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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
$64,114 Avg Salary
$22,124 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 analysis found Thomas Jefferson University to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Pennsylvania. Thomas Jefferson University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Philadelphia.

On average, nursing graduates from Thomas Jefferson University take out $12,777 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 $558.

Read full report on Nursing at Thomas Jefferson University

#2

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA

The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at University of Pennsylvania helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in Pennsylvania. Located in the city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

On average, nursing graduates from UPenn take out $22,784 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $391, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Nursing at University of Pennsylvania

#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 large suburb of Villanova, Villanova is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at Villanova accumulate an average of around $20,203 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $473, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read More…

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Millersville University of Pennsylvania is a great place for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the suburb of Millersville, Millersville is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at Millersville accumulate an average of around $12,248 in student debt.

Read More…

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is a great place for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the distant town of Slippery Rock, SRU is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

Nursing majors at SRU take out an average of $16,908 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.

Read full report on Nursing at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

#6

University of Scranton

Scranton, PA

University of Scranton came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. University of Scranton is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Scranton.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at University of Scranton take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $25,592. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $935, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Nursing at University of Scranton Report

#7

Immaculata University

Immaculata, PA

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

Nursing majors at Immaculata take out an average of $26,576 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.

Full Nursing at Immaculata University Report

#8

Cedar Crest College

Allentown, PA

Cedar Crest College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania list. Located in the medium-sized city of Allentown, Cedar Crest is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Nursing majors at Cedar Crest take out an average of $27,760 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.

Full Nursing at Cedar Crest College Report

With a ranking of #10, York College of Pennsylvania did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the midsize suburb of York, YCP is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

On average, nursing graduates from YCP take out $24,905 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $556.

Full Nursing at York College of Pennsylvania Report

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 262,974
Family Practice Nurse/Nursing 16,647
Nursing Practice 8,862
Nursing Administration 8,663
Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 4,717
Nursing Science 4,701
Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing 2,895
Adult Health Nurse/Nursing 2,075
Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing 2,011
Nurse Anesthetist 1,768
Critical Care Nursing 747
Geriatric Nurse/Nursing 622
Nurse Midwife/Nursing Midwifery 567
School Nursing 539
Clinical Nurse Leader 502
Clinical Nurse Specialist 340
Perioperative/Operating Room and Surgical Nurse/Nursing 269
Women’s Health Nurse/Nursing 262
Maternal/Child Health and Neonatal Nurse/Nursing 192
Emergency Room/Trauma Nursing 87
Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing 26
Forensic Nursing 23
Palliative Care Nursing 13

Majors Similar to Nursing

Related Major Annual Graduates
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants 85,339

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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