2026 Best Value Critical Care Nursing Schools in Ohio
[Critical Care Nursing](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/critical-care-nursing/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 5 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value critical care nursing schools.
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2026 Best Value Critical Care Nursing Schools in Ohio
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in critical care nursing, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Critical Care Nursing Schools
Youngstown State University tops our 2026 list of the best value critical care nursing schools in Ohio. Youngstown State University is a large public school located in the city of Youngstown. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,926, while out-of-state students pay about $10,286. Typical student debt for critical care nursing graduates is $27,000. Early-career critical care nursing graduates make about $106,008. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 84% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Toledo came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value critical care nursing schools. Located in the city of Toledo, University Of Toledo is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,157, while out-of-state students pay about $21,517. Typical student debt for critical care nursing graduates is $22,400. Early-career critical care nursing graduates make about $76,736. That is a strong return on a $22,400 median debt. The acceptance rate is 92%.
Ursuline College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in critical care nursing, landing the #3 spot this year. Ursuline College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Pepper Pike. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $38,990. Critical Care Nursing graduates carry a median of $35,000 in student loans. Critical Care Nursing graduates of Ursuline College earn a median of $93,515 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Ursuline College admits about 75% of applicants.
A rank of #4 makes Kent State University At Kent one of the best values for critical care nursing. Located in the suburb of Kent, Kent State University At Kent is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $12,220 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $21,575. Students borrow a median of $28,625 to complete the critical care nursing program here. Soon after graduation, critical care nursing degree recipients from Kent State University At Kent generally make around $83,999. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #5 makes Case Western Reserve University one of the best values for critical care nursing. Set in the city of Cleveland, Case Western Reserve University is a large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $66,608. Students borrow a median of $26,580 to complete the critical care nursing program here. Early-career critical care nursing graduates make about $112,484. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Case Western Reserve University admits about 36% of applicants.
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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 · 5 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.
