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2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Doctorate

424 Ranked Colleges
10,943 Degrees Awarded
$115,233 Avg Salary
Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Doctorate

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Doctorate” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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.

At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 10,943 nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,260 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Doctorate” ranking analyzed 424 colleges that offered a degree in nursing. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular nursing programs in the United States.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Doctorate” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Doctorate

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Doctorate”.

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Chamberlain University - Illinois. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Doctorate. Chamberlain University - Illinois is a large private for-profit school situated in Addison, Illinois. It awarded 565 doctorate’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%.

Read more about Nursing at Chamberlain - Illinois

2
Grand Canyon University crest
Grand Canyon University
Phoenix, Arizona

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Grand Canyon University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Doctorate list. Grand Canyon University is a private for-profit institution located in Phoenix, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 368 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%.

Read more about Nursing at Grand Canyon University

3
Rush University crest
Rush University
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Rush University. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Doctorate. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s nursing degrees to 199 students in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Nursing at Rush University

4
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Walden University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Out of the 424 schools in the Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, Walden University landed the #4 spot on the list. Walden University is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 191 doctorate’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Walden University Nursing Report

5

Out of the 424 schools in the Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, Frontier Nursing University landed the #5 spot on the list. Frontier Nursing University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hyden, Kentucky. The school has a small population, and it awarded 181 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 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 Frontier Nursing University

6
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Capella University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Capella University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Doctorate ranking. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large private for-profit school handed out 171 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s nursing students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Nursing at Capella University

7
Rutgers New Brunswick crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey

With a ranking of #7, Rutgers University - New Brunswick did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Doctorate list. Rutgers University - New Brunswick is a large school located in New Brunswick, New Jersey that handed out 163 doctorate’s nursing degrees 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%. 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 Rutgers University - New Brunswick

8

With a ranking of #8, Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Doctorate list. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 146 doctorate’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Nursing at Columbia University in the City of New York

9

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Doctorate ranking. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school handed out 142 degrees to qualified doctorate’s nursing students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Nursing at UMN Twin Cities

10

University of Maryland - Baltimore did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #10. UMB is a medium-sized public school situated in Baltimore, Maryland. It awarded 137 doctorate’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 UMB

11

University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #11. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s nursing degrees to 134 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UIC Nursing Report

11

University of South Alabama landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Doctorate ranking. This fairly large school is located in Mobile, Alabama, and it awarded 134 doctorate’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Nursing at University of South Alabama

13
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Samford University
Birmingham, Alabama

Samford University ranked #13 on this year’s Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Doctorate list. Samford University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Birmingham, Alabama. It awarded 129 doctorate’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Samford Nursing Report

14
Brandman crest
Brandman University
Irvine, California

Brandman University ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Doctorate list. Brandman is located in Irvine, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 113 doctorate’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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%.

Read more about Nursing at Brandman University

15
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

University of Arizona did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #15. University of Arizona is a large school located in Tucson, Arizona that handed out 108 doctorate’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full University of Arizona Nursing Report

16

University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #16 on this year’s Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Doctorate list. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 107 doctorate’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

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 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UW Seattle Nursing Report

16
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

Duke University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Doctorate ranking. Duke is a private not-for-profit institution located in Durham, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 107 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Nursing at Duke

18
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

University of Utah did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #18. U of U is a large public school situated in Salt Lake City, Utah. It awarded 105 doctorate’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Nursing at U of U

19
UNF crest
University of North Florida
Jacksonville, Florida

University of North Florida came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Doctorate ranking. University of North Florida is a fairly large public school situated in Jacksonville, Florida. It awarded 102 doctorate’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.

Read more about Nursing at UNF

19
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Johns Hopkins University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Doctorate ranking. Johns Hopkins is located in Baltimore, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 102 doctorate’s nursing degrees to qualified 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. 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 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Nursing at Johns Hopkins

21

University of Alabama at Birmingham landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Doctorate ranking. Located in Birmingham, Alabama, this large public school handed out 98 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s nursing students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.8% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UAB Nursing Report

22
Creighton crest
Creighton University
Omaha, Nebraska

Creighton University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Doctorate ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Omaha, Nebraska, and it awarded 97 doctorate’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Creighton University Nursing Report

23
Augusta University crest
Augusta University
Augusta, Georgia

Augusta University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Augusta, Georgia, this medium-sized public school awarded 96 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s nursing students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Nursing at Augusta University

23

Missouri State University - Springfield landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Doctorate ranking. Missouri State is a large school located in Springfield, Missouri that handed out 96 doctorate’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

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%.

Read full report on Nursing at Missouri State

25

Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia Inc did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #25. Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia Inc is located in Madison, Tennessee and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 94 doctorate’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

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.

Read full report on Nursing at MTSA

Rest of the Best 50 in Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Doctorate

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
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Quinnipiac University
Hamden, Connecticut
28
29
29
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Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, Kentucky
31
31
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University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas
33
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University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida
34
34
36
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Seattle University
Seattle, Washington
37
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Chatham University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
38
39
39
39
42
43
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Barry University
Miami, Florida
44
Purdue University Global crest
Purdue University Global
Indianapolis, Indiana
45
45
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University of San Diego
San Diego, California
47
47
49
50

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Doctorate

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
51Florida Atlantic UniversityBoca Raton, FL
51University of Missouri - Kansas CityKansas City, MO
53East Carolina UniversityGreenville, NC
53University of IowaIowa City, IA
53University of Massachusetts Medical School WorcesterWorcester, MA
56The University of Texas at ArlingtonArlington, TX
57The University of Texas Health Science Center at HoustonHouston, TX
57Baylor UniversityWaco, TX
57Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, TN
57University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PA
57Washington State UniversityPullman, WA
57Medical University of South CarolinaCharleston, SC
63University of Central FloridaOrlando, FL
64University of San FranciscoSan Francisco, CA

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