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2024 Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in Pennsylvania

39 Colleges in Pennsylvania
6,351 Bachelor's Degrees
$66,512 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #2 in popularity, nursing is one of the most sought-after bachelor's degree programs in the nation. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 39 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 6,351 bachelor's degrees in nursing to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Nursing School for Your Bachelor's Degree

Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in Pennsylvania The nursing bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality nursing program can vary widely even among the top schools. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.

A Great Overall School

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Early-Career Earnings

One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of bachelor's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their bachelor's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for nursing students working on their bachelor's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Nursing Rankings Other Ranking Categories

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in Pennsylvania list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.


 

Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study Nursing in Pennsylvania

Learn about the top ranked colleges and universities for nursing students seeking a a bachelor's degree.

10 Top Pennsylvania Schools for a Bachelor's in Nursing

1
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
189 Annual Graduates
$68,279 Median Starting Salary
$24,945 Median Student Debt

University of Pennsylvania is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in nursing. Located in the large city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.

Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program make an average of $68,279 for their early career.

More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from University of Pennsylvania

2
506 Annual Graduates
$71,147 Median Starting Salary
$30,000 Median Student Debt

It's difficult to beat Thomas Jefferson University if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in nursing. Located in the large city of Philadelphia, Thomas Jefferson University is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.

Bachelor's recipients from the nursing program at Thomas Jefferson University earn $4,635 more than the average college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from Thomas Jefferson University

3
261 Annual Graduates
$59,973 Median Starting Salary
$27,000 Median Student Debt

University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in nursing. Located in the large city of Pittsburgh, Pitt is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program earn about $59,973 in their early career salary.

More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus

4
Drexel crest
Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA
533 Annual Graduates
$72,616 Median Starting Salary
$30,750 Median Student Debt

It is hard to beat Drexel University if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in nursing. Located in the city of Philadelphia, Drexel is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.

Those nursing students who get their bachelor's degree from Drexel University earn $6,104 more than the average nursing student.

More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from Drexel University

5
Duquesne crest
Duquesne University
Pittsburgh, PA
276 Annual Graduates
$60,313 Median Starting Salary
$27,000 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of Pittsburgh, Duquesne is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the nursing program report average early career earnings of $60,313.

More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from Duquesne University

6
Villanova crest
Villanova University
Villanova, PA
223 Annual Graduates
$73,794 Median Starting Salary
$27,000 Median Student Debt

Located in the large suburb of Villanova, Villanova is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.

Nursing bachelor's degree recipients from Villanova University earn a boost of approximately $7,282 above the average earnings of nursing majors.

More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from Villanova University

7
Widener crest
Widener University
Chester, PA
214 Annual Graduates
$68,072 Median Starting Salary
$27,000 Median Student Debt

Widener is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Chester.

Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the nursing program make an average of $68,072 in their early career salary.

More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from Widener University

8
La Salle crest
La Salle University
Philadelphia, PA
157 Annual Graduates
$74,181 Median Starting Salary
$27,000 Median Student Debt

La Salle is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Philadelphia.

Bachelor's recipients from the nursing major at La Salle University make $7,669 more than the average college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from La Salle University

9
DeSales crest
DeSales University
Center Valley, PA
103 Annual Graduates
$67,552 Median Starting Salary
$31,000 Median Student Debt

Located in the rural area of Center Valley, DeSales is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.

After graduating, nursing bachelor's recipients typically earn around $67,552 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from DeSales University

10
Gwynedd - Mercy crest
Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA
304 Annual Graduates
$70,087 Median Starting Salary
$35,500 Median Student Debt

Gwynedd - Mercy is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Gwynedd Valley.

Those nursing students who get their bachelor's degree from Gwynedd Mercy University receive $3,575 more than the typical nursing student.

More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from Gwynedd Mercy University


 

Best Nursing Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region

Explore all the Best Nursing Schools in the Middle Atlantic Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
New York 275 7,888
Maryland 207 1,716
New Jersey 193 2,537
Delaware 130 768
District of Columbia 126 456

View All Rankings >

One of 34 majors within the Health Professions area of study, Nursing has other similar majors worth exploring.

Nursing Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Registered Nursing 5,307
Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 491
Nursing Science 422
Family Practice Nurse/Nursing 116
Nursing Practice 15

Majors Similar to Nursing

Related Major Annual Graduates
Health Sciences & Services 927
Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions 804
Communication Sciences 649
Health & Medical Administrative Services 612
Public Health 608
Other Health Professions 602
Allied Health Professions 541
Health/Medical Prep Programs 370
Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Sciences 209
Mental & Social Health Services 183

Notes and References

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