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Best Nursing Master's Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region

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2023 Best Nursing Master's Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region

45 Schools Ranked

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for nursing students. 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.

The Best Nursing Master's Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking is one of many tools that Nursing Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 45 schools in the Far Western US Region to see which master's degree programs offered the best educational experiences 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.

Top Nursing Master's Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region

Learn more about these excellent schools below:

#1

University of Southern California

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

Our analysis found University of Southern California to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a master’s degree in the Far Western US Region .

USC 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 82% took at least some of their classes online.

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#2

Gonzaga University

Spokane, Washington
$14,878 Average Tuition & Fees

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

One thing to take note of is that Gonzaga does offer online graduate classes in some areas. During the 2019-2020 year, about 92% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read full report on Gonzaga University

#3

University of California - Davis

Davis, California
$13,608 Average Tuition & Fees

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

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at UC Davis. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 52% took at least some of their classes online.

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$9,078 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means California State University - Stanislaus is a great place for nursing students working on their master’s degree.

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.

Full California State University - Stanislaus Report

#5

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
$13,036 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means University of California - Los Angeles is a great place for nursing students working on their master’s degree.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at UCLA. In 2019-2020 about 79% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

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#6

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, California
$27,250 Average Tuition & Fees

University of San Francisco landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree nursing programs.

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at USFCA. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 100% took at least some of their classes online.

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$17,874 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Washington - Tacoma Campus landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree nursing programs.

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since UW Tacoma does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. In 2019-2020 about 4% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Full University of Washington - Tacoma Campus Report

$12,376 Average Tuition & Fees

Vanguard University of Southern California ranked #8 on this year’s Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region list.

Vanguard is one of the schools on our list that is primarily online. Each graduate student at the school took at least one class online.

Full Vanguard University of Southern California Report

#9

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California
$9,422 Average Tuition & Fees

Sonoma State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at SSU. In 2019-2020 about 90% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

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#10

Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, California
$13,099 Average Tuition & Fees

Mount Saint Mary’s University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at MSMU. 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.

Full Mount Saint Mary’s University Report

#11

University of California - Irvine

Irvine, California
$13,356 Average Tuition & Fees

University of California - Irvine 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 #11 on the list.

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at UC Irvine. During the 2019-2020 year, about 95% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Full University of California - Irvine Report

$9,298 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #12, California State University - Chico did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their master’s degree.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Chico State. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 99% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Full California State University - Chico Report

#13

California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, California
$8,410 Average Tuition & Fees

California State University - Fullerton ranked #13 on this year’s Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region list.

Online graduate courses are available at Cal State Fullerton, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2019-2020 about 99% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Full California State University - Fullerton Report

#14

Azusa Pacific University

Azusa, California
$16,696 Average Tuition & Fees

Azusa Pacific University landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree nursing programs.

If you are interested in distance education, Azusa Pacific is an excellent choice, since graduate classes are offered online.

Full Azusa Pacific University Report

#15

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
$9,286 Average Tuition & Fees

San Jose State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking.

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at San Jose State. During the 2019-2020 year, about 94% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

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#16

Bushnell University

Eugene, Oregon
$17,860 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #16, Bushnell University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their master’s degree.

Bushnell University is one of the schools on our list that is primarily online. Each graduate student at the school took at least one class online.

Read full report on Bushnell University

$17,628 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Washington - Bothell Campus ranked #17 on this year’s Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region list.

One thing to take note of is that UW Bothell does offer online graduate classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 10% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Full University of Washington - Bothell Campus Report

#18

United States University

San Diego, California
$5,650 Average Tuition & Fees

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

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

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#19

Point Loma Nazarene University

San Diego, California

Point Loma Nazarene University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking.

Online graduate courses are available at PLNU, 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 56% took at least some of their classes online.

Read full report on Point Loma Nazarene University

$17,754 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree nursing programs.

UW Seattle 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. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 7% took at least some of their classes online.

Read full report on University of Washington - Seattle Campus

#21

Holy Names University

Oakland, California
$18,590 Average Tuition & Fees

Holy Names 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 #21 on the list.

Since the graduate programs at HNU are online, the school is an excellent choice for graduate students who need more flexibility than what is offered at some other schools.

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#22

Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, California
$15,060 Average Tuition & Fees

Fresno Pacific University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking.

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Fresno Pacific. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 11% took at least some of their classes online.

Read full report on Fresno Pacific University

#23

California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, California
$8,280 Average Tuition & Fees

California State University - Long Beach came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at CSULB. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 100% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read full report on California State University - Long Beach

#24

University of San Diego

San Diego, California
$28,410 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #24, University of San Diego did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their master’s degree.

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since USD does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 24% took at least some of their classes online.

Read More…

#25

California State University - San Marcos

San Marcos, California
$9,161 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #25, California State University - San Marcos 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 CSUSM. During the 2019-2020 year, about 99% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read More…

View Best Master’s Degree Nursing Master’s Degree Schools Nationwide >

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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