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2023 Best Nursing Schools in Kansas

31 Colleges
$65,921 Avg Salary
$24,790 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Nursing School for You

Nursing is the most popular major in Kansas with 2,633 degrees and certificates handed out in 2021-2022.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for nursing students. 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.

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 Kansas ranking. Our analysis looked at 31 schools in Kansas to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for nursing students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Nursing Schools in Kansas

Check out the nursing programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.

Top 10 Best Nursing Schools

#1

Ottawa University - Kansas City

Overland Park, KS

Our 2023 rankings named Ottawa University - Kansas City the best school in Kansas for nursing students. Ottawa University - Kansas City is a small private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Overland Park.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Ottawa University - Kansas City carry an average student debtload of $19,225.

Read full report on Nursing at Ottawa University - Kansas City

#2

University of Kansas

Lawrence, KS

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Kansas. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Nursing Schools in Kansas list. Located in the city of Lawrence, KU is a public college with a very large student population.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from KU carry an average student debtload of $43,685.

Read full report on Nursing at University of Kansas

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Rasmussen University - Kansas. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Nursing Schools in Kansas list. Located in the rural area of Topeka, Rasmussen University - Kansas is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Rasmussen University - Kansas carry an average student debtload of $22,529. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $221.

Read full report on Nursing at Rasmussen University - Kansas

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Fort Hays State University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in Kansas list. FHSU is a large public school located in the town of Hays.

Nursing majors at FHSU take out an average of $15,842 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 $142.

Read More…

#5

Newman University

Wichita, KS

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Newman University is a great place for nursing students. Located in the city of Wichita, Newman University is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Nursing majors at Newman University take out an average of $62,923 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read full report on Nursing at Newman University

#6

Washburn University

Topeka, KS

Washburn University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in Kansas list. Located in the medium-sized city of Topeka, Washburn University is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

Nursing majors at Washburn University take out an average of $40,541 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $207, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Nursing at Washburn University Report

With a ranking of #7, MidAmerica Nazarene University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Located in the large suburb of Olathe, MNU is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at MNU accumulate an average of around $12,500 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 $446.

Read More…

#8

Baker University

Baldwin City, KS

Baker University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in Kansas list. Baker is a small private not-for-profit school located in the fringe town of Baldwin City.

Nursing majors at Baker take out an average of $22,551 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read More…

#9

Pittsburg State University

Pittsburg, KS

Pittsburg State University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Located in the town of Pittsburg, Pitt State is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Pitt State take out is $18,500.

Full Nursing at Pittsburg State University Report

#10

University of Saint Mary

Leavenworth, KS

University of Saint Mary landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. University of St. Mary is a small private not-for-profit school located in the fringe town of Leavenworth.

On average, nursing graduates from University of St. Mary take out $28,742 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read More…

Best Nursing Colleges in the Plains States Region

Explore all the Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Minnesota 14,890
South Dakota 1,022
North Dakota 976
Nebraska 1,908
Iowa 2,966
Missouri 6,840

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

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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