2021 Best Colleges for Nursing
Approximately 296,913 nursing degrees were awarded to students last year in the United States. With so many choices it can be a challenge finding the best fit for you. This year's Best Colleges for Nursing ranking analyzed 723 colleges and universities that offer a bachelor's degree in nursing. We look at over 20 factors to determine the top 15% of colleges for Nursing students.
Featured schools near , edit
Choosing a Great Nursing School
Your choice of nursing school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:
Quality Overall is Important
The overall quality of a school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we consider a school's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a collection of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
The vast majority of the colleges on this list are in at least the top 26% of our overall quality ranking.
Graduates Earn More After College
A nursing degree from colleges on this list typically translates into higher than average salaries after graduation. While the average nursing bachelors degree from U.S. schools results in an average starting salary of $62,245, graduates of colleges on this list average $75,428.
Other Factors We Consider
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
- Major Focus - How much a school focuses on Nursing students vs. other majors.
- Major Popularity - How many other nursing students choose this school.
- Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or a recognized nursing related accrediting body.
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for Nursing students.
Best Schools to Study Nursing in the United States
Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for nursing majors. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
Top 25 Best Nursing Colleges
Molloy College is among your top options if you want to study nursing. Molloy is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Rockville Centre. This college ranks 238th out of 1,715 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.
A preferred choice for nursing undergrads, there are about 540 individuals studying this program at Molloy. Graduates from the nursing program at Molloy College get $12,172 more than the standard graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More… Request Information
It's difficult to beat New York University if you wish to study nursing. NYU is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of 130 out of 1,715 schools nationwide means NYU is a great college overall.
For those interested in something more advanced, NYU also offers 3 different higher degree levels in nursing, the most popular of which is a Master's Degree. Graduates from the nursing program at New York University make $16,372 more than the typical college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.
More… Request Information
Wagner College is among your top options if you want to study nursing. Located in the large city Staten Island, Wagner is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This school ranks 495th out of 1,715 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.
Wagner College is a fairly popular school to study nursing in United States exceeding 183 graduates last year. Nursing graduates from Wagner College earn a boost of around $15,272 above the typical income of nursing graduates.
More… Request Information
Adelphi University is a good option for individuals pursuing a Nursing major. Adelphi is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Garden City. This school ranks 346th out of 1,715 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.
A popular major for nursing undergrads, there are about 518 individuals enrolled in this degree at Adelphi. Nursing graduates from Adelphi University earn a boost of around $11,272 above the typical earnings of nursing graduates.
More… Request Information
Azusa Pacific is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Azusa. This college ranks 449th out of 1,715 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
For those interested in something more advanced, Azusa Pacific also offers 2 different higher degree levels in nursing, the most popular of which is a Master's Degree. Azusa Pacific University nursing majors receive $11,272 more than the typical nursing student.
More… Request Information
DUofC is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of San Rafael. This school ranks 381st out of 1,715 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
Dominican University of California is one of the most popular college to study nursing in United States with over 105 graduations last year. Dominican University of California nursing graduates earn $16,172 more than the standard nursing graduate.
More… Request Information
Drexel is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Philadelphia. This college ranks 186th out of 1,715 colleges for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.
For those interested in something more advanced, Drexel also offers 2 different higher degree levels in nursing, the most popular of which is a Master's Degree. Students who complete this program state that they receive average early career income of $69,900.
More… Request Information
Located in the large city San Francisco, USFCA is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population. This school ranks 235th out of 1,715 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
For those interested in something more advanced, USFCA also offers 2 different higher degree levels in nursing, the most popular of which is a Master's Degree. Nursing majors from University of San Francisco receive an earnings boost of about $11,272 over the average earnings of nursing graduates.
More… Request Information
Located in the large city Philadelphia, Thomas Jefferson University is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population. This school ranks 344th out of 1,715 schools for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.
There are about 521 nursing undergrads enrolled in this program at Thomas Jefferson University. After getting their bachelor's degree, nursing students generally make an average of $68,000 at the beginning of their careers.
More… Request Information
USJ is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of West Hartford. This college ranks 354th out of 1,715 colleges for overall quality in the state of Connecticut.
University of Saint Joseph is a fairly popular college to study nursing in United States with more than 135 graduates last year. Students who graduate from this program report average early career wages of $68,600.
More… Request Information
UCLA is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of 65 out of 1,715 schools nationwide means UCLA is a great college overall.
University of California - Los Angeles is one of the most popular college to study nursing in United States exceeding 235 graduates last year. University of California - Los Angeles nursing graduates make $6,872 more than the average nursing grad.
More… Request Information
Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Durham. A Best Colleges rank of 2 out of 1,715 schools nationwide means Duke is a great school overall.
For those interested in something more advanced, Duke also offers 2 different higher degree levels in nursing, the most popular of which is a Master's Degree. Students who graduate from the nursing program make around $62,700 for their early career.
More… Request Information
Simmons is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Boston. This college ranks 280th out of 1,715 colleges for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.
There are approximately 763 nursing undergraduates enrolled in this degree at Simmons. Students who graduate from the nursing program make around $66,600 in their early career salary.
More… Request Information
Located in the city Atlanta, Emory is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of 34 out of 1,715 schools nationwide means Emory is a great school overall.
There are about 439 nursing undergrads studying this degree at Emory. Students who graduate from the nursing program earn an average of $62,700 in the first couple years of their career.
More… Request Information
SUNY Stony Brook is a very large public school located in the large suburb of Stony Brook. This college ranks 222nd out of 1,715 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.
For those interested in something more advanced, SUNY Stony Brook also offers 2 different higher degree levels in nursing, the most popular of which is a Master's Degree. Stony Brook University nursing majors make $7,172 more than the average nursing grad.
