2026 Best Critical Care Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region
Critical Care Nursing degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. The schools below stand out for the quality of their critical care nursing programs.
For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 12 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for critical care nursing students pursuing a degree.
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Best Schools for Critical Care Nursing in the Southeast Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall critical care nursing education in the Southeast Region.
Top Schools in Critical Care Nursing
Vanderbilt University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in critical care nursing. Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt University is a large private not-for-profit university. Roughly 94% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 53 critical care nursing students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the critical care nursing program make about $125,565 in their early career. Vanderbilt University graduates carry a median of $13,975 in student loans.
More information about a degree in critical care nursing from Vanderbilt University
A rank of #2 makes University Of South Carolina Columbia one of the top schools for critical care nursing. Located in the city of Columbia, University Of South Carolina Columbia is a very large public university. The six-year graduation rate is 79%. About 35 critical care nursing degrees were awarded at University Of South Carolina Columbia in the most recent year. Students who receive their critical care nursing degree from University Of South Carolina Columbia earn around $103,138 in the first couple years of their career. University Of South Carolina Columbia graduates carry a median of $24,250 in student loans.
Get the full critical care nursing details for University Of South Carolina Columbia
A rank of #3 makes Barry University one of the top schools for critical care nursing. Set in the suburb of Miami, Barry University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 37%. Barry University awarded about 20 critical care nursing degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, critical care nursing degree recipients from Barry University generally make around $115,809. Typical student debt for the program is $31,000.
More information about a degree in critical care nursing from Barry University
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 12 schools evaluated.
- 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.
