2023 Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region
Finding the Best Nursing School for You
In 2021-2022, 319,502 degrees and certificates were awarded to nursing students, making the major the most popular in the country.
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.
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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 2023 rankings named Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia Inc the best school in the Southeast Region for nursing students. Located in the city of Madison, MTSA is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
On average, nursing graduates from MTSA take out $131,581 in student loans while working on their degree.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Wake Forest University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region list. Wake Forest University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Winston-Salem.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Wake Forest University take out is $103,942.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Standard Healthcare Services - College of Nursing. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the large suburb of Falls Church, Standard College of Nursing is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
Full Nursing at Standard Healthcare Services - College of Nursing Report
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Vanderbilt University is a great place for nursing students. Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Nashville.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Vanderbilt take out is $79,719.
The excellent programs at Frontier Nursing University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in the Southeast Region . Frontier Nursing University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Versailles.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Frontier Nursing University carry an average student debtload of $61,913.
Duke University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Durham.
On average, nursing graduates from Duke take out $72,914 in student loans while working on their degree.
West Coast University-Miami landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Located in the city of Doral, West Coast University-Miami is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at West Coast University-Miami take out is $34,145. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $742.
Chamberlain University - Florida landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Chamberlain - Florida is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the city of Jacksonville.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Chamberlain - Florida take out is $22,213. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $283.
Chamberlain University - Georgia came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Chamberlain - Georgia is a small private for-profit school located in the midsize city of Sandy Springs.
On average, nursing graduates from Chamberlain - Georgia take out $22,213 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $283.
Chamberlain University - Virginia landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Chamberlain - Virginia is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Vienna.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Chamberlain - Virginia carry an average student debtload of $22,213. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $283.
Sentara College of Health Sciences ranked #11 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the large suburb of Chesapeake, Sentara College of Health Sciences is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Sentara College of Health Sciences carry an average student debtload of $18,888.
Read full report on Nursing at Sentara College of Health Sciences
University of Virginia - Main Campus came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in the suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public school with a fairly large student population.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from University of Virginia carry an average student debtload of $42,463.
Trident Technical College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region list. Trident Technical College is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Charleston.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Trident Technical College take out is $21,050.
With a ranking of #14, Cabarrus College of Health Sciences did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Cabarrus College of Health Sciences is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Concord.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at Cabarrus College of Health Sciences accumulate an average of around $19,472 in student debt.
Read full report on Nursing at Cabarrus College of Health Sciences
University of Florida did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #15 on the list. UF is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Gainesville.
Nursing majors at UF take out an average of $29,896 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 $187.
Carolinas College of Health Sciences ranked #16 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the large city of Charlotte, Carolinas College of Health Sciences is a public school with a fairly small student population.
Nursing majors at Carolinas College of Health Sciences take out an average of $16,088 in student loans while working on their egree.
Read full report on Nursing at Carolinas College of Health Sciences
Emory University landed the #17 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Emory is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Atlanta.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Emory take out is $50,988. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $754, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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 medium-sized suburb of Fredericksburg.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Eastern Virginia Career College carry an average student debtload of $14,750.
Rasmussen University - Florida did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #19 on the list. Located in the city of Ocala, Rasmussen University - Florida is a private for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.
On average, nursing graduates from Rasmussen University - Florida take out $22,529 in student loans while working on their degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $221, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Centra College of Nursing came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Centra College of Nursing is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Lynchburg.
Nursing majors at Centra College of Nursing take out an average of $14,009 in student loans while working on their egree.
Medical University of South Carolina came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in the medium-sized city of Charleston, MUSC is a public college with a small student population.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at MUSC accumulate an average of around $69,867 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $470, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Read full report on Nursing at Medical University of South Carolina
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 medium-sized suburb of Fredericksburg, UMW is a public school with a small student population.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at UMW accumulate an average of around $12,250 in student debt.
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 college with a very 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.
Herzing University - Birmingham landed the #24 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. 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.
Read full report on Nursing at Herzing University - Birmingham
With a ranking of #25, Virginia Commonwealth University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Located in the midsize city of Richmond, VCU is a public college with a very large student population.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at VCU accumulate an average of around $53,868 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $137, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Rest of the Top 50 Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region
Additional Award Winners
This list shows the remainder of the colleges 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.
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.
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 |
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.
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