2023 Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools
It's not easy to decide which nursing program to enroll in when you have so many options available. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Also there are many trade schools and bpptcamp that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Nursing Degree Search has developed this Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools ranking. This report analyzed 885 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best bachelor's degree programs for nursing students. The factors used to develop this ranking include those related to how in-demand the school us, the overall quality of the school, and post-graduation wages, and more.
View our full ranking methodology.
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Top Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in the United States
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found University of Providence to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in the United States.
The average tuition and fees at University of Providence is $26,662. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from University of Providence accumulate an average of $21,640 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
University of Providence is primarily an online school, so it is a great choice for returning adults and students who work full time.
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Linfield University - Online and Continuing Education is a great place for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree.
Linfield OCE does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $14,040. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from Linfield OCE accumulate an average of $30,181 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Linfield OCE does offer online classes in some areas. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 95% took at least some of their classes online.
Read full report on Linfield University - Online and Continuing Education
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Aspen University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in the United States.
Aspen University does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $5,170. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $36,338 in student loans.
Since Aspen University is primarily an online school, it is an excellent choice for undergraduate students who need more flexibility than what is offered at some other schools.
Out of the 885 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Ottawa University - Phoenix landed the # 4 spot on the list.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $13,281 to cover tuition and fees at Ottawa University - Phoenix. The school does not offer an in-state discount. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from Ottawa University - Phoenix accumulate an average of $31,724 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, Ottawa University - Phoenix is an excellent choice, since the school is online.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend The Graduate Center, CUNY. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools list.
In-state students pay an average of $7,410 in tuition and fees if they attend The Graduate Center full time. Out-of-state students pay an average of $15,360. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $21,723 in loans while pursuing their degree.
The Graduate Center is one of the schools on our list that is primarily online. Each undergraduate student at the school took at least one class online.
California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #6 on the list.
Full-time students from California pay an average of $7,218 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend CSUMB. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $19,098. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $16,303 in loans while pursuing their degree.
CSUMB is primarily an online school, so it is a great choice for returning adults and students who work full time.
Ottawa University - Kansas City did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #7 on the list.
Ottawa University - Kansas City does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $12,869. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $31,724 in student loans.
Interested in an online degree? Then you definitely want to check out Ottawa University - Kansas City. Every undergraduate student at the school took at least one class online.
Bushnell University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools list.
Bushnell University does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $32,320. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $30,261 in student loans.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Bushnell University. In fact, around 64% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Molloy College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools list.
Molloy does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $34,310. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from Molloy accumulate an average of $27,536 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Molloy. In 2019-2020 about 95% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
University of California - Los Angeles landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree nursing programs.
Students from California who attend UCLA full time pay an average of $13,258 in tuition and fees. Out-of-state students pay an average of $43,012. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $16,277 in loans while pursuing their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since UCLA does offer online classes for certain majors. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 100% took at least some of their classes online.
University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at UW - Madison is $10,720. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $38,608. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from UW - Madison accumulate an average of $20,865 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since UW - Madison does offer online classes for certain majors. During the 2019-2020 year, about 99% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #12, California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at CSUDH is $7,060. Out-of-state students pay an average of $18,940. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $18,973 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Interested in an online degree? Then you definitely want to check out CSUDH. Every undergraduate student at the school took at least one class online.If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since CSUDH does offer online classes for certain majors. In 2019-2020 about 100% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Texas A&M University - College Station landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree nursing programs.
Full-time students from Texas pay an average of $12,204 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Texas A&M College Station. Out-of-state students pay an average of $38,855. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from Texas A&M College Station accumulate an average of $19,847 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Texas A&M College Station does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 36% took at least some of their classes online.
Ramapo College of New Jersey ranked #14 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools list.
By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $22,964 in student loans.
Ramapo College does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 97% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #15, Sonoma State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree.
Students from California who attend SSU full time pay an average of $7,988 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $19,868. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $19,130 in loans while pursuing their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at SSU. During the 2019-2020 year, about 100% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Western Governors University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #16 on the list.
The average tuition and fees at WGU is $7,452. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from WGU accumulate an average of $26,218 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
WGU is one of the schools on our list that is primarily online. Each undergraduate student at the school took at least one class online.
With a ranking of #17, Wagner College did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree.
If you want to attend Wagner, expect to pay an average of $50,330 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $26,358 in loans while pursuing their degree.
With a ranking of #18, New York University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree.
The average tuition and fees at NYU is $56,500. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from NYU accumulate an average of $21,625 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since NYU does offer online classes for certain majors. During the 2019-2020 year, about 99% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Bay State College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #19 on the list.
The average tuition and fees at Bay State College is $29,500. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from Bay State College accumulate an average of $36,728 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Online courses are available at Bay State College, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 54% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #20, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree.
Students from California who attend Sac State full time pay an average of $7,392 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $19,272. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $19,924 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Sac State does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In 2019-2020 about 100% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Ottawa University - Milwaukee landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree nursing programs.
The average tuition and fees at Ottawa University - Milwaukee is $12,616. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $31,813 in student loans.
Ottawa University - Milwaukee is one of the schools on our list that is primarily online. Each undergraduate student at the school took at least one class online.
With a ranking of #22, University of San Francisco did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree.
If you want to attend USFCA, expect to pay an average of $53,472 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $21,881 in student loans.
Interested in an online degree? Then you definitely want to check out USFCA. Every undergraduate student at the school took at least one class online.
With a ranking of #23, Duke University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree.
Duke does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $60,244. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $29,049 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Duke. In fact, around 99% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Flex landed the #24 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree nursing programs.
On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $30,560 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Interested in an online degree? Then you definitely want to check out UWM Flexible Option. Every undergraduate student at the school took at least one class online.
Read full report on University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Flex
University of Portland came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $49,864 to cover tuition and fees at University of Portland. The school does not offer an in-state discount. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $22,718 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Interested in an online degree? Then you definitely want to check out University of Portland. Every undergraduate student at the school took at least one class online.
Rest of the Top 50 Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in the United States
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
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Rest of the Top 15% Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in the United States
To learn more about the schools below, just click on their names:
Honorable Mentions
These schools also performed well in our best nursing schools ranking:
Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
References
- 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 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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