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2023 Best Nursing Schools in Washington

40 Colleges
$75,342 Avg Salary
$25,471 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Nursing School for You

Out of the majors we analyze each year, nursing was the most popular one in Washington. In total, 3,851 people earned a degree or certificate in the field from a school in Washington.

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

#1

Gonzaga University

Spokane, WA

Our 2023 rankings named Gonzaga University the best school in Washington for nursing students. Located in the medium-sized city of Spokane, Gonzaga is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Gonzaga carry an average student debtload of $53,347.

Read full report on Nursing at Gonzaga University

The excellent programs at University of Washington - Tacoma Campus helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in Washington. UW Tacoma is a small public school located in the medium-sized city of Tacoma.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at UW Tacoma accumulate an average of around $23,126 in student debt. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $226.

Full Nursing at University of Washington - Tacoma Campus Report

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means University of Washington - Bothell Campus is a great place for nursing students. UW Bothell is a moderately-sized public school located in the large suburb of Bothell.

Nursing majors at UW Bothell take out an average of $23,126 in student loans while working on their egree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $226.

Read full report on Nursing at University of Washington - Bothell Campus

#4

Seattle University

Seattle, WA

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 college with a moderately-sized student population.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Seattle U carry an average student debtload of $64,611. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $886.

Full Nursing at Seattle University Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in Washington list. Located in the city of Seattle, UW Seattle is a public college with a very large student population.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at UW Seattle take out is $23,126. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $226.

Full Nursing at University of Washington - Seattle Campus Report

Washington State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #6 on the list. Wazzu is a fairly large public school located in the town of Pullman.

Nursing majors at Wazzu take out an average of $39,134 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $223, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Nursing at Washington State University

Seattle Pacific University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in Washington list. SPU is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Seattle.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at SPU take out is $26,986. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $534.

Read full report on Nursing at Seattle Pacific University

#8

Highline College

Des Moines, WA

Highline College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in Washington list. Located in the suburb of Des Moines, Highline is a public school with a small student population.

On average, nursing graduates from Highline take out $12,950 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read full report on Nursing at Highline College

With a ranking of #9, Pacific Lutheran University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Located in the suburb of Tacoma, PLU is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from PLU carry an average student debtload of $54,817. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $393.

Read More…

Saint Martin’s University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in Washington list. Located in the city of Lacey, Saint Martin's is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Read full report on Nursing at Saint Martin’s University

Best 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

Nursing Concentrations

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

Majors Similar 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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