Western Nursing admission requirements: the high 80s to low 90s guideline, 70% prerequisites and dates

Western's Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing asks Ontario students for an OSSD (the Ontario Secondary School Diploma) with six Grade 12 U or M courses, not counting co-op courses. Required at 70% or more: English (ENG4U), Biology (SBI4U), Chemistry (SCH4U), and one of Functions and Applications (MCF3M) or Functions (MCR3U).

Grade 11 math is a prerequisite but doesn't count in your admission average. If you miss 70% in Grade 11 math, Western checks for 70% in one of Advanced Functions, Calculus and Vectors, or Data Management.

Students from other provinces need Grade 12 English, Biology, Chemistry and Math at 70% each. Plan your courses with our course planner.

Western lists an admission average guideline of the high 80s to low 90s for Direct Entry Nursing. It reflects Ontario high school students, and Western says reaching it doesn't guarantee admission.

The first-year class is 210 students. Western doesn't publish a Nursing acceptance rate; our Western acceptance rate page explains what it does publish. Work out your average with our Top 6 average calculator.

Indigenous applicants who meet the course requirements but fall below the year's admission average are considered on a discretionary basis through the School's Indigenous Access Admissions.

Apply through OUAC by January 15, 2027 for equal consideration. Western's admission requirements and the School of Nursing both give the Direct Entry code as ENW. One section of Western's program page shows ENF, so check the code in the OUAC application before you submit.

There's no supplementary application or Casper test listed for Direct Entry. If English isn't your first language, the School sets its own test scores, such as IELTS 7 with at least 7 in writing and speaking.

Western's earliest response date for Ontario high school students is June 1, 2027.

Direct Entry isn't only for high school students. University applicants with two or more full-time years need a 70% average in their last 10 full courses, and those with fewer than 10 courses need 70% overall. College applicants need a GPA of at least 3.0 in a completed program. Everyone also needs the high school prerequisites, or their equivalents, at 70%.

If you're missing a prerequisite, Western accepts set courses from Fanshawe College's Pre-Health Science or General Arts and Science programs, completed at 70% with the certificate finished at a GPA of 3.0 or more.

Mature applicants need recent credits, within the last four years, equal to ENG4U, SBI4U, SCH4U and a Grade 11 math, each at 70%.

The Compressed Time Frame (CTF) program runs over five straight terms with in-person and online courses. The Regular stream is for students with at least two years of university and takes 19 months from September.

RPN Stream A is for registered practical nurses who finished a PN program in Ontario and have at least a year of university. It also takes 19 months from September. RPN Stream B takes 22 months from May and is for RPNs or LPNs registered to practise in Canada, with no university needed.

Western's guideline for the compressed routes is the low 80s and up, and the first-year class is 288.

You complete eight semesters over 43 months, including summer courses in your final year. First year covers foundations of nursing, communication and health assessment in the lab, social justice in nursing and health informatics.

Second year adds an older-adult course with a long-term care placement, clinical simulation, and an introduction to pharmacology. Third year moves into acute care placements and mental health.

All professional practice placements are in southwestern Ontario. Western uses a 1:1 preceptor model, where you work shifts alongside an experienced nurse.

Western's Nursing program lists placements as its work experience. You learn in clinical skills labs and simulation suites from first year, then work shifts at practice sites under a preceptor.

Graduates can apply to write the Registered Nurse licensing exam. The College of Nurses of Ontario regulates the RN title, and Western's BScN programs are approved by the College. To write the exam you need Canadian citizenship, permanent residence or authorization to practise nursing.

Western's 2026-27 fee schedule lists first-year Nursing tuition of $6,171 for Ontario residents and $7,719 for students from other provinces. With ancillary fees the totals are $8,247.46 and $9,795.46. International students pay $59,798 in tuition, or $62,822.46 in total.

Admission scholarships are automatic for students coming straight from high school: $2,500 at 92% to 100% and $1,500 at 90% to 91.9%, each with study abroad funding. The Western Scholarship of Excellence, $6,000 in first year, goes to top admission averages.

Check where you stand with our Top 6 average calculator, and read our Western financial aid guide.

Western Nursing is decided on grades, with every prerequisite at 70% or more. A low chemistry or biology mark can rule a student out even with a strong overall average.

If your child is already an RPN or has university credits, the Compressed Time Frame routes are shorter, and Stream B's deadline is December 1, 2026. Compare Ontario nursing programs on our Ontario nursing guide.