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2023 Most Popular Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Nursing Practice

297 Ranked Colleges
6,164 Degrees Awarded
$28,800 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Nursing Practice Major for a Doctorate

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Well Attended Nursing Practice Major for a Doctorate” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 7,992 people earned their degree in nursing practice, making the major the 105th most popular in the United States.

At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 6,164 nursing practice graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,260 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Nursing Practice Major for a Doctorate” ranking analyzed 297 colleges that offered a degree in nursing practice. This ranking identifies schools that graduate the most students in nursing practice.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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The nursing practice school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Most Well Attended Nursing Practice Major for a Doctorate”.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Most Well Attended Nursing Practice Major for a Doctorate

The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree nursing practice students.

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Chamberlain University - Illinois. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Practice Major for a Doctorate list. Chamberlain - Illinois is located in Addison, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 565 doctorate’s nursing practice degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Chamberlain - Illinois Nursing Practice Report

2
Grand Canyon University crest
Grand Canyon University
Phoenix, Arizona

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Grand Canyon University. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended Nursing Practice Major for a Doctorate. Grand Canyon University is a private for-profit institution located in Phoenix, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 368 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Nursing Practice at Grand Canyon University

3
Rush University crest
Rush University
Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 297 schools in the Most Well Attended Nursing Practice Major for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, Rush University landed the #3 spot on the list. Rush University is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 196 doctorate’s nursing practice degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Nursing Practice at Rush University

4
Capella University crest
Capella University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Capella University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Practice Major for a Doctorate list. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 171 doctorate’s nursing practice degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Nursing Practice at Capella University

5
Walden University crest
Walden University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Walden University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Practice Major for a Doctorate list. Walden University is a large private for-profit school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 143 doctorate’s nursing practice degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Nursing Practice at Walden University

6

Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Practice Major for a Doctorate ranking. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s nursing practice degrees to 140 students in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read full report on Nursing Practice at Columbia

7

With a ranking of #7, University of Maryland - Baltimore did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Practice Major for a Doctorate list. Located in Baltimore, Maryland, this medium-sized public school awarded 133 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s nursing practice students in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Nursing Practice at University of Maryland - Baltimore

8

University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Practice Major for a Doctorate ranking. University of Illinois at Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 123 doctorate’s nursing practice degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UIC Nursing Practice Report

9
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

University of Arizona came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Nursing Practice Major for a Doctorate ranking. This large school is located in Tucson, Arizona, and it awarded 94 doctorate’s nursing practice degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Nursing Practice at University of Arizona

10

With a ranking of #10, University of Alabama at Birmingham did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Practice Major for a Doctorate list. UAB is a public institution located in Birmingham, Alabama. The school has a large population, and it awarded 92 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Nursing Practice at University of Alabama at Birmingham

11

University of North Carolina at Greensboro ranked #11 on this year’s Most Well Attended Nursing Practice Major for a Doctorate list. UNC Greensboro is a fairly large school located in Greensboro, North Carolina that handed out 83 doctorate’s nursing practice degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Nursing Practice at UNC Greensboro

12
NKU crest
Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, Kentucky

Northern Kentucky University ranked #12 on this year’s Most Well Attended Nursing Practice Major for a Doctorate list. NKU is a fairly large public school situated in Highland Heights, Kentucky. It awarded 82 doctorate’s nursing practice degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Nursing Practice at Northern Kentucky University

13

With a ranking of #13, Florida International University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Practice Major for a Doctorate list. FIU is a large public school situated in Miami, Florida. It awarded 80 doctorate’s nursing practice degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Florida International University Nursing Practice Report

14

Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Practice Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #14. ASU - Tempe is a public institution located in Tempe, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 77 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Nursing Practice at ASU - Tempe

15
UNF crest
University of North Florida
Jacksonville, Florida

University of North Florida did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Practice Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Jacksonville, Florida, this fairly large public school handed out 73 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s nursing practice students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full University of North Florida Nursing Practice Report

16
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Practice Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #16. Gainesville, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s nursing practice degrees to 71 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UF Nursing Practice Report

17

Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center - New Orleans did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Practice Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #17. LSU Health - New Orleans is a small public school situated in New Orleans, Louisiana. It awarded 69 doctorate’s nursing practice degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Nursing Practice at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center - New Orleans

17

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Nursing Practice Major for a Doctorate ranking. SIUE is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 69 doctorate’s nursing practice degrees to qualified students.

Read full report on Nursing Practice at SIUE

19

The University of Tennessee - Health Science Center came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Nursing Practice Major for a Doctorate ranking. UTHSC is a small school located in Memphis, Tennessee that handed out 68 doctorate’s nursing practice degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Nursing Practice at UTHSC

20

University of Massachusetts Amherst ranked #20 on this year’s Most Well Attended Nursing Practice Major for a Doctorate list. Located in Amherst, Massachusetts, this large public school handed out 54 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s nursing practice students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read more about Nursing Practice at UMass Amherst

21
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

With a ranking of #21, Duke University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Practice Major for a Doctorate list. Duke University is located in Durham, North Carolina and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 51 doctorate’s nursing practice degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Nursing Practice at Duke

22

University of Missouri - Kansas City came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Nursing Practice Major for a Doctorate ranking. University of Missouri - Kansas City is located in Kansas City, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 47 doctorate’s nursing practice degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Nursing Practice at University of Missouri - Kansas City

22

University of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Nursing Practice Major for a Doctorate ranking. University of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester is a small school located in Worcester, Massachusetts that handed out 47 doctorate’s nursing practice degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Nursing Practice at UMass Medical School

24
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Practice Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #24. KU is a large school located in Lawrence, Kansas that handed out 46 doctorate’s nursing practice degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Nursing Practice at University of Kansas

24
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Practice Major for a Doctorate ranking. Vanderbilt is located in Nashville, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 46 doctorate’s nursing practice degrees to qualified students.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Nursing Practice at Vanderbilt

24

The University of Texas at Arlington ranked #24 on this year’s Most Well Attended Nursing Practice Major for a Doctorate list. The University of Texas at Arlington is a public institution located in Arlington, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 46 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Nursing Practice at The University of Texas at Arlington

Rest of the Best 46 in Most Well Attended Nursing Practice Major for a Doctorate

Not only did these schools make the top 46 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

27
USD crest
University of San Diego
San Diego, California
27
27
27
Barry University crest
Barry University
Miami, Florida
31
Bradley crest
Bradley University
Peoria, Illinois
31
31
34
FAU crest
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida
34
ECU crest
East Carolina University
Greenville, North Carolina
34
34
U Miami crest
University of Miami
Coral Gables, Florida
38
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia
38
UA crest
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
40
40
42
UofL crest
University of Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
43
43
Wilmington University crest
Wilmington University
New Castle, Delaware
45
45
45

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