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2024 Best Nursing Schools in Pennsylvania

55 Colleges in Pennsylvania
12,391 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$74,117 Avg Early-Career Salary
Nursing is of the hottest degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #3 most popular major in the country. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 55 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Nursing Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 12,391 degrees in nursing to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Nursing School

Best Nursing Schools in Pennsylvania Your choice of nursing school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Nursing School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your Nursing Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Nursing
Bachelor's Degrees in Nursing
Master's Degrees in Nursing
Doctor's Degrees in Nursing

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Nursing Schools in Pennsylvania ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.


 

Best Schools for Nursing in Pennsylvania

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the nursing degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Pennsylvania Schools in Nursing

1
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
620 Nursing Degrees Awarded
1.6% Growth in Graduates

University of Pennsylvania is a wonderful choice for students interested in a degree in nursing. Located in the large city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were roughly 620 nursing students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent data year. Nursing degree recipients from University of Pennsylvania get an earnings boost of around $26,831 above the typical income of nursing graduates.

More information about a degree in nursing from University of Pennsylvania

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
854 Nursing Degrees Awarded
23.4% Growth in Graduates

It's difficult to beat Thomas Jefferson University if you wish to pursue a degree in nursing. Located in the city of Philadelphia, Thomas Jefferson University is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #87 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Thomas Jefferson University is a great university overall.

There were roughly 854 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Thomas Jefferson University in the most recent year we have data available. Those nursing students who get their degree from Thomas Jefferson University earn $12,125 more than the standard nursing graduate.

More information about a degree in nursing from Thomas Jefferson University

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
359 Nursing Degrees Awarded
2.5% Growth in Graduates

University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in nursing. Located in the large city of Pittsburgh, Pitt is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #79 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Pitt is a great university overall.

There were approximately 359 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Pitt in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the nursing program at University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus earn $4,156 above the average graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in nursing from University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus

4
Drexel crest
Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
919 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$100,043 Median Starting Salary

It's difficult to beat Drexel University if you wish to pursue a degree in nursing. Located in the large city of Philadelphia, Drexel is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #125 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Drexel is a great university overall.

There were about 919 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Drexel in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the nursing degree program at Drexel University make $25,926 more than the average college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in nursing from Drexel University

5
Duquesne crest
Duquesne University
Pittsburgh, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
379 Nursing Degrees Awarded
11.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Pittsburgh, Duquesne is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #228 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Duquesne is a great university overall.

There were approximately 379 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Duquesne in the most recent data year. Those nursing students who get their degree from Duquesne University receive $8,321 more than the typical nursing graduate.

More information about a degree in nursing from Duquesne University

6
Villanova crest
Villanova University
Villanova, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
311 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$94,231 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large suburb of Villanova, Villanova is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #70 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Villanova is a great university overall.

There were roughly 311 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Villanova in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the nursing program at Villanova University earn $20,114 more than the average graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in nursing from Villanova University

7
Widener crest
Widener University
Chester, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
274 Nursing Degrees Awarded
2.6% Growth in Graduates

Widener is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Chester. A Best Colleges rank of #275 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Widener is a great university overall.

There were roughly 274 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Widener in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the nursing program at Widener University get $11,916 above the typical college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in nursing from Widener University

8
La Salle crest
La Salle University
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
217 Nursing Degrees Awarded
38.2% Growth in Graduates

La Salle is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Philadelphia. A Best Colleges rank of #486 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means La Salle is a great university overall.

There were approximately 217 nursing students who graduated with this degree at La Salle in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the nursing major at La Salle University earn $15,921 more than the average college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in nursing from La Salle University

9
DeSales crest
DeSales University
Center Valley, PA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
177 Nursing Degrees Awarded
6.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the rural area of Center Valley, DeSales is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #479 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means DeSales is a great university overall.

There were approximately 177 nursing students who graduated with this degree at DeSales in the most recent data year. Those nursing students who get their degree from DeSales University make $9,906 more than the average nursing student.

More information about a degree in nursing from DeSales University

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
460 Nursing Degrees Awarded
8.7% Growth in Graduates

PA College is a small private not-for-profit college located in the large suburb of Lancaster.

There were approximately 460 nursing students who graduated with this degree at PA College in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the nursing program report average early career wages of $66,356.

More information about a degree in nursing from Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences


 

Best Nursing Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region

Explore all the Best Nursing Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
New York 333 17,347
Maryland 279 4,054
New Jersey 273 5,598
District of Columbia 188 956
Delaware 175 1,266

View All Rankings >

Nursing is one of 34 different types of Health Professions programs to choose from.

Nursing Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Registered Nursing 9,682
Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 781
Family Practice Nurse/Nursing 448
Nursing Science 444
Perioperative/Operating Room and Surgical Nurse/Nursing 273
Nursing Practice 240
Nurse Anesthetist 193
Nursing Administration 87
School Nursing 53
Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing 49

View All Nursing Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions 3,239
Allied Health Professions 3,088
Health & Medical Administrative Services 2,689
Medicine 2,307
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants 1,952
Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services 1,824
Health Sciences & Services 1,699
Public Health 1,513
Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Sciences 1,353
Communication Sciences 1,232

View All Nursing Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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