2023 Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region
Finding the Best Nursing School for You
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.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Nursing Degree Search has created its Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 222 schools in the Plains States Region to see which 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 Schools in the Plains States Region
The following schools top our list of the Most Popular Nursing Colleges.
Top 25 Most Popular Plains States Region Schools in Nursing
Out of the 222 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Capella University landed the # 2 spot on the list. Capella University is a very large private for-profit school located in the large city of Minneapolis.
On average, nursing graduates from Capella University take out $27,599 in student loans while working on their degree.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Maryville University of Saint Louis. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the suburb of Saint Louis, Maryville U is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.
On average, nursing graduates from Maryville U take out $31,009 in student loans while working on their degree. 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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Out of the 222 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Rasmussen University - Minnesota landed the # 4 spot on the list. Rasmussen University - Minnesota is a small private for-profit school located in the city of St. Cloud.
Nursing majors at Rasmussen University - Minnesota take out an average of $35,539 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $161, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Nebraska Medical Center. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the city of Omaha, UNMC is a public college with a small student population.
On average, nursing graduates from UNMC take out $23,737 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $236.
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With a ranking of #6, Concordia University, Saint Paul did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students. Concordia University, Saint Paul is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Saint Paul.
On average, nursing graduates from Concordia University, Saint Paul take out $38,033 in student loans while working on their degree.
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University of Minnesota - Twin Cities came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. UMN Twin Cities is a very large public school located in the large city of Minneapolis.
Nursing majors at UMN Twin Cities take out an average of $22,250 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $202.
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Creighton University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular nursing programs. Located in the city of Omaha, Creighton is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at Creighton accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $483, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College ranked #9 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the city of Saint Louis, Goldfarb School of Nursing is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Goldfarb School of Nursing take out is $27,000. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $350.
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The College of Saint Scholastica did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for nursing students. It came in at #10 on the list. St. Scholastica is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Duluth.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at St. Scholastica take out is $30,417. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $314, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Butler Community College landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular nursing programs. Located in the town of El Dorado, Butler CC is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
Nursing majors at Butler CC take out an average of $26,808 in student loans while working on their egree.
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University of Missouri - Kansas City landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular nursing programs. UMKC is a fairly large public school located in the city of Kansas City.
On average, nursing graduates from UMKC take out $30,817 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $251, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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South Dakota State University ranked #13 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the remote town of Brookings, South Dakota State is a public school with a fairly large student population.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from South Dakota State carry an average student debt load of $28,000. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $162.
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Saint Louis University ranked #14 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region list. SLU is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Saint Louis.
On average, nursing graduates from SLU take out $26,192 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $493.
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Mercy College of Health Sciences came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Mercy College of Health Sciences is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Des Moines.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Mercy College of Health Sciences take out is $30,295. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $330.
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Rockhurst University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Rockhurst is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Kansas City.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Rockhurst carry an average student debt load of $27,000. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $275.
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With a ranking of #17, University of Kansas did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students. KU is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Lawrence.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at KU accumulate an average of around $22,182 in student debt.
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University of Iowa did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for nursing students. It came in at #18 on the list. Iowa is a fairly large public school located in the city of Iowa City.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Iowa carry an average student debt load of $24,687. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $221, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular nursing programs. Located in the medium-sized city of Columbia, Mizzou is a public college with a fairly large student population.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Mizzou carry an average student debt load of $24,000. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $425, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Minnesota State University - Mankato came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in the small city of Mankato, Minnesota State Mankato is a public school with a large student population.
Nursing majors at Minnesota State Mankato take out an average of $26,957 in student loans while working on their egree.
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St Catherine University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for nursing students. It came in at #21 on the list. Located in the large city of Saint Paul, St. Kate's is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Nursing majors at St. Kate's take out an average of $40,182 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $349, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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With a ranking of #22, Winona State University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students. Located in the distant town of Winona, Winona State is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
Nursing majors at Winona State take out an average of $25,000 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $190, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Graceland University - Lamoni landed the #23 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular nursing programs. Located in the rural area of Lamoni, Graceland Lamoni is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at Graceland Lamoni accumulate an average of around $28,584 in student debt.
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Cox College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in the city of Springfield, Cox College is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Cox College take out is $34,963.
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University of Missouri - St Louis came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in the suburb of Saint Louis, UMSL is a public school with a fairly large student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at UMSL take out is $26,894. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $164.
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Additional Noteworthy Schools
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also popular but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 34 | Research College of Nursing | Kansas City, MO |
| 35 | Metropolitan State University | Saint Paul, MN |
| 36 | University of South Dakota | Vermillion, SD |
| 37 | Nebraska Methodist College of Nursing & Allied Health | Omaha, NE |
| 38 | Wichita State University | Wichita, KS |
| 39 | Rasmussen University - Kansas | Topeka, KS |
| 40 | Missouri State University - Springfield | Springfield, MO |
| 40 | University of Central Missouri | Warrensburg, MO |
| 42 | Fort Hays State University | Hays, KS |
| 43 | Webster University | Saint Louis, MO |
| 44 | University of North Dakota | Grand Forks, ND |
| 44 | Pittsburg State University | Pittsburg, KS |
Best Nursing Colleges by State
Explore the best nursing schools 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 |
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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