Find Nursing Colleges

What Do You Want to Study?

Best Nursing Doctor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region

Find Schools Near

2023 Best Nursing Doctor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region

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

Finding the Best Nursing Doctor'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 Doctor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 40 schools in the Plains States Region 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 the Plains States Region

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

Top 10 Best Nursing Doctor's Degree Schools

Our analysis found Mayo Clinic School of Medicine to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a doctor’s degree in the Plains States Region . Mayo Clinic School of Medicine is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Rochester.

On average, nursing graduates from Mayo Clinic School of Medicine take out $114,264 in student loans while working on their Doctor's Degree.

Full Nursing at Mayo Clinic School of Medicine Report

Out of the 40 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Bryan College of Health Sciences landed the # 2 spot on the list. Bryan College of Health Sciences is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Lincoln.

Nursing majors at Bryan College of Health Sciences take out an average of $116,786 in student loans while working on their Doctor's Degree.

Full Nursing at Bryan College of Health Sciences Report

#3

Mount Marty University

Yankton, SD

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Mount Marty University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the town of Yankton, Mount Marty is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Mount Marty take out while working on their Doctor's Degree is $150,264.

Full Nursing at Mount Marty University Report

#4

Webster University

Saint Louis, MO

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Webster University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the large suburb of Saint Louis, Webster is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.

Read More…

#5

University of Kansas

Lawrence, KS

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means University of Kansas is a great place for nursing students working on their doctor’s degree. KU is a very large public school located in the small city of Lawrence.

Full Nursing at University of Kansas Report

#6

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, ND

University of North Dakota landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best doctor’s degree nursing programs. Located in the small city of Grand Forks, UND is a public college with a large student population.

Read full report on Nursing at University of North Dakota

University of Nebraska Medical Center landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best doctor’s degree nursing programs. Located in the city of Omaha, UNMC is a public school with a small student population.

Full Nursing at University of Nebraska Medical Center Report

Maryville University of Saint Louis ranked #8 on this year’s Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Maryville U is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Saint Louis.

After completing their Doctor's Degree, nursing graduates from Maryville U carry an average student debtload of $80,291.

Read full report on Nursing at Maryville University of Saint Louis

Nebraska Methodist College of Nursing & Allied Health ranked #9 on this year’s Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the city of Omaha, Nebraska Methodist College is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

While working on their Doctor's Degree, nursing majors at Nebraska Methodist College accumulate an average of around $47,531 in student debt.

Read full report on Nursing at Nebraska Methodist College of Nursing & Allied Health

#10

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA

University of Iowa ranked #10 on this year’s Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Iowa is a very large public school located in the city of Iowa City.

While working on their Doctor's Degree, nursing majors at Iowa accumulate an average of around $110,466 in student debt.

Full Nursing at University of Iowa Report

Best Nursing Colleges by State

Explore the best nursing colleges for a specific state in the Plains States region.

State Degrees Awarded
Nebraska 1,908
Minnesota 14,890
South Dakota 1,022
North Dakota 976
Iowa 2,966
Missouri 6,840
Kansas 2,633

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 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.

Featured Schools

Find Nursing Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited nursing schools across the U.S.