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2023 Best Nursing Master's Degree Schools

515 Schools Ranked

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.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Nursing Degree Search has created the Best Nursing Master's Degree Schools to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 515 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best master'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 Master's Degree Schools in the United States

Learn more about these excellent schools below:

#1

Saint Vincent College

Latrobe, Pennsylvania
$14,748 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named Saint Vincent College the best school in the United States for nursing students working on their master’s degree.

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Saint Vincent. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 9% took at least some of their classes online.

Full Saint Vincent College Report

#2

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, North Carolina
$39,240 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Wake Forest University is a great place for nursing students working on their master’s degree.

Online graduate courses are available at Wake Forest University, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. During the 2019-2020 year, about 67% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Full Wake Forest University Report

#3

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
$61,396 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Southern California. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools list.

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at USC. In fact, around 82% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Full University of Southern California Report

#4

Mount Marty University

Yankton, South Dakota
$9,650 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent master’s degree programs at Mount Marty University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in the United States.

Mount Marty does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 91% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read full report on Mount Marty University

#5

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
$52,162 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 515 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Vanderbilt University landed the # 5 spot on the list.

Vanderbilt does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 67% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read full report on Vanderbilt University

#6

Texas Wesleyan University

Fort Worth, Texas
$21,243 Average Tuition & Fees

Texas Wesleyan University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #6 on the list.

Texas Wesleyan does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 59% took at least some of their classes online.

Full Texas Wesleyan University Report

#7

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina
$59,141 Average Tuition & Fees

Duke University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools list.

Duke does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 2% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Full Duke University Report

#8

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
$42,932 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Pennsylvania landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree nursing programs.

UPenn does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. During the 2019-2020 year, about 74% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Full University of Pennsylvania Report

With a ranking of #9, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their master’s degree.

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at SMU MN. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 86% took at least some of their classes online.

Read More…

#10

Newman University

Wichita, Kansas
$8,484 Average Tuition & Fees

Newman University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools list.

Newman University does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 42% took at least some of their classes online.

Read full report on Newman University

#11

Gonzaga University

Spokane, Washington
$14,878 Average Tuition & Fees

Gonzaga University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools ranking.

Online graduate courses are available at Gonzaga, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 92% took at least some of their classes online.

Full Gonzaga University Report

#12

York College of Pennsylvania

York, Pennsylvania

York College of Pennsylvania ranked #12 on this year’s Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools list.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at YCP. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 25% took at least some of their classes online.

Full York College of Pennsylvania Report

#13

Thomas Jefferson University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
$22,644 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #13, Thomas Jefferson University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their master’s degree.

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Thomas Jefferson University. In 2019-2020 about 65% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Full Thomas Jefferson University Report

#14

University of California - Davis

Davis, California
$13,608 Average Tuition & Fees

University of California - Davis ranked #14 on this year’s Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools list.

Online graduate courses are available at UC Davis, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 52% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Full University of California - Davis Report

#15

University of Providence

Great Falls, Montana

University of Providence landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree nursing programs.

Since the graduate programs at University of Providence are primarily online school, so it is a great choice for returning adults and students who work full time.

Full University of Providence Report

#16

Villanova University

Villanova, Pennsylvania
$21,199 Average Tuition & Fees

Villanova University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools list.

Villanova does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 89% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Full Villanova University Report

#17

Gannon University

Erie, Pennsylvania
$20,660 Average Tuition & Fees

Gannon University landed the #17 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree nursing programs.

Gannon does have options available for those who want to take online graduate 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, 55% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read full report on Gannon University

#18

Georgetown University

Washington, District of Columbia
$55,128 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #18, Georgetown University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their master’s degree.

Since the graduate programs at Georgetown are primarily online school, so it is a great choice for returning adults and students who work full time.

Full Georgetown University Report

#19

Webster University

Saint Louis, Missouri

Webster University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools list.

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Webster. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 61% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read More…

$49,398 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #20, Case Western Reserve University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their master’s degree.

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Case Western. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 17% took at least some of their classes online.

