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2024 Best Nursing Schools in Arkansas

28 Colleges in Arkansas
2,816 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$64,303 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 looked at 28 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Nursing Schools in Arkansas ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 2,816 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 Arkansas Your choice of nursing school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. 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.

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 Arkansas 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 Arkansas

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 Arkansas Schools in Nursing

1
UARK crest
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
283 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$80,419 Median Starting Salary

It is difficult to beat University of Arkansas if you want to pursue a degree in nursing. Located in the small city of Fayetteville, UARK is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #198 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UARK is a great university overall.

There were about 283 nursing students who graduated with this degree at UARK in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the nursing degree program at University of Arkansas earn $16,116 above the average graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in nursing from University of Arkansas

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
182 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$86,139 Median Starting Salary

It's difficult to beat University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences if you want to pursue a degree in nursing. Located in the city of Little Rock, UAMS is a public university with a small student population.

There were about 182 nursing students who graduated with this degree at UAMS in the most recent year we have data available. Nursing degree recipients from University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences earn a boost of around $21,836 over the average earnings of nursing majors.

More information about a degree in nursing from University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
347 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$77,978 Median Starting Salary

It is difficult to beat Arkansas State University - Main Campus if you want to pursue a degree in nursing. A-State is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Jonesboro. A Best Colleges rank of #610 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means A-State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 347 nursing students who graduated with this degree at A-State in the most recent year we have data available. Those nursing students who get their degree from Arkansas State University - Main Campus earn $13,675 more than the average nursing student.

More information about a degree in nursing from Arkansas State University - Main Campus

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
60 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$73,130 Median Starting Salary

Harding University is a wonderful option for students interested in a degree in nursing. Located in the town of Searcy, Harding is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #618 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Harding is a great university overall.

There were about 60 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Harding in the most recent year we have data available. Nursing degree recipients from Harding University receive an earnings boost of about $8,827 above the typical earnings of nursing graduates.

More information about a degree in nursing from Harding University

5
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
379 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$61,405 Median Starting Salary

UA Little Rock is a medium-sized public university located in the medium-sized city of Little Rock. A Best Colleges rank of #1259 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UA Little Rock is a great university overall.

There were approximately 379 nursing students who graduated with this degree at UA Little Rock in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, nursing degree recipients typically earn an average of $61,405 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in nursing from University of Arkansas at Little Rock

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
127 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$74,229 Median Starting Salary

UCA is a moderately-sized public university located in the city of Conway. A Best Colleges rank of #1059 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UCA is a great university overall.

There were about 127 nursing students who graduated with this degree at UCA in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the nursing program at University of Central Arkansas make $9,926 more than the typical college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in nursing from University of Central Arkansas

7
JBU crest
John Brown University
Siloam Springs, AR
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$55,181 Median Starting Salary
$29,000 Median Student Debt

JBU is a small private not-for-profit university located in the town of Siloam Springs. A Best Colleges rank of #673 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means JBU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 16 nursing students who graduated with this degree at JBU in the most recent data year. After graduating, nursing degree recipients typically earn about $55,181 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in nursing from John Brown University

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
88 Nursing Degrees Awarded
13.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the town of Arkadelphia, Henderson State University is a public university with a small student population. This university ranks 19th out of 34 schools for overall quality in the state of Arkansas.

There were about 88 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Henderson State University in the most recent data year. After graduating, nursing degree recipients typically earn about $59,305 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in nursing from Henderson State University

9
ATU crest
Arkansas Tech University
Russellville, AR
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
140 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$58,126 Median Starting Salary

ATU is a medium-sized public university located in the remote town of Russellville. A Best Colleges rank of #1468 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means ATU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 140 nursing students who graduated with this degree at ATU in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, nursing degree recipients generally make about $58,126 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in nursing from Arkansas Tech University

10
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
63 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$59,110 Median Starting Salary

ASUN is a small public university located in the rural area of Newport. This university ranks 21st out of 34 schools for overall quality in the state of Arkansas.

There were approximately 63 nursing students who graduated with this degree at ASUN in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program earn an average of $59,110 for their early career.

More information about a degree in nursing from Arkansas State University - Newport

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
Alabama2337,210
West Virginia2071,768

View All Rankings >

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

Nursing Focus Areas

MajorAnnual Graduates
Registered Nursing2,619
Nursing Practice48
Nursing Science35
Nurse Anesthetist31
Adult Health Nurse/Nursing25
Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing24
Family Practice Nurse/Nursing16
Nursing Administration13
Geriatric Nurse/Nursing5

View All Nursing Concentrations >

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants2,220
Health Sciences & Services1,493
Allied Health Professions1,184
Health & Medical Administrative Services1,119
Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services1,021
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science499
Communication Sciences358
Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions317
Health/Medical Prep Programs304
Medicine300

View All Nursing Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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