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2022 Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for Nursing in North Carolina

19 Colleges in North Carolina
953 Master's Degrees
$94,082 Avg Early-Career Salary
Nursing is of the hottest master's degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #2 most popular major in the country. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

For its 2022 ranking, College Factual looked at 19 schools in North Carolina to determine which ones were the most popular for nursing students pursuing a master's degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 953 master's degrees in nursing during the 2019-2020 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Other Rankings

Choosing a Great Nursing School for Your Master's Degree

Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for Nursing in North Carolina The nursing master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. As an aid in helping you pick the right school for you, we created our Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for Nursing in North Carolina ranking.

While being high in popularity does not always mean a school has a quality nursing program, it is a sign that a large number of students choose the school. Sometimes this is because the school offers a great educational experience, it is a good value, or it is highly focused on the program.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Associate Degrees in Nursing
Bachelor's Degrees in Nursing
Doctor's Degrees in Nursing
Overall Popularity in Nursing

We have also developed a number of other rankings to help guide you in your decision-making process. To begin with, if this is not the degree level you are most interested in, you may want to check out one of the others noted above. If you would prefer to limit your search to a specific state or region of the county, see our rankings by location. On top of that, you can visit our other rankings for nursing.

Learn about the most popular colleges and universities for nursing students seeking a a master's degree.

10 Most Well Attended Schools for Nursing Students Working on Their Master's

1
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
234 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Best Quality In NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type

Duke University is one of the most popular schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in nursing. Located in the large city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #1 in quality for master's degrees in nursing in North Carolina.

There were about 234 nursing individuals who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent data year.

Students who graduate with their master's from the nursing program state that they receive average early career earnings of $93,000.

More information about a master’s in nursing from Duke University

2
156 Annual Master's Degrees
#4 Best Quality In NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type

You'll be surrounded by many like-minded peers at University of North Carolina at Wilmington if you wish to pursue a master's degree in nursing. Located in the medium-sized city of Wilmington, UNCW is a public university with a large student population. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #4 in quality for master's degrees in nursing in North Carolina.

There were roughly 156 nursing students who graduated with this degree at UNCW in the most recent data year.

Soon after graduation, nursing master's recipients typically earn an average of $90,500 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a master’s in nursing from University of North Carolina at Wilmington

3
99 Annual Master's Degrees
#3 Best Quality In NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type

You'll be surrounded by many like-minded peers at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill if you want to pursue a master's degree in nursing. UNC Chapel Hill is a very large public university located in the small city of Chapel Hill. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #3 in quality for master's degrees in nursing in North Carolina.

There were about 99 nursing individuals who graduated with this degree at UNC Chapel Hill in the most recent year we have data available.

Master's graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program make an average of $83,100 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a master’s in nursing from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

4
88 Annual Master's Degrees
#5 Best Quality In NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type

You'll be surrounded by many like-minded peers at East Carolina University if you want to pursue a master's degree in nursing. ECU is a very large public university located in the city of Greenville. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #5 in quality for master's degrees in nursing in North Carolina.

There were approximately 88 nursing individuals who graduated with this degree at ECU in the most recent year we have data available.

Master's students who receive their degree from the nursing program make about $83,800 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a master’s in nursing from East Carolina University

5
85 Annual Master's Degrees
#7 Best Quality In NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type

Located in the city of Charlotte, UNC Charlotte is a public university with a very large student population. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #7 in quality for master's degrees in nursing in North Carolina.

There were roughly 85 nursing individuals who graduated with this degree at UNC Charlotte in the most recent year we have data available.

Nursing master's degree recipients from University of North Carolina at Charlotte earn a boost of around $19,318 over the typical earnings of nursing graduates.

More information about a master’s in nursing from University of North Carolina at Charlotte

6
57 Annual Master's Degrees
#9 Best Quality In NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type

WCU is a fairly large public university located in the town of Cullowhee. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #9 in quality for master's degrees in nursing in North Carolina.

There were about 57 nursing individuals who graduated with this degree at WCU in the most recent year we have data available.

Master's recipients from the nursing degree program at Western Carolina University get $4,718 more than the standard college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a master’s in nursing from Western Carolina University

6
57 Annual Master's Degrees
#10 Best Quality In NC
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

Located in the large city of Charlotte, Queens is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.

There were approximately 57 nursing individuals who graduated with this degree at Queens in the most recent year we have data available.

After graduating, nursing master's recipients usually make around $74,600 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a master’s in nursing from Queens University of Charlotte

8
Gardner - Webb crest
Gardner - Webb University
Boiling Springs, NC
53 Annual Master's Degrees
#12 Best Quality In NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type

Located in the town of Boiling Springs, Gardner - Webb is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.

There were about 53 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Gardner - Webb in the most recent data year.

Students who graduate with their master's from the nursing program state that they receive average early career income of $83,300.

More information about a master’s in nursing from Gardner - Webb University

9
40 Annual Master's Degrees
#11 Best Quality In NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type

Located in the medium-sized city of Winston-Salem, WSSU is a public university with a moderately-sized student population.

There were roughly 40 nursing individuals who graduated with this degree at WSSU in the most recent data year.

Master's graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program make about $86,900 for their early career.

More information about a master’s in nursing from Winston - Salem State University

10
27 Annual Master's Degrees
#6 Best Quality In NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type

UNC Greensboro is a fairly large public university located in the city of Greensboro. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #6 in quality for master's degrees in nursing in North Carolina.

There were about 27 nursing individuals who graduated with this degree at UNC Greensboro in the most recent year we have data available.

Nursing master's degree recipients from University of North Carolina at Greensboro earn a boost of about $45,018 over the average earnings of nursing majors.

More information about a master’s in nursing from University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Best Nursing Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
Florida2062,163
Georgia1862,038
Virginia175637
Tennessee1561,239
Alabama1471,888
South Carolina141443
Louisiana140381
Kentucky140980
Mississippi120211
Arkansas119221
West Virginia108155

View All Rankings >

Nursing is one of 30 different types of Health Professions programs to choose from.

Nursing Focus Areas

MajorAnnual Graduates
Family Practice Nurse/Nursing287
Registered Nursing192
Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing186
Nursing Administration101
Adult Health Nurse/Nursing71
School Nursing48
Nursing Science28
Nurse Anesthetist24
Maternal/Child Health and Neonatal Nurse/Nursing5

Majors Similar to Nursing

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Allied Health Professions634
Public Health401
Health & Medical Administrative Services327
Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions213
Communication Sciences209
Mental & Social Health Services189
Medical Illustration & Informatics126
Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Sciences43
Bioethics/Medical Ethics37
Alternative Medicine & Systems26

Notes and References

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