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Most Popular Nursing Doctor's Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region

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2023 Most Popular Nursing Doctor's Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region

80 Schools Ranked

It's not easy to decide which nursing program to enroll in when you have so many options available. 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 Most Popular Nursing Doctor's Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 80 schools in the Middle Atlantic Region to see which doctor's degree programs were the most popular for nursing students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from each school on the list.

Learn more about these popular schools below:

#1

Rutgers University - New Brunswick

New Brunswick, New Jersey
163 Total Awards
$20,495 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named Rutgers University - New Brunswick the most popular school in the Middle Atlantic Region for nursing students working on their doctor’s degree. Rutgers New Brunswick is a public institution located in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The school has a large population, and it awarded 163 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 87% of those degree recipients were women.

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Rutgers New Brunswick does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 23% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

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146 Total Awards
$52,924 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Columbia University in the City of New York. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Popular Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Columbia is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 146 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 91% were women.

Columbia 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.

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#3

University of Maryland - Baltimore

Baltimore, Maryland
137 Total Awards
$17,046 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means University of Maryland - Baltimore is a great place for nursing students working on their doctor’s degree. UMB is located in Baltimore, Maryland and has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 137 doctor’s degrees to qualified students.

Around 81% of those degree recipients were women.

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since UMB does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. In 2019-2020 about 46% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read full report on University of Maryland - Baltimore

#4

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland
102 Total Awards
$61,202 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 80 schools in the Middle Atlantic Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Johns Hopkins University landed the # 4 spot on the list. Johns Hopkins University is a large private not-for-profit school located in Baltimore, Maryland that handed out 102 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 95% were women.

Johns Hopkins 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 85% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read full report on Johns Hopkins University

77 Total Awards
$25,248 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is a great place for nursing students working on their doctor’s degree. This large public school is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 77 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 77% of those degree recipients were women.

Pitt does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 16% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read full report on University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus

#6

Chatham University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
74 Total Awards
$19,428 Average Tuition & Fees

Chatham University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 74 doctor’s degree awards in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 89% were women.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Chatham. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 79% took at least some of their classes online.

Full Chatham University Report

#7

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
49 Total Awards
$42,932 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Pennsylvania landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular doctor’s degree nursing programs. UPenn is a private not-for-profit institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has a large population, and it awarded 49 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 71% of those degree recipients were women.

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at UPenn. 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

#8

University at Buffalo

Buffalo, New York
41 Total Awards
$14,388 Average Tuition & Fees

University at Buffalo came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. University at Buffalo is a large public school situated in Buffalo, New York. It awarded 41 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 83% of those degree recipients were women.

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since University at Buffalo does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. In 2019-2020 about 76% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Full University at Buffalo Report

#9

Wilmington University

New Castle, Delaware
37 Total Awards
$9,060 Average Tuition & Fees

Wilmington University ranked #9 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Wilmington University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in New Castle, Delaware. It awarded 37 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 92% of those degree recipients were women.

Wilmington University 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 82% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read full report on Wilmington University

#10

Thomas Jefferson University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
33 Total Awards
$22,644 Average Tuition & Fees

Thomas Jefferson University ranked #10 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. 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.

Of those students who received their degree, 70% were women.

One thing to take note of is that Thomas Jefferson University does offer online graduate classes in some areas. During the 2019-2020 year, about 65% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read More…

#11

Wilkes University

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
31 Total Awards
$26,016 Average Tuition & Fees

Wilkes University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for nursing students to get a doctor’s degree. It came in at #11 on the list. Wilkes is located in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania and has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 31 doctor’s degrees to qualified students.

Around 97% of those degree recipients were women.

Wilkes does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 97% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#12

Georgetown University

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

Georgetown University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Georgetown is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Washington, District of Columbia. It awarded 29 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 86% of those degree recipients were women.

Georgetown 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 Georgetown University

#13

Duquesne University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
24 Total Awards

Duquesne University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Duquesne is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It awarded 24 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 88% were women.