More… Request Information
Gonzaga is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Spokane. A Best Colleges rank of 139 out of 1,715 colleges nationwide means Gonzaga is a great college overall.
For those interested in something more advanced, Gonzaga also offers 2 different higher degree levels in nursing, the most popular of which is a Master's Degree. Students who graduate from this program report average early career income of $69,100.
More… Request Information
Located in the large suburb Fairfield, Fairfield U is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of 185 out of 1,715 schools nationwide means Fairfield U is a great college overall.
For those interested in something more advanced, Fairfield U also offers 2 different higher degree levels in nursing, the most popular of which is a Doctor's Degree (Professional Practice). Graduates of the nursing program make about $75,300 for their early career.
More… Request Information
Located in the large suburb Villanova, Villanova is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of 78 out of 1,715 schools nationwide means Villanova is a great school overall.
A popular major for nursing undergrads, there are approximately 329 students studying this degree at Villanova. Students who graduate from this degree report average early career earnings of $67,800.
More… Request Information
Located in the large suburb Addison, Chamberlain - Illinois is a private for-profit college with a very large student population. This school ranks 1035th out of 1,715 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There are roughly 11609 nursing undergrads enrolled in this degree at Chamberlain - Illinois. Graduates of the nursing program make around $69,300 in their early career salary.
More… Request Information
Located in the large suburb Hamden, Quinnipiac is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population. This school ranks 255th out of 1,715 colleges for overall quality in the state of Connecticut.
For those interested in something more advanced, Quinnipiac also offers 2 different higher degree levels in nursing, the most popular of which is a Doctor's Degree (Professional Practice). Soon after graduation, nursing students usually make an average of $72,600 in their early careers.
More… Request Information
Located in the large city Seattle, UW Seattle is a public school with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of 97 out of 1,715 colleges nationwide means UW Seattle is a great college overall.
There are roughly 292 nursing undergraduates studying this program at UW Seattle. Soon after getting their bachelor's degree, nursing students generally make around $71,100 in their early careers.
More… Request Information
Located in the city New Brunswick, Rutgers New Brunswick is a public college with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of 183 out of 1,715 schools nationwide means Rutgers New Brunswick is a great school overall.
There are approximately 533 nursing undergrads enrolled in this degree at Rutgers New Brunswick. Soon after graduating, nursing students usually make around $70,300 at the beginning of their careers.
More… Request Information
University of Portland is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Portland. A Best Colleges rank of 173 out of 1,715 colleges nationwide means University of Portland is a great school overall.
There are about 216 nursing undergraduates studying this program at University of Portland. Grads of the nursing program state that they receive average early career wages of $74,300.
More… Request Information
Located in the large suburb Storrs, UCONN is a public school with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of 104 out of 1,715 schools nationwide means UCONN is a great college overall.
For those interested in something more advanced, UCONN also offers 3 different higher degree levels in nursing, the most popular of which is a Master's Degree. Students who graduate from the nursing program earn around $69,400 in the first couple years of their career.
More… Request Information
Located in the city Omaha, Creighton is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of 127 out of 1,715 schools nationwide means Creighton is a great school overall.
For those interested in something more advanced, Creighton also offers 2 different higher degree levels in nursing, the most popular of which is a Doctor's Degree (Professional Practice). Graduates of the nursing program make an average of $61,300 in their early career salary.
More… Request InformationRest of the Top 50 Best Colleges for Nursing
Additional Award Winners
This section shows the remainder of the schools awarded a Best Colleges for Nursing badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 723 different United States nursing schools we analyzed.
Honorable Mentions
Here are some additional great schools for Nursing students that almost earned our Best Colleges for Nursing award.
Nursing by Region
View the Best Colleges for Nursing for a specific region near you.
Region |
---|
Southeast |
New England |
Rocky Mountains |
Plains States |
Middle Atlantic |
Far Western US |
Southwest |
Great Lakes |
Rankings in Majors Related to Nursing
One of 34 majors within the Health Professions area of study, Nursing has other similar majors worth exploring.
Most Popular Majors Related to Nursing
Related Major | Annual Graduates |
---|---|
Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services | 99,641 |
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants | 93,192 |
Allied Health Professions | 86,697 |
Health & Medical Administrative Services | 82,868 |
Public Health | 36,569 |
View All Nursing Related Majors >
Notes and References
- The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Aleksahgabrielle. More about our data sources and methodologies.
Featured Schools
![]() |
Southern New Hampshire University
You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More > |
![]() |
Purdue University
Building on Purdue’s mission to provide greater access to affordable, world-class education, Purdue University Global delivers a fully personalized online experience that’s tailored to working adults. By opening the doors to adults who need flexibility to fit learning into their busy lives, we make it possible to achieve a high-quality education from the prestigious Purdue University system—completely online ... Learn More > |
![]() |
Grand Canyon University (GCU)
With a spotlight on intellectual creativity and innovation for the 21stcentury, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at GCU provides a job focused education. It blends the study of traditional humanities in a modern context. Through academic inquiry and beyond the box thinking, the college advances our society and its accomplishments ... Learn More > |
![]() |
Northcentral University
Northcentral University (NCU) was founded to provide accessible, high-quality, online graduate degrees to working professionals. As a regionally accredited, online university, NCU serves students worldwide, focusing on Doctoral and Master's degree programs in the Schools of Business and Technology Management, Education, Psychology, and Marriage and Family Sciences ... Learn More > |
![]() |
Colorado Technical University (CTU)
CTU could help you connect to what matters most: a powerful professional community, aculty who are real-world professionals, and innovative technology ... Learn More > |