2023 Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in the United States
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.
Top Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in the United States
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named University of Providence the best school in the United States for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. University of Providence is a very small private not-for-profit school situated in Great Falls, Montana. It awarded 221 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
If you want to attend University of Providence, expect to pay an average of $27,606 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 $17,977 in student loans.
University of Providence is one of the schools on our list that is primarily online. Each undergraduate student at the school took at least one class online.
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Aspen University is a great place for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. This medium-sized private for-profit school is located in Phoenix, Arizona, and it awarded 1,636 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Aspen University does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $6,500. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $17,431 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Aspen University. In fact, around 74% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Ottawa University - Phoenix helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in the United States. This very small private not-for-profit school is located in Phoenix, Arizona, and it awarded 146 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Ottawa University - Phoenix does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $13,341. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $22,495 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Ottawa University - Phoenix. In 2020-2021 about 97% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
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. New York, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 838 students in 2021-2022.
Students from New York who attend The Graduate Center full time pay an average of $7,410 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $15,360. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $14,240 in student loans.
The Graduate Center 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. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 99% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #6, California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Seaside, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,933 students in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $7,323 in tuition and fees if they attend CSUMB full time. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $19,203. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $15,037 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at CSUMB. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 87% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Ottawa University - Kansas City came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Ottawa University - Kansas City is a very small private not-for-profit school located in Overland Park, Kansas that handed out 80 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Ottawa University - Kansas City does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $12,622. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $22,495 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Since Ottawa University - Kansas City 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.
Bushnell University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Bushnell University is located in Eugene, Oregon and has a very small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 137 bachelor’s degrees to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees at Bushnell University is $33,220. 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 $20,926 in student loans.
Online courses are available at Bushnell University, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2020-2021 about 70% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Molloy 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 #9 on the list. Located in Rockville Centre, New York, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 910 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2021-2022.
Molloy does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $36,030. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from Molloy accumulate an average of $24,950 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Molloy does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 62% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #10, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. UCLA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 9,851 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from California pay an average of $13,401 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend UCLA. Out-of-state students pay an average of $43,473. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $15,421 in student loans.
Online courses are available at UCLA, 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 85% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree nursing programs. UW - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 9,741 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from Wisconsin pay an average of $10,796 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend UW - Madison. Out-of-state students pay an average of $39,427. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $19,315 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at UW - Madison. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 31% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
California State University - Dominguez Hills 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. Located in Carson, California, the fairly large public school handed out 3,761 bachelor’s degree awards in 2021-2022.
Students from California who attend CSUDH full time pay an average of $7,060 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $18,940. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from CSUDH accumulate an average of $16,788 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Online courses are available at CSUDH, 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 99% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Read full report on California State University - Dominguez Hills
Texas A&M University - College Station landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree nursing programs. Texas A&M College Station is a large public school situated in College Station, Texas. It awarded 13,536 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Students from Texas who attend Texas A&M College Station full time pay an average of $12,605 in tuition and fees. Out-of-state students pay an average of $40,139. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $18,464 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Texas A&M College Station. During the 2020-2021 year, about 42% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Ramapo College of New Jersey ranked #14 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Ramapo College is a public institution located in Mahwah, New Jersey. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1,156 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Bachelor’s Degree recipients from Ramapo College accumulate an average of $21,295 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Ramapo College. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 87% took at least some of their classes online.
Sonoma State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. SSU is a medium-sized public school situated in Rohnert Park, California. It awarded 2,258 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Students from California who attend SSU full time pay an average of $8,060 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $19,940. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from SSU accumulate an average of $17,857 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
SSU does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In 2020-2021 about 96% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
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. WGU is located in Salt Lake City, Utah and has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 24,230 bachelor’s degrees to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees at WGU is $8,010. 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 $16,244 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Since WGU 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.
Wagner College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Staten Island, New York, and it awarded 396 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $51,260 to cover tuition and fees at Wagner. 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 $21,906 in student loans.
New York University landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree nursing programs. This large private not-for-profit school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 7,444 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
If you want to attend NYU, expect to pay an average of $58,168 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $20,420 in loans while pursuing their degree.
One thing to take note of is that NYU does offer online classes in some areas. During the 2020-2021 year, about 41% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Bay State College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, the very small private for-profit school handed out 57 bachelor’s degree awards in 2021-2022.
If you want to attend Bay State College, expect to pay an average of $29,500 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 $32,382 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Bay State College. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 61% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
California State University - Sacramento landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree nursing programs. Sac State is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7,486 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $7,484 in tuition and fees if they attend Sac State full time. Out-of-state students pay an average of $19,364. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from Sac State accumulate an average of $17,817 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Sac State does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 96% took at least some of their classes online.
Ottawa University - Milwaukee came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. 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.
If you want to attend Ottawa University - Milwaukee, expect to pay an average of $12,676 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 $22,339 in student loans.
Some students 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.
University of San Francisco came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. This medium-sized private not-for-profit school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 1,626 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
USFCA does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $55,532. 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 $21,314 in student loans.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since USFCA does offer online classes for certain majors. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 69% took at least some of their classes online.
Duke University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Duke University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in Durham, North Carolina that handed out 2,312 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Duke does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $62,688. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from Duke accumulate an average of $17,816 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Duke. In 2020-2021 about 13% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Flex ranked #24 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. UWM Flexible Option is a public institution located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school has a very small population, and it awarded 112 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $24,141 in loans while pursuing their degree.
UWM Flexible Option is primarily an online school, so it is a great choice for returning adults and students who work full time.
University of Portland ranked #25 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Portland, Oregon, and it awarded 1,153 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
If you want to attend University of Portland, expect to pay an average of $51,812 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 $22,185 in student loans.
Online courses are available at University of Portland, 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 68% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
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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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