2023 Best Value Nursing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k
1,678
Ranked Colleges
322,592
Degrees Awarded
$3,700
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Nursing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.
In 2020-2021, 322,592 nursing students received their degree, making the major the 3rd most popular in the country. In 2019-2020, nursing graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $70,916 and had an average of $25,426 in loans still to pay off.
This year’s “Best Value Nursing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 1,678 colleges that offered a degree in nursing. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent nursing programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the nursing program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Nursing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Best Value Nursing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Nursing (Income $0-$30k)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Duke University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Nursing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Durham, North Carolina is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s nursing degrees to 573 students in 2020-2021.
Duke not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Nursing Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Duke University is $371 for nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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 freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read full report on Nursing at Duke
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Vanderbilt University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Nursing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 424 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our nursing students whose families make $0-$30k list, Vanderbilt has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Nursing Schools” ranking. It costs about $3,176 for nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Vanderbilt University.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Vanderbilt University Nursing Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Nursing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. UPenn is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 620 ’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
UPenn did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Nursing Schools” list. It costs about $580 for nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UPenn.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read more about Nursing at University of Pennsylvania
Out of the 1,678 schools in the Best Value Nursing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Johns Hopkins University landed the #4 spot on the list. Johns Hopkins University is located in Baltimore, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 445 ’s nursing degrees to qualified students.
Johns Hopkins did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Nursing Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Johns Hopkins University is $2,084 for nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Nursing at Johns Hopkins
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Yale University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in New Haven, Connecticut, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 131 diplomas to qualified ’s nursing students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our nursing students whose families make $0-$30k list, Yale has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Nursing Schools” ranking. It costs about $961 for nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Yale University.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about Nursing at Yale
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 291 ’s nursing degrees to qualified students.
U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Nursing Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $2,670 for nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, 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 more about Nursing at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
University of Florida landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UF is a large school located in Gainesville, Florida that handed out 294 ’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, UF is in the top on our “Best Nursing Schools” list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $65 for Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Nursing at University of Florida
Georgetown University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Washington, District of Columbia, and it awarded 320 ’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our nursing students whose families make $0-$30k list, Georgetown has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Nursing Schools” ranking. It costs about $3,077 for Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Georgetown.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Nursing at Georgetown University
Hunter College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Hunter College is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 260 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Hunter excels when it comes to nursing quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Nursing Schools” list. It costs about $396 for Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Hunter College.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Hunter College Nursing Report
University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 257 ’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UW - Madison is also in the top of our “Best Nursing Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our “Best Nursing Schools” list. It costs about $3,981 for Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - Madison.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 full report on Nursing at UW - Madison
Columbia University in the City of New York ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 510 ’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
Columbia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Nursing Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Columbia is $9,873 for Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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.
Read full report on Nursing at Columbia University in the City of New York
With a ranking of #12, Lehman College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Lehman College is a public institution located in Bronx, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 318 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Lehman excels when it comes to nursing quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Lehman College is $881 for nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Lehman Nursing Report
With a ranking of #13, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and it awarded 209 ’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, UNC Chapel Hill is in the top on our “Best Nursing Schools” list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $3,753 for Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Nursing at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Southern Regional Technical College landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Thomasville, Georgia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s nursing degrees to 105 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Southwest Georgia Technical College is $-1,696 for nursing students whose families make $0-$30k. When an average net price is negative, it usually means that the student will receive more financial aid than it costs to attend the school.
Read more about Nursing at Southern Regional Technical College
Wake Forest University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and it awarded 34 ’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in this ranking, Wake Forest University also did well on our “Best Nursing Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Wake Forest University is $10,401 for nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Nursing at Wake Forest University
Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school awarded 227 degrees to qualified ’s nursing students in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in this ranking, Purdue also did well on our “Best Nursing Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our “Best Nursing Schools” list. It costs about $5,995 for nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Purdue.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Purdue Nursing Report
With a ranking of #17, Trident Technical College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Charleston, South Carolina, this fairly large public school awarded 191 degrees to qualified ’s nursing students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $-366 for Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Trident Technical College. When an average net price is negative, it usually means that the student will receive more financial aid than it costs to attend the school.
Read more about Nursing at Trident Technical College
University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW Seattle is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 258 ’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
UW Seattle also took the #22 spot in our “Best Nursing Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $5,194 for nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Nursing at University of Washington - Seattle Campus
California State University - Los Angeles landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 246 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal State LA also claimed a top spot on our “Best Nursing Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $1,887 for Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal State LA.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Nursing at Cal State LA
University of California - Los Angeles came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UCLA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 252 ’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in this ranking, UCLA also did well on our “Best Nursing Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $9,037 for nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Nursing at University of California - Los Angeles
With a ranking of #21, University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of South Florida - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Tampa, Florida. It awarded 803 ’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, USF Tampa is in the top on our “Best Nursing Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $4,176 for nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full USF Tampa Nursing Report
South Texas College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. This large school is located in McAllen, Texas, and it awarded 320 ’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $1,200 for Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend South Texas College.
Read full report on Nursing at South Texas College
With a ranking of #23, University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Virginia is a large public school situated in Charlottesville, Virginia. It awarded 292 ’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, University of Virginia is in the top on our “Best Nursing Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our “Best Nursing Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Virginia is $12,476 for nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Virginia Nursing Report
With a ranking of #24, Emory University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Emory University is a fairly large school located in Atlanta, Georgia that handed out 571 ’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
Emory also took the #9 spot in our “Best Nursing Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,538 for Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Emory.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read more about Nursing at Emory
Florida International University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Florida International University is a public institution located in Miami, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 503 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, FIU is in the top on our “Best Nursing Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for FIU is $3,196 for nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Nursing at Florida International University
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