2023 Best Value Nursing Doctor's Degree Schools
Identifying High-Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
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. Or you may find the programs at a trade school or bootcamp to be a better alternative for you.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Nursing Degree Search has developed this Best Value Nursing Doctor's Degree Schools ranking. This report analyzed 333 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best value doctor's degree programs for nursing students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
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Top Value Nursing Doctor's Degree Schools in the United States
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named La Salle University the best value school in the United States for nursing students working on their doctor’s degree. La Salle is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 3 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at La Salle are $1,455 per year.
La Salle 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. In 2019-2020 about 83% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Aspen University is a great place for nursing students working on their doctor’s degree who want the most bang for their educational buck. Denver, Arizona is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out doctor’s degrees to 25 students in 2020-2021.
Aspen University graduate students pay an average of $4,357 in tuition and fees each year.
Interested in an online degree? Then you definitely want to check out Aspen University. Every graduate student at the school took at least one class online.
In addition to its great value ranking, Aspen University is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools list.
The excellent doctor’s degree programs at Morningside College helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best value nursing schools in the United States. Morningside is a private not-for-profit institution located in Sioux City, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Morningside graduate students pay an average of $6,516 in tuition and fees each year.
Morningside is one of the schools on our list that is primarily online. Each graduate student at the school took at least one class online.
The excellent doctor’s degree programs at Mount Marty University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best value nursing schools in the United States. Located in Yankton, South Dakota, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 33 diplomas to qualifed doctor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
Mount Marty graduate students pay an average of $9,650 in tuition and fees each year.
Online graduate courses are available at Mount Marty, 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 91% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Mount Marty not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #4 on our Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools list.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Wilmington University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools list. Wilmington University is a private not-for-profit institution located in New Castle, Delaware. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 37 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Wilmington University are $9,060 per year.
Wilmington University does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 82% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Wilmington University also did well on our Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Ferris State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools list. Ferris is a fairly large public school situated in Big Rapids, Michigan. It awarded 2 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Ferris are $8,232 a year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Ferris. During the 2019-2020 year, about 67% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Point Loma Nazarene University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value doctor’s degree nursing programs. San Diego, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctor’s degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at PLNU are $11,880 per year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at PLNU. In fact, around 56% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
PLNU also claimed a spot on our Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category.
With a ranking of #8, Ashland University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their doctor’s degree. Ashland University is a small private not-for-profit school located in Ashland, Ohio that handed out 10 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Ashland are $6,972 a year.
Online graduate courses are available at Ashland, 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 84% took at least some of their classes online.
Delta State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools list. Located in Cleveland, Mississippi, the small public school awarded 3 diplomas to qualifed doctor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Delta State University are $8,360 a year.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Delta State University. In fact, around 97% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #10, Viterbo University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their doctor’s degree. Located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 43 doctor’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Viterbo are $9,488 per year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Viterbo. During the 2019-2020 year, about 72% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #11, McKendree University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their doctor’s degree. Lebanon, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctor’s degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at McKendree are $9,756 per year.
Online graduate courses are available at McKendree, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 68% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Minnesota State University - Mankato landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value doctor’s degree nursing programs. Located in Mankato, Minnesota, the fairly large public school handed out 2 doctor’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
Minnesota State Mankato graduate students pay an average of $9,308 in tuition and fees each year.
Minnesota State Mankato does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. During the 2019-2020 year, about 40% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #13, University of Southern Mississippi did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their doctor’s degree. University of Southern Mississippi is a fairly large public school located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi that handed out 31 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Southern Miss are $11,204 a year.
Southern Miss 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, 86% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Southern Miss also claimed a spot on our Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
With a ranking of #14, Rivier University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their doctor’s degree. Located in Nashua, New Hampshire, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 4 doctor’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
Rivier graduate students pay an average of $12,195 in tuition and fees each year.
Rivier 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.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Rivier also is in the top 15% of our Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools ranking.
University of Scranton ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools list. Located in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 4 diplomas to qualifed doctor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
University of Scranton graduate students pay an average of $11,630 in tuition and fees each year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at University of Scranton. During the 2019-2020 year, about 93% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, University of Scranton also is in the top 20% of our Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools ranking.
