Trent nursing admission requirements: a 75% minimum, 70% in four prerequisites and 120 seats in Peterborough

The Trent/Fleming School of Nursing has three routes to a BScN. The four-year Collaborative program is for high school, college and university students. A 28-month Compressed program is for students with enough university credits or recent practical nursing graduates. An RPN to BScN pathway runs with George Brown Polytechnic in Toronto.

Students in Grade 12 can only use the Collaborative program. Trent says high school students are not eligible for the Compressed program. The Collaborative program is a fully integrated model, so you are a Trent student the whole time.

You need ENG4U, SBI4U, SCH4U and any 4U math, each with at least 70%. Trent also asks for the OSSD and six Grade 12 4U or 4M courses.

You can meet a prerequisite with a mix of high school, college and university courses taken in the last 10 years. Having prerequisites done or in progress when you apply makes you more competitive. Plan your Grade 12 year with our course planner.

The nursing admissions page says you need at least 75%, worked out on the four required courses plus your next best two 4U or 4M courses. Trent's program page says a 75% overall average. Both point to the same six courses in most cases, but check with Trent if your courses are unusual.

Trent does not publish a higher cut-off or a typical admitted average for nursing. It says admission is competitive and goes to the best-qualified applicants. With 120 seats, aim above the minimum. Check your average with our Top 6 average calculator.

College students can apply to the Collaborative program with two semesters each of English (70%), Biology, Chemistry and Math (65% each). They also need a 75% average in a finished pre-health sciences certificate, at least two semesters of a college diploma, or a finished Practical Nursing diploma.

University students need one semester each of English, Biology, Chemistry and Math at 60% or more. They need a 70% average over two years of study or less, with at least two full-time semesters. Students with more than two years of university are told to apply to the Compressed program instead.

International students who studied outside North America send a course-by-course WES evaluation. Current Trent students use the Transfer to Nursing form on MyTrent rather than OUAC.

The Compressed program (OUAC code RFN) takes 100 students and runs 28 months in Peterborough. University applicants need a semester each of Biology, Chemistry, English and Math at 60%, 1.0 credit of Introductory Psychology, four first-year courses and two second-year courses. The average is 70% on the last ten full-course equivalents.

Recent graduates of some college Biotechnology or Practical Nursing programs can also apply with a 75% average. The RPN to BScN pathway is separate. Registered practical nurses apply through OCAS to George Brown Polytechnic's bridge certificate (S442) with a 75% diploma average, then continue into Trent's degree at George Brown.

Trent's nursing pages list no supplementary application, essay, interview or Casper test. You apply through OUAC and Trent reviews your grades.

All applicants should read the Ontario requirements for study in a nursing degree program before applying. Practical nurses must also be in good standing with the College of Nurses of Ontario by August 15, unless they start within six months of finishing their diploma.

The Fall 2027 OUAC application opened on September 17, 2026. Trent lists January 15, 2027 as the current deadline for both the Collaborative (RCN) and Compressed (RFN) programs.

Classes start in September at the Peterborough Symons campus. See other Ontario dates on our deadlines page.

Every route has a science base in anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, microbiology, pathophysiology and research methods. Popular courses include Cultural Safety in Nursing, Biomedical Ethics, Rural Nursing Practice, and Contemporary Issues in Aging and Health.

Clinical practice starts in first year. Trent says you get over 1,000 hours of clinical placements over four years. You also practise in the Trent Simulation Hub with high-fidelity mannequins.

Trent encourages nursing students to build a focus area and pick electives in it, with help from professors and practitioners. Course topics include aging, mental health, Indigenous communities, rural health care, and gender and women's health.

The program page lists careers such as acute care nurse, community health nurse, mental health nurse, clinical instructor and palliative care nurse. Students can also present research at regional health conferences.

Trent's nursing pages do not list a co-op stream. Instead, Trent says every program includes guaranteed experiential learning. For nursing, that means clinical placements, plus options like paid internships, community research, study abroad and health work in Honduras or Guatemala.

Trent's domestic cost page gives a tuition range of $6,100 to $9,000 for a first-year student, plus $1,500 to $1,950 in ancillary fees and about $1,500 for books. The page does not name nursing or an academic year. Its scholarship table shows first-year full tuition as $6,118, which fits the low end.

Trent also offers a tuition calculator. Eligible nursing students may get the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant, which covers tuition, books and other direct costs if you commit to working in Eastern Ontario. See our OSAP guide.

Canadian students with 80% or higher get a renewable entrance scholarship with no application. A 95% average earns full first-year tuition. You keep the award by holding an 80% average in 5.0 Trent credits each year.

Prestigious scholarships are worth up to $30,000 over four years for eligible Canadian students.

Trent says residence applications are open and to apply early to guarantee your spot. Residence fees for 2026-27 range from $6,500 for a triple room to $13,300 for a premium single. A traditional single room is $10,800.

The 75% minimum is the floor. With 120 seats in the Collaborative program, competition decides. Help your child apply to several nursing programs, not just one.

If your child misses out, the Compressed program is an option after two years of university. Also read the Trent admissions overview.