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 2021-2022.
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 2023 rankings named Wake Forest University the best school in North Carolina for nursing students. Wake Forest University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Winston-Salem.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Wake Forest University carry an average student debtload of $103,942.
The excellent programs at Duke University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in North Carolina. Duke is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Durham.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Duke take out is $72,914.
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 small private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Concord.
Nursing majors at Cabarrus College of Health Sciences take out an average of $19,472 in student loans while working on their egree.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Carolinas College of Health Sciences. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in North Carolina list. Located in the large city of Charlotte, Carolinas College of Health Sciences is a public school with a small student population.
On average, nursing graduates from Carolinas College of Health Sciences take out $16,088 in student loans while working on their degree.
A rank of #5 on this year’s list means University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a great place for nursing students. UNC Chapel Hill is a very large public school located in the small city of Chapel Hill.
Nursing majors at UNC Chapel Hill take out an average of $44,809 in student loans while working on their egree.
Read full report on Nursing at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
With a ranking of #6, University of North Carolina at Charlotte did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. UNC Charlotte is a fairly large public school located in the city of Charlotte.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at UNC Charlotte take out is $30,060. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $184.
Full Nursing at University of North Carolina at Charlotte Report
University of North Carolina at Greensboro ranked #7 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in North Carolina list. UNC Greensboro is a large public school located in the city of Greensboro.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from UNC Greensboro carry an average student debtload of $21,150. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $182.
Full Nursing at University of North Carolina at Greensboro Report
With a ranking of #8, East Carolina University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Located in the small city of Greenville, ECU is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Nursing majors at ECU take out an average of $34,428 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $380.
Winston - Salem State University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Located in the midsize city of Winston-Salem, WSSU is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
Nursing majors at WSSU take out an average of $21,516 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $151.
Read full report on Nursing at Winston - Salem State University
With a ranking of #10, University of North Carolina at Wilmington did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Located in the midsize city of Wilmington, UNCW is a public school with a fairly large student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at UNCW take out is $21,969. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $221, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
North Carolina A & T State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #11 on the list. NC A&T is a fairly large public school located in the city of Greensboro.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at NC A&T take out is $16,750.
Full Nursing at North Carolina A & T State University Report
Honorable Mentions
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 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 |
| Florida | 21,209 |
| Arkansas | 2,882 |
| 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 Related Majors
| 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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