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2023 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Nursing in the Plains States Region

44 Ranked Colleges
1,518 Degrees Awarded
$119,213 Avg Salary
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Plains States Region

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Plains States Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.

With 322,592 degrees handed out in 2020-2021, nursing is the 3rd most popular major in the United States. 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.

Across the Plains States region, there were 31,555 nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $69,790 and $29,947 respectively. At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,518 nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,829 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Plains States Region” ranking analyzed 44 colleges that offered a degree in nursing. That schools that top this list have a program in nursing in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Plains States Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Plains States Region

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Plains States Region”.

Top 25 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Nursing in the Plains States Region

1
Mount Marty crest
Mount Marty University
Yankton, South Dakota

Out of the 44 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Mount Marty University landed the #1 spot on the list. Mount Marty is a private not-for-profit institution located in Yankton, South Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 33 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Mount Marty Nursing Report

2

Out of the 44 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Bryan College of Health Sciences landed the #2 spot on the list. Bryan College of Health Sciences is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lincoln, Nebraska. It awarded 16 doctorate’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 Bryan College of Health Sciences

3
Mayo Clinic School of Medicine crest
Mayo Clinic School of Medicine
Rochester, Minnesota

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Mayo Clinic School of Medicine. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Plains States Region. This small school is located in Rochester, Minnesota, and it awarded 26 doctorate’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

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 Mayo Clinic School of Medicine

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Nebraska Methodist College of Nursing & Allied Health. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Plains States Region list. Nebraska Methodist College of Nursing & Allied Health is located in Omaha, Nebraska and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 doctorate’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%.

Full Nebraska Methodist College Nursing Report

5
Clarke crest
Clarke University
Dubuque, Iowa

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Clarke University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Plains States Region list. Clarke University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Dubuque, Iowa. It awarded 12 doctorate’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Clarke Nursing Report

6

With a ranking of #6, University of Nebraska Medical Center did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Plains States Region list. UNMC is a public institution located in Omaha, Nebraska. The school has a small population, and it awarded 43 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 2 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 0.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Nursing at UNMC

7
Creighton crest
Creighton University
Omaha, Nebraska

With a ranking of #7, Creighton University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Plains States Region list. Located in Omaha, Nebraska, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 97 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s nursing students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read more about Nursing at Creighton University

8

The College of Saint Scholastica landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Duluth, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s nursing degrees to 44 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Nursing at The College of Saint Scholastica

9

Maryville University of Saint Louis ranked #9 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Plains States Region list. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 77 doctorate’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Nursing at Maryville University of Saint Louis

10
UMary crest
University of Mary
Bismarck, North Dakota

University of Mary came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Bismarck, North Dakota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s nursing degrees to 22 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 more about Nursing at University of Mary

11
Augsburg crest
Augsburg University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Augsburg University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #11. Augsburg is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 17 doctorate’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Augsburg University Nursing Report

12
St. Kate's crest
St Catherine University
Saint Paul, Minnesota

St Catherine University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Saint Paul, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s nursing degrees to 28 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%.

Full St. Kate’s Nursing Report

13

Missouri State University - Springfield ranked #13 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Plains States Region list. Missouri State is a large school located in Springfield, Missouri that handed out 96 doctorate’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Nursing at Missouri State University - Springfield

14
Walden University crest
Walden University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Walden University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Walden University is a private for-profit institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 191 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%.

Full Walden University Nursing Report

15
Allen College crest
Allen College
Waterloo, Iowa

Allen College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #15. Allen College is a small school located in Waterloo, Iowa that handed out 4 doctorate’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Allen College Nursing Report

16

University of Missouri - Kansas City did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #16. Kansas City, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s nursing degrees to 52 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Nursing at University of Missouri - Kansas City

17
UMSL crest
University of Missouri - St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri

University of Missouri - St Louis did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #17. University of Missouri - St Louis is a public institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 41 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Nursing at University of Missouri - St Louis

18
Washburn University crest
Washburn University
Topeka, Kansas

Washburn University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Plains States Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Topeka, Kansas, and it awarded 20 doctorate’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Nursing at Washburn University

19

Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Plains States Region ranking. This small school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 5 doctorate’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Nursing at Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College

20
Winona State crest
Winona State University
Winona, Minnesota

Winona State University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Plains States Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Winona, Minnesota, and it awarded 22 doctorate’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Nursing at Winona State

21
Capella University crest
Capella University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

With a ranking of #21, Capella University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Plains States Region list. Capella University is a large private for-profit school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 171 doctorate’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Capella University Nursing Report

22
Webster crest
Webster University
Saint Louis, Missouri

Webster University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #22. This medium-sized school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 41 doctorate’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 more about Nursing at Webster University

23
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas ranked #23 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Plains States Region list. University of Kansas is a public institution located in Lawrence, Kansas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 80 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%.

Full University of Kansas Nursing Report

24
Briar Cliff crest
Briar Cliff University
Sioux City, Iowa

Briar Cliff University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Sioux City, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s nursing degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Nursing at Briar Cliff University

25
Pitt State crest
Pittsburg State University
Pittsburg, Kansas

Pittsburg State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Nursing Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #25. Pitt State is a medium-sized public school situated in Pittsburg, Kansas. It awarded 18 doctorate’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Nursing at Pitt State

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