2023 Best Nursing Schools in Washington
Finding the Best Nursing School for You
Nursing is the most popular major in Washington with 3,851 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021.
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which nursing program is right 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 assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Nursing Degree Search has created its Best Nursing Schools in Washington ranking. Our analysis looked at 40 schools in Washington to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for nursing students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Nursing Schools in Washington
The following schools top our list of the Best Nursing Colleges.
Top 10 Best Nursing Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Gonzaga University the best school in Washington for nursing students. Located in the midsize city of Spokane, Gonzaga is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Gonzaga take out is $27,000.
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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means University of Washington - Tacoma Campus is a great place for nursing students. UW Tacoma is a medium-sized public school located in the medium-sized city of Tacoma.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at UW Tacoma take out is $18,723. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $234.
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Out of the 40 schools in Washington that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Bothell Campus landed the # 3 spot on the list. UW Bothell is a medium-sized public school located in the large suburb of Bothell.
Nursing majors at UW Bothell take out an average of $18,723 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $234.
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Seattle University is a great place for nursing students. Located in the city of Seattle, Seattle U is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at Seattle U accumulate an average of around $26,000 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $722, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Nursing Schools in Washington list. Located in the city of Seattle, UW Seattle is a public school with a very large student population.
On average, nursing graduates from UW Seattle take out $18,723 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $234.
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With a ranking of #6, Washington State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Wazzu is a fairly large public school located in the town of Pullman.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Wazzu carry an average student debtload of $23,500. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $202, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Seattle Pacific University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in Washington ranking. SPU is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Seattle.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at SPU accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $477.
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With a ranking of #8, Highline College did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Located in the suburb of Des Moines, Highline is a public school with a small student population.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at Highline accumulate an average of around $15,000 in student debt.
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Pacific Lutheran University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in Washington ranking. Located in the suburb of Tacoma, PLU is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from PLU carry an average student debtload of $27,000. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $413.
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With a ranking of #10, Saint Martin’s University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Located in the city of Lacey, Saint Martin's is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Request InformationBest Nursing Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| California | 18,329 |
| Nevada | 2,015 |
| Alaska | 177 |
| Hawaii | 535 |
| Oregon | 1,502 |
More Nursing Rankings in Washington
Rankings in Majors Related to Nursing
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 |
Majors Similar 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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