Objective To explore the methods for cultivating higher vocational college nursing students based on modern apprenticeship. Methods Fifty vocational nursing students on a 3-year nursing education program enrolled in 2017 were served as the control group and received traditional teaching that they studied in the college for 2 years and practiced in the hospital for 1 year. Their counterparts (n=50) enrolled in 2018 were treated as the intervention group and subjected to a new teaching model based on modern apprenticeship. In the new teaching, we formulated curriculum modules and developed core courses to meet the requirements of the post, then we implemented two-stage teaching including one-and-half-year school learning and one-and-half-year hospital learning and practice. Results The intervention group had higher test scores in core professional courses and post-related courses, as well as more positive evaluation of the teaching compared with the control group (P<0.01 for all). Conclusion The college-hospital cooperated, two stage module-based teaching based on modern apprenticeship can effectively enhance the teaching effect and receive a positive evaluation from the students.