2023 Best Nursing Schools in Oklahoma
Finding the Best Nursing School for You
Nursing is the most popular major in Oklahoma with 3,009 degrees and certificates handed out in 2021-2022.
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which nursing program is right for you. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.
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 Oklahoma ranking. This report analyzed 30 schools in Oklahoma to see which ones offered the best programs for nursing students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Nursing Schools in Oklahoma
The following schools top our list of the Best Nursing Colleges.
Top 10 Best Nursing Schools
Our analysis found University of Oklahoma - Health Sciences Center to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a degree in Oklahoma. Located in the city of Oklahoma City, UOHSC is a public college with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at UOHSC take out is $28,958. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $352.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Oklahoma State University - Main Campus. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in Oklahoma list. OSU is a very large public school located in the distant town of Stillwater.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from OSU carry an average student debtload of $12,500.
Read full report on Nursing at Oklahoma State University - Main Campus
Out of the 30 schools in Oklahoma that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Central Oklahoma landed the # 3 spot on the list. UCO is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Edmond.
On average, nursing graduates from UCO take out $21,922 in student loans while working on their degree.
The excellent programs at Northeastern State University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in Oklahoma. Located in the remote town of Tahlequah, NSU is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
Nursing majors at NSU take out an average of $12,500 in student loans while working on their egree.
Read full report on Nursing at Northeastern State University
Out of the 30 schools in Oklahoma that were part of this year’s ranking, Oklahoma Panhandle State University landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the rural area of Goodwell, OPSU is a public college with a small student population.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at OPSU accumulate an average of around $10,408 in student debt.
Oklahoma Christian University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in Oklahoma list. OC is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Edmond.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from OC carry an average student debtload of $25,864.
With a ranking of #7, East Central University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. ECU is a small public school located in the town of Ada.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from ECU carry an average student debtload of $15,000.
Southwestern Oklahoma State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in Oklahoma list. Located in the town of Weatherford, SWOSU is a public college with a small student population.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from SWOSU carry an average student debtload of $13,784.
Read full report on Nursing at Southwestern Oklahoma State University
With a ranking of #9, University of Tulsa did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. University of Tulsa is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Tulsa.
On average, nursing graduates from University of Tulsa take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
Oklahoma City University landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. OCU is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Oklahoma City.
On average, nursing graduates from OCU take out $48,993 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $395.
Best Nursing Colleges in the Southwest Region
Explore all the Best Nursing Colleges in the Southwest Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Arizona | 12,966 |
| Texas | 21,862 |
| New Mexico | 1,390 |
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 |
Majors Similar 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.