Read More…

#21

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut

Yale University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools ranking.

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Yale. In 2019-2020 about 98% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Full Yale University Report

$9,078 Average Tuition & Fees

California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #22 on the list.

One thing to take note of is that Stan State does offer online graduate classes in some areas. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 99% took at least some of their classes online.

Read full report on California State University - Stanislaus

#23

The College of New Jersey

Ewing, New Jersey
$15,031 Average Tuition & Fees

The College of New Jersey came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools ranking.

One thing to take note of is that TCNJ does offer online graduate classes in some areas. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 99% took at least some of their classes online.

Read full report on The College of New Jersey

#24

Emory University

Atlanta, Georgia
$45,684 Average Tuition & Fees

Emory University landed the #24 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree nursing programs.

One thing to take note of is that Emory does offer online graduate classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 74% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read full report on Emory University

#25

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
$20,906 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Virginia - Main Campus ranked #25 on this year’s Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools list.

University of Virginia does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 75% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read More…

Rest of the Top 50 Best Nursing Master'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:

#26

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#27

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland
#28

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, California
#29

New York University

New York, New York
#30

Florida Gulf Coast University

Fort Myers, Florida
#33

Wagner College

Staten Island, New York
#34

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California
#35

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
#36

Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, California
#38

Augsburg University

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#39

The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga

Chattanooga, Tennessee
#40

Wilkes University

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
#41

Maryville University of Saint Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#42

University of California - Irvine

Irvine, California
#44

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia
#45

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida
#46

Texas A&M University - College Station

College Station, Texas
#47

Marquette University

Milwaukee, Wisconsin
#48

California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, California
#49

Bethel University Minnesota

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#49

Azusa Pacific University

Azusa, California

Rest of the Top 15% Best Nursing Master's Degree Schools in the United States

To learn more about the schools below, just click on their names:

Rank School Location
51 Ramapo College of New Jersey Mahwah, NJ
52 The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX
53 San Jose State University San Jose, CA
54 Bushnell University Eugene, OR
55 Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA
56 University of Washington - Bothell Campus Bothell, WA
57 University of Scranton Scranton, PA
58 University of Rochester Rochester, NY
59 United States University San Diego, CA
60 Point Loma Nazarene University San Diego, CA
61 Fairfield University Fairfield, CT
62 Otterbein University Westerville, OH
63 University of Washington - Seattle Campus Seattle, WA
64 Belmont University Nashville, TN
65 College of Saint Elizabeth Morristown, NJ
66 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC
67 Holy Names University Oakland, CA
68 Ottawa University - Kansas City Overland Park, KS
69 Fresno Pacific University Fresno, CA
70 Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PA
71 DeSales University Center Valley, PA
72 Teachers College at Columbia University New York, NY
73 University of Delaware Newark, DE
74 Drexel University Philadelphia, PA
75 University of St Francis Joliet, IL
75 University of North Dakota Grand Forks, ND
77 Saint Louis University Saint Louis, MO
78 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ

Honorable Mentions

These schools also performed well in our best nursing schools ranking:

Rank School Location
79 Quinnipiac University Hamden, CT
80 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
81 Towson University Towson, MD
82 Purdue University - Main Campus West Lafayette, IN
83 Texas A&M International University Laredo, TX
84 Michigan State University East Lansing, MI
85 University of Mary Bismarck, ND
86 Winona State University Winona, MN
87 Creighton University Omaha, NE
88 Augusta University Augusta, GA
89 Molloy College Rockville Centre, NY
90 Rockhurst University Kansas City, MO
91 University of San Diego San Diego, CA
92 Monmouth University West Long Branch, NJ
93 University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA
94 Shenandoah University Winchester, VA
95 Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX
96 Bradley University Peoria, IL
97 Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH
98 University of South Carolina - Columbia Columbia, SC
99 Holy Family University Philadelphia, PA
100 University of Miami Coral Gables, FL
101 George Washington University Washington, DC
102 Catholic University of America Washington, DC
103 California State University - San Marcos San Marcos, CA
104 Milwaukee School of Engineering Milwaukee, WI

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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