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2024 Best Nursing Schools in Arkansas

28 Colleges in Arkansas
2,882 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$62,518 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a degree in nursing, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #3 most popular program in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

College Factual looked at 28 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Nursing Schools in Arkansas ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 2,882 degrees in nursing to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Nursing School

Best Nursing Schools in Arkansas Your choice of nursing school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall Nursing School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your Nursing Degree Level

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

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Nursing Schools in Arkansas ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

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.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.


 

Best Schools for Nursing in Arkansas

The schools below may not offer all types of nursing degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.

10 Top Arkansas Schools in Nursing

1
UARK crest
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
315 Nursing Degrees Awarded
3.2% Growth in Graduates

It is difficult to beat University of Arkansas if you wish to pursue a degree in nursing. Located in the small city of Fayetteville, UARK is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #198 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UARK is a great university overall.

There were roughly 315 nursing students who graduated with this degree at UARK in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the nursing major at University of Arkansas make $17,901 above the typical college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in nursing from University of Arkansas

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
219 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$86,139 Median Starting Salary

It's difficult to beat University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences if you wish to pursue a degree in nursing. Located in the medium-sized city of Little Rock, UAMS is a public university with a small student population.

There were roughly 219 nursing students who graduated with this degree at UAMS in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the nursing major at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences make $23,621 above the standard college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in nursing from University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
356 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$77,978 Median Starting Salary

It's hard to beat Arkansas State University - Main Campus if you want to pursue a degree in nursing. A-State is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Jonesboro. A Best Colleges rank of #610 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means A-State is a great university overall.

There were about 356 nursing students who graduated with this degree at A-State in the most recent year we have data available. Those nursing students who get their degree from Arkansas State University - Main Campus receive $15,460 more than the average nursing student.

More information about a degree in nursing from Arkansas State University - Main Campus

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
70 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$73,130 Median Starting Salary

Harding University is a great decision for students interested in a degree in nursing. Located in the town of Searcy, Harding is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #618 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Harding is a great university overall.

There were about 70 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Harding in the most recent year we have data available. Those nursing students who get their degree from Harding University make $10,612 more than the typical nursing grad.

More information about a degree in nursing from Harding University

5
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
383 Nursing Degrees Awarded
9.1% Growth in Graduates

UA Little Rock is a moderately-sized public university located in the city of Little Rock. A Best Colleges rank of #1259 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UA Little Rock is a great university overall.

There were roughly 383 nursing students who graduated with this degree at UA Little Rock in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, nursing degree recipients generally earn about $61,405 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in nursing from University of Arkansas at Little Rock

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
193 Nursing Degrees Awarded
20.7% Growth in Graduates

UCA is a moderately-sized public university located in the small city of Conway. A Best Colleges rank of #1059 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UCA is a great university overall.

There were about 193 nursing students who graduated with this degree at UCA in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the nursing degree program at University of Central Arkansas earn $11,711 above the standard college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in nursing from University of Central Arkansas

7
JBU crest
John Brown University
Siloam Springs, AR

JBU is a small private not-for-profit university located in the distant town of Siloam Springs. A Best Colleges rank of #673 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means JBU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 28 nursing students who graduated with this degree at JBU in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, nursing degree recipients usually earn around $55,181 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in nursing from John Brown University

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
76 Nursing Degrees Awarded
23.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the town of Arkadelphia, Henderson State University is a public university with a small student population. This university ranks 19th out of 34 colleges for overall quality in the state of Arkansas.

There were roughly 76 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Henderson State University in the most recent data year. After graduation, nursing degree recipients usually make around $59,305 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in nursing from Henderson State University

9
ATU crest
Arkansas Tech University
Russellville, AR
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
150 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$58,126 Median Starting Salary

ATU is a moderately-sized public university located in the remote town of Russellville. A Best Colleges rank of #1468 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means ATU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 150 nursing students who graduated with this degree at ATU in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, nursing degree recipients typically earn around $58,126 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in nursing from Arkansas Tech University

10
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
65 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$59,110 Median Starting Salary

ASUN is a small public university located in the rural area of Newport. This university ranks 21st out of 34 schools for overall quality in the state of Arkansas.

There were roughly 65 nursing students who graduated with this degree at ASUN in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program earn an average of $59,110 for their early career.

More information about a degree in nursing from Arkansas State University - Newport


 

Best Nursing Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Nursing Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Georgia 287 7,016
Florida 282 21,034
North Carolina 279 7,329
Virginia 274 6,630
Tennessee 269 5,906
South Carolina 248 3,276
Kentucky 244 6,143
Louisiana 242 3,416
Mississippi 234 2,801
Alabama 233 7,210
West Virginia 207 1,768

View All Rankings >

Nursing is one of 34 different types of Health Professions programs to choose from.

Nursing Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Registered Nursing 2,674
Nursing Practice 65
Nursing Science 64
Nurse Anesthetist 31
Family Practice Nurse/Nursing 26
Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 18
Nursing Administration 3
Adult Health Nurse/Nursing 1

View All Nursing Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants 2,094
Health Sciences & Services 1,305
Allied Health Professions 1,302
Health & Medical Administrative Services 773
Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services 500
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science 433
Communication Sciences 377
Health/Medical Prep Programs 322
Medicine 314
Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions 292

View All Nursing Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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