2023 Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in Wisconsin
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for nursing students. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Also, there are a number of trade schools and bootcamp with offerings that you might find attractive.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Nursing Degree Search has created its Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in Wisconsin ranking. This report analyzed 23 schools in Wisconsin to see which ones offered the best bachelor's degree programs for nursing students. To come up with a school's ranking, we analyzed numerous factors related to post-graduation wages, the quality of education offered by the school, average accumulated student debt, and more.
View our full ranking methodology.
Featured schools near , edit
Top Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in Wisconsin
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found University of Wisconsin - Madison to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Wisconsin. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, the large public school awarded 9,741 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at UW - Madison is $10,796. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $39,427. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $19,315 in loans while pursuing their degree.
UW - Madison 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 2020-2021 academic year, around 31% took at least some of their classes online.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ottawa University - Milwaukee. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Wisconsin list. Brookfield, Wisconsin is the setting for this very small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 40 students in 2021-2022.
Ottawa University - Milwaukee does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $12,676. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from Ottawa University - Milwaukee accumulate an average of $22,339 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Ottawa University - Milwaukee. During the 2020-2021 year, about 98% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Flex helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in Wisconsin. UWM Flexible Option is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and has a very small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 112 bachelor’s degrees to qualified students.
Bachelor’s Degree recipients from UWM Flexible Option accumulate an average of $24,141 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
UWM Flexible Option is one of the schools on our list that is primarily online. Each undergraduate student at the school took at least one class online.
Read full report on University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Flex
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in Wisconsin. UW - Eau Claire is a fairly large public school situated in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It awarded 2,315 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from Wisconsin pay an average of $8,914 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend UW - Eau Claire. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $17,627. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $20,634 in student loans.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at UW - Eau Claire. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 49% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Wisconsin list. This fairly large public school is located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and it awarded 1,837 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Students from Wisconsin who attend UW Oshkosh full time pay an average of $7,795 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $15,368. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $22,133 in student loans.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at UW Oshkosh. During the 2020-2021 year, about 34% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
University of Wisconsin - Green Bay landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree nursing programs. UW - Green Bay is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin and has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1,371 bachelor’s degrees to qualified students.
Full-time students from Wisconsin pay an average of $7,873 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend UW - Green Bay. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $16,091. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from UW - Green Bay accumulate an average of $20,627 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
One thing to take note of is that UW - Green Bay does offer online classes in some areas. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 63% took at least some of their classes online.
Marquette University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree nursing programs. Milwaukee, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 2,470 students in 2021-2022.
If you want to attend Marquette, expect to pay an average of $46,670 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 $21,073 in student loans.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Marquette. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 21% took at least some of their classes online.
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee ranked #8 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Wisconsin list. This large public school is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and it awarded 3,936 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Students from Wisconsin who attend UWM full time pay an average of $9,620 in tuition and fees. Out-of-state students pay an average of $21,485. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $24,040 in student loans.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since UWM does offer online classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 68% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Milwaukee School of Engineering landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree nursing programs. MSOE is a private not-for-profit institution located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 563 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
If you want to attend MSOE, expect to pay an average of $46,506 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 $26,359 in student loans.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at MSOE. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 8% took at least some of their classes online.
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Wisconsin ranking. Located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, the medium-sized public school handed out 1,521 bachelor’s degree awards in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $8,376 in tuition and fees if they attend UW - Stevens Point full time. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $17,080. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $21,125 in loans while pursuing their degree.
One thing to take note of is that UW - Stevens Point does offer online classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 57% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Edgewood 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 #11 on the list. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 375 bachelor’s degree awards in 2021-2022.
On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $26,324 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Edgewood. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 12% took at least some of their classes online.
Carroll 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 #12 on the list. Carroll University is a small private not-for-profit school located in Waukesha, Wisconsin that handed out 641 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees at Carroll U is $36,190. 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 Carroll U accumulate an average of $24,306 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Carroll U. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 26% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #13, Viterbo University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Viterbo is a private not-for-profit institution located in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 404 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
If you want to attend Viterbo, expect to pay an average of $31,150 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $23,799 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Online courses are available at Viterbo, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. During the 2020-2021 year, about 50% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Lakeland 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 #14 on the list. Located in Plymouth, Wisconsin, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 461 bachelor’s degree awards in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees at Lakeland is $31,786. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $26,815 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Lakeland. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 41% took at least some of their classes online.
Mount Mary University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Wisconsin ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and it awarded 126 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
If you want to attend Mount Mary, expect to pay an average of $33,450 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid.
One thing to take note of is that Mount Mary does offer online classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 63% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Marian 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. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin, and it awarded 276 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Marian does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $30,000. 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 $22,889 in student loans.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Marian. During the 2020-2021 year, about 19% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #17, Herzing University - Madison did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 237 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $12,750 to cover tuition and fees at Herzing University - Madison. The school does not offer an in-state discount. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from Herzing University - Madison accumulate an average of $31,838 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Herzing University - Madison does offer online classes in some areas. In 2020-2021 about 99% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Concordia University, Wisconsin 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 #18 on the list. Located in Mequon, Wisconsin, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 607 bachelor’s degree awards in 2021-2022.
If you want to attend Concordia University, Wisconsin, expect to pay an average of $33,062 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $25,613 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Concordia University, Wisconsin. During the 2020-2021 year, about 38% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Rasmussen University - Wisconsin 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. Located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the very small private for-profit school handed out 24 bachelor’s degree awards in 2021-2022.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $13,208 to cover tuition and fees at Rasmussen University - Wisconsin. The school does not offer an in-state discount. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $28,981 in student loans.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Rasmussen University - Wisconsin. In 2020-2021 about 96% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #20, Cardinal Stritch University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Milwaukee, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 185 students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees at Cardinal Stritch is $35,444. 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 $31,922 in student loans.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Cardinal Stritch. In fact, around 28% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Alverno College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Wisconsin list. Alverno is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 265 bachelor’s degrees to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees at Alverno is $31,858. 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 Alverno accumulate an average of $24,883 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Alverno does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 67% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Maranatha Baptist 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 #22 on the list. Located in Watertown, Wisconsin, the very small private not-for-profit school awarded 113 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees at MBU is $18,810. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid.
Online courses are available at MBU, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 42% took at least some of their classes online.
Wisconsin Lutheran 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 #23 on the list. WLC is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 265 bachelor’s degrees to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees at WLC is $33,762. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $22,365 in loans while pursuing their degree.
WLC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 8% took at least some of their classes online.
View Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools Nationwide >
Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 23 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.