2023 Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in Pennsylvania
It's not easy to decide which nursing program to enroll in when you have so many options available. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. Or you may find the programs at a trade school or bootcamp to be a better alternative for you.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Nursing Degree Search has created the Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in Pennsylvania to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 48 schools in Pennsylvania to see which bachelor's degree programs offered the best educational experiences 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 Pennsylvania
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Thomas Jefferson University to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Pennsylvania. Thomas Jefferson University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1,113 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $44,200 to cover tuition and fees at Thomas Jefferson University. 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 $24,261 in student loans.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Thomas Jefferson University. In 2020-2021 about 68% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania list. This large private not-for-profit school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 3,554 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees at UPenn is $63,452. 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 UPenn accumulate an average of $16,106 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at UPenn. During the 2020-2021 year, about 13% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Villanova University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania list. Villanova is located in Villanova, Pennsylvania and has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 2,165 bachelor’s degrees to qualified students.
Villanova does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $61,618. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from Villanova accumulate an average of $23,046 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Villanova 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 fact, around 15% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Out of the 48 schools in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, Millersville University of Pennsylvania landed the # 4 spot on the list. Millersville University of Pennsylvania is a medium-sized public school located in Millersville, Pennsylvania that handed out 1,425 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Millersville is $12,262. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $22,232. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $22,342 in student loans.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Millersville. In fact, around 47% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in Pennsylvania. SRU is a public institution located in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1,618 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Students from Pennsylvania who attend SRU full time pay an average of $10,507 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $14,615. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $22,667 in loans while pursuing their degree.
SRU 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 2020-2021 about 58% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
University of Scranton 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. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 906 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees at University of Scranton is $50,312. 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 Scranton accumulate an average of $23,899 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at University of Scranton. In 2020-2021 about 3% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Immaculata University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Immaculata University is a small private not-for-profit school located in Immaculata, Pennsylvania that handed out 311 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Immaculata does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $27,750. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from Immaculata accumulate an average of $25,940 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Online courses are available at Immaculata, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2020-2021 about 49% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #8, Cedar Crest College did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Allentown, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 252 students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees at Cedar Crest is $43,643. 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 $27,431 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Online courses are available at Cedar Crest, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2020-2021 about 50% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #10, York College of Pennsylvania did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in York, Pennsylvania, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 809 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2021-2022.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $23,328 to cover tuition and fees at YCP. The school does not offer an in-state discount. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $24,561 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at YCP. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 10% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #11, Holy Family University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 521 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees at Holy Family is $32,558. 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 $24,962 in student loans.
Holy Family 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 76% took at least some of their classes online.
Duquesne 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. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 1,554 bachelor’s degree awards in 2021-2022.
Bachelor’s Degree recipients from Duquesne accumulate an average of $23,299 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Online courses are available at Duquesne, 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 38% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
King’s College landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree nursing programs. King’s College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania that handed out 520 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
If you want to attend King’s College PA, expect to pay an average of $41,600 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 $25,512 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at King’s College PA. During the 2020-2021 year, about 8% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Drexel 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. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 3,797 students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees at Drexel is $58,965. 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 $24,746 in student loans.
Drexel 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 41% took at least some of their classes online.
Moravian College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania list. Bethlehem, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 527 students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees at Moravian is $50,500. 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 $24,325 in loans while pursuing their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Moravian. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 36% took at least some of their classes online.
West Chester University of Pennsylvania came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. West Chester University of Pennsylvania is a fairly large public school located in West Chester, Pennsylvania that handed out 3,524 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Students from Pennsylvania who attend WCUPA full time pay an average of $10,527 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $22,351.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at WCUPA. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 32% took at least some of their classes online.
University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. This large public school is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 5,471 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Students from Pennsylvania who attend Pitt full time pay an average of $21,080 in tuition and fees. Out-of-state students pay an average of $37,320. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from Pitt accumulate an average of $22,394 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 Pitt does offer online classes for certain majors. In 2020-2021 about 19% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Read full report on University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus
With a ranking of #19, Gwynedd Mercy University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 482 bachelor’s degree awards in 2021-2022.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $37,791 to cover tuition and fees at Gwynedd - Mercy. 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 $23,335 in student loans.
Online courses are available at Gwynedd - Mercy, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 27% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Eastern University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania list. EU is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Davids, Pennsylvania. It awarded 341 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
If you want to attend EU, expect to pay an average of $36,464 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 $28,309 in student loans.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since EU does offer online classes for certain majors. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 47% took at least some of their classes online.
Wilkes University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. This medium-sized private not-for-profit school is located in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 649 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees at Wilkes is $41,112. 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 $22,835 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Wilkes. In fact, around 62% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
DeSales University landed the #23 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree nursing programs. Located in Center Valley, Pennsylvania, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 618 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2021-2022.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $42,600 to cover tuition and fees at DeSales. The school does not offer an in-state discount. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from DeSales accumulate an average of $24,739 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at DeSales. During the 2020-2021 year, about 40% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
La Roche 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 #24 on the list. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 315 bachelor’s degree awards in 2021-2022.
If you want to attend La Roche, expect to pay an average of $32,284 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 $22,830 in student loans.
Some students may be able to take online classes at La Roche. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 64% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Widener University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Chester, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 665 students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees at Widener is $51,639. 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 $26,407 in student loans.
One thing to take note of is that Widener does offer online classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 36% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region
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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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