2023 Best Value Nursing Master'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.
The Best Value Nursing Master's Degree Schools ranking is one of many tools that Nursing Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 515 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best value master'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 Master's Degree Schools in the United States
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 master’s degree in the United States. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 52 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
La Salle graduate students pay an average of $1,455 in tuition and fees each 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.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Aspen University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Master’s Degree Schools list. Aspen University is located in Denver, Arizona and has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 455 master’s degrees to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Aspen University are $4,357 a year.
If you are interested in distance education, Aspen University is an excellent choice, since graduate classes are offered online.
Out of the 515 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s value ranking, United States University landed the # 3 spot on the list. United States University is a small private for-profit school located in San Diego, California that handed out 397 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at USU are $5,650 per year.
Since the graduate programs at USU are primarily online, it is a great choice for returning adults and students who work full time.
In addition to its great value ranking, USU is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools list.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of the Cumberlands. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Nursing Master’s Degree Schools list. This fairly large private not-for-profit school is located in Williamsburg, Kentucky, and it awarded 25 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Cumberlands are $4,582 a year.
Cumberlands 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 99% took at least some of their classes online.
Out of the 515 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s value ranking, Mount Marty University landed the # 5 spot on the list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Yankton, South Dakota, and it awarded 24 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Mount Marty graduate students pay an average of $9,650 in tuition and fees each year.
Mount Marty 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 91% took at least some of their classes online.
Mount Marty did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools list.
With a ranking of #6, Newman University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their master’s degree. Located in Wichita, Kansas, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 19 master’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Newman University are $8,484 a year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Newman University does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. In fact, around 42% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Newman University also is in the top 5% of our Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools ranking.
Kentucky Christian University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Master’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in Grayson, Kentucky, the very small private not-for-profit school handed out 21 master’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Kentucky Christian University are $5,200 a year.
Since the graduate programs at Kentucky Christian University are online, the school is an excellent choice for graduate students who need more flexibility than what is offered at some other schools.
With a ranking of #8, Universidad del Turabo did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their master’s degree. Universidad del Turabo is located in Gurabo, Puerto Rico and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 202 master’s degrees to qualified students.
Universidad del Turabo graduate students pay an average of $3,552 in tuition and fees each year.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Universidad del Turabo. In fact, around 7% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #9, Morningside College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their master’s degree. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Sioux City, Iowa, and it awarded 39 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Morningside are $6,516 per year.
If you are interested in distance education, Morningside is an excellent choice, since graduate classes are offered online.
Rasmussen University - North Dakota came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Master’s Degree Schools ranking. Fargo, North Dakota is the setting for this very small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out master’s degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Rasmussen University - North Dakota are $5,615 a year.
Since the graduate programs at Rasmussen University - North Dakota are online, the school is an excellent choice for graduate students who need more flexibility than what is offered at some other schools.
Rasmussen University - Florida came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Master’s Degree Schools ranking. This medium-sized private for-profit school is located in Ocala, Florida, and it awarded 5 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Rasmussen University - Florida are $5,615 a year.
If you are interested in distance education, Rasmussen University - Florida is an excellent choice, since graduate classes are offered online.
Rasmussen University - Minnesota landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value master’s degree nursing programs. Located in St. Cloud, Minnesota, the small private for-profit school awarded 2 diplomas to qualifed master’s degree students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Rasmussen University - Minnesota are $5,615 per year.
Interested in an online degree? Then you definitely want to check out Rasmussen University - Minnesota. Every graduate student at the school took at least one class online.
Nebraska Wesleyan University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Master’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in Lincoln, Nebraska, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 32 diplomas to qualifed master’s degree students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at NWU are $7,580 a year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at NWU. During the 2019-2020 year, about 81% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #14, Western Governors University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their master’s degree. WGU is located in Salt Lake City, Utah and has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3,210 master’s degrees to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at WGU are $7,790 a year.
Interested in an online degree? Then you definitely want to check out WGU. Every graduate student at the school took at least one class online.
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Master’s Degree Schools ranking. SMU MN is a private not-for-profit institution located in Winona, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 63 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
SMU MN graduate students pay an average of $10,890 in tuition and fees each year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at SMU MN. During the 2019-2020 year, about 86% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
SMU MN also claimed a spot on our Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category.
Central Methodist University - College of Graduate & Extended Studies ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Master’s Degree Schools list. Central Methodist University - College of Graduate & Extended Studies is a small private not-for-profit school located in Fayette, Missouri that handed out 13 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at CMU CGES are $6,435 a year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at CMU CGES. In fact, around 78% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Saint Vincent College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for nursing students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #16 on the list. Saint Vincent is a private not-for-profit institution located in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 30 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Saint Vincent are $14,748 a year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Saint Vincent. In 2019-2020 about 9% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Saint Vincent also took the #1 spot in our Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools rankings.
Southwest Baptist University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Master’s Degree Schools list. Bolivar, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out master’s degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Southwest Baptist University are $5,388 a year.
Online graduate courses are available at Southwest Baptist 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, 47% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
MSU Texas ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Master’s Degree Schools list. This medium-sized public school is located in Wichita Falls, Texas, and it awarded 24 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
MSU Texas graduate students pay an average of $8,056 in tuition and fees each year.
One thing to take note of is that MSU Texas does offer online graduate classes in some areas. During the 2019-2020 year, about 79% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Eastern New Mexico University - Main Campus landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value master’s degree nursing programs. Portales, New Mexico is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out master’s degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at ENMU - Main Campus are $7,110 per year.
ENMU - Main Campus 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 99% took at least some of their classes online.
Read full report on Eastern New Mexico University - Main Campus
Stevenson University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Master’s Degree Schools ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Stevenson, Maryland, and it awarded 51 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Stevenson graduate students pay an average of $8,340 in tuition and fees each year.
Since the graduate programs at Stevenson are online, the school is an excellent choice for graduate students who need more flexibility than what is offered at some other schools.
York College of Pennsylvania came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Master’s Degree Schools ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in York, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 13 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
YCP graduate students pay an average of $11,646 in tuition and fees each year.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at YCP. In fact, around 25% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
YCP excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools list.
Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Arecibo did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for nursing students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #23 on the list. Located in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 36 master’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Arecibo are $4,614 per year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Arecibo does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 49% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Spring Arbor University landed the #24 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value master’s degree nursing programs. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Spring Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 381 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Spring Arbor are $8,383 a year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Spring Arbor. During the 2019-2020 year, about 93% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #25, Concordia University, Irvine did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their master’s degree. Located in Irvine, California, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 4 diplomas to qualifed master’s degree students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Concordia University, Irvine are $8,564 per year.
Interested in an online degree? Then you definitely want to check out Concordia University, Irvine. Every graduate student at the school took at least one class online.
Rest of the Top 50 Best Value Nursing Master'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:
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Rest of the Top Value Nursing Master's Degree Schools in the United States
To learn more about the schools below, just click on their names:
Honorable Mentions
These schools also performed well in our best nursing schools ranking:
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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