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Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in Kentucky

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2023 Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in Kentucky

22 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 Kentucky. In total, 6,395 people earned a degree or certificate in the field from a school in Kentucky.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for nursing students. 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 in Kentucky to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 22 schools in Kentucky to see which bachelor's degree programs offered the best educational experiences 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.

2023 Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Kentucky

The following schools top our list of the Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Colleges.

Top 10 Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools

Our analysis found Galen College of Nursing - Louisville to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Kentucky. Galen College of Nursing - Louisville is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Louisville.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from Galen College of Nursing - Louisville carry an average student debtload of $43,752. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $123.

Read full report on Nursing at Galen College of Nursing - Louisville

#2

Bellarmine University

Louisville, KY

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Bellarmine University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Kentucky list. Bellarmine U is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Louisville.

On average, nursing graduates from Bellarmine U take out $31,437 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 $285.

Full Nursing at Bellarmine University Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Kentucky Christian University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Kentucky list. Kentucky Christian University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Grayson.

On average, nursing graduates from Kentucky Christian University take out $30,920 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.

Full Nursing at Kentucky Christian University Report

#4

University of Kentucky

Lexington, KY

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Kentucky. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Kentucky list. Located in the city of Lexington, UK is a public college with a very large student population.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from UK carry an average student debtload of $27,393. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $363, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Nursing at University of Kentucky Report

#5

University of Louisville

Louisville, KY

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means University of Louisville is a great place for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the city of Louisville, UofL is a public college with a very large student population.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from UofL carry an average student debtload of $24,742. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $178, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Nursing at University of Louisville

#6

Berea College

Berea, KY

Berea College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Kentucky ranking. Located in the distant town of Berea, Berea is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Read More…

#7

Spalding University

Louisville, KY

Spalding University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree nursing programs. Located in the large city of Louisville, Spalding is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

On average, nursing graduates from Spalding take out $33,080 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.

Read full report on Nursing at Spalding University

#8

University of Pikeville

Pikeville, KY

University of Pikeville ranked #8 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Kentucky list. Located in the remote town of Pikeville, UPIKE is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

On average, nursing graduates from UPIKE take out $35,877 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.

Full Nursing at University of Pikeville Report

#9

Union College Kentucky

Barbourville, KY

Union College Kentucky 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 #9 on the list. Union College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the remote town of Barbourville.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from Union College carry an average student debtload of $26,971.

Full Nursing at Union College Kentucky Report

#10

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, KY

Northern Kentucky 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 #10 on the list. Located in the suburb of Highland Heights, NKU is a public college with a large student population.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from NKU carry an average student debtload of $32,669. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $252.

Read More…

Best Nursing Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Nursing Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Mississippi 2,838
Alabama 7,364
Tennessee 6,004
Louisiana 3,502
Florida 21,209
Arkansas 2,882
West Virginia 1,771
Georgia 7,112
North Carolina 7,425
South Carolina 3,296
Virginia 6,775

Nursing Concentrations

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

Related Major Annual Graduates
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants 84,274

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 22 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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