2027 Best Value Critical Care Nursing Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region
[Critical Care Nursing](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/critical-care-nursing/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong critical care nursing education at a price that pays off.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 9 schools to find the best return on investment for critical care nursing students.
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2027 Best Value Critical Care Nursing Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in critical care nursing, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Critical Care Nursing Schools
Stony Brook University earned the #1 spot for value among critical care nursing schools in the Middle Atlantic Region. Located in the suburb of Stony Brook, Stony Brook University is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $10,931 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $32,741. Typical student debt for critical care nursing graduates is $23,000. Early-career critical care nursing graduates make about $117,350. That is a strong return on a $23,000 median debt. Stony Brook University admits about 49% of applicants.
University At Buffalo came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value critical care nursing schools. Located in the suburb of Buffalo, University At Buffalo is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,936, while out-of-state students pay about $31,536. Critical Care Nursing graduates carry a median of $26,117 in student loans. Critical Care Nursing graduates of University At Buffalo earn a median of $52,403 early in their careers. Set against $26,117 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 74%.
Students looking for strong value in critical care nursing will find it at Cedar Crest College, which ranked #3. Cedar Crest College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Allentown. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $46,314. Students borrow a median of $33,518 to complete the critical care nursing program here. Early-career critical care nursing graduates make about $67,662. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 84% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in critical care nursing will find it at Molloy College, which ranked #4. Set in the suburb of Rockville Centre, Molloy College is a large 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 critical care nursing program here. Critical Care Nursing graduates of Molloy College earn a median of $137,197 early in their careers. Set against $31,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Molloy College admits about 82% of applicants.
University Of Rochester is a great value for students pursuing a degree in critical care nursing, landing the #5 spot this year. University Of Rochester is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Rochester. Students from in state pay about $67,080 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $31,000 to complete the critical care nursing program here. Critical Care Nursing graduates of University Of Rochester earn a median of $89,788 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 40%.
Seton Hall University came in at #6 for value in critical care nursing this year. Located in the suburb of South Orange, Seton Hall University is a large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $53,170. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the critical care nursing program here. Critical Care Nursing graduates of Seton Hall University earn a median of $101,486 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Seton Hall University admits about 73% of applicants.
Desales University landed the #7 spot for critical care nursing value this year. Desales University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Center Valley. In-state tuition and fees average $46,800. Typical student debt for critical care nursing graduates is $31,000. Early-career critical care nursing graduates make about $97,620. That is a strong return on a $31,000 median debt. Desales University admits about 77% of applicants.
New York University earned the #8 position for value in critical care nursing this year. Set in the city of New York, New York University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $62,796 in tuition and fees. Critical Care Nursing graduates carry a median of $25,500 in student loans. Critical Care Nursing graduates of New York University earn a median of $138,833 early in their careers. Set against $25,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 9%.
Lancaster General College Of Nursing And Health Sciences landed the #9 spot for critical care nursing value this year. Lancaster General College Of Nursing And Health Sciences is a small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Lancaster. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $32,933. Typical student debt for critical care nursing graduates is $26,402. Soon after graduation, critical care nursing degree recipients from Lancaster General College Of Nursing And Health Sciences generally make around $47,496. That is a strong return on a $26,402 median debt. Lancaster General College Of Nursing And Health Sciences admits about 41% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 9 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 9 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.
