College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2024 Best Nursing Schools in the New England Region

96 Colleges in the New England Region
14,673 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$79,068 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #3 in popularity, nursing is one of the most sought-after 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 96 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Nursing Schools in the New England Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 14,673 degrees in nursing during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Nursing School

Best Nursing Schools in the New England Region The nursing program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Nursing rankings. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for nursing schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Nursing Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Nursing
Bachelor's Degrees in Nursing
Master's Degrees in Nursing
Doctor's Degrees in Nursing

The nursing school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Nursing Schools in the New England Region. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

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.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.


 

Best Schools for Nursing in the New England Region

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the nursing degree levels they offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

14 Top New England Region Schools in Nursing

1
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, CT
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
131 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$113,590 Median Starting Salary

It is difficult to beat Yale University if you wish to pursue a degree in nursing. Yale is a large private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of New Haven. A Best Colleges rank of #8 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Yale is a great university overall.

There were approximately 131 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Yale in the most recent year we have data available. Nursing degree recipients from Yale University get an earnings boost of approximately $34,522 above the average earnings of nursing graduates.

More information about a degree in nursing from Yale University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
340 Nursing Degrees Awarded
0.9% Growth in Graduates

University of Connecticut is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in nursing. UCONN is a fairly large public university located in the large suburb of Storrs. A Best Colleges rank of #86 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UCONN is a great university overall.

There were approximately 340 nursing students who graduated with this degree at UCONN in the most recent year we have data available. Nursing degree recipients from University of Connecticut receive an earnings boost of about $9,328 above the average earnings of nursing graduates.

More information about a degree in nursing from University of Connecticut

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
732 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$84,275 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in nursing needs to look into Simmons University. Located in the city of Boston, Simmons is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #90 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Simmons is a great university overall.

There were approximately 732 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Simmons in the most recent year we have data available. Those nursing students who get their degree from Simmons University receive $5,207 more than the standard nursing student.

More information about a degree in nursing from Simmons University

4
Fairfield U crest
Fairfield University
Fairfield, CT
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
242 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$109,316 Median Starting Salary

It's difficult to beat Fairfield University if you wish to pursue a degree in nursing. Located in the large suburb of Fairfield, Fairfield U is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #163 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Fairfield U is a great university overall.

There were about 242 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Fairfield U in the most recent data year. Those nursing students who get their degree from Fairfield University earn $30,248 more than the average nursing student.

More information about a degree in nursing from Fairfield University

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
201 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$105,021 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Boston, Northeastern is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #59 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Northeastern is a great university overall.

There were about 201 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Northeastern in the most recent year we have data available. Nursing degree recipients from Northeastern University earn a boost of around $25,953 over the average earnings of nursing graduates.

More information about a degree in nursing from Northeastern University

6
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
229 Nursing Degrees Awarded
51.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Chestnut Hill, Boston College is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #60 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Boston College is a great college overall.

There were about 229 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Boston College in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the nursing major at Boston College earn $2,218 above the typical college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in nursing from Boston College

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
378 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$85,508 Median Starting Salary

URI is a large public university located in the suburb of Kingston. This university ranks 4th out of 9 colleges for overall quality in the state of Rhode Island.

There were approximately 378 nursing students who graduated with this degree at URI in the most recent year we have data available. Those nursing students who get their degree from University of Rhode Island earn $6,440 more than the average nursing student.

More information about a degree in nursing from University of Rhode Island

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
303 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$80,453 Median Starting Salary

MGH Institute of Health Professions is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Boston.

There were about 303 nursing students who graduated with this degree at MGH Institute of Health Professions in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the nursing program state that they receive average early career earnings of $80,453.

More information about a degree in nursing from MGH Institute of Health Professions

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
468 Nursing Degrees Awarded
8.3% Growth in Graduates

MCPHS University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit college located in the city of Boston.

There were roughly 468 nursing students who graduated with this degree at MCPHS University in the most recent data year. Those nursing students who get their degree from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences receive $4,627 more than the typical nursing grad.

More information about a degree in nursing from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
180 Nursing Degrees Awarded
8.9% Growth in Graduates

UNH is a fairly large public university located in the small suburb of Durham. A Best Colleges rank of #233 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UNH is a great university overall.

There were roughly 180 nursing students who graduated with this degree at UNH in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program earn an average of $70,109 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in nursing from University of New Hampshire - Main Campus

11
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
117 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$63,168 Median Starting Salary

Quinsigamond Community College is a medium-sized public college located in the city of Worcester. This college ranks 42nd out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were about 117 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Quinsigamond Community College in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the nursing program state that they receive average early career earnings of $63,168.

More information about a degree in nursing from Quinsigamond Community College

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
247 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$83,052 Median Starting Salary

UMass Amherst is a very large public university located in the suburb of Amherst. A Best Colleges rank of #81 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UMass Amherst is a great university overall.

There were about 247 nursing students who graduated with this degree at UMass Amherst in the most recent data year. Those nursing students who get their degree from University of Massachusetts Amherst earn $3,984 more than the standard nursing graduate.

More information about a degree in nursing from University of Massachusetts Amherst

13
Regis College crest
Regis College
Weston, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
811 Nursing Degrees Awarded
4.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Weston, Regis College is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

There were about 811 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Regis College in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the nursing program state that they receive average early career earnings of $79,131.

More information about a degree in nursing from Regis College

14
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
350 Nursing Degrees Awarded
9.4% Growth in Graduates

Quinnipiac is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Hamden. This university ranks 6th out of 28 colleges for overall quality in the state of Connecticut.

There were approximately 350 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Quinnipiac in the most recent year we have data available. Nursing degree recipients from Quinnipiac University earn a boost of about $10,527 over the typical income of nursing graduates.

More information about a degree in nursing from Quinnipiac University


 

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great schools for Nursing students in the New England Region that almost earned our Best Nursing Schools in the New England Region award.

Rank College Location
15 Sacred Heart University Fairfield, CT
16 University of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester Worcester, MA
17 University of Massachusetts - Boston Boston, MA
17 American Sentinel University Waterbury, CT
18 University of Massachusetts - Lowell Lowell, MA
19 New England Institute of Technology East Greenwich, RI
20 Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH
21 Capital Community College Hartford, CT
22 Elms College Chicopee, MA
23 University of Vermont Burlington, VT
24 Rhode Island College Providence, RI

Best Nursing Colleges by State

Explore the best nursing colleges for a specific state in the New England Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Massachusetts 301 6,436
Connecticut 241 3,035
New Hampshire 210 2,059
Maine 202 1,238
Rhode Island 200 1,084
Vermont 194 390

View All Rankings >

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

Nursing Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Registered Nursing 11,319
Nursing Science 971
Family Practice Nurse/Nursing 798
Nursing Practice 456
Nursing Administration 409
Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 285
Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing 126
Nurse Anesthetist 88
Adult Health Nurse/Nursing 80
Geriatric Nurse/Nursing 35

View All Nursing Focus Areas >

Majors Similar to Nursing

Related Major Annual Graduates
Health & Medical Administrative Services 3,720
Allied Health Professions 3,041
Public Health 2,965
Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services 2,435
Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions 2,406
Health Sciences & Services 2,006
Mental & Social Health Services 1,975
Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Sciences 1,961
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants 1,697
Medicine 1,488

View All Nursing Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options