2023 Most Popular Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for nursing students. 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.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Nursing Degree Search has created the Most Popular Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 402 schools in the United States to see which ones were the most popular graduate certificate programs for nursing students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from each school on the list.
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Most Popular Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools in the United States
Learn more about these popular schools below:
Our analysis found Maryville University of Saint Louis to be the most popular school for nursing students who want to pursue a graduate certificate in the United States. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out graduate certificates to 352 students in 2020-2021.
Around 87% of those degree recipients were women.
Online graduate courses are available at Maryville U, 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, 91% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Cincinnati - Main Campus. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Popular Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools list. This large public school is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and it awarded 198 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
By the time they get their graduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $21,388 in student loans. Of those students who received their degree, 88% were women.
UC 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.
The excellent graduate certificate programs at University of South Alabama helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular nursing schools in the United States. Located in Mobile, Alabama, the fairly large public school awarded 126 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
Around 94% of those degree recipients were women.
USA does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 75% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
You’ll be in good company if you attend Frontier Nursing University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools list. Located in Hyden, Kentucky, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 125 graduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
Of those students who received their degree, 96% were women.
Frontier Nursing 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.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Regis College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Popular Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools list. Regis College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Weston, Massachusetts. It awarded 120 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Of those students who received their degree, 84% were women.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Regis College. During the 2019-2020 year, about 79% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Purdue University Global ranked #6 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools list. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, the large public school awarded 115 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
Graduate Certificate recipients from Purdue University Global accumulate an average of $33,486 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Around 88% of those degree recipients were women.
Since the graduate programs at Purdue University Global are online, the school is an excellent choice for graduate students who need more flexibility than what is offered at some other schools.
California State University - Long Beach did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for nursing students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #7 on the list. CSULB is located in Long Beach, California and has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 108 graduate certificates to qualified students.
On average, graduate certificate students take out $18,477 in loans while pursuing their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 83% were women.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at CSULB. In fact, around 100% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Read full report on California State University - Long Beach
Columbia University in the City of New York came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools ranking. Columbia is a large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 95 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Graduate Certificate recipients from Columbia accumulate an average of $33,131 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 93% were women.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Columbia does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. 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.
With a ranking of #9, The University of Texas at Arlington did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students working on their graduate certificate. Located in Arlington, Texas, the large public school handed out 93 graduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
Of those students who received their degree, 89% were women.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at UT Arlington. In fact, around 65% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Liberty University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools ranking. Liberty University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lynchburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 92 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Of those students who received their degree, 89% were women.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Liberty University does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. During the 2019-2020 year, about 97% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #11, Grand Canyon University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students working on their graduate certificate. Grand Canyon University is a large private for-profit school located in Phoenix, Arizona that handed out 76 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Of those students who received their degree, 89% were women.
Grand Canyon 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. 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.
Illinois State University ranked #12 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools list. Illinois State University is a large public school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 74 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Of those students who received their degree, 100% were women.
One thing to take note of is that Illinois State 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.
With a ranking of #13, Northern Kentucky University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students working on their graduate certificate. Highland Heights, Kentucky is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out graduate certificates to 71 students in 2020-2021.
Around 90% of those degree recipients were women.
One thing to take note of is that NKU does offer online graduate classes in some areas. 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.
With a ranking of #14, Concordia University, Wisconsin did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students working on their graduate certificate. This medium-sized private not-for-profit school is located in Mequon, Wisconsin, and it awarded 69 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Around 93% of those degree recipients were women.
Online graduate courses are available at Concordia University, Wisconsin, 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 67% took at least some of their classes online.
Herzing University - Madison came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools ranking. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out graduate certificates to 62 students in 2020-2021.
Of those students who received their degree, 90% were women.
Since the graduate programs at Herzing University - Madison are online, the school is an excellent choice for graduate students who need more flexibility than what is offered at some other schools.
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for nursing students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #16 on the list. Located in Edinburg, Texas, the large public school awarded 60 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
Around 80% of those degree recipients were women.
UT Rio Grande Valley 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 92% took at least some of their classes online.
