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2024 Best Nursing Schools in Virginia

54 Colleges in Virginia
7,100 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$69,595 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a degree in nursing, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #3 most popular program in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

College Factual reviewed 54 schools in Virginia to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of nursing. Combined, these schools handed out 7,100 degrees in nursing to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Nursing School

Best Nursing Schools in Virginia The nursing program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Nursing rankings. We derive our Best Overall Nursing School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Nursing Rankings by 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 Virginia ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.


 

Best Schools for Nursing in Virginia

The schools below may not offer all types of nursing degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.

10 Top Virginia Schools in Nursing

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
292 Nursing Degrees Awarded
11.3% Growth in Graduates

Every student who is interested in nursing needs to check out University of Virginia - Main Campus. Located in the small suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #33 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means University of Virginia is a great university overall.

There were about 292 nursing students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent year we have data available. Nursing degree recipients from University of Virginia - Main Campus earn a boost of about $17,168 over the typical income of nursing majors.

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

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
377 Nursing Degrees Awarded
1.6% Growth in Graduates

Virginia Commonwealth University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in nursing. VCU is a fairly large public university located in the city of Richmond. A Best Colleges rank of #240 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means VCU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 377 nursing students who graduated with this degree at VCU in the most recent data year. Nursing degree recipients from Virginia Commonwealth University get an earnings boost of around $37,295 over the typical earnings of nursing majors.

More information about a degree in nursing from Virginia Commonwealth University

3
ECPI University crest
ECPI University
Virginia Beach, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
780 Nursing Degrees Awarded
13.6% Growth in Graduates

It is difficult to beat ECPI University if you want to pursue a degree in nursing. Located in the large city of Virginia Beach, ECPI University is a private for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #322 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means ECPI University is a great university overall.

There were about 780 nursing students who graduated with this degree at ECPI University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, nursing degree recipients typically earn an average of $60,933 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in nursing from ECPI University

4
Shenandoah crest
Shenandoah University
Winchester, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
183 Nursing Degrees Awarded
20.8% Growth in Graduates

Shenandoah University is a wonderful decision for students interested in a degree in nursing. Located in the city of Winchester, Shenandoah is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #302 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Shenandoah is a great university overall.

There were about 183 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Shenandoah in the most recent data year. Those nursing students who get their degree from Shenandoah University make $20,107 more than the typical nursing grad.

More information about a degree in nursing from Shenandoah University

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
266 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$86,619 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #117 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means GMU is a great university overall.

There were about 266 nursing students who graduated with this degree at GMU in the most recent data year. Those nursing students who get their degree from George Mason University make $17,025 more than the typical nursing graduate.

More information about a degree in nursing from George Mason University

6
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
290 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$80,590 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #169 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means JMU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 290 nursing students who graduated with this degree at JMU in the most recent data year. Nursing degree recipients from James Madison University get an earnings boost of around $10,995 above the average income of nursing graduates.

More information about a degree in nursing from James Madison University

7
Marymount crest
Marymount University
Arlington, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
138 Nursing Degrees Awarded
10.9% Growth in Graduates

Marymount is a small private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Arlington. A Best Colleges rank of #574 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Marymount is a great university overall.

There were roughly 138 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Marymount in the most recent data year. Nursing degree recipients from Marymount University receive an earnings boost of approximately $13,470 above the typical income of nursing majors.

More information about a degree in nursing from Marymount University

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
336 Nursing Degrees Awarded
14.3% Growth in Graduates

Old Dominion is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Norfolk. A Best Colleges rank of #446 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Old Dominion is a great university overall.

There were roughly 336 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Old Dominion in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the nursing program at Old Dominion University get $14,343 above the standard graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in nursing from Old Dominion University

9
Radford crest
Radford University
Radford, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
255 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$75,773 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Radford, Radford is a public university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 23rd out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 255 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Radford in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the nursing program at Radford University earn $6,178 above the typical graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in nursing from Radford University

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
101 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$62,792 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Harrisonburg, Eastern Mennonite is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #497 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Eastern Mennonite is a great university overall.

There were roughly 101 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Eastern Mennonite in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program make around $62,792 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in nursing from Eastern Mennonite University


 

Best Nursing Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Georgia 287 7,016
Florida 282 21,034
North Carolina 279 7,329
Tennessee 269 5,906
South Carolina 248 3,276
Kentucky 244 6,143
Louisiana 242 3,416
Mississippi 234 2,801
Arkansas 234 2,878
Alabama 233 7,210
West Virginia 207 1,768

View All Rankings >

One of 34 majors within the Health Professions area of study, Nursing has other similar majors worth exploring.

Nursing Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Registered Nursing 6,164
Nursing Practice 251
Nursing Administration 244
Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing 113
Family Practice Nurse/Nursing 92
Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 79
Nurse Anesthetist 48
Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing 35
Adult Health Nurse/Nursing 27
Nursing Science 26

View All Nursing Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Allied Health Professions 2,652
Mental & Social Health Services 2,351
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants 1,793
Health & Medical Administrative Services 1,576
Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services 1,158
Medicine 1,144
Public Health 1,075
Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions 730
Somatic Bodywork & Therapeutic Services 451
Dental Support Services 411

View All Nursing Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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