2026 Best Value Critical Care Nursing Schools in Pennsylvania
[Critical Care Nursing](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/critical-care-nursing/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. 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 4 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for critical care nursing students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Critical Care Nursing Schools in Pennsylvania
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
Our analysis ranked Cedar Crest College the best value for a degree in critical care nursing in Pennsylvania. Located in the city of Allentown, Cedar Crest College is a small private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $46,314. Critical Care Nursing graduates carry a median of $33,518 in student loans. Critical Care Nursing graduates of Cedar Crest College earn a median of $80,844 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $33,518 median debt. Cedar Crest College admits about 84% of applicants.
Desales University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value critical care nursing schools. Desales University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Center Valley. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $46,800. Students borrow a median of $31,000 to complete the critical care nursing program here. Critical Care Nursing graduates of Desales University earn a median of $97,620 early in their careers. Set against $31,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Desales University admits about 77% of applicants.
Lancaster General College Of Nursing And Health Sciences is a great value for students pursuing a degree in critical care nursing, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the rural area of Lancaster, Lancaster General College Of Nursing And Health Sciences is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $32,933 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $26,812 to complete the critical care nursing program here. Critical Care Nursing graduates of Lancaster General College Of Nursing And Health Sciences earn a median of $77,077 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,812 median debt. Lancaster General College Of Nursing And Health Sciences admits about 41% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.
