2023 Most Popular Online Nursing Schools
Finding the Most Popular Online Nursing School for You
Nursing is the most popular major in the United States with 322,592 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021.
There are so many nursing programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Nursing Degree Search has developed this Most Popular Online Nursing Schools ranking. This report analyzed 417 schools in the United States to see which ones were the most popular online programs for nursing students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from schools with online programs.
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2023 Most Popular Online Nursing Schools in the United States
Check out the online nursing programs at these schools if you want to attend one of the most popular in the United States.
Top 25 Most Popular Online Schools in Nursing
Our analysis found Western Governors University to be the most popular school for nursing students who want to pursue an online degree in the United States. WGU is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Salt Lake City.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at WGU accumulate an average of around $21,420 in student debt.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Capella University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Popular Online Nursing Schools list. Capella University is a fairly large private for-profit school located in the large city of Minneapolis.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at Capella University accumulate an average of around $27,599 in student debt.
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Excelsior College is a great place for nursing students pursuing an online degree. Located in the small city of Albany, Excelsior College is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Excelsior College take out is $23,176.
The excellent online programs at Southern New Hampshire University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in the United States. SNHU is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized suburb of Manchester.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at SNHU take out is $31,500.
Read full report on Nursing at Southern New Hampshire University
American Sentinel University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #6 on the list. American Sentinel University is a small private for-profit school located in the midsize suburb of Aurora.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from American Sentinel University carry an average student debtload of $24,075.
Chamberlain University - Illinois came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Online Nursing Schools ranking. Chamberlain - Illinois is a very large private for-profit school located in the large suburb of Addison.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at Chamberlain - Illinois accumulate an average of around $38,460 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $256, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Read full report on Nursing at Chamberlain University - Illinois
Purdue University Northwest did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the suburb of Hammond, Purdue Northwest is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
Nursing majors at Purdue Northwest take out an average of $25,000 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $152, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Purdue University Global did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #9 on the list. Purdue University Global is a very large public school located in the city of Indianapolis.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at Purdue University Global accumulate an average of around $39,595 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $157.
University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #10 on this year’s Most Popular Online Nursing Schools list. Located in the large city of Tampa, USF Tampa is a public college with a very large student population.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at USF Tampa accumulate an average of around $24,636 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $181, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Read full report on Nursing at University of South Florida - Main Campus
Loyola University Chicago came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Online Nursing Schools ranking. Located in the city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Loyola Chicago carry an average student debtload of $26,000. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $767.
Arizona State University - Skysong ranked #12 on this year’s Most Popular Online Nursing Schools list. Located in the city of Scottsdale, ASU - Skysong is a public college with a very large student population.
Nursing majors at ASU - Skysong take out an average of $25,937 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $264.
Read full report on Nursing at Arizona State University - Skysong
Liberty University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Online Nursing Schools ranking. Liberty University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Lynchburg.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Liberty University take out is $28,000. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $554.
Wilmington University landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Wilmington University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of New Castle.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Wilmington University take out is $23,448.
Grand Canyon University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Online Nursing Schools ranking. Grand Canyon University is a very large private for-profit school located in the large city of Phoenix.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Grand Canyon University carry an average student debtload of $24,999. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $198, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Maryville University of Saint Louis came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Online Nursing Schools ranking. Located in the suburb of Saint Louis, Maryville U is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.
Nursing majors at Maryville U take out an average of $31,009 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $416, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Nova Southeastern University landed the #17 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. NUS Florida is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Fort Lauderdale.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from NUS Florida carry an average student debtload of $31,538. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $334.
East Carolina University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #18 on the list. ECU is a very large public school located in the city of Greenville.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from ECU carry an average student debtload of $26,000. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $261.
National University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #19 on the list. National University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of La Jolla.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from National University carry an average student debtload of $37,500. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $198, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
University of Michigan - Flint landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. UM Flint is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Flint.
On average, nursing graduates from UM Flint take out $40,680 in student loans while working on their degree.
Georgia Southern University landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. GaSou is a very large public school located in the distant town of Statesboro.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at GaSou accumulate an average of around $28,000 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $121, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
University of Arkansas ranked #22 on this year’s Most Popular Online Nursing Schools list. UARK is a fairly large public school located in the city of Fayetteville.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from UARK carry an average student debtload of $26,625. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $410, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
University of Memphis came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Online Nursing Schools ranking. UofM is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Memphis.
On average, nursing graduates from UofM take out $26,625 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $115.
Frontier Nursing University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #23 on the list. Located in the rural area of Hyden, Frontier Nursing University is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Rutgers University - Camden came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Online Nursing Schools ranking. Rutgers Camden is a medium-sized public school located in the small city of Camden.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Rutgers Camden take out is $27,500. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $217.
Rest of the Top Most Popular Online Nursing Schools
Remaining Award Winners
This list shows the remainder of the schools awarded a Most Popular Online Nursing Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 417 different United States nursing schools we analyzed.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Utah Valley University | Orem, UT |
| 52 | Auburn University | Auburn, AL |
| 53 | Amarillo College | Amarillo, TX |
| 54 | University of Arkansas at Little Rock | Little Rock, AR |
| 55 | California State University - Dominguez Hills | Carson, CA |
| 56 | Texas A&M University - College Station | College Station, TX |
| 56 | Washburn University | Topeka, KS |
| 58 | Western Carolina University | Cullowhee, NC |
| 59 | Wichita State University | Wichita, KS |
| 60 | Davenport University | Grand Rapids, MI |
| 61 | ECPI University | Virginia Beach, VA |
| 62 | Southwestern Oklahoma State University | Weatherford, OK |
Additional Noteworthy Schools
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Most Popular Online Nursing Schools award.
Most Popular Online Nursing by Region
View the Most Popular Online Nursing Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Nursing Rankings
Majors Related to Nursing
Nursing Focus Areas
Most Popular Majors Related to Nursing
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants | 84,274 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- 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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