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2024 Best Nursing Schools in Alabama

33 Colleges in Alabama
6,985 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$67,407 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #3 in popularity, nursing is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 33 schools in Alabama to determine which ones were the best for nursing students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 6,985 degrees in nursing to qualified students.

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

Choosing a Great Nursing School

Best Nursing Schools in Alabama 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. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for nursing schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

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 the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Nursing Schools in Alabama list, to help you choose the best school for you. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for Nursing in Alabama

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the nursing degree levels they offer.

10 Top Alabama Schools in Nursing

1
Samford crest
Samford University
Birmingham, AL
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
274 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$77,725 Median Starting Salary

It's hard to beat Samford University if you wish to pursue a degree in nursing. Samford is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Birmingham. A Best Colleges rank of #243 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Samford is a great university overall.

There were about 274 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Samford in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the nursing program at Samford University get $10,318 above the typical college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in nursing from Samford University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,118 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$87,735 Median Starting Salary

University of Alabama at Birmingham is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in nursing. UAB is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Birmingham. A Best Colleges rank of #260 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UAB is a great university overall.

There were roughly 1118 nursing students who graduated with this degree at UAB in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the nursing major at University of Alabama at Birmingham get $20,328 above the typical graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in nursing from University of Alabama at Birmingham

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
592 Nursing Degrees Awarded
0.3% Growth in Graduates

The University of Alabama is a great option for students interested in a degree in nursing. UA is a very large public university located in the small city of Tuscaloosa. A Best Colleges rank of #139 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UA is a great university overall.

There were approximately 592 nursing students who graduated with this degree at UA in the most recent year we have data available. Those nursing students who get their degree from The University of Alabama receive $18,033 more than the typical nursing student.

More information about a degree in nursing from The University of Alabama

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,361 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$94,376 Median Starting Salary

Any student who is interested in nursing has to look into University of South Alabama. Located in the city of Mobile, USA is a public university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #825 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means USA is a great university overall.

There were roughly 1361 nursing students who graduated with this degree at USA in the most recent data year. Nursing degree recipients from University of South Alabama get an earnings boost of about $26,969 over the typical earnings of nursing majors.

More information about a degree in nursing from University of South Alabama

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
291 Nursing Degrees Awarded
7.9% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Auburn, Auburn is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #154 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Auburn is a great university overall.

There were about 291 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Auburn in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the nursing degree program at Auburn University get $6,138 more than the typical graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in nursing from Auburn University

6
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
68 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$76,573 Median Starting Salary

Herzing University - Birmingham is a fairly small private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Birmingham. A Best Colleges rank of #913 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Herzing University - Birmingham is a great university overall.

There were approximately 68 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Herzing University - Birmingham in the most recent year we have data available. Nursing degree recipients from Herzing University - Birmingham get an earnings boost of around $9,166 above the average income of nursing graduates.

More information about a degree in nursing from Herzing University - Birmingham

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
351 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$80,866 Median Starting Salary

UAH is a moderately-sized public university located in the city of Huntsville. A Best Colleges rank of #562 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UAH is a great university overall.

There were roughly 351 nursing students who graduated with this degree at UAH in the most recent year we have data available. Nursing degree recipients from University of Alabama in Huntsville earn a boost of about $13,459 above the average earnings of nursing majors.

More information about a degree in nursing from University of Alabama in Huntsville

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
398 Nursing Degrees Awarded
3.3% Growth in Graduates

Jacksonville State University is a moderately-sized public university located in the suburb of Jacksonville. This university ranks 18th out of 40 schools for overall quality in the state of Alabama.

There were approximately 398 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Jacksonville State University in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, nursing degree recipients generally make an average of $58,575 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in nursing from Jacksonville State University

9
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
153 Nursing Degrees Awarded
25.5% Growth in Graduates

Wallace, Dothan is a small public college located in the small city of Dothan. A Best Colleges rank of #1137 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Wallace, Dothan is a great college overall.

There were approximately 153 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Wallace, Dothan in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the nursing program earn an average of $53,109 for their early career.

More information about a degree in nursing from Wallace Community College, Dothan

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
261 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$66,052 Median Starting Salary

Located in the remote town of Troy, TROY is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 16th out of 40 schools for overall quality in the state of Alabama.

There were roughly 261 nursing students who graduated with this degree at TROY in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, nursing degree recipients generally earn about $66,052 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in nursing from Troy University

Best Nursing Colleges in the Southeast Region

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

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
Georgia2877,016
Florida28221,034
North Carolina2797,329
Virginia2746,630
Tennessee2695,906
South Carolina2483,276
Kentucky2446,143
Louisiana2423,416
Mississippi2342,801
Arkansas2342,878
West Virginia2071,768

View All Rankings >

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

Nursing Concentrations

MajorAnnual Graduates
Registered Nursing6,386
Nursing Practice386
Family Practice Nurse/Nursing110
Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing30
Nursing Administration28
Nurse Anesthetist25
Emergency Room/Trauma Nursing11
Nursing Science7
Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing1
Clinical Nurse Leader1

View All Nursing Focus Areas >

Majors Similar to Nursing

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Allied Health Professions1,708
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants1,369
Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services1,001
Health & Medical Administrative Services756
Public Health754
Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions463
Communication Sciences446
Medicine414
Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Sciences371
Mental & Social Health Services257

View All Nursing Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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