2023 Best Nursing Schools in North Carolina
Finding the Best Nursing School for You
Nursing is the most popular major in North Carolina with 7,425 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021.
With all the nursing programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.
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 North Carolina ranking. Our analysis looked at 77 schools in North Carolina to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for nursing students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Nursing Schools in North Carolina
The colleges and universities below are the best for nursing majors pursuing a .
Top 15% Best Nursing Schools
Our analysis found Wake Forest University to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a degree in North Carolina. Wake Forest University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Winston-Salem.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Duke University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in North Carolina list. Duke is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Durham.
Nursing majors at Duke take out an average of $25,184 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Out of the 77 schools in North Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, Cabarrus College of Health Sciences landed the # 3 spot on the list. Cabarrus College of Health Sciences is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Concord.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Cabarrus College of Health Sciences carry an average student debtload of $27,082.
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Carolinas College of Health Sciences is a great place for nursing students. Located in the city of Charlotte, Carolinas College of Health Sciences is a public college with a fairly small student population.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Carolinas College of Health Sciences carry an average student debtload of $23,000.
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Out of the 77 schools in North Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the # 5 spot on the list. UNC Chapel Hill is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Chapel Hill.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at UNC Chapel Hill take out is $25,000.
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University of North Carolina at Charlotte ranked #6 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in North Carolina list. UNC Charlotte is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Charlotte.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at UNC Charlotte accumulate an average of around $23,828 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $166, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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University of North Carolina at Greensboro landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. UNC Greensboro is a fairly large public school located in the city of Greensboro.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at UNC Greensboro take out is $22,250. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $151.
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East Carolina University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in North Carolina ranking. Located in the small city of Greenville, ECU is a public college with a fairly large student population.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at ECU accumulate an average of around $26,000 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $261.
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Winston - Salem State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in North Carolina list. Located in the city of Winston-Salem, WSSU is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at WSSU take out is $24,946. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $135.
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University of North Carolina at Wilmington 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 medium-sized city of Wilmington, UNCW is a public school with a large student population.
Nursing majors at UNCW take out an average of $21,500 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $212, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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North Carolina A & T State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in North Carolina ranking. NC A&T is a large public school located in the city of Greensboro.
On average, nursing graduates from NC A&T take out $30,303 in student loans while working on their degree.
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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 North Carolina award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | Chamberlain University - North Carolina | Charlotte, NC |
| 13 | University of Mount Olive | Mount Olive, NC |
| 14 | Appalachian State University | Boone, NC |
| 15 | Western Carolina University | Cullowhee, NC |
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 |
|---|---|
| Alabama | 7,364 |
| Kentucky | 6,395 |
| Tennessee | 6,004 |
| Louisiana | 3,502 |
| Mississippi | 2,838 |
| Florida | 21,209 |
| Arkansas | 2,882 |
| West Virginia | 1,771 |
| Georgia | 7,112 |
| South Carolina | 3,296 |
| Virginia | 6,775 |
More Nursing Rankings in North Carolina
Rankings in Majors Related to Nursing
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 |
Most Popular Related Majors
| 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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