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Best Nursing Doctor's Degree Schools in Virginia

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2023 Best Nursing Doctor's Degree Schools in Virginia

11 Colleges
$115,233 Avg Salary
$76,952 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Nursing Doctor's Degree School for You

Out of the majors we analyze each year, nursing was the most popular one in Virginia. In total, 6,775 people earned a degree or certificate in the field from a school in Virginia.

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. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Nursing Degree Search has developed this Best Nursing Doctor's Degree Schools in Virginia ranking. Our analysis looked at 11 schools in Virginia to see which doctor'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 Doctor’s Degree Schools in Virginia

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

Top 10 Best Nursing Doctor's Degree Schools

Our 2023 rankings named Virginia Commonwealth University the best school in Virginia for nursing students working on their doctor’s degree. VCU is a very large public school located in the city of Richmond.

While working on their Doctor's Degree, nursing majors at VCU accumulate an average of around $103,687 in student debt.

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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Virginia - Main Campus. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in Virginia list. University of Virginia is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Charlottesville.

On average, nursing graduates from University of Virginia take out $66,303 in student loans while working on their Doctor's Degree.

Read full report on Nursing at University of Virginia - Main Campus

#3

Radford University

Radford, VA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Radford University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in Virginia list. Located in the small suburb of Radford, Radford is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

Full Nursing at Radford University Report

#4

Eastern Mennonite University

Harrisonburg, VA

Out of the 11 schools in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, Eastern Mennonite University landed the # 4 spot on the list. Eastern Mennonite is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Harrisonburg.

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#5

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend James Madison University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in Virginia list. Located in the small city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public school with a fairly large student population.

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#6

Shenandoah University

Winchester, VA

With a ranking of #6, Shenandoah University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their doctor’s degree. Shenandoah is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Winchester.

Full Nursing at Shenandoah University Report

#7

Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA

Old Dominion University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best doctor’s degree nursing programs. Old Dominion is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of Norfolk.

While working on their Doctor's Degree, nursing majors at Old Dominion accumulate an average of around $83,381 in student debt.

Full Nursing at Old Dominion University Report

#8

Marymount University

Arlington, VA

Marymount University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in Virginia ranking. Marymount is a small private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Arlington.

Read full report on Nursing at Marymount University

#9

Hampton University

Hampton, VA

Hampton University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a doctor’s degree. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the medium-sized city of Hampton, Hampton is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Read full report on Nursing at Hampton University

#10

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA

With a ranking of #10, George Mason University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their doctor’s degree. GMU is a very large public school located in the suburb of Fairfax.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at GMU take out while working on their Doctor's Degree is $59,100.

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
Louisiana 3,502
Mississippi 2,838
Alabama 7,364
Kentucky 6,395
Arkansas 2,882
Tennessee 6,004
Florida 21,209
North Carolina 7,425
West Virginia 1,771
South Carolina 3,296
Georgia 7,112

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

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

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 11 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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