2026 Best Value Critical Care Nursing Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region
[Critical Care Nursing](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/critical-care-nursing/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong critical care nursing education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 12 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for critical care nursing students.
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2026 Best Value Critical Care Nursing Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the critical care nursing degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Critical Care Nursing Schools
For return on investment in critical care nursing, no school beat Stony Brook University this year. Set in the suburb of Stony Brook, Stony Brook University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,931, compared with $32,741 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $23,000 to complete the critical care nursing program here. Critical Care Nursing graduates of Stony Brook University earn a median of $117,350 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 49%.
University At Buffalo came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value critical care nursing schools. University At Buffalo is a very large public school located in the suburb of Buffalo. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,936, with out-of-state students paying around $31,536. Students borrow a median of $26,117 to complete the critical care nursing program here. Critical Care Nursing graduates of University At Buffalo earn a median of $52,403 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University At Buffalo admits about 74% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Molloy College earned it the #3 place for critical care nursing. Molloy College is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Rockville Centre. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $39,790. Typical student debt for critical care nursing graduates is $31,000. Early-career critical care nursing graduates make about $137,197. That is a strong return on a $31,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 82%.
Cedar Crest College came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value critical care nursing schools. Cedar Crest College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Allentown. Students from in state pay about $46,314 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for critical care nursing graduates is $33,518. Critical Care Nursing graduates of Cedar Crest College earn a median of $80,844 early in their careers. Set against $33,518 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 84%.
Students looking for strong value in critical care nursing will find it at Seton Hall University, which ranked #5. Set in the suburb of South Orange, Seton Hall University is a large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $53,170. Typical student debt for critical care nursing graduates is $27,000. Soon after graduation, critical care nursing degree recipients from Seton Hall University generally make around $101,486. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Seton Hall University admits about 73% of applicants.
University Of Rochester placed #6 among the best values for critical care nursing. Located in the city of Rochester, University Of Rochester is a large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $67,080. Typical student debt for critical care nursing graduates is $31,000. Soon after graduation, critical care nursing degree recipients from University Of Rochester generally make around $89,788. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Rochester admits about 40% of applicants.
Desales University landed the #7 spot for critical care nursing value this year. Located in the suburb of Center Valley, Desales University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $46,800. Typical student debt for critical care nursing graduates is $31,000. Soon after graduation, critical care nursing degree recipients from Desales University generally make around $97,620. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 77% of applicants are accepted.
New York University earned the #8 position for value in critical care nursing this year. New York University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York. In-state tuition and fees average $62,796. Typical student debt for critical care nursing graduates is $25,500. Critical Care Nursing graduates of New York University earn a median of $138,833 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,500 median debt. Roughly 9% of applicants are accepted.
Lancaster General College Of Nursing And Health Sciences placed #9 among the best values for critical care nursing. Set in the rural area of Lancaster, Lancaster General College Of Nursing And Health Sciences is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $32,933. Critical Care Nursing graduates carry a median of $26,812 in student loans. Early-career critical care nursing graduates make about $77,077. Set against $26,812 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 41%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 12 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 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.
