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Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in Pennsylvania

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2023 Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in Pennsylvania

49 Colleges
$64,238 Avg Salary
$28,730 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree School for You

Out of the majors we analyze each year, nursing was the most popular one in Pennsylvania. In total, 11,477 people earned a degree or certificate in the field from a school in Pennsylvania.

Today's nursing students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Nursing Degree Search has developed this Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Our analysis looked at 49 schools in Pennsylvania to see which bachelor's degree programs offered the best educational experiences for nursing students. To come up with a school's ranking, we analyzed numerous factors related to post-graduation wages, the quality of education offered by the school, average accumulated student debt, and more.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania

The colleges and universities below are the best for nursing majors pursuing a bachelor's degree.

Top 10 Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools

#1

Thomas Jefferson University

Philadelphia, PA

Our 2023 rankings named Thomas Jefferson University the best school in Pennsylvania for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Thomas Jefferson University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Philadelphia.

While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at Thomas Jefferson University accumulate an average of around $28,302 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $537.

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#2

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means University of Pennsylvania is a great place for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the large city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at UPenn take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $24,423.

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#3

Villanova University

Villanova, PA

Out of the 49 schools in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, Villanova University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the suburb of Villanova, Villanova is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at Villanova accumulate an average of around $30,032 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $433, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Millersville University of Pennsylvania helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in Pennsylvania. Located in the large suburb of Millersville, Millersville is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

Nursing majors at Millersville take out an average of $33,958 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.

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The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in Pennsylvania. Located in the town of Slippery Rock, SRU is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from SRU carry an average student debtload of $27,955.

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#6

University of Scranton

Scranton, PA

University of Scranton 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 #6 on the list. University of Scranton is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Scranton.

While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at University of Scranton accumulate an average of around $25,367 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $601.

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#7

Immaculata University

Immaculata, PA

Immaculata University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Immaculata is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Immaculata.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from Immaculata carry an average student debtload of $35,345.

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#8

Cedar Crest College

Allentown, PA

With a ranking of #8, Cedar Crest College did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the city of Allentown, Cedar Crest is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

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California University of Pennsylvania landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree nursing programs. Located in the suburb of California, Cal U is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at Cal U accumulate an average of around $30,555 in student debt.

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York College of Pennsylvania came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Located in the midsize suburb of York, YCP is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $543.

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Best Nursing Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region

Explore all the Best Nursing Schools in the Middle Atlantic Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
New York 17,708
New Jersey 5,648
Maryland 4,104
Delaware 1,267
District of Columbia 990

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

Majors Similar 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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