York College of Pennsylvania landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value doctor’s degree nursing programs. YCP is a small private not-for-profit school situated in York, Pennsylvania. It awarded 13 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at YCP are $11,646 per year.
YCP 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. In fact, around 25% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
In addition to its great value ranking, YCP is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools list.
Walden University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for nursing students to get a doctor’s degree. It came in at #17 on the list. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the large private for-profit school awarded 191 diplomas to qualifed doctor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Walden University are $10,092 a year.
Since the graduate programs at Walden University are primarily online, it is a great choice for returning adults and students who work full time.
With a ranking of #17, Webster University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their doctor’s degree. Webster is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 41 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Webster graduate students pay an average of $13,500 in tuition and fees each year.
One thing to take note of is that Webster does offer online graduate classes in some areas. During the 2019-2020 year, about 61% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Webster excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools list.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value doctor’s degree nursing programs. SIUE is a public institution located in Edwardsville, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 69 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
SIUE graduate students pay an average of $9,316 in tuition and fees each year.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at SIUE. In 2019-2020 about 86% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Read full report on Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Mississippi University for Women came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools ranking. This small public school is located in Columbus, Mississippi, and it awarded 2 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
MUW graduate students pay an average of $7,756 in tuition and fees each year.
MUW 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 80% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Grand Canyon University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in Phoenix, Arizona, the large private for-profit school awarded 368 diplomas to qualifed doctor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Grand Canyon University are $11,538 a year.
Online graduate courses are available at Grand Canyon University, 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, 96% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
University of St Francis landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value doctor’s degree nursing programs. Located in Joliet, Illinois, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 6 diplomas to qualifed doctor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at University of Saint Francis are $13,839 per year.
Online graduate courses are available at University of Saint Francis, 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, 89% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, University of Saint Francis also did well on our Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Gonzaga University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for nursing students to get a doctor’s degree. It came in at #23 on the list. Gonzaga is a private not-for-profit institution located in Spokane, Washington. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 44 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Gonzaga graduate students pay an average of $14,878 in tuition and fees each year.
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. In fact, around 92% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Gonzaga excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools list.
Graceland University - Lamoni did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for nursing students to get a doctor’s degree. It came in at #24 on the list. Graceland Lamoni is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lamoni, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Graceland Lamoni graduate students pay an average of $11,187 in tuition and fees each year.
Interested in an online degree? Then you definitely want to check out Graceland Lamoni. Every graduate student at the school took at least one class online.
Fairleigh Dickinson University - Metropolitan Campus ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools list. Located in Teaneck, New Jersey, the medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 6 doctor’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
FDU graduate students pay an average of $10,722 in tuition and fees each year.
If you are interested in distance education, FDU is an excellent choice, since graduate classes are offered online.
Rest of the Top 50 Best Value Nursing Doctor's Degree Schools in the United States
Not only did these schools make the list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
Narrow Schools by Region
Honorable Mentions
These schools also performed well in our best nursing schools ranking:
| Rank | School | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 52 | Eastern Mennonite University | Harrisonburg, VA |
| 53 | Villanova University | Villanova, PA |
| 53 | Valparaiso University | Valparaiso, IN |
| 55 | West Chester University of Pennsylvania | West Chester, PA |
| 55 | Missouri State University - Springfield | Springfield, MO |
| 57 | Purdue University Northwest | Hammond, IN |
| 58 | North Park University | Chicago, IL |
| 59 | Northern Illinois University | Dekalb, IL |
| 60 | Walsh University | North Canton, OH |
| 61 | Azusa Pacific University | Azusa, CA |
| 62 | The College of Saint Scholastica | Duluth, MN |
| 62 | Anderson University South Carolina | Anderson, SC |
| 64 | Union University | Jackson, TN |
| 65 | Gardner - Webb University | Boiling Springs, NC |
| 66 | Chatham University | Pittsburgh, PA |
| 67 | Texas Wesleyan University | Fort Worth, TX |
More Nationwide Rankings
Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
References
- 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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