Nursing diploma schools listed Virginia News Feedback Gateway Virginia School and College Guide Nursing diploma schools listed T here are three ways to become a registered nurse in Virginia. Many of the colleges and universities offer a baccalaureate degree program, which earns participants a bachelor's degree and a nursing diploma.
Some community colleges offer a two-year associate nursing degree program.
The third method is to attend a hospital-based diploma program of which there are seven in Virginia. All diploma programs have college-support courses taught at another institution. Graduates of all three programs are required to pass the same licensing exam to become a registered nurse. Information on Virginia's universities, colleges and community colleges is listed elsewhere in this section.