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Best Nursing Schools in West Virginia

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2023 Best Nursing Schools in West Virginia

19 Colleges
$68,392 Avg Salary
$25,751 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Nursing School for You

Out of the majors we analyze each year, nursing was the most popular one in West Virginia. In total, 1,771 people earned a degree or certificate in the field from a school in West Virginia.

It's not easy to decide which nursing program to enroll in when you have so many options available. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Nursing Degree Search has created the Best Nursing Schools in West Virginia to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 19 schools in West Virginia to see which ones offered the best programs for nursing students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Nursing Schools in West Virginia

The colleges and universities below are the best for nursing majors pursuing a .

Top 10 Best Nursing Schools

#1

Shepherd University

Shepherdstown, WV

Our analysis found Shepherd University to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a degree in West Virginia. Located in the town of Shepherdstown, Shepherd University is a public college with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Shepherd University take out is $27,000. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $272, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Nursing at Shepherd University

The excellent programs at American Public University System helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in West Virginia. American Military University is a fairly large private for-profit school located in the town of Charles Town.

On average, nursing graduates from American Military University take out $34,408 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Nursing at American Public University System Report

#3

West Virginia University

Morgantown, WV

Out of the 19 schools in West Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, West Virginia University landed the # 3 spot on the list. WVU is a very large public school located in the small city of Morgantown.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at WVU accumulate an average of around $26,242 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $256, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Nursing at West Virginia University

#4

Wheeling University

Wheeling, WV

The excellent programs at Wheeling University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in West Virginia. Wheeling University is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Wheeling.

Full Nursing at Wheeling University Report

#5

University of Charleston

Charleston, WV

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Charleston. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Nursing Schools in West Virginia list. UC is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Charleston.

Nursing majors at UC take out an average of $26,875 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read full report on Nursing at University of Charleston

West Virginia Wesleyan College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the town of Buckhannon, West Virginia Wesleyan is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from West Virginia Wesleyan carry an average student debtload of $28,000.

Read full report on Nursing at West Virginia Wesleyan College

BridgeValley Community & Technical College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in West Virginia list. Located in the suburb of South Charleston, BridgeValley Community & Technical College is a public college with a small student population.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at BridgeValley Community & Technical College accumulate an average of around $18,158 in student debt.

Read full report on Nursing at BridgeValley Community & Technical College

Davis & Elkins College landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. D&E is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Elkins.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at D&E accumulate an average of around $27,636 in student debt.

Read full report on Nursing at Davis & Elkins College

Alderson Broaddus University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in West Virginia ranking. Located in the town of Philippi, Alderson Broaddus University is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Alderson Broaddus University carry an average student debtload of $31,000.

Full Nursing at Alderson Broaddus University Report

#10

Fairmont State University

Fairmont, WV

With a ranking of #10, Fairmont State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Located in the town of Fairmont, Fairmont State is a public college with a small student population.

Nursing majors at Fairmont State take out an average of $30,454 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Nursing at Fairmont State University Report

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
Mississippi 2,838
Alabama 7,364
Kentucky 6,395
Tennessee 6,004
Louisiana 3,502
Florida 21,209
Arkansas 2,882
Georgia 7,112
North Carolina 7,425
South Carolina 3,296
Virginia 6,775

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

Related Major Annual Graduates
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants 84,274

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 19 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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