by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 24 U.S. colleges awarded 588 degrees and certificates in Clinical Nurse Leader. Master’s degrees are the most popular award, at 98% of graduates. College Factual ranks 11 schools in its 2027 Best Clinical Nurse Leader Schools ranking and compares their cost in a Best Value ranking. Graduates earn a median $82,702 one year after completing, rising to $94,428 after four years.
A major in Clinical Nurse Leader involves the study of Clinical Nurse Leader. A Program That Prepares Registered Nurses For Careers As Clinical Nurse Leaders In Which They Work As Part Of An Interdisciplinary Team That Provides Direct Medical Care For Patients Based On Evidence-Based Practice And Research. Includes Instruction In Pharmacology, Pathophysiology, Epidemiology, Research In Nursing Methods, Advanced Health Assessment, Statistics, And Clinical Practice Management.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; BLS; O*NET; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
Across the country, clinical nurse leader is a widely-pursued major, with 588 degrees awarded annually. 24 colleges award clinical nurse leader degrees, an average of 24 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 163.
By level, the 588 awards include 7 bachelor’s degrees, 579 master’s degrees and 2 doctorates.
Women earned 85% of clinical nurse leader degrees and certificates in the latest year (498 of 588). The largest groups of graduates by race and ethnicity are White (245) and Asian (103), and international students earned 6.
College Factual ranks 11 schools in its 2027 Best Clinical Nurse Leader Schools ranking, including 9 for bachelor’s degrees, 11 for master’s degrees and 6 for doctorates. It also ranks clinical nurse leader schools within 5 states. In all, 24 colleges offer clinical nurse leader programs; compare them by degree level below or in the Best Value Clinical Nurse Leader Colleges ranking, which weighs quality against cost.
The most common clinical nurse leader credential is the master’s degree: 579 of the 588 awarded in the latest year. Jobs related to clinical nurse leader call most for Social Perceptiveness, Active Listening and Speaking, and for knowledge of Medicine and Dentistry, Psychology and English Language, according to O*NET. The most important abilities are Problem Sensitivity, Oral Expression and Oral Comprehension.
Top skills, rated 0–5:
Top knowledge areas, rated 0–5:
How long a clinical nurse leader degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 7 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 579 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 2 |
Master’s degree is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to clinical nurse leader, at 43.7%.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Master’s degree | 43.7% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 25.1% |
| Doctoral degree | 9.6% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 9.0% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 7.8% |
| First professional degree | 1.5% |
| Post-doctoral training | 1.5% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 1.2% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 0.4% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 0.2% |
| Some college courses | 0.1% |
Source: O*NET Online.
8 occupations are related to Clinical Nurse Leader, with an average median salary of $96,345; the strongest outlook belongs to Critical Care Nurses, at 14.4% projected job growth. Typical job titles include Pediatric Oncology Nurse, Psychiatric RN (Psychiatric Registered Nurse), Staff Nurse and Nurse.
The occupation related to clinical nurse leader with the most projected jobs is Registered Nurses, at 3,793,806.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 3,793,806 | 10.2% |
| Nurse Practitioners | 2,031,912 | 3.3% |
| Clinical Nurse Specialists | 1,937,405 | 12.3% |
| Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses | 1,349,827 | 0.0% |
| Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary | 790,445 | 5.7% |
| Critical Care Nurses | 590,563 | 14.4% |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 419,330 | 8.8% |
| Acute Care Nurses | 191,452 | 4.1% |
Clinical Nurse Leader graduates earn a median $82,702 one year after completing their program, $94,428 after four years and $90,122 after five years, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $82,702 |
| 4 years | $94,428 |
| 5 years | $90,122 |
Source: College Scorecard.
The highest-paying occupation related to clinical nurse leader is Nurse Practitioners, with a median salary of $147,651.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Nurse Practitioners | $147,651 |
| Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses | $143,854 |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | $129,557 |
| Registered Nurses | $105,741 |
| Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary | $69,718 |
| Critical Care Nurses | $65,103 |
| Acute Care Nurses | $56,247 |
| Clinical Nurse Specialists | $52,889 |
Clinical Nurse Leader has 22 similar majors in the Health Professions field, which together award 317,465 degrees a year; the largest are Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse (263,353), Family Practice Nurse/Nursing (14,704) and Nursing Practice (9,385). Browse all Health Professions majors or the full list of college majors.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | 263,353 |
| Family Practice Nurse/Nursing | 14,704 |
| Nursing Practice | 9,385 |
| Nursing Administration | 7,806 |
| Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing | 5,359 |
| Nursing Science | 4,606 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Other | 3,955 |
| Nurse Anesthetist | 2,183 |
| Adult Health Nurse/Nursing | 2,125 |
| Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing | 934 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
