by our College Data Analytics TeamIn 2020-2021, psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing was the 409th most popular major nationwide with 2,287 degrees awarded. This represents a 20.8% increase in psychiatric/mental health nursing degrees awarded over the prior year's total of 1,812.
This year's Best Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing Schools ranking compares 57 of them to identify the best overall programs in the country. Explore this or one of our many other custom psychiatric/mental health nursing rankings further below.
A major in psychiatric/mental health nursing prepares you for careers in which giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times is crucial. Talking to others to convey information effectively and being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do are all required skills for careers related to this major.
New students will need to have completed high school or a GED program and each school will have their own minimum GPA and SAT/ACT test requirements. Once you obtain your degree, additional psychiatric/mental health nursing certifications required to pursue a career in this field.
Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing degree levels vary. You can spend many years getting as high as a in psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing to something that takes less time like a . Different psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing degrees vary in how long they take.
| Degree | Credit Requirements | Typical Program Length |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 60-70 credits | 2 years |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 120 credits | 4 years |
| Master’s Degree | 50-70 credits | 1-3 years |
| Doctorate | Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation | At least 4 years |
A master's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to psychiatric/mental health nursing, with approximately 49.7% of workers getting one. Find out other typical degree levels for psychiatric/mental health nursing workers below.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Master’s Degree | 47.2% |
| Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 19.6% |
| Doctoral Degree | 11.6% |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 8.2% |
| Post-Master’s Certificate | 6.8% |
About 72.9% of workers in careers related to psychiatric/mental health nursing obtain at least master's degrees. The chart below shows what degree level those who work in psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing have obtained.
This of course varies depending on which psychiatric/mental health nursing career you choose.
Want a job when you graduate with your psychiatric/mental health nursing degree? Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing careers are expected to grow 16.1% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing.
| Occupation Name | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 3,393,200 | 14.8% |
| Nurse Practitioners | 211,600 | 36.1% |
| Nursing Instructors and Professors | 84,200 | 24.0% |
As you might expect, salaries for psychiatric/mental health nursing graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Salaries for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers psychiatric/mental health nursing grads often go into.
| Occupation Name | Median Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Nurse Practitioners | $110,030 |
| Nursing Instructors and Professors | $81,350 |
| Registered Nurses | $75,510 |
With over 229 different psychiatric/mental health nursing degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased psychiatric/mental health nursing school rankings to help you with this.
Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing is one of 22 different types of Nursing programs to choose from.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | 266,651 |
| Family Practice Nurse/Nursing | 16,104 |
| Nursing Administration | 9,838 |
| Nursing Practice | 7,992 |
| Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 5,092 |
Image Credit: By Aleksahgabrielle under License More about our data sources and methodologies.
