2027 Best Value Nursing Practice Schools in Connecticut

[Nursing Practice](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/nursing-practice/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools to find the best return on investment for nursing practice students.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value Nursing Practice Schools in Connecticut
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in nursing practice, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Nursing Practice Schools
For return on investment in nursing practice, no school beat Central Connecticut State University this year. Central Connecticut State University is a large public school located in the suburb of New Britain. In-state tuition and fees average $13,050, compared with $16,550 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $26,236 to complete the nursing practice program here. Early-career nursing practice graduates make about $180,640. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 73%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Western Connecticut State University earned it the #2 place for nursing practice. Western Connecticut State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Danbury. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,401, compared with $16,901 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the nursing practice program here. Early-career nursing practice graduates make about $106,854. That is a strong return on a $26,000 median debt. Roughly 87% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in nursing practice will find it at Post University, which ranked #3. Post University is a very large private for-profit school located in the city of Waterbury. In-state tuition and fees average $15,922. Nursing Practice graduates carry a median of $35,364 in student loans. Early-career nursing practice graduates make about $50,494. Set against $35,364 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Connecticut earned it the #4 place for nursing practice. Located in the town of Storrs, University Of Connecticut is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $21,044, while out-of-state students pay about $43,712. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the nursing practice program here. Early-career nursing practice graduates make about $117,021. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Connecticut admits about 52% of applicants.
Saint Joseph College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in nursing practice, landing the #5 spot this year. Saint Joseph College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of West Hartford. In-state tuition and fees average $47,278. Typical student debt for nursing practice graduates is $30,990. Early-career nursing practice graduates make about $103,936. Set against $30,990 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 79%.
Quinnipiac University ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value nursing practice schools. Located in the suburb of Hamden, Quinnipiac University is a large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $55,480. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the nursing practice program here. Soon after graduation, nursing practice degree recipients from Quinnipiac University generally make around $116,250. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Quinnipiac University admits about 72% of applicants.
Fairfield University came in at #7 for value in nursing practice this year. Located in the suburb of Fairfield, Fairfield University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $58,400. Typical student debt for nursing practice graduates is $27,000. Early-career nursing practice graduates make about $119,878. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Fairfield University admits about 33% of applicants.
More Nursing Practice Rankings
View All Nursing Practice Rankings >
Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 7 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.