2023 Most Popular Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools
Finding the Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree 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.
The Most Popular Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools ranking is one of many tools that Nursing Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 1,160 schools in the United States to see which bachelor's degree programs were the most popular for nursing students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Nursing program at each school on the list.
2023 Most Popular Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the United States
The colleges and universities below are the most popular for nursing majors pursuing a bachelor's degree.
Top 25 Most Popular Schools for a Bachelor's in Nursing
Our analysis found Western Governors University to be the most popular school for nursing students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in the United States. WGU is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Salt Lake City.
About 89% of the students majoring in nursing at the school are women while 11% are male.
Nursing majors at WGU take out an average of $24,473 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Chamberlain University - Illinois. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Popular Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Chamberlain - Illinois is a very large private for-profit school located in the large suburb of Addison.
Of the 8,124 students majoring in nursing at Chamberlain - Illinois, 11% are male and 89% are female.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Chamberlain - Illinois take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $37,103. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $256, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Out of the 1,160 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Grand Canyon University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Grand Canyon University is a fairly large private for-profit school located in the large city of Phoenix.
Women make up 89% of the nursing majors at the school.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Grand Canyon University take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $28,120. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $198, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means The University of Texas at Arlington is a great place for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the city of Arlington, UT Arlington is a public school with a very large student population.
Of the 3,456 students majoring in nursing at UT Arlington, 14% are male and 86% are female.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from UT Arlington carry an average student debt load of $28,521. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $142.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Capella University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Popular Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Capella University is a very large private for-profit school located in the large city of Minneapolis.
About 90% of the students majoring in nursing at the school are women while 10% are male.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Capella University take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $28,936.
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Ohio University - Athens Campus landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular bachelor’s degree nursing programs. Located in the town of Athens, OHIO Athens is a public college with a very large student population.
Women make up 86% of the nursing majors at the school.
Nursing majors at OHIO Athens take out an average of $30,722 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $180.
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Aspen University ranked #7 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the city of Denver, Aspen University is a private for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.
Of the 1,430 students majoring in nursing at Aspen University, 12% are male and 88% are female.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from Aspen University carry an average student debt load of $33,836.
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West Coast University - Orange County landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular bachelor’s degree nursing programs. Located in the city of Anaheim, West Coast University - Orange County is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
Women make up 80% of the nursing majors at the school.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at West Coast University - Orange County accumulate an average of around $38,539 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 $665.
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With a ranking of #9, Southern New Hampshire University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. SNHU is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the midsize suburb of Manchester.
About 90% of the students majoring in nursing at the school are women while 10% are male.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at SNHU take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $32,255.
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With a ranking of #10, National University College did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the city of Bayamon, National University College is a private for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
About 76% of the students majoring in nursing at the school are women while 24% are male.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from National University College carry an average student debt load of $19,007.
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Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular bachelor’s degree nursing programs. Located in the large city of Lubbock, TTUHSC is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
Of the 917 students majoring in nursing at TTUHSC, 14% are male and 86% are female.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at TTUHSC accumulate an average of around $24,106 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 $242.
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University of Phoenix - Arizona came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. UOPX - Arizona is a fairly large private for-profit school located in the city of Tempe.
About 88% of the students majoring in nursing at the school are women while 12% are male.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at UOPX - Arizona accumulate an average of around $30,625 in student debt.
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University of North Carolina at Wilmington came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. UNCW is a large public school located in the midsize city of Wilmington.
Women make up 90% of the nursing majors at the school.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at UNCW accumulate an average of around $23,602 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $212.
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West Coast University - Los Angeles came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. West Coast University - Los Angeles is a small private for-profit school located in the large city of North Hollywood.
Of the 778 students majoring in nursing at West Coast University - Los Angeles, 24% are male and 76% are female.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at West Coast University - Los Angeles take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $38,539. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $665.
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University of Central Florida did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for nursing students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #16 on the list. UCF is a very large public school located in the large suburb of Orlando.
About 88% of the students majoring in nursing at the school are women while 12% are male.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at UCF accumulate an average of around $23,351 in student debt.
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West Coast University - Ontario came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. West Coast University - Ontario is a small private for-profit school located in the midsize city of Ontario.
Of the 698 students majoring in nursing at West Coast University - Ontario, 20% are male and 80% are female.
Nursing majors at West Coast University - Ontario take out an average of $38,539 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $665.
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The University of Texas at Tyler landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular bachelor’s degree nursing programs. Located in the midsize city of Tyler, UT Tyler is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
About 84% of the students majoring in nursing at the school are women while 16% are male.
Nursing majors at UT Tyler take out an average of $24,673 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $164.
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With a ranking of #19, Galen College of Nursing - Louisville did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the large city of Louisville, Galen College of Nursing - Louisville is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
About 89% of the students majoring in nursing at the school are women while 11% are male.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from Galen College of Nursing - Louisville carry an average student debt load of $43,752. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $123.
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With a ranking of #20, American Sentinel University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. American Sentinel University is a small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Aurora.
Women make up 91% of the nursing majors at the school.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at American Sentinel University accumulate an average of around $26,198 in student debt.
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With a ranking of #21, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the city of Indianapolis, IUPUI is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Women make up 88% of the nursing majors at the school.
On average, nursing graduates from IUPUI take out $29,663 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $189, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Purdue University Northwest came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the suburb of Hammond, Purdue Northwest is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
Of the 581 students majoring in nursing at Purdue Northwest, 15% are male and 85% are female.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Purdue Northwest take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $27,233. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $152, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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East Tennessee State University ranked #23 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. ETSU is a fairly large public school located in the city of Johnson City.
Of the 563 students majoring in nursing at ETSU, 15% are male and 85% are female.
Nursing majors at ETSU take out an average of $26,540 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $176, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Drexel University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for nursing students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #24 on the list. Drexel is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Philadelphia.
Women make up 89% of the nursing majors at the school.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at Drexel accumulate an average of around $30,671 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $596.
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Northern Arizona University ranked #25 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. NAU is a very large public school located in the city of Flagstaff.
Women make up 87% of the nursing majors at the school.
Nursing majors at NAU take out an average of $26,964 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $161, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Remaining Award Winners
This list represents the remainder of the schools awarded a Most Popular Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 1160 different United States nursing schools we analyzed.
Additional Noteworthy Schools
Here are some additional popular schools for Nursing students that almost earned our Most Popular Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools award.
Nursing by Region
View the Most Popular Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
Region |
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Southeast |
New England |
Rocky Mountains |
Plains States |
Middle Atlantic |
Far Western US |
Southwest |
Great Lakes |
Majors Related to Nursing
Nursing Focus Areas
Most Popular Majors Related to Nursing
Related Major | Annual Graduates |
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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.