Find Nursing Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Best Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools in Pennsylvania

Find Schools Near

2023 Best Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools in Pennsylvania

16 Colleges
$99,011 Avg Salary
$21,624 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Nursing Graduate Certificate School for You

Out of the majors we analyze each year, nursing was the most popular one in Pennsylvania. In total, 11,477 people earned a degree or certificate in the field from a school in Pennsylvania.

Today's nursing students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Nursing Degree Search has created the Best Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools in Pennsylvania to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 16 schools in Pennsylvania to see which graduate certificate programs offered the best educational experiences for nursing students. To come up with a school's ranking, we analyzed numerous factors related to post-graduation wages, the quality of education offered by the school, average accumulated student debt, and more.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools in Pennsylvania

The following schools top our list of the Best Nursing Graduate Certificate Colleges.

Top 10 Best Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools

#1

Thomas Jefferson University

Philadelphia, PA

Our analysis found Thomas Jefferson University to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a graduate certificate in Pennsylvania. Thomas Jefferson University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Philadelphia.

Read More…

#2

Gannon University

Erie, PA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Gannon University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools in Pennsylvania list. Gannon is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Erie.

Read More…

#3

Drexel University

Philadelphia, PA

The excellent graduate certificate programs at Drexel University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in Pennsylvania. Drexel is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Philadelphia.

Read full report on Nursing at Drexel University

#4

Duquesne University

Pittsburgh, PA

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Duquesne University is a great place for nursing students working on their graduate certificate. Duquesne is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Pittsburgh.

Read More…

#5

DeSales University

Center Valley, PA

The excellent graduate certificate programs at DeSales University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in Pennsylvania. DeSales is a small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Center Valley.

Read More…

#6

Villanova University

Villanova, PA

Villanova University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Located in the large suburb of Villanova, Villanova is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

Full Nursing at Villanova University Report

#7

Cedar Crest College

Allentown, PA

Cedar Crest College landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best graduate certificate nursing programs. Located in the city of Allentown, Cedar Crest is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Read full report on Nursing at Cedar Crest College

University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Located in the large city of Pittsburgh, Pitt is a public college with a very large student population.

Read More…

Millersville University of Pennsylvania ranked #9 on this year’s Best Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools in Pennsylvania list. Located in the large suburb of Millersville, Millersville is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

Read More…

#10

Waynesburg University

Waynesburg, PA

Waynesburg University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Located in the distant town of Waynesburg, Waynesburg is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Read full report on Nursing at Waynesburg University

Best Nursing Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region

Explore all the Best Nursing Schools in the Middle Atlantic Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
New York 17,708
New Jersey 5,648
Maryland 4,104
Delaware 1,267
District of Columbia 990

Nursing Focus Areas

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 16 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 matching tool for schools matches students with nursing schools across the U.S.