2023 Best Nursing Schools in Alabama
Finding the Best Nursing School for You
Nursing is the most popular major in Alabama with 7,364 degrees and certificates handed out in 2021-2022.
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
Our 2023 rankings named Auburn University the best school in Alabama for nursing students. Located in the small city of Auburn, Auburn is a public college with a fairly large student population.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Auburn carry an average student debtload of $33,508. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $401.
The excellent programs at Herzing University - Birmingham helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in Alabama. Herzing University - Birmingham is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Birmingham.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at Herzing University - Birmingham accumulate an average of around $29,816 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 $163.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Samford University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Nursing Schools in Alabama list. Samford is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Birmingham.
Nursing majors at Samford take out an average of $59,642 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $790.
The excellent programs at The University of Alabama helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in Alabama. UA is a very large public school located in the small city of Tuscaloosa.
On average, nursing graduates from UA take out $28,473 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $804.
The excellent programs at University of Alabama at Birmingham helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in Alabama. Located in the medium-sized city of Birmingham, UAB is a public college with a fairly large student population.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from UAB carry an average student debtload of $35,983. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $407.
Read full report on Nursing at University of Alabama at Birmingham
University of South Alabama came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in Alabama ranking. Located in the midsize city of Mobile, USA is a public school with a fairly large student population.
On average, nursing graduates from USA take out $47,670 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $307, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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 $13,053.
Read full report on Nursing at Coastal Alabama Community College
University of Alabama in Huntsville ranked #8 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in Alabama list. UAH is a medium-sized public school located in the medium-sized city of Huntsville.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at UAH take out is $27,924. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $315.
Read full report on Nursing at University of Alabama in Huntsville
Gadsden State Community College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in Alabama list. Located in the small city of Gadsden, GSCC is a public school with a small student population.
Wallace Community College, Dothan landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Wallace, Dothan is a small public school located in the city of Dothan.
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 |
|---|---|
| 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 |
Rankings in Majors Related to Nursing
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 |
Most Popular Majors Related 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.