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Most Popular Online Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region

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2023 Most Popular Online Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region

52 Colleges
$69,790 Avg Salary
$29,947 Avg Student Debt

Nursing is the most popular major in the United States with 31,555 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.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Nursing Degree Search has created the Most Popular Online Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 52 schools in the Plains States Region 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.

Check out the online nursing programs at these schools if you want to attend one of the most popular in the Plains States Region .

#1

Capella University

Minneapolis, MN

Our analysis found Capella University to be the most popular school for nursing students who want to pursue an online degree in the Plains States Region . 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.

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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Maryville University of Saint Louis is a great place for nursing students pursuing an online degree. Located in the large suburb of Saint Louis, Maryville U is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly 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.

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#4

University of Kansas

Lawrence, KS

The excellent online programs at University of Kansas helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in the Plains States Region . KU is a very large public school located in the city of Lawrence.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at KU take out is $22,182.

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Out of the 52 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Central Methodist University - College of Graduate & Extended Studies landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the town of Fayette, CMU CGES is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from CMU CGES carry an average student debtload of $27,562.

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#6

Washburn University

Topeka, KS

Washburn University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Online Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Washburn University is a medium-sized public school located in the midsize city of Topeka.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at Washburn University accumulate an average of around $26,142 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 $187.

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Wichita State University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. WSU is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Wichita.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at WSU accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $177.

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Bemidji State University ranked #8 on this year’s Most Popular Online Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the town of Bemidji, Bemidji State University is a public college with a small student population.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at Bemidji State University accumulate an average of around $30,446 in student debt.

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Fort Hays State University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Located in the remote town of Hays, FHSU is a public college with a fairly large student population.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at FHSU accumulate an average of around $22,866 in student debt.

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#10

University of Central Missouri

Warrensburg, MO

University of Central Missouri landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. UCM is a large public school located in the town of Warrensburg.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at UCM accumulate an average of around $26,674 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $145.

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Explore the most popular online nursing colleges for a specific state in the Plains States region.

State Degrees Awarded
Minnesota 14,890
South Dakota 1,022
North Dakota 976
Nebraska 1,908
Kansas 2,633
Iowa 2,966
Missouri 6,840

More Nursing Rankings in the Plains States Region

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 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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