by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in the Southeast Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2020-2021, 266,651 registered nursing students received their degree, making the major the 3rd most popular in the country.
Across the Southeast region, there were 67,149 registered nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in the Southeast Region” ranking analyzed 566 colleges that offered a degree in registered nursing. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular registered nursing programs in the United States.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major 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.
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in the Southeast Region”.
Out of the 566 schools in the Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Rasmussen University - Florida landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Ocala, Florida, this medium-sized private for-profit school awarded 1,443 diplomas to qualified ’s registered nursing students in 2020-2021.
Full Rasmussen University - Florida Registered Nursing Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of South Alabama. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in the Southeast Region. University of South Alabama is a public institution located in Mobile, Alabama. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1,259 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in the Southeast Region. Located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 1,075 diplomas to qualified ’s registered nursing students in 2020-2021.
Read more about Registered Nursing at Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale
Out of the 566 schools in the Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Alabama at Birmingham landed the #4 spot on the list. UAB is located in Birmingham, Alabama and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,053 ’s registered nursing degrees to qualified students.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Registered Nursing at University of Alabama at Birmingham
Out of the 566 schools in the Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Galen College of Nursing - Louisville landed the #5 spot on the list. Galen College of Nursing - Louisville is located in Louisville, Kentucky and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 887 ’s registered nursing degrees to qualified students.
Full Galen College of Nursing - Louisville Registered Nursing Report
Miami Dade College landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in the Southeast Region ranking. Miami Dade College is a public institution located in Miami, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 843 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Registered Nursing at Miami Dade College
University of Central Florida came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in the Southeast Region ranking. University of Central Florida is a large public school situated in Orlando, Florida. It awarded 859 ’s registered nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
University of North Carolina at Wilmington landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in the Southeast Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Wilmington, North Carolina, and it awarded 782 ’s registered nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Registered Nursing at University of North Carolina at Wilmington
ECPI University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, this fairly large private for-profit school handed out 752 degrees to qualified ’s registered nursing students in 2020-2021.
University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in the Southeast Region list. USF Tampa is a large school located in Tampa, Florida that handed out 726 ’s registered nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Northern Kentucky University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in the Southeast Region ranking. NKU is located in Highland Heights, Kentucky and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 717 ’s registered nursing degrees to qualified students.
Read full report on Registered Nursing at Northern Kentucky University
East Tennessee State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in the Southeast Region ranking. ETSU is a public institution located in Johnson City, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 702 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Registered Nursing at East Tennessee State University
St Petersburg College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in the Southeast Region ranking. St Petersburg College is a large public school situated in Clearwater, Florida. It awarded 688 ’s registered nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
Florida State College at Jacksonville landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in Jacksonville, Florida, this large public school awarded 647 degrees to qualified ’s registered nursing students in 2020-2021.
Galen College of Nursing - Tampa Bay did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #15. Galen College of Nursing - Tampa Bay is a small school located in Saint Petersburg, Florida that handed out 549 ’s registered nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Registered Nursing at Galen College of Nursing - Tampa Bay
The University of Alabama landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in the Southeast Region ranking. UA is a large school located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama that handed out 548 ’s registered nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
The University of West Florida landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in Pensacola, Florida, this fairly large public school handed out 508 degrees to qualified ’s registered nursing students in 2020-2021.
University of Louisiana at Lafayette landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in Lafayette, Louisiana, this fairly large public school handed out 496 degrees to qualified ’s registered nursing students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Registered Nursing at University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Mississippi University for Women came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in the Southeast Region ranking. MUW is a public institution located in Columbus, Mississippi. The school has a small population, and it awarded 490 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Mississippi University for Women Registered Nursing Report
With a ranking of #20, Northwestern State University of Louisiana did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in the Southeast Region list. NSU is a fairly large school located in Natchitoches, Louisiana that handed out 472 ’s registered nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
Nova Southeastern University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in the Southeast Region ranking. Fort Lauderdale, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s registered nursing degrees to 440 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Florida SouthWestern State College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in the Southeast Region ranking. Fort Myers, Florida is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s registered nursing degrees to 431 students in 2020-2021.
East Carolina University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #23. ECU is located in Greenville, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 423 ’s registered nursing degrees to qualified students.
Broward College landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in the Southeast Region ranking. BC is a large school located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida that handed out 409 ’s registered nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
Lincoln Memorial University ranked #25 on this year’s Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in the Southeast Region list. Lincoln Memorial University is located in Harrogate, Tennessee and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 406 ’s registered nursing degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | University of Mississippi | University, MS |
| 52 | Old Dominion University | Norfolk, VA |
| 53 | Eastern Kentucky University | Richmond, KY |
| 54 | University of South Carolina - Upstate | Spartanburg, SC |
| 55 | West Coast University-Miami | Doral, FL |
| 56 | Delgado Community College | New Orleans, LA |
| 57 | Pensacola State College | Pensacola, FL |
| 58 | Indian River State College | Fort Pierce, FL |
| 59 | University of Virginia - Main Campus | Charlottesville, VA |
| 59 | University of Louisville | Louisville, KY |
| 61 | West Virginia University | Morgantown, WV |
| 62 | Winston - Salem State University | Winston-Salem, NC |
| 63 | Pasco-Hernando State College | New Port Richey, FL |
| 64 | Albany State University | Albany, GA |
| 65 | The University of Tennessee - Knoxville | Knoxville, TN |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 66 | Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center - New Orleans | New Orleans, LA |
| 67 | University of South Carolina - Columbia | Columbia, SC |
| 68 | South College | Knoxville, TN |
| 68 | James Madison University | Harrisonburg, VA |
| 70 | Auburn University | Auburn, AL |
| 71 | University of Miami | Coral Gables, FL |
| 72 | Polk State College | Winter Haven, FL |
| 73 | Troy University | Troy, AL |
| 74 | Middle Georgia State University | Macon, GA |