2023 Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region
Finding the Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree School for You
In 2021-2022, 319,502 degrees and certificates were awarded to nursing students, making the major the most popular in the country.
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.
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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.
Nursing majors at Chamberlain - Missouri take out an average of $25,436 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 $283.
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Ottawa University - Kansas City helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in the Plains States Region . Located in the medium-sized city of Overland Park, Ottawa University - Kansas City is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
On average, nursing graduates from Ottawa University - Kansas City take out $20,101 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at University of Nebraska Medical Center helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in the Plains States Region . Located in the city of Omaha, UNMC is a public college with a small student population.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at UNMC accumulate an average of around $15,093 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $196.
Out of the 113 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, College of Saint Benedict landed the # 4 spot on the list. CSB is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Saint Joseph.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Webster University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the large suburb of Saint Louis, Webster is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.
Capella University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Capella University is a very large private for-profit school located in the city of Minneapolis.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at Capella University accumulate an average of around $12,874 in student debt.
Bemidji State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the town of Bemidji, Bemidji State University is a public school with a small student population.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at Bemidji State University accumulate an average of around $16,770 in student debt.
Gustavus Adolphus College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Gustavus Adolphus is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Saint Peter.
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 rural area of Mayville.
Nursing majors at Mayville State University take out an average of $10,194 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
Central Methodist University - College of Graduate & Extended Studies 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 town of Fayette, CMU CGES is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from CMU CGES carry an average student debtload of $16,556.
Read full report on Nursing at Central Methodist University - College of Graduate & Extended Studies
University of Kansas landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree nursing programs. KU is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Lawrence.
Nursing majors at KU take out an average of $16,482 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
Minnesota State University - Moorhead ranked #12 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. MSU Moorhead is a small public school located in the suburb of Moorhead.
Nursing majors at MSU Moorhead take out an average of $14,491 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
Full Nursing at Minnesota State University - Moorhead Report
Southwest Minnesota State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Southwest Minnesota State University is a medium-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 $15,275.
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 suburb of St. Louis Park.
On average, nursing graduates from Herzing University - Minneapolis take out $27,801 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 $186.
Read full report on Nursing at Herzing University - Minneapolis
Creighton University landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree nursing programs. Located in the city of Omaha, Creighton is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.
On average, nursing graduates from Creighton take out $21,056 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 $535.
Additional 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 | LIttle Rock, AR |
| 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 |
Nursing Related Rankings by Major
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 |
Most Popular Majors Related 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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