by our College Data Analytics Team
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 “Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Master’s” ranking.
Nursing is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 3rd of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 322,592 degrees were awarded to students with this major. 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 “Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Master’s” ranking, we looked at 673 colleges that offer 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.
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 “Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Master’s”.
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.
The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree nursing students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Walden University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Master’s list. Walden University is a private for-profit institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4,104 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Out of the 673 schools in the Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Chamberlain University - Illinois landed the #2 spot on the list. Chamberlain University - Illinois is located in Addison, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3,923 masters’s nursing degrees to qualified students.
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 full report on Nursing at Chamberlain University - Illinois
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Western Governors University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Master’s list. Located in Salt Lake City, Utah, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 3,210 degrees to qualified masters’s nursing students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Grand Canyon University. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Master’s. Grand Canyon University is a large private for-profit school situated in Phoenix, Arizona. It awarded 1,935 masters’s nursing 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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Texas at Arlington. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Master’s. Located in Arlington, Texas, this large public school awarded 1,204 diplomas to qualified masters’s nursing students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Maryville University of Saint Louis landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Master’s ranking. Maryville University of Saint Louis is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 839 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of South Alabama came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Master’s ranking. University of South Alabama is a fairly large school located in Mobile, Alabama that handed out 780 masters’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Alabama at Birmingham ranked #8 on this year’s Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Master’s list. UAB is a large school located in Birmingham, Alabama that handed out 686 masters’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Read more about Nursing at University of Alabama at Birmingham
Capella University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Master’s ranking. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 643 masters’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
Frontier Nursing University ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Master’s list. Located in Hyden, Kentucky, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 607 degrees to qualified masters’s nursing students 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus ranked #11 on this year’s Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Master’s list. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is located in Cincinnati, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 576 masters’s nursing degrees to qualified students.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.
Read more about Nursing at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus
South University’s online programs did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #12. 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.
Read more about Nursing at South University’s online programs
Simmons University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #13. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s nursing degrees to 534 students 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 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.
Purdue University Global ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Master’s list. Indianapolis, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s nursing degrees to 526 students in 2020-2021.
Miami Regional University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Master’s ranking. This small school is located in Miami Springs, Florida, and it awarded 493 masters’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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%.
Northern Kentucky University ranked #16 on this year’s Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Master’s list. Northern Kentucky University is a fairly large school located in Highland Heights, Kentucky that handed out 466 masters’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
Aspen University ranked #17 on this year’s Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Master’s list. Aspen University is located in Denver, Colorado and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 455 masters’s nursing degrees to qualified students.
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 Phoenix - Arizona landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Master’s ranking. Located in Tempe, Arizona, this large private for-profit school handed out 436 diplomas to qualified masters’s nursing students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Nursing at University of Phoenix - Arizona
United States University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Master’s ranking. San Diego, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out masters’s nursing degrees to 397 students in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #20, University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Master’s list. University of Pennsylvania is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 382 masters’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Spring Arbor University ranked #21 on this year’s Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Master’s list. Spring Arbor University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Spring Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 381 masters’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.
With a ranking of #22, Vanderbilt University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Master’s list. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 347 degrees to qualified masters’s nursing students 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%.
Drexel University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 335 diplomas to qualified masters’s nursing students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%.
West Coast University - Orange County came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Master’s ranking. West Coast University - Orange County is a small school located in Anaheim, California that handed out 317 masters’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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 West Coast University - Orange County
With a ranking of #25, Regis College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Major for a Master’s list. Located in Weston, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 315 diplomas to qualified masters’s nursing students 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
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 | University of South Carolina - Columbia | Columbia, SC |
| 52 | New York University | New York, NY |
| 53 | University of California - Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA |
| 54 | Graceland University - Lamoni | Lamoni, IA |
| 55 | Rush University | Chicago, IL |
| 56 | University of Miami | Coral Gables, FL |
| 56 | Kent State University at Kent | Kent, OH |
| 58 | University of Alabama in Huntsville | Huntsville, AL |
| 58 | University of Maryland - Baltimore | Baltimore, MD |
| 60 | George Washington University | Washington, DC |
| 60 | University of Missouri - Kansas City | Kansas City, MO |
| 60 | Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center | Lubbock, TX |
| 63 | Azusa Pacific University | Azusa, CA |
| 64 | Augusta University | Augusta, GA |
| 65 | University of California - San Francisco | San Francisco, CA |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 91 | University of Toledo | Toledo, OH |
| 92 | MGH Institute of Health Professions | Boston, MA |
| 92 | Columbus State University | Columbus, GA |
| 92 | Molloy College | Rockville Centre, NY |
| 95 | Lewis University | Romeoville, IL |
| 95 | Florida Atlantic University | Boca Raton, FL |
| 97 | Lehman College | Bronx, NY |
| 97 | Virginia Commonwealth University | Richmond, VA |
| 99 | University of Memphis | Memphis, TN |
| 99 | Saint Louis University | Saint Louis, MO |
| 99 | University of Illinois at Chicago | Chicago, IL |
| 99 | Gonzaga University | Spokane, WA |
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