Duke University ranked #17 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools list. Duke is located in Durham, North Carolina and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 57 graduate certificates to qualified students.
By the time they get their graduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $17,440 in student loans. Of those students who received their degree, 88% were women.
One thing to take note of is that Duke does offer online graduate classes in some areas. During the 2019-2020 year, about 2% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #18, Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students working on their graduate certificate. Located in Provo, Utah, the small private for-profit school awarded 51 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
Of those students who received their degree, 86% were women.
Since the graduate programs at RMUoHP are primarily online school, so it is a great choice for returning adults and students who work full time.
Ursuline College landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular graduate certificate nursing programs. Ursuline College is located in Pepper Pike, Ohio and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 46 graduate certificates to qualified students.
Around 98% of those degree recipients were women.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Ursuline College. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 27% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #20, University of Massachusetts - Boston did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students working on their graduate certificate. This fairly large public school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 44 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Around 95% of those degree recipients were women.
One thing to take note of is that UMass Boston does offer online graduate classes in some areas. In fact, around 100% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #21, University of New Hampshire - Main Campus did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students working on their graduate certificate. Located in Durham, New Hampshire, the fairly large public school awarded 43 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
Around 81% of those degree recipients were women.
Online graduate courses are available at UNH, 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 60% took at least some of their classes online.
Read full report on University of New Hampshire - Main Campus
Washington State University landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular graduate certificate nursing programs. Located in Pullman, Washington, the large public school handed out 42 graduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
Of those students who received their degree, 81% were women.
One thing to take note of is that Wazzu does offer online graduate classes in some areas. In 2019-2020 about 30% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
National University ranked #23 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools list. National University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 39 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Of those students who received their degree, 85% were women.
National University does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 48% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools ranking. Located in Columbus, Ohio, the large public school awarded 37 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
Of those students who received their degree, 84% were women.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Ohio State. In fact, around 76% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Drexel University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools ranking. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the large private not-for-profit school awarded 37 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
By the time they get their graduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $23,548 in student loans. Around 89% of those degree recipients were women.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Drexel. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 85% took at least some of their classes online.
Rest of the Top 50 Most Popular Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools in the United States
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
Narrow Schools by Region
Rest of the Top 15% Most Popular Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools in the United States
To learn more about the schools below, just click on their names:
| Rank | School | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 52 | Arizona State University - Tempe | Tempe, AZ |
| 52 | Rivier University | Nashua, NH |
| 52 | University of Southern Indiana | Evansville, IN |
| 52 | West Coast University - Orange County | Anaheim, CA |
| 52 | Mayo Clinic School of Medicine | Rochester, MN |
| 57 | University of Mississippi | University, MS |
| 57 | University of Toledo | Toledo, OH |
| 57 | The University of Texas at El Paso | El Paso, TX |
| 57 | University of Southern Mississippi | Hattiesburg, MS |
| 61 | University of Iowa | Iowa City, IA |
| 61 | University of Nevada - Reno | Reno, NV |
| 61 | Stony Brook University | Stony Brook, NY |
| 61 | Case Western Reserve University | Cleveland, OH |
| 61 | Texas Woman’s University | Denton, TX |
| 61 | Georgia State University | Atlanta, GA |
Honorable Mentions
These schools also performed well in our most popular nursing schools ranking:
| Rank | School | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 67 | Lehman College | Bronx, NY |
| 67 | Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center | Lubbock, TX |
| 67 | Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global | Marion, IN |
| 67 | Hofstra University | Hempstead, NY |
| 67 | Emory University | Atlanta, GA |
| 72 | University of Michigan - Flint | Flint, MI |
| 72 | Alverno College | Milwaukee, WI |
| 72 | University of Florida | Gainesville, FL |
| 75 | University of Maryland - Baltimore | Baltimore, MD |
| 75 | Eastern Kentucky University | Richmond, KY |
| 75 | California State University - Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA |
| 75 | William Paterson University of New Jersey | Wayne, NJ |
| 75 | Russell Sage College | Troy, NY |
| 75 | Lewis University | Romeoville, IL |
| 75 | Capella University | Minneapolis, MN |
| 75 | Rush University | Chicago, IL |
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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