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Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region

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2023 Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region

510 Colleges
$67,632 Avg Salary
$24,151 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Nursing School for You

Nursing is the most popular major in the United States with 77,470 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for nursing students. 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 assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Nursing Degree Search has created its Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. This report analyzed 510 schools in the Southeast Region to see which ones offered the best programs for nursing students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region

Check out the nursing programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.

Top 25 Top Southeast Region Schools in Nursing

Our analysis found Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia Inc to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a degree in the Southeast Region . Located in the city of Madison, MTSA is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

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#2

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, NC

The excellent programs at Wake Forest University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in the Southeast Region . Wake Forest University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Winston-Salem.

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Out of the 510 schools in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Standard Healthcare Services - College of Nursing landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the large suburb of Falls Church, Standard College of Nursing is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Standard College of Nursing carry an average student debtload of $27,280.

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#4

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN

Out of the 510 schools in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Vanderbilt University landed the # 4 spot on the list. Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Nashville.

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Frontier Nursing University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region list. Frontier Nursing University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Hyden.

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#6

Duke University

Durham, NC

Duke University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region list. Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Durham.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at Duke accumulate an average of around $25,184 in student debt.

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West Coast University-Miami ranked #7 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the small city of Doral, West Coast University-Miami is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

Nursing majors at West Coast University-Miami take out an average of $38,146 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 $665.

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With a ranking of #8, Chamberlain University - Florida did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Located in the city of Jacksonville, Chamberlain - Florida is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Chamberlain - Florida take out is $38,460. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $256, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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Chamberlain University - Georgia ranked #9 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the city of Atlanta, Chamberlain - Georgia is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Chamberlain - Georgia carry an average student debtload of $38,460. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $256, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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Chamberlain University - Virginia did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the suburb of Arlington, Chamberlain - Virginia is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Chamberlain - Virginia take out is $38,460. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $256, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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Sentara College of Health Sciences did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #11 on the list. Located in the large suburb of Chesapeake, Sentara College of Health Sciences is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

On average, nursing graduates from Sentara College of Health Sciences take out $27,686 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $155.

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#12

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, VA

University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #12 on the list. Located in the small suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public school with a very large student population.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at University of Virginia accumulate an average of around $16,836 in student debt.

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#13

Trident Technical College

Charleston, SC

Trident Technical College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #13 on the list. Trident Technical College is a fairly large public school located in the city of Charleston.

On average, nursing graduates from Trident Technical College take out $28,792 in student loans while working on their degree.

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Cabarrus College of Health Sciences ranked #14 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region list. Cabarrus College of Health Sciences is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Concord.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Cabarrus College of Health Sciences take out is $27,082.

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#15

University of Florida

Gainesville, FL

With a ranking of #15, University of Florida did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. UF is a very large public school located in the midsize city of Gainesville.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at UF take out is $19,458. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $146.

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Carolinas College of Health Sciences did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #16 on the list. Located in the city of Charlotte, Carolinas College of Health Sciences is a public college with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Carolinas College of Health Sciences take out is $23,000.

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#17

Emory University

Atlanta, GA

Emory University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Emory is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Atlanta.

Nursing majors at Emory take out an average of $25,000 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $556, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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#18

Eastern Virginia Career College

Fredericksburg, VA

With a ranking of #18, Eastern Virginia Career College did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Eastern Virginia Career College is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the midsize suburb of Fredericksburg.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Eastern Virginia Career College carry an average student debtload of $22,874.

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Rasmussen University - Florida came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in the city of Ocala, Rasmussen University - Florida is a private for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Rasmussen University - Florida take out is $35,539. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $161, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

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#20

Centra College of Nursing

Lynchburg, VA

With a ranking of #20, Centra College of Nursing did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Centra College of Nursing is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Lynchburg.

Nursing majors at Centra College of Nursing take out an average of $21,076 in student loans while working on their egree.

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Medical University of South Carolina ranked #21 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the city of Charleston, MUSC is a public college with a small student population.

Nursing majors at MUSC take out an average of $28,354 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $399.

