2021 Best Colleges for Nursing in Pennsylvania
Nursing is a popular major and Pennsylvania is the 10th most popular state for students studying this major. 11,569 of the 296,913 Nursing diplomas awarded last year were given by colleges in Pennsylvania. With so many choices it can be difficult finding the right fit. This year's Best Colleges for Nursing in Pennsylvania ranking analyzed 55 colleges and universities that offer a bachelor's degree in nursing. We look at over 20 factors to determine the top 15% of schools for Nursing students in Pennsylvania.
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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 quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we include a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a combination of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
Over 80% of the schools in this list are in the top 30% of our overall quality ranking.
Graduates Earn More After College
A nursing degree from schools on this list usually results in above average wages following graduation. While the average nursing bachelors degree from Pennsylvania schools results in an average starting salary of $64,839, graduates of colleges on this list average $67,588.
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 complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for Nursing students in Pennsylvania.
Best Schools to Study Nursing in Pennsylvania
Learn about the top ranked colleges and universities for nursing majors.
Top 10 Best Nursing Colleges in Pennsylvania
Drexel University is a good decision for students interested in a Nursing degree. Drexel is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Philadelphia. A Best Colleges rank of 186 out of 1,715 schools nationwide means Drexel is a great college overall.
There are roughly 1013 nursing undergraduates studying this degree at Drexel. Graduates from the nursing degree program at Drexel University get $4,616 above the typical college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
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It's hard to beat Thomas Jefferson University if you want to study nursing. Located in the large city Philadelphia, Thomas Jefferson University is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population. This college ranks 30th out of 123 schools for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.
There are roughly 521 nursing undergrads studying this program at Thomas Jefferson University. Thomas Jefferson University nursing graduates make $2,716 more than the average nursing student.
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It's difficult to beat Villanova University if you wish to pursue nursing as a major. 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 preferred major for nursing undergrads, there are approximately 329 learners enrolled in this degree at Villanova. Students from the nursing major at Villanova University earn $2,516 more than the average graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
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University of Scranton is a wonderful decision for individuals pursuing a Nursing major. Scranton is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Scranton. A Best Colleges rank of 159 out of 1,715 schools nationwide means Scranton is a great college overall.
University of Scranton is a fairly popular school to study nursing in Pennsylvania with over 124 graduations last year. Students from the nursing program at University of Scranton earn $11,116 more than the typical graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
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UPenn is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Philadelphia. A Best Colleges rank of 9 out of 1,715 colleges nationwide means UPenn is a great college overall.
There are approximately 530 nursing undergraduates enrolled in this degree at UPenn. Students who graduate from the nursing program earn an average of $64,700 for their early career.
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PA College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Lancaster. This school ranks 29th out of 123 colleges for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.
There are roughly 420 nursing undergraduates studying this program at PA College. Graduates of the nursing program state that they receive average early career wages of $63,900.
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Located in the large suburb Gwynedd Valley, Gwynedd - Mercy is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population. This college ranks 70th out of 123 schools for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.
A favorite major for nursing undergraduates, there are roughly 411 individuals studying this program at Gwynedd - Mercy. Gwynedd Mercy University nursing students make $5,116 more than the average nursing grad.
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Duquesne is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Pittsburgh. This school ranks 24th out of 123 colleges for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.
Duquesne University is one of the most popular school to study nursing in Pennsylvania with more than 312 graduates last year. Graduates of the nursing program earn an average of $59,600 in their early career salary.
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Chatham is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Pittsburgh. This school ranks 40th out of 123 schools for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.
Chatham University is one of the most popular college to study nursing in Pennsylvania with over 128 graduates last year. Soon after getting their bachelor's degree, nursing students generally earn about $64,900 at the beginning of their careers.
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Located in the large city Pittsburgh, Pitt is a public college with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of 129 out of 1,715 colleges nationwide means Pitt is a great school overall.
University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is one of the most popular school to study nursing in Pennsylvania with more than 300 graduations last year. Graduates of the nursing program earn about $58,800 in the first couple years of their career.
More… Request InformationBest Nursing Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region
Explore all the Best Nursing Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 324 | 15,459 |
| Maryland | 275 | 3,846 |
| New Jersey | 264 | 5,424 |
| District of Columbia | 183 | 1,103 |
| Delaware | 163 | 1,186 |
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 Professions | 3,300 |
| Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions | 2,946 |
| Health & Medical Administrative Services | 2,583 |
| Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services | 2,392 |
| Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants | 2,029 |
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
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Southern New Hampshire University
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Purdue University
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Northcentral University
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Colorado Technical University (CTU)
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