2027 Best Value Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing Schools in Pennsylvania

[Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/psychiatric-mental-health-nurse-nursing/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 9 schools to find the best return on investment for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing students.
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2027 Best Value Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing Schools in Pennsylvania
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing Schools
York College Pennsylvania tops our 2027 list of the best value psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing schools in Pennsylvania. York College Pennsylvania is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of York. Students from in state pay about $25,588 in tuition and fees. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Early-career psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing graduates make about $110,490. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 74%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at La Salle University earned it the #2 place for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing. La Salle University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Philadelphia. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $37,800. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing degree recipients from La Salle University generally make around $110,705. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 97%.
Students looking for strong value in psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing will find it at Carlow University, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Pittsburgh, Carlow University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $35,874 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $28,500 to complete the psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing program here. Early-career psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing graduates make about $66,938. That is a strong return on a $28,500 median debt. The acceptance rate is 87%.
Students looking for strong value in psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing will find it at University Of Pennsylvania, which ranked #4. Set in the city of Philadelphia, University Of Pennsylvania is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $68,686. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates carry a median of $22,410 in student loans. Soon after graduation, psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing degree recipients from University Of Pennsylvania generally make around $137,262. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 5%.
Robert Morris University came in at #5 on our 2027 list of the best value psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing schools. Located in the suburb of Moon Township, Robert Morris University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $35,770 in tuition and fees. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Early-career psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing graduates make about $85,290. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus placed #6 among the best values for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing. Located in the city of Pittsburgh, University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $21,926 in tuition and fees, compared with $41,430 for out-of-state students. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates carry a median of $25,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing degree recipients from University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus generally make around $98,377. Set against $25,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 58%.
Desales University landed the #7 spot for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing value this year. Set in the suburb of Center Valley, Desales University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $46,800. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates carry a median of $31,000 in student loans. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates of Desales University earn a median of $97,620 early in their careers. Set against $31,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 77% of applicants are accepted.
Duquesne University landed the #8 spot for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing value this year. Duquesne University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Pittsburgh. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $48,986. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing program here. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates of Duquesne University earn a median of $93,144 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 84%.
Lancaster General College Of Nursing And Health Sciences ranked #9 on our 2027 list of the best value psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing schools. Lancaster General College Of Nursing And Health Sciences is a small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Lancaster. In-state tuition and fees average $32,933. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates carry a median of $26,402 in student loans. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates of Lancaster General College Of Nursing And Health Sciences earn a median of $47,496 early in their careers. Set against $26,402 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 41% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 9 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 9 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.