2027 Best Value Clinical Nurse Leader Schools in the Southeast Region

[Clinical Nurse Leader](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/clinical-nurse-leader/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 6 schools to find the best return on investment for clinical nurse leader students.
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2027 Best Value Clinical Nurse Leader Schools in the Southeast Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in clinical nurse leader, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Clinical Nurse Leader Schools
For return on investment in clinical nurse leader, no school beat University Of South Carolina Upstate this year. Set in the suburb of Spartanburg, University Of South Carolina Upstate is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $11,588, while out-of-state students pay about $23,090. Clinical Nurse Leader graduates carry a median of $26,250 in student loans. Soon after graduation, clinical nurse leader degree recipients from University Of South Carolina Upstate generally make around $39,473. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of South Carolina Upstate admits about 67% of applicants.
Lander University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in clinical nurse leader, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the town of Greenwood, Lander University is a mid-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $11,700 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $21,300. Typical student debt for clinical nurse leader graduates is $25,665. Clinical Nurse Leader graduates of Lander University earn a median of $78,485 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,665 median debt. Lander University admits about 81% of applicants.
University Of Kentucky is a great value for students pursuing a degree in clinical nurse leader, landing the #3 spot this year. University Of Kentucky is a very large public school located in the city of Lexington. Students from in state pay about $13,502 in tuition and fees, compared with $34,140 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for clinical nurse leader graduates is $27,000. Soon after graduation, clinical nurse leader degree recipients from University Of Kentucky generally make around $49,568. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 93%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Spring Hill College earned it the #4 place for clinical nurse leader. Located in the city of Mobile, Spring Hill College is a small private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $24,054. Graduates go on to earn a median of $51,500 ten years after entry. Roughly 77% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in clinical nurse leader will find it at Mississippi College, which ranked #5. Set in the suburb of Clinton, Mississippi College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $23,500. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the clinical nurse leader program here. Soon after graduation, clinical nurse leader degree recipients from Mississippi College generally make around $47,611. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 29%.
Queens University Of Charlotte placed #6 among the best values for clinical nurse leader. Located in the city of Charlotte, Queens University Of Charlotte is a small private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $45,846. Typical student debt for clinical nurse leader graduates is $31,757. Soon after graduation, clinical nurse leader degree recipients from Queens University Of Charlotte generally make around $59,654. That is a strong return on a $31,757 median debt. The acceptance rate is 62%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 6 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.