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Best Nursing Schools in Alabama

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2023 Best Nursing Schools in Alabama

33 Colleges
$66,541 Avg Salary
$23,597 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Nursing School for You

Nursing is the most popular major in Alabama with 7,364 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 Alabama ranking. This report analyzed 33 schools in Alabama to see which ones offered the best programs for nursing students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Nursing Schools in Alabama

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

Top 10 Best Nursing Schools

#1

Auburn University

Auburn, AL

Our 2023 rankings named Auburn University the best school in Alabama for nursing students. Located in the city of Auburn, Auburn is a public school with a fairly 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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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Herzing University - Birmingham. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Nursing Schools in Alabama list. Herzing University - Birmingham is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large 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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#3

Samford University

Birmingham, AL

The excellent programs at Samford University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in Alabama. Samford is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Birmingham.

Nursing majors at Samford take out an average of $26,000 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 $518.

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#4

The University of Alabama

Tuscaloosa, AL

Out of the 33 schools in Alabama that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Alabama landed the # 4 spot on the list. UA is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Tuscaloosa.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at UA take out is $25,125. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $646.

Full Nursing at The University of Alabama Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Alabama at Birmingham. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Nursing Schools in Alabama list. Located in the city of Birmingham, UAB is a public college with a very large student population.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at UAB accumulate an average of around $22,958 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $307, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Nursing at University of Alabama at Birmingham

University of South Alabama landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Located in the city of Mobile, USA is a public college with a fairly large student population.

On average, nursing graduates from USA take out $26,429 in student loans while working on their degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $230, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Nursing at University of South Alabama

Coastal Alabama Community College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in Alabama ranking. Coastal Alabama Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Bay Minette.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Coastal Alabama Community College carry an average student debtload of $17,002.

Full Nursing at Coastal Alabama Community College Report

University of Alabama in Huntsville did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #8 on the list. UAH is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Huntsville.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from UAH carry an average student debtload of $25,614. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $272, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Nursing at University of Alabama in Huntsville

Gadsden State Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the city of Gadsden, GSCC is a public school with a small student population.

Nursing majors at GSCC take out an average of $9,529 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Nursing at Gadsden State Community College Report

Wallace Community College, Dothan did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #10 on the list. Wallace, Dothan is a small public school located in the city of Dothan.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Wallace, Dothan carry an average student debtload of $9,075.

Read full report on Nursing at Wallace Community College, Dothan

Best Nursing Colleges in the Southeast Region

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

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