2020 Best Colleges for Nursing in Pennsylvania
Nursing is a popular major and Pennsylvania is the 8th most popular state for students studying this major. 12,364 of the 293,633 Nursing degrees awarded last year were given by schools in Pennsylvania. With so many choices it can be a daunting task finding the best fit for you. This year's Best Colleges for Nursing in Pennsylvania ranking analyzed 44 colleges and universities that offer a bachelor's degree in nursing. We look at over 20 factors to determine the top 6 colleges for Nursing students in Pennsylvania.
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 take this into account we include a college'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 27% of our overall quality ranking.
Graduates Earn More After College
A nursing degree from colleges on this list typically results in higher than average earnings after 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 $68,950.
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 colleges for Nursing students in Pennsylvania.
Best Schools to Study Nursing in Pennsylvania
Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for nursing majors.
Top 10 Best Nursing Colleges in Pennsylvania
Drexel University is a wonderful decision for individuals interested in a Nursing major. Drexel is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Philadelphia. This school ranks 18th out of 123 schools for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.
For those interested in something more advanced, Drexel also offers 5 different higher degree levels in nursing, the most popular of which is a Master's Degree. Drexel University nursing graduates earn $5,268 more than the average nursing grad.
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It's hard to beat Villanova University if you want to study nursing. Located in the large suburb Villanova, Villanova is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of 71 out of 1,727 colleges nationwide means Villanova is a great college overall.
A favorite choice for nursing undergraduates, there are approximately 324 learners studying this program at Villanova. Nursing majors from Villanova University receive an earnings boost of approximately $3,168 over the average earnings of nursing graduates.
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University of Pennsylvania is a great option for individuals interested in a Nursing major. UPenn is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Philadelphia. A Best Colleges rank of 3 out of 1,727 schools nationwide means UPenn is a great college overall.
For those interested in something more advanced, UPenn 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 earn an average of $64,700 in their early career salary.
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It's hard to beat Immaculata University if you want to study nursing. Immaculata is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Immaculata. This school ranks 71st out of 123 colleges for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.
Immaculata University is a fairly popular college to study nursing in Pennsylvania exceeding 161 graduations last year. Nursing students from Immaculata University get a earnings boost of approximately $10,668 over the typical income of nursing majors.
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Duquesne is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Pittsburgh. A Best Colleges rank of 162 out of 1,727 colleges nationwide means Duquesne is a great college overall.
For those interested in something more advanced, Duquesne also offers 4 different higher degree levels in nursing, the most popular of which is a Master's Degree. Graduates of the nursing program earn about $59,600 in their early career salary.
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Scranton is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Scranton. This school ranks 19th out of 123 colleges for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.
University of Scranton is one of the most popular college to study nursing in Pennsylvania exceeding 109 graduations last year. University of Scranton nursing majors make $11,768 more than the average nursing graduate.
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Located in the large suburb Chester, Widener is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population. This college ranks 47th out of 123 colleges for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.
With 264 undergraduates, Widener University is one of most popular colleges to study nursing in Pennsylvania. Graduates from the nursing major at Widener University make $2,368 above the standard college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
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Located in the city Pittsburgh, Pitt is a public college with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of 124 out of 1,727 schools nationwide means Pitt is a great college overall.
For those interested in something more advanced, Pitt also offers 4 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 $58,800 in their early career salary.
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Located in the city Philadelphia, La Salle is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population. This college ranks 46th out of 123 colleges for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.
A preferred choice for nursing undergraduates, there are about 216 learners studying this degree at La Salle. Nursing students from La Salle University get a earnings boost of around $4,268 above the average income of nursing graduates.
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Located in the city University Park, Penn State University Park is a public school with a fairly large student population. This college ranks 17th out of 123 colleges for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.
With 152 students enrolled, Pennsylvania State University - University Park is one of most popular colleges to study nursing in Pennsylvania. Nursing majors from Pennsylvania State University - University Park receive an earnings boost of about $3,168 over the average earnings of nursing graduates.
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 | 335 | 15,549 |
| Maryland | 284 | 3,780 |
| New Jersey | 280 | 5,260 |
| District of Columbia | 194 | 1,015 |
| Delaware | 171 | 1,267 |
More Nursing Rankings in Pennsylvania
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 | 104,465 |
| Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants | 90,916 |
| Health & Medical Administrative Services | 87,058 |
| Allied Health Professions | 86,125 |
| Public Health | 34,089 |
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.
Featured Nursing Schools
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