by our College Data Analytics Team
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major” ranking - to help you make that decision.
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.
At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 51,608 nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,425 and $0 respectively.
For this year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major” ranking, we looked at 673 colleges that offer a degree in nursing. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in nursing.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
The nursing school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major”.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major”.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Puerto Rico School of Nurse Anesthetists. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major. Puerto Rico School of Nurse Anesthetists is located in Hato-Rey, and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 masters’s nursing degrees to qualified students.
Full Puerto Rico School of Nurse Anesthetists Nursing Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend United States University. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major. This small school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 397 masters’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Miami Regional University. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major. Miami Regional University is a small school located in Miami Springs, Florida that handed out 493 masters’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Frontier Nursing University. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major. Located in Hyden, Kentucky, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 607 degrees to qualified masters’s nursing students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 214 degrees to qualified masters’s nursing students in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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%.
South University’s online programs did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major ranking, coming in at #6. Savannah, Georgia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out masters’s nursing degrees to 540 students in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #7, Spring Arbor University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major list. Spring Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s nursing degrees to 381 students in 2020-2021.
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%.
Graceland University - Lamoni did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major ranking, coming in at #8. Graceland University - Lamoni is a small school located in Lamoni, Iowa that handed out 176 masters’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
Walden University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major ranking. Walden University is a large private for-profit school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 4,104 masters’s nursing 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%.
Chamberlain University - Illinois came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major ranking. Located in Addison, Illinois, this large private for-profit school handed out 3,923 diplomas to qualified masters’s nursing 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%.
With a ranking of #11, Dewey University - Hato Rey did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major list. Hato Rey, is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s nursing degrees to 44 students in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #12, Maryville University of Saint Louis did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major list. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s nursing degrees to 839 students 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%.
Clarkson College landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major ranking. Omaha, Nebraska is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s nursing degrees to 91 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%.
Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major ranking. St. Francis Medical Center College of Nursing is a private not-for-profit institution located in Peoria, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 43 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. 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 St. Francis Medical Center College of Nursing
With a ranking of #15, Regis College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major list. Regis College is a small school located in Weston, Massachusetts that handed out 315 masters’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #16, Samuel Merritt University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major list. Samuel Merritt University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Oakland, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 217 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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. 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%.
Allen College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major ranking, coming in at #17. Allen College is a small school located in Waterloo, Iowa that handed out 65 masters’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
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%.
With a ranking of #18, Herzing University - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major list. Herzing University - Madison is a private not-for-profit institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 197 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Simmons University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major ranking. Simmons University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 534 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 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.
American Sentinel University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major ranking. Located in Aurora, Colorado, this small private for-profit school awarded 229 degrees to qualified masters’s nursing students in 2020-2021.
Rush University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major ranking. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 175 masters’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Aspen University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Denver, Colorado, and it awarded 455 masters’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 5.0% 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%.
University of South Alabama ranked #23 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major list. University of South Alabama is located in Mobile, Alabama and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 780 masters’s nursing degrees to qualified students.
South University, Tampa ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major list. Tampa, Florida is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out masters’s nursing degrees to 66 students in 2020-2021.
West Coast University - Orange County ranked #25 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Nursing Major list. Located in Anaheim, California, this small private for-profit school awarded 317 diplomas to qualified masters’s nursing students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Nursing at West Coast University - Orange County
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Thomas Jefferson University | Philadelphia, PA |
| 52 | Cox College | Springfield, MO |
| 53 | Holy Names University | Oakland, CA |
| 54 | Albany Medical College | Albany, NY |
| 55 | Mount St. Joseph University | Cincinnati, OH |
| 56 | Florida National University - Main Campus | Hialeah, FL |
| 57 | Briar Cliff University | Sioux City, IA |
| 58 | Touro University Nevada | Henderson, NV |
| 59 | Alverno College | Milwaukee, WI |
| 60 | AdventHealth University | Orlando, FL |
| 61 | Caribbean University - Bayamon | Bayamon, PR |
| 62 | Bellin College | Green Bay, WI |
| 63 | King University | Bristol, TN |
| 64 | SUNY Polytechnic Institute | Utica, NY |
| 65 | University of Mobile | Mobile, AL |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 91 | Sacred Heart University | Fairfield, CT |
| 92 | Western University of Health Sciences | Pomona, CA |
| 93 | Loyola University New Orleans | New Orleans, LA |
| 94 | Marquette University | Milwaukee, WI |
| 95 | University of Maryland - Baltimore | Baltimore, MD |
| 96 | Grand Canyon University | Phoenix, AZ |
| 97 | University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences | Little Rock, AR |
| 98 | Houston Baptist University | Houston, TX |
| 99 | Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Arecibo | Arecibo, PR |
| 100 | DeSales University | Center Valley, PA |
| 101 | Western Governors University | Salt Lake City, UT |
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