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Duquesne. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 72% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#14

Temple University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
19 Total Awards
$18,278 Average Tuition & Fees

Temple University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for nursing students to get a doctor’s degree. It came in at #14 on the list. Temple is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 doctor’s degrees to qualified students.

Around 84% of those degree recipients were women.

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Temple. During the 2019-2020 year, about 72% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read More…

#14

Robert Morris University

Moon Township, Pennsylvania
19 Total Awards

Robert Morris University landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular doctor’s degree nursing programs. Moon Township, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctor’s degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 68% were women.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at RMU. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 60% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#16

New York University

New York, New York
17 Total Awards
$38,206 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #16, New York University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students working on their doctor’s degree. This large private not-for-profit school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 17 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 94% were women.

NYU 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.

Full New York University Report

#17

Villanova University

Villanova, Pennsylvania
16 Total Awards
$21,199 Average Tuition & Fees

Villanova University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. This fairly large private not-for-profit school is located in Villanova, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 16 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 94% of those degree recipients were women.

One thing to take note of is that Villanova does offer online graduate classes in some areas. In fact, around 89% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read full report on Villanova University

#18

George Washington University

Washington, District of Columbia
15 Total Awards
$32,904 Average Tuition & Fees

George Washington University ranked #18 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. George Washington University is a large private not-for-profit school located in Washington, District of Columbia that handed out 15 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 87% were women.

GWU does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 37% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read full report on George Washington University

#19

Clarion University of Pennsylvania

Clarion, Pennsylvania
14 Total Awards
$12,179 Average Tuition & Fees

Clarion University of Pennsylvania landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular doctor’s degree nursing programs. Clarion University of Pennsylvania is a small public school located in Clarion, Pennsylvania that handed out 14 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 79% were women.

One thing to take note of is that Clarion University does offer online graduate classes in some areas. During the 2019-2020 year, about 84% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read More…

#19

Holy Family University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
14 Total Awards
$12,181 Average Tuition & Fees

Holy Family University landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular doctor’s degree nursing programs. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 14 diplomas to qualifed doctor’s degree students in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 100% were women.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Holy Family. During the 2019-2020 year, about 99% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Full Holy Family University Report

#19

Drexel University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
14 Total Awards
$37,074 Average Tuition & Fees

Drexel University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for nursing students to get a doctor’s degree. It came in at #19 on the list. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctor’s degrees to 14 students in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 86% were women.

Drexel does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In 2019-2020 about 85% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read More…

#22

York College of Pennsylvania

York, Pennsylvania
13 Total Awards

York College of Pennsylvania did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for nursing students to get a doctor’s degree. It came in at #22 on the list. YCP is a small private not-for-profit school situated in York, Pennsylvania. It awarded 13 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of those students who received their degree, 46% were women.

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. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 25% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#23

Rutgers University - Camden

Camden, New Jersey
12 Total Awards
$20,649 Average Tuition & Fees

Rutgers University - Camden ranked #23 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Rutgers University - Camden is a medium-sized public school located in Camden, New Jersey that handed out 12 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 67% of those degree recipients were women.

One thing to take note of is that Rutgers Camden does offer online graduate classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 32% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Full Rutgers University - Camden Report

#23

Stony Brook University

Stony Brook, New York
12 Total Awards
$13,838 Average Tuition & Fees

Stony Brook University ranked #23 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Stony Brook University is a large public school located in Stony Brook, New York that handed out 12 doctor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 92% of those degree recipients were women.

One thing to take note of is that SUNY Stony Brook does offer online graduate classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 71% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#25

Molloy College

Rockville Centre, New York
11 Total Awards
$23,800 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #25, Molloy College did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students working on their doctor’s degree. Rockville Centre, New York 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.

Of those students who received their degree, 100% were women.

Molloy 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 97% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read full report on Molloy College

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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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