Chamberlain University's newest campus in Cincinnati has welcomed its first nursing class, which will graduate in 2029.
The campus puts a cohort of future nurses on a three-year path toward a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) in a region where healthcare employers can't find enough workers to fill open positions. It is the university's 25th location nationwide and its second in Ohio, joining an existing campus in Columbus, according to a BusinessWire announcement.
Local pipeline
Executive campus director Priya Shastri said the campus fills a gap in the region's nursing pipeline. The campus held its ribbon cutting Aug. 20, eleven days before classes began.
"It brings a streamlined, three-year BSN program with hands-on simulation labs and direct clinical access right to our local community," Shastri said at the ribbon cutting.
The program requires no prerequisite courses and no application fee, with flexible evening and weekend scheduling for working adults. Chamberlain's Columbus campus, open since 2007, posted a 98.36% NCLEX pass rate in 2025 with an average class size of 16 students.
Employers across the Cincinnati metro posted nearly 50,000 healthcare job openings last year, with six open positions for every healthcare graduate in the region, according to the 2026 Covista Care Capacity Monitor, a Gallup-fielded survey published by Covista, Chamberlain's parent company.
At the ribbon cutting, Hamilton County Commissioner Denise Driehaus declared that day "Chamberlain University Day" in Hamilton County.
"We have suffered from a shortage of nurses really since COVID," Driehaus said at the Aug. 20 event, as reported by FOX 19. "And so Chamberlain University opening up here — we're thrilled to have them coming to Cincinnati."
At the ceremony, Chamberlain and Covista announced a three-year, $150,000 partnership with The Health Collaborative to bring healthcare career exploration programs to Cincinnati-area middle and high school students.
Who's enrolling
The campus can hold up to 450 students, according to Chamberlain's website. Shastri said the incoming class includes recent high school graduates, career changers and healthcare workers adding credentials.
Shastri said nursing school is not only for recent high school graduates with strong science backgrounds. On Chamberlain's Ohio campuses, 52% of students are over age 25. Shastri said life experience and adaptability matter as much as academic preparation, and that adult learners often become strong nurses.
Three years, start to finish
Students attend three semesters per year, each lasting 16 weeks and split into two eight-week sessions, with evening and weekend scheduling available, according to Chamberlain's Ohio program page.
Chamberlain University President Amelia Manning called it "an intense, accelerated program," FOX 19 reported.
Students begin in simulation labs on campus, practicing clinical skills in simulated patient-care settings before moving into clinical rotations with local health system partners. Chamberlain's Ohio campuses offer up to six start dates per year with no waitlists.
Nearby option for Loveland-area residents
The Sycamore Township campus sits about 15 minutes from Loveland and Symmes Township. Chamberlain's Ohio campuses offer up to six start dates per year.
