by our College Data Analytics TeamCollege Factual reviewed 264 schools in the Southeast Region to determine which ones were the best for bachelor's degree seekers in the field of nursing. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 34,943 bachelor's degrees in nursing during the 2020-2021 academic year.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
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. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:
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.
Average early-career salary of those graduating with their bachelor's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your bachelor's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.
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.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in nursing. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
Emory University is a good choice for students pursuing a bachelor's degree in nursing. Located in the city of Atlanta, Emory is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.
Bachelor's recipients from the nursing degree program at Emory University earn $3,205 more than the average college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from Emory University
It is hard to beat Duke University if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in nursing. Located in the large city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.
Bachelor's recipients from the nursing major at Duke University get $4,037 more than the standard graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from Duke University
University of Virginia - Main Campus is a good choice for students pursuing a bachelor's degree in nursing. University of Virginia is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Charlottesville.
Nursing bachelor's degree recipients from University of Virginia - Main Campus receive an earnings boost of approximately $4,496 over the average income of nursing graduates.
More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from University of Virginia - Main Campus
Every student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in nursing has to take a look at University of Miami. Located in the city of Coral Gables, U Miami is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the nursing program state that they receive average early career wages of $61,860.
More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from University of Miami
Located in the medium-sized city of Gainesville, UF is a public university with a fairly large student population.
After graduating, nursing bachelor's recipients usually make an average of $60,614 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from University of Florida
UNC Chapel Hill is a very large public university located in the city of Chapel Hill.
Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the nursing program earn an average of $60,514 in the first couple years of working.
More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Fort Lauderdale.
After graduating, nursing bachelor's recipients usually make around $62,512 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale
Located in the suburb of Birmingham, Samford is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.
Soon after graduation, nursing bachelor's recipients generally earn an average of $57,355 in their early careers.
More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from Samford University
UofSC is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Columbia.
Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the nursing program report average early career wages of $61,735.
More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from University of South Carolina - Columbia
Located in the city of Charleston, MUSC is a public university with a small student population.
Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the nursing program state that they receive average early career income of $58,091.
More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from Medical University of South Carolina
UTHSC is a small public university located in the large city of Memphis.
Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program make about $58,663 for their early career.
More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from The University of Tennessee - Health Science Center
Ole Miss is a very large public university located in the remote town of University.
After graduation, nursing bachelor's recipients usually make an average of $56,141 in their early careers.
More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from University of Mississippi
LSU Health - New Orleans is a small public university located in the city of New Orleans.
Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the nursing program state that they receive average early career earnings of $61,954.
More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center - New Orleans
Located in the city of Macon, Mercer is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.
Nursing bachelor's degree recipients from Mercer University earn a boost of about $3,007 above the typical income of nursing graduates.
More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from Mercer University
USF Tampa is a fairly large public university located in the city of Tampa.
Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program earn an average of $61,674 in their early career salary.
More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from University of South Florida - Main Campus
Located in the large suburb of Clemson, Clemson is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the nursing program report average early career wages of $61,981.
More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from Clemson University
Southern Adventist is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Collegedale.
Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program earn an average of $56,507 in the first couple years of their career.
More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from Southern Adventist University
Located in the medium-sized city of Richmond, VCU is a public university with a very large student population.
Soon after graduating, nursing bachelor's recipients generally make about $60,267 in their early careers.
More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from Virginia Commonwealth University
Union is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Jackson.
Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program earn around $58,095 in their early career salary.
More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from Union University
FIU is a very large public university located in the large suburb of Miami.
Bachelor's recipients from the nursing major at Florida International University earn $2,428 more than the average graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from Florida International University
UK is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Lexington.
Soon after graduating, nursing bachelor's recipients typically earn around $58,034 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from University of Kentucky
Located in the city of Tuscaloosa, UA is a public university with a fairly large student population.
After graduation, nursing bachelor's recipients generally make an average of $58,043 in their early careers.
More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from The University of Alabama
UCF is a very large public university located in the large suburb of Orlando.
After graduating, nursing bachelor's recipients generally earn about $59,816 in their early careers.
More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from University of Central Florida
Located in the large city of Louisville, Galen College of Nursing - Louisville is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
Bachelor's recipients from the nursing program at Galen College of Nursing - Louisville earn $6,196 above the typical college grad in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from Galen College of Nursing - Louisville
NUS Florida is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Fort Lauderdale.
Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the nursing program state that they receive average early career earnings of $63,194.
More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from Nova Southeastern University
Here are some additional great schools for Nursing students in the Southeast Region that almost earned our Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 40 | Marymount University | Arlington, VA |
| 41 | Georgia College & State University | Milledgeville, GA |
| 42 | Jacksonville University | Jacksonville, FL |
| 43 | Florida State University | Tallahassee, FL |
| 44 | Auburn University | Auburn, AL |
| 45 | Mississippi University for Women | Columbus, MS |
| 46 | West Virginia University | Morgantown, WV |
| 47 | Anderson University South Carolina | Anderson, SC |
| 48 | Old Dominion University | Norfolk, VA |
| 49 | Radford University | Radford, VA |
| 50 | Rasmussen University - Florida | Ocala, FL |
| 51 | Eastern Mennonite University | Harrisonburg, VA |
| 52 | Florida Atlantic University | Boca Raton, FL |
Explore the best nursing schools for a specific state in the Southeast Region .
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | 225 | 9,015 |
| Georgia | 224 | 3,954 |
| Tennessee | 220 | 3,180 |
| North Carolina | 213 | 3,488 |
| Virginia | 213 | 3,096 |
| South Carolina | 195 | 1,605 |
| Kentucky | 187 | 2,530 |
| Alabama | 184 | 2,607 |
| Louisiana | 171 | 1,963 |
| Mississippi | 169 | 1,307 |
| Arkansas | 167 | 1,371 |
| West Virginia | 147 | 774 |
One of 34 majors within the Health Professions area of study, Nursing has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Health Sciences & Services | 5,645 |
| Public Health | 4,949 |
| Health & Medical Administrative Services | 4,195 |
| Communication Sciences | 2,624 |
| Allied Health Professions | 2,102 |
| Other Health Professions | 1,090 |
| Mental & Social Health Services | 1,036 |
| Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Sciences | 976 |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science | 903 |
| Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions | 684 |