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#22

University of Mary Washington

Fredericksburg, VA

University of Mary Washington did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #22 on the list. Located in the suburb of Fredericksburg, UMW is a public school with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at UMW take out is $15,725.

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#23

Auburn University

Auburn, AL

With a ranking of #23, Auburn University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Located in the small city of Auburn, Auburn is a public school with a very large student population.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Auburn carry an average student debtload of $20,500. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $562.

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With a ranking of #24, Herzing University - Birmingham did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Herzing University - Birmingham is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Birmingham.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Herzing University - Birmingham take out is $33,946. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $107.

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Virginia Commonwealth University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the medium-sized city of Richmond, VCU is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Nursing majors at VCU take out an average of $26,687 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $238.

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Rest of the Top 50 Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region

#26

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA
#28

Galen College of Nursing - Tampa Bay

Saint Petersburg, FL
#30

Samford University

Birmingham, AL
#31

University of Arkansas

Fayetteville, AR
#32

AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL
#38

University of Florida-Online

Gainesville, FL
#43

Augusta University

Augusta, GA
#44

East Carolina University

Greenville, NC
#47

Georgia Southern University

Statesboro, GA
#48

Clemson University

Clemson, SC
#49

Southside College of Health Sciences

Colonial Heights, VA
#50

University of North Florida

Jacksonville, FL

Additional Award Winners

This section shows the rest of the schools awarded a Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 510 different Southeast nursing schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 University of Miami Coral Gables, FL
52 Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA
53 The University of Tennessee - Health Science Center Memphis, TN
54 Southern Regional Technical College Thomasville, GA
55 Shenandoah University Winchester, VA
56 Belmont University Nashville, TN
57 University of North Georgia Dahlonega, GA
58 Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University Baton Rouge, LA
59 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
60 University of South Carolina - Columbia Columbia, SC
61 Winston - Salem State University Winston-Salem, NC
62 Shepherd University Shepherdstown, WV
63 Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing Richmond, VA
64 Galen College of Nursing - ARH Hazard, KY
65 Harding University Searcy, AR
66 University of North Carolina at Wilmington Wilmington, NC
67 Herzing University - Atlanta Atlanta, GA
68 Eastern Mennonite University Harrisonburg, VA
69 Polk State College Winter Haven, FL
70 University of Louisiana at Monroe Monroe, LA
71 Berry College Mount Berry, GA
72 North Carolina A & T State University Greensboro, NC
73 Chamberlain University - North Carolina Charlotte, NC
74 University of Mount Olive Mount Olive, NC
75 Appalachian State University Boone, NC
76 Bellarmine University Louisville, KY

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great schools for Nursing students in the Southeast Region that almost earned our Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region award.

Rank College Location
77 Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers, FL
78 Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Tifton, GA
79 Athens Technical College Athens, GA
80 Georgia College & State University Milledgeville, GA
81 The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN
82 Louisiana Tech University Ruston, LA
83 American Public University System Charles Town, WV
84 Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC
85 Fayetteville State University Fayetteville, NC
86 North Carolina Central University Durham, NC
87 King University Bristol, TN
88 McNeese State University Lake Charles, LA
89 Albany State University Albany, GA
90 University of Kentucky Lexington, KY
91 University of Memphis Memphis, TN
92 Piedmont College Demorest, GA
93 Georgia State University-Perimeter College Atlanta, GA
94 LaGrange College Lagrange, GA
95 Radford University Radford, VA
96 University of Lynchburg Lynchburg, VA
97 West Virginia University Morgantown, WV
98 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
99 Gaston College Dallas, NC
100 Florida International University Miami, FL
101 Chattahoochee Technical College Marietta, GA
102 University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL

Best Nursing Colleges by State

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

State Degrees Awarded
Alabama 7,364
Kentucky 6,395
Tennessee 6,004
Louisiana 3,502
Mississippi 2,838
Florida 21,209
Arkansas 2,882
North Carolina 7,425
West Virginia 1,771
Georgia 7,112
South Carolina 3,296
Virginia 6,775

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

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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