2026 Best Nursing Practice Schools in Kentucky
Nursing Practice degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.
College Factual analyzed 8 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best nursing practice schools.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Nursing Practice in Kentucky
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the nursing practice degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Nursing Practice
Leading the list is University Of Kentucky, our #1 school for nursing practice. This very large public university is located in the city of Lexington. University Of Kentucky graduates 71% of students within six years. University Of Kentucky awarded about 36 nursing practice degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their nursing practice degree from University Of Kentucky earn around $102,363 in the first couple years of their career. University Of Kentucky graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans.
More information about a degree in nursing practice from University Of Kentucky
University Of Louisville is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in nursing practice, ranking #2. University Of Louisville is a very large public school located in the city of Louisville. About 61% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 46 nursing practice students who graduated with this degree at University Of Louisville in the most recent data year. Students who receive their nursing practice degree from University Of Louisville earn around $68,762 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $23,205 to complete this degree.
Read more about the nursing practice program at University Of Louisville
Western Kentucky University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in nursing practice, landing the #3 spot this year. Western Kentucky University is a large public school located in the city of Bowling Green. Western Kentucky University graduates 58% of students within six years. About 11 nursing practice degrees were awarded at Western Kentucky University in the most recent year. Nursing Practice graduates of Western Kentucky University earn a median of $84,066 early in their careers. Western Kentucky University graduates carry a median of $23,665 in student loans.
See the full nursing practice program report for Western Kentucky University
Murray State University is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in nursing practice, ranking #4. This large public university is located in the town of Murray. Murray State University graduates 64% of students within six years. About 29 nursing practice degrees were awarded at Murray State University in the most recent year. Graduates of the nursing practice program make about $127,240 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $25,082.
See the full nursing practice program report for Murray State University
Students looking for a strong nursing practice program will find one at Northern Kentucky University, which ranked #5. Northern Kentucky University is a large public school located in the suburb of Highland Heights. Northern Kentucky University graduates 54% of students within six years. There were roughly 99 nursing practice students who graduated with this degree at Northern Kentucky University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the nursing practice program make about $102,793 in their early career. Northern Kentucky University graduates carry a median of $31,000 in student loans.
More information about a degree in nursing practice from Northern Kentucky 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 · 8 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.
