2023 Best Nursing Schools in Florida
Finding the Best Nursing School for You
Nursing is the most popular major in Florida with 21,209 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021.
There are so many nursing programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. 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.
The Best Nursing Schools in Florida ranking is one of many tools that Nursing Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 83 schools in Florida to see which ones offered the best programs for nursing students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Nursing Schools in Florida
Check out the nursing programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.
Top 15% Best Nursing Schools
Our analysis found West Coast University-Miami to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a degree in Florida. West Coast University-Miami is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Doral.
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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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Chamberlain University - Florida is a great place for nursing students. Chamberlain - Florida is a small private for-profit school located in the large city of Jacksonville.
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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The excellent programs at University of Florida helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in Florida. Located in the city of Gainesville, UF is a public college with a very large student population.
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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Out of the 83 schools in Florida that were part of this year’s ranking, Rasmussen University - Florida landed the # 4 spot on the list. Rasmussen University - Florida is a moderately-sized private for-profit school located in the small city of Ocala.
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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Out of the 83 schools in Florida that were part of this year’s ranking, Galen College of Nursing - Tampa Bay landed the # 5 spot on the list. Galen College of Nursing - Tampa Bay is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Saint Petersburg.
Nursing majors at Galen College of Nursing - Tampa Bay take out an average of $41,365 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $117, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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With a ranking of #6, AdventHealth University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Located in the large city of Orlando, AHU is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from AHU carry an average student debtload of $34,017.
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University of Florida-Online came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in Florida ranking. UF Online is a moderately-sized public school located in the midsize city of Gainesville.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from UF Online carry an average student debtload of $19,458. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $146.
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University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #8 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in Florida list. Located in the city of Tampa, USF Tampa is a public college with a very large student population.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at USF Tampa accumulate an average of around $24,636 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $181, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Herzing University - Winter Park landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Herzing University - Winter Park is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Winter Park.
On average, nursing graduates from Herzing University - Winter Park take out $39,727 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $156.
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Academy for Nursing and Health Occupations 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 West Palm Beach, ANHO is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at ANHO take out is $35,375.
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University of North Florida came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in Florida ranking. Located in the city of Jacksonville, UNF is a public school with a large student population.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at UNF accumulate an average of around $18,750 in student debt.
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University of Miami landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. U Miami is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Coral Gables.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from U Miami carry an average student debtload of $25,000. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $483, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Request InformationAdditional Noteworthy Schools
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Nursing Schools in Florida award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | Florida State University | Tallahassee, FL |
| 14 | Polk State College | Winter Haven, FL |
| 15 | Florida Gulf Coast University | Fort Myers, FL |
| 16 | Florida International University | Miami, FL |
Best Nursing Colleges in the Southeast Region
Explore all the Best Nursing Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Alabama | 7,364 |
| Kentucky | 6,395 |
| Tennessee | 6,004 |
| Louisiana | 3,502 |
| Mississippi | 2,838 |
| Arkansas | 2,882 |
| North Carolina | 7,425 |
| West Virginia | 1,771 |
| Georgia | 7,112 |
| South Carolina | 3,296 |
| Virginia | 6,775 |
More Nursing Rankings in Florida
Nursing Related Rankings by Major
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 |
Most Popular Majors Related to Nursing
| 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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