by our College Data Analytics Team
[Nursing](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools to find the best return on investment for nursing students.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in nursing, balancing cost against outcomes.
University Of Alaska Anchorage earned the #1 spot for value among nursing schools in Alaska. Located in the city of Anchorage, University Of Alaska Anchorage is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,738, while out-of-state students pay about $21,322. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the nursing program here. Early-career nursing graduates make about $101,287. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Alaska Pacific University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value nursing schools. Set in the city of Anchorage, Alaska Pacific University is a small private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $20,760 in tuition and fees. Ten years after enrolling, students earn a median of $54,271. Alaska Pacific University admits about 96% of applicants.
Charter College Anchorage came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value nursing schools. Charter College Anchorage is a mid-sized private for-profit school located in the city of Anchorage. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $18,341. Students borrow a median of $30,708 to complete the nursing program here. Early-career nursing graduates make about $83,107. That is a strong return on a $30,708 median debt.
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.