nursing in acute care hospitals
• Emergency department and progressive care nursing
• Skilled nursing, long-term acute care and rehabilitation
• Dialysis, ambulatory surgery and outpatient specialty clinics
• Home health and community-based care

The Atlanta campus sits on Peachtree Dunwoody Road, in the Perimeter-area medical corridor that locals call “Pill Hill,” home to several of the region’s largest hospitals. Cambridge partners with hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, assisted living and long-term care facilities across the metro area for clinical rotations, and its Career Services team supports résumé development, interview preparation and employer connections.

Nationally, registered nurses earned a median of $93,600 in May 2024, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects roughly 189,100 RN openings each year through 2034. Pay varies by employer, shift and specialty, so ask Career Services what recent Atlanta graduates have actually been offered.

What happens after I pass the NCLEX-RN?

You keep climbing, and you can do it while you work. Cambridge’s upper nursing rungs are online, so an Atlanta RN does not have to leave a job, or the city, to advance:

• RN to BSN (online) — the baccalaureate increasingly expected by Magnet-designated and academic medical centers.
• Master of Science in Nursing — Family Nurse Practitioner (online) — advanced practice preparation for primary and family care.
• Master of Science in Health Informatics — offered at the Atlanta campus, for clinicians drawn to the data, technology and AI side of healthcare.

Employment of nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists and nurse midwives is projected to grow 35 percent from 2024 to 2034, among the fastest rates of any occupation the Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks. An accredited ASN is what makes those rungs reachable.

How do I pay for nursing school at Cambridge Atlanta?

Start with a conversation with [Financial Aid](https://www.cambridgehealth.edu/financial-aid/). Federal Title IV aid, including Pell Grants and Direct Loans, is available to those who qualify. The Atlanta campus is approved for education benefits through the U.S. Veterans Administration, which matters for the many veterans and military families in metro Atlanta. If you already work in healthcare, ask your employer about tuition assistance as well; many health systems offer it to employees moving into RN roles.

Ready to start? Here is what to do next.

If you have been waiting for a nursing program in Atlanta that you can trust, the accreditation question has been answered. What remains is choosing your track and taking the first step.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Cambridge’s Atlanta nursing program ACEN accredited?

Yes. The Associate of Science in Nursing program at Cambridge College of Healthcare & Technology’s Atlanta campus is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), with a most recent Board of Commissioners decision of Initial Accreditation.

Do I need healthcare experience to apply?

No. The Traditional track is designed for students with limited prior nursing or medical training. Applicants who are already licensed as LPNs, paramedics or respiratory therapists can apply to the shorter Bridge track.

How long does it take to become an RN at Cambridge Atlanta?

The ASN totals 66 credits. The Traditional track runs six semesters, about two years; the Bridge track runs five semesters. Graduates then sit for the NCLEX-RN.

I am a paramedic. Is there a faster route for me?

Yes. Licensed paramedics, LPNs and respiratory therapists are eligible for the five-semester Bridge track.

Where do Atlanta students complete clinical rotations?

Cambridge partners with hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, assisted living and long-term care facilities across metro Atlanta, and arranges clinical rotations for students.

Where is the Cambridge Atlanta campus located?

5669 Peachtree Dunwoody Road, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30342. The campus can be reached at (404) 255-4500.

Is financial aid available?

Financial aid programs are available to those who qualify at all Cambridge campuses through Title IV federal programs, including Pell Grants and Direct Loans. All Cambridge campuses in Florida and Georgia are also approved for education benefits through the U.S. Veterans Administration.

Cambridge College of Healthcare & Technology in Atlanta, Georgia is authorized by the Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission, 2082 East Exchange Place, Suite 220, Tucker, GA 30084, (770) 414-3300, and institutionally accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), 3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400, Atlanta, GA 30326, (404) 975-5000.