Geisinger School of Nursing plans Northeast Campus in Scranton; first students expected fall 2027

SCRANTON, Pa. - Geisinger College of Health Sciences is expanding the Geisinger School of Nursing with a Northeast Campus based in Scranton, with the plan of admitting the first students in fall 2027. This program will be modeled on the existing nursing school campus in Lewistown that has been very successful, with more than 70 percent of those nurses remaining at Geisinger to work.

The expansion is driven by a continued need to grow the nursing workforce within the Geisinger footprint and to create more capacity for qualified future nurses to launch their careers.

"Our medical school opened in 2008 because our region needed more physicians. Today, we are responding to a similar workforce need in nursing," said Julie Byerley, MD, MPH, president of Geisinger College of Health Sciences and chief academic officer at Geisinger. "We are thrilled to launch this program as part of our commitment to improving the health of our communities. The Scranton Campus of the Geisinger School of Nursing will create even more opportunities for people in our area to pursue rewarding nursing careers, strengthening the healthcare workforce and expanding access to care. We need more nurses - as we launch this program we will also continue to support and collaborate with our educational partners who educate nurses in the Geisinger clinical system."

The Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing recently approved the College's plans for the Scranton location, which will be located on the campus of the Medical Science Building that currently houses the School of Medicine and the School of Graduate Education.

"We continue to see strong demand from qualified applicants who want to pursue nursing but face limited seat availability," said Rebecca Stoudt, DNP, PhD, MSN, CRNA, associate dean of nursing and health professions education at Geisinger College of Health Sciences. "Expanding into Scranton allows us to help close that gap. The new campus will complement other nursing programs in the region by continuing to support shared clinical education and workforce development efforts throughout Northeast Pennsylvania."

The Scranton campus will be at the Medical Sciences Building in downtown Scranton with clinical learning at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center, Geisinger Community Medical Center and Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre, alongside additional community partners who have committed to supporting GSON.

The Scranton campus of Geisinger School of Nursing is expected to enroll approximately 50 students each fall and 30 students each spring, offering both traditional and nontraditional students additional entry points into the nursing profession.

About Geisinger College of Health Sciences
Educating. Inspiring. Leading. At Geisinger College of Health Sciences, we bring innovation and purpose together to educate the next generation of healthcare leaders. As the academic and research arm of the Geisinger family, our college was founded to enhance and improve community health, with a focus on discovery, hands-on learning and applied practice across our system. Today, we offer a research institute, graduate medical education, schools of medicine, graduate education and nursing, and faculty and professional development programs. Visit geisinger.edu/gchs.

The College is committed to nondiscrimination in all employment and educational programs or activities. Concerns or questions may be directed to the Title IX coordinator whose contact information is available at geisinger.edu/titleix.