2023 Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region
Finding the Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree School for You
Nursing is the most popular major in the United States with 31,555 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.
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 the Plains States Region ranking. This report analyzed 113 schools in the Plains States Region 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.
2023 Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Colleges.
Top 15% Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools
Our analysis found Chamberlain University - Missouri to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in the Plains States Region . Chamberlain - Missouri is a small private for-profit school located in the 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.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ottawa University - Kansas City. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the city of Overland Park, Ottawa University - Kansas City is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly 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.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Nebraska Medical Center. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the large city of Omaha, UNMC is a public college with a small student population.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from UNMC carry an average student debtload of $24,990. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $236.
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The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at College of Saint Benedict helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in the Plains States Region . CSB is a small private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized suburb of Saint Joseph.
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Out of the 113 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Webster University landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the suburb of Saint Louis, Webster is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.
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Capella University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree nursing programs. Capella University is a very large private for-profit school located in the city of Minneapolis.
Nursing majors at Capella University take out an average of $28,936 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
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With a ranking of #7, Bemidji State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the remote town of Bemidji, Bemidji State University is a public school with a small student population.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from Bemidji State University carry an average student debtload of $32,595.
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With a ranking of #8, Gustavus Adolphus College did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Gustavus Adolphus is a small private not-for-profit school located in the fringe town of Saint Peter.
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Mayville State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Mayville State University is a small public school located in the remote area of Mayville.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at Mayville State University accumulate an average of around $33,395 in student debt.
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With a ranking of #10, Central Methodist University - College of Graduate & Extended Studies did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the distant town of Fayette, CMU CGES is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Nursing majors at CMU CGES take out an average of $29,850 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
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University of Kansas ranked #11 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. KU is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Lawrence.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from KU carry an average student debtload of $23,714.
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With a ranking of #12, Minnesota State University - Moorhead did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Moorhead, MSU Moorhead is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at MSU Moorhead accumulate an average of around $33,360 in student debt.
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Southwest Minnesota State 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 #13 on the list. Southwest Minnesota State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the remote town of Marshall.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Southwest Minnesota State University take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $32,041.
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With a ranking of #15, Herzing University - Minneapolis did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Herzing University - Minneapolis is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Minneapolis.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Herzing University - Minneapolis take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $42,677. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $204.
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Creighton University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in the city of Omaha, Creighton is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.
Nursing majors at Creighton take out an average of $28,316 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $483, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Request InformationAdditional Noteworthy Schools
Here are some additional great schools for Nursing students in the Plains States Region that almost earned our Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 17 | Grantham University | Lenexa, KS |
| 18 | Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College | Saint Louis, MO |
| 19 | St Olaf College | Northfield, MN |
| 20 | The College of Saint Scholastica | Duluth, MN |
| 21 | Augsburg University | Minneapolis, MN |
| 22 | Winona State University | Winona, MN |
Best Nursing Colleges by State
Explore the best nursing colleges for a specific state in the Plains States region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Minnesota | 14,890 |
| South Dakota | 1,022 |
| North Dakota | 976 |
| Nebraska | 1,908 |
| Kansas | 2,633 |
| Iowa | 2,966 |
| Missouri | 6,840 |
More Nursing Rankings in the Plains States Region
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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