2023 Best Value Nursing Doctor's Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Prices
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which nursing program is right for you. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools and bootcamps that offer fast-track entry to many fields.
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 in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. This report analyzed 64 schools in the Middle Atlantic Region 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.
When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
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Top Value Nursing Doctor's Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region of the U.S.
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found La Salle University to be the best value school for nursing students who want to pursue a doctor’s degree in the Middle Atlantic Region . 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 offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 83% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Wilmington University is a great place for nursing students working on their doctor’s degree who want the most bang for their educational buck. Located in New Castle, Delaware, the fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 37 doctor’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Wilmington University are $9,060 per year.
Online graduate courses are available at Wilmington University, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 82% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
The excellent doctor’s degree programs at University of Scranton helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best value nursing schools in the Middle Atlantic Region . University of Scranton is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Scranton, Pennsylvania. It awarded 4 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at University of Scranton are $11,630 a year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since University of Scranton does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 93% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend York College of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. York, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctor’s degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at YCP are $11,646 a year.
One thing to take note of is that YCP does offer online graduate classes in some areas. In fact, around 25% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Fairleigh Dickinson University - Metropolitan Campus is a great place for nursing students working on their doctor’s degree who want the most bang for their educational buck. Fairleigh Dickinson University - Metropolitan Campus is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in Teaneck, New Jersey that handed out 6 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at FDU are $10,722 a year.
Since the graduate programs at FDU are primarily online, it is a great choice for returning adults and students who work full time.
Read full report on Fairleigh Dickinson University - Metropolitan Campus
Holy Family University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value doctor’s degree nursing programs. Holy Family University is a small private not-for-profit school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 14 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Holy Family are $12,181 a year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Holy Family does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. In fact, around 99% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Clarion University of Pennsylvania ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Clarion University is a public institution located in Clarion, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Clarion University are $13,862 per year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Clarion University. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 84% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Salisbury University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Salisbury University is a medium-sized public school located in Salisbury, Maryland that handed out 5 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Salisbury are $15,765 per year.
Online graduate courses are available at Salisbury, 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 96% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Thomas Edison State University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value doctor’s degree nursing programs. TESU is located in Trenton, New Jersey and has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 doctor’s degrees to qualified students.
TESU graduate students pay an average of $12,024 in tuition and fees each year.
Since the graduate programs at TESU are online, the school is an excellent choice for graduate students who need more flexibility than what is offered at some other schools.
Villanova University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Located in Villanova, Pennsylvania, the fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 16 doctor’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Villanova are $21,199 a year.
Online graduate courses are available at Villanova, 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 89% took at least some of their classes online.
Villanova did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list.
West Chester University of Pennsylvania 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 #11 on the list. Located in West Chester, Pennsylvania, the fairly large public school handed out 5 doctor’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at WCUPA are $16,758 a year.
WCUPA 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 98% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
WCUPA excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list.
Chatham University landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value doctor’s degree nursing programs. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 74 diplomas to qualifed doctor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
Chatham graduate students pay an average of $19,428 in tuition and fees each year.
Chatham does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In 2019-2020 about 79% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Chatham is ranked #5 for overall quality in the Middle Atlantic Region .
Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctor’s degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.
Bloomsburg graduate students pay an average of $16,731 in tuition and fees each year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Bloomsburg. During the 2019-2020 year, about 91% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Thomas Jefferson University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Thomas Jefferson University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 33 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Thomas Jefferson University are $22,644 a year.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Thomas Jefferson University. During the 2019-2020 year, about 65% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Thomas Jefferson University not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #3 on our Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list.
Messiah University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Messiah is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. It awarded 3 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Messiah are $13,050 per year.
Messiah 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 90% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
La Roche University landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value doctor’s degree nursing programs. La Roche is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 doctor’s degrees to qualified students.
La Roche graduate students pay an average of $12,619 in tuition and fees each year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at La Roche. In 2019-2020 about 50% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
University of Delaware landed the #17 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value doctor’s degree nursing programs. University of Delaware is a large public school located in Newark, Delaware that handed out 7 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UD graduate students pay an average of $18,128 in tuition and fees each year.
One thing to take note of is that UD does offer online graduate classes in some areas. During the 2019-2020 year, about 81% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Alvernia University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Alvernia is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Reading, Pennsylvania. It awarded 4 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Alvernia are $16,130 a year.
One thing to take note of is that Alvernia does offer online graduate classes in some areas. In fact, around 56% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Gannon University landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value doctor’s degree nursing programs. Gannon is located in Erie, Pennsylvania and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 doctor’s degrees to qualified students.
Gannon graduate students pay an average of $20,660 in tuition and fees each year.
Gannon does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. 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.
In addition to its great value ranking, Gannon is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list.
Millersville University of Pennsylvania landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value doctor’s degree nursing programs. Millersville is a medium-sized public school situated in Millersville, Pennsylvania. It awarded 5 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Millersville are $16,794 per year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Millersville does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. In fact, around 97% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Wagner College landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value doctor’s degree nursing programs. Wagner is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Staten Island, New York. It awarded 6 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Wagner are $23,340 per year.
Wagner excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list.
With a ranking of #22, Waynesburg University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their doctor’s degree. Waynesburg is located in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 doctor’s degrees to qualified students.
Waynesburg graduate students pay an average of $16,440 in tuition and fees each year.
Waynesburg 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, 99% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Felician University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Lodi, New Jersey is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctor’s degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.
Felician graduate students pay an average of $20,430 in tuition and fees each year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Felician. During the 2019-2020 year, about 52% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
The Graduate Center, CUNY came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Located in New York, New York, the medium-sized public school awarded 9 diplomas to qualifed doctor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
The Graduate Center graduate students pay an average of $23,640 in tuition and fees each year.
The Graduate Center 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, 100% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
The Graduate Center excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list.
Wilkes University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctor’s degrees to 31 students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Wilkes are $26,016 per year.
One thing to take note of is that Wilkes does offer online graduate classes in some areas. During the 2019-2020 year, about 97% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Wilkes also made our Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list, coming in at #4.
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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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