2023 Best Nursing Schools in Kansas
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.
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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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 |
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 Majors Related 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.