2026 Best Value Clinical Nurse Specialist Schools in New York
[Clinical Nurse Specialist](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/clinical-nurse-specialist/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 7 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for clinical nurse specialist students.
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2026 Best Value Clinical Nurse Specialist Schools in New York
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in clinical nurse specialist, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Clinical Nurse Specialist Schools
Our analysis ranked Saint Josephs College New York the best value for a degree in clinical nurse specialist in New York. Set in the city of Brooklyn, Saint Josephs College New York is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $36,550. Clinical Nurse Specialist graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Early-career clinical nurse specialist graduates make about $49,214. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Saint Josephs College New York admits about 72% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in clinical nurse specialist will find it at University At Buffalo, which ranked #2. Set in the suburb of Buffalo, University At Buffalo is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $10,936 in tuition and fees, compared with $31,536 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $26,117 to complete the clinical nurse specialist program here. Clinical Nurse Specialist graduates of University At Buffalo earn a median of $52,403 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,117 median debt. Roughly 74% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Suny At Binghamton earned it the #3 place for clinical nurse specialist. Located in the suburb of Vestal, Suny At Binghamton is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,567, with out-of-state students paying around $30,447. Typical student debt for clinical nurse specialist graduates is $23,750. Clinical Nurse Specialist graduates of Suny At Binghamton earn a median of $51,766 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 39% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Molloy College earned it the #4 place for clinical nurse specialist. Set in the suburb of Rockville Centre, Molloy College is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $39,790 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $31,000 to complete the clinical nurse specialist program here. Early-career clinical nurse specialist graduates make about $137,197. That is a strong return on a $31,000 median debt. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #5 makes Saint John Fisher College one of the best values for clinical nurse specialist. Saint John Fisher College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Rochester. In-state tuition and fees average $41,190. Clinical Nurse Specialist graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, clinical nurse specialist degree recipients from Saint John Fisher College generally make around $88,526. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 66% of applicants are accepted.
New York University ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value clinical nurse specialist schools. Set in the city of New York, New York University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $62,796. Clinical Nurse Specialist graduates carry a median of $25,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, clinical nurse specialist degree recipients from New York University generally make around $138,833. Set against $25,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 9% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
