by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 9 U.S. colleges awarded 83 degrees and certificates in Emergency Room/Trauma Nursing. Master’s degrees are the most popular award, at 94% of graduates. College Factual ranks 3 schools in its 2027 Best Emergency Room/Trauma Nursing Schools ranking and compares their cost in a Best Value ranking. Graduates earn a median $82,702 one year after completing, rising to $94,428 after four years.
Studying Emergency Room/Trauma Nursing involves the study of Emergency Room/trauma Nursing. A Program That Prepares Registered Nurses To Deliver Advanced, Direct Patient Care In Emergency And Trauma Settings. Includes Instruction In Advanced Health Assessment, Pharmacology, Physiology, Emergency Management, Trauma Conditions, Trauma Assessments And Acute Care. Examples: [Emergency Nursing], [Emergency Nurse Practitioner], [Trauma Nursing], [Trauma, Critical Care And Emergency Nursing].
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; BLS; O*NET; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
In the U.S., emergency room/trauma nursing is a popular field of study, with 83 degrees awarded annually. 9 colleges award emergency room/trauma nursing degrees, an average of 9 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 30.
By level, the 83 awards include 78 master’s degrees and 5 doctorates.
Women earned 74% of emergency room/trauma nursing degrees and certificates in the latest year (61 of 83). The largest groups of graduates by race and ethnicity are White (54) and Hispanic or Latino (19).
College Factual ranks 3 schools in its 2027 Best Emergency Room/Trauma Nursing Schools ranking, including 2 for master’s degrees and 1 for doctorates. It also ranks emergency room/trauma nursing schools within 1 state. In all, 9 colleges offer emergency room/trauma nursing programs; compare them by degree level below or in the Best Value Emergency Room/Trauma Nursing Colleges ranking, which weighs quality against cost.
The most common emergency room/trauma nursing credential is the master’s degree: 78 of the 83 awarded in the latest year. Jobs related to emergency room/trauma nursing call most for Social Perceptiveness, Active Listening and Speaking, and for knowledge of Medicine and Dentistry, Psychology and English Language, according to O*NET. The most important abilities are Problem Sensitivity, Oral Expression and Deductive Reasoning.
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How long an emergency room/trauma nursing degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 78 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 5 |
Master’s degree is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to emergency room/trauma nursing, at 44.5%.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Master’s degree | 44.5% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 24.3% |
| Doctoral degree | 10.0% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 8.9% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 7.8% |
| First professional degree | 1.4% |
| Post-doctoral training | 1.4% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 1.3% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 0.3% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 0.2% |
Source: O*NET Online.
7 occupations are related to Emergency Room/Trauma Nursing, with an average median salary of $91,600; the strongest outlook belongs to Critical Care Nurses, at 14.4% projected job growth. Typical job titles include Pediatric Oncology Nurse, Psychiatric RN (Psychiatric Registered Nurse), Staff Nurse and Nurse.
The occupation related to emergency room/trauma nursing with the most projected jobs is Registered Nurses, at 3,793,806.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 3,793,806 | 10.2% |
| Nurse Practitioners | 2,031,912 | 3.3% |
| Clinical Nurse Specialists | 1,937,405 | 12.3% |
| Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses | 1,349,827 | 0.0% |
| Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary | 790,445 | 5.7% |
| Critical Care Nurses | 590,563 | 14.4% |
| Acute Care Nurses | 191,452 | 4.1% |
Emergency Room/Trauma Nursing graduates earn a median $82,702 one year after completing their program, $94,428 after four years and $90,122 after five years, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $82,702 |
| 4 years | $94,428 |
| 5 years | $90,122 |
Source: College Scorecard.
The highest-paying occupation related to emergency room/trauma nursing is Nurse Practitioners, with a median salary of $147,651.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Nurse Practitioners | $147,651 |
| Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses | $143,854 |
| Registered Nurses | $105,741 |
| Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary | $69,718 |
| Critical Care Nurses | $65,103 |
| Acute Care Nurses | $56,247 |
| Clinical Nurse Specialists | $52,889 |
Emergency Room/Trauma Nursing has 22 similar majors in the Health Professions field, which together award 317,970 degrees a year; the largest are Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse (263,353), Family Practice Nurse/Nursing (14,704) and Nursing Practice (9,385). Browse all Health Professions majors or the full list of college majors.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | 263,353 |
| Family Practice Nurse/Nursing | 14,704 |
| Nursing Practice | 9,385 |
| Nursing Administration | 7,806 |
| Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing | 5,359 |
| Nursing Science | 4,606 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Other | 3,955 |
| Nurse Anesthetist | 2,183 |
| Adult Health Nurse/Nursing | 2,125 |
| Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing | 934 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
