2023 Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools
Finding the Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree School for You
Nursing is the most popular major in the United States with 322,592 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021.
There are so many nursing programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Nursing Degree Search has created the Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 1,016 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best bachelor's degree programs for nursing students. The factors used to develop this ranking include those related to how in-demand the school is, the overall quality of the school, and post-graduation wages, and more.
View our full ranking methodology.
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2023 Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the United States
The following schools top our list of the Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Colleges.
Top 25 Top Schools for a Bachelor's in Nursing
Our analysis found Samuel Merritt University to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in the United States. Samuel Merritt University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Oakland.
Nursing majors at Samuel Merritt University take out an average of $28,570 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $551.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanbridge University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Stanbridge is a small private for-profit school located in the large city of Irvine.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from Stanbridge carry an average student debtload of $32,734.
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means University of Providence is a great place for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the small city of Great Falls, University of Providence is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
Nursing majors at University of Providence take out an average of $23,987 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
Out of the 1,016 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Pacific College landed the # 4 spot on the list. Pacific College is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Costa Mesa.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at Pacific College accumulate an average of around $15,905 in student debt.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the large city of Brooklyn, SUNY Downstate is a public college with a small student population.
Nursing majors at SUNY Downstate take out an average of $24,255 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
Full Nursing at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University Report
Linfield University - Online and Continuing Education ranked #6 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Linfield OCE is a small private not-for-profit school located in the distant town of McMinnville.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from Linfield OCE carry an average student debtload of $34,999. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $346, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Nursing at Linfield University - Online and Continuing Education Report
Linfield University - School of Nursing landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree nursing programs. Linfield Nursing is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Portland.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at Linfield Nursing accumulate an average of around $34,999 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $346, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Nursing at Linfield University - School of Nursing Report
With a ranking of #8, Aspen University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the city of Denver, Aspen University is a private for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.
On average, nursing graduates from Aspen University take out $33,836 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
Loma Linda University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the large suburb of Loma Linda, Loma Linda University is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Loma Linda University take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $34,125. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $416, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Ottawa University - Phoenix ranked #10 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the large city of Phoenix, Ottawa University - Phoenix is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
On average, nursing graduates from Ottawa University - Phoenix take out $29,652 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
Helene Fuld College of Nursing landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree nursing programs. HFCN is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York.
West Coast University - Orange County ranked #12 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the city of Anaheim, West Coast University - Orange County is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from West Coast University - Orange County carry an average student debtload of $38,539. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $665.
With a ranking of #13, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the large city of Lubbock, TTUHSC is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
Nursing majors at TTUHSC take out an average of $24,106 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $242.
Chamberlain University - Arizona landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree nursing programs. Located in the large city of Phoenix, Chamberlain - Arizona is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
On average, nursing graduates from Chamberlain - Arizona take out $37,103 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $256, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
West Coast University - Ontario came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. West Coast University - Ontario is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Ontario.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from West Coast University - Ontario carry an average student debtload of $38,539. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $665.
Read full report on Nursing at West Coast University - Ontario
West Coast University - Los Angeles landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree nursing programs. West Coast University - Los Angeles is a small private for-profit school located in the large city of North Hollywood.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at West Coast University - Los Angeles accumulate an average of around $38,539 in student debt. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $665.
Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the city of San Mateo, Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
Read full report on Nursing at Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts
American Sentinel University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #18 on the list. American Sentinel University is a small private for-profit school located in the medium-sized suburb of Aurora.
Nursing majors at American Sentinel University take out an average of $26,198 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
With a ranking of #19, Chamberlain University - Missouri did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Chamberlain - Missouri is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the large suburb of St. Louis.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from Chamberlain - Missouri carry an average student debtload of $37,103. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $256, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Read full report on Nursing at Chamberlain University - Missouri
With a ranking of #20, The Graduate Center, CUNY did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the city of New York, The Graduate Center is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from The Graduate Center carry an average student debtload of $19,689.
With a ranking of #21, California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. CSUMB is a medium-sized public school located in the medium-sized suburb of Seaside.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at CSUMB accumulate an average of around $16,909 in student debt.
Ottawa University - Kansas City ranked #22 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the midsize city of Overland Park, Ottawa University - Kansas City is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Ottawa University - Kansas City take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $29,652.
Bushnell University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Bushnell University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Eugene.
Nursing majors at Bushnell University take out an average of $27,534 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
Molloy College landed the #24 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree nursing programs. Molloy is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Rockville Centre.
On average, nursing graduates from Molloy take out $36,125 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $365.
University of California - Los Angeles came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Rest of the Top 50 Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools
Remaining Award Winners
This list shows the rest of the schools awarded a Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 1016 different United States nursing schools we analyzed.
Additional Noteworthy Schools
Here are some additional great schools for Nursing students that almost earned our Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools award.
Nursing by Region
View the Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
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| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Nursing Rankings
Nursing Related Rankings by Major
Nursing Focus Areas
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | 266,651 |
| Family Practice Nurse/Nursing | 16,104 |
| Nursing Administration | 9,838 |
| Nursing Practice | 7,992 |
| Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 5,092 |
| Nursing Science | 4,600 |
| Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing | 2,287 |
| Adult Health Nurse/Nursing | 2,021 |
| Nurse Anesthetist | 1,936 |
| Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing | 1,883 |
| Critical Care Nursing | 773 |
| Geriatric Nurse/Nursing | 563 |
| School Nursing | 553 |
| Nurse Midwife/Nursing Midwifery | 509 |
| Clinical Nurse Leader | 444 |
| Clinical Nurse Specialist | 419 |
| Perioperative/Operating Room and Surgical Nurse/Nursing | 331 |
| Maternal/Child Health and Neonatal Nurse/Nursing | 181 |
| Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing | 57 |
| Emergency Room/Trauma Nursing | 53 |
| Palliative Care Nursing | 14 |
| Forensic Nursing | 14 |
Most Popular Majors Related to Nursing
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants | 84,274 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Aleksahgabrielle.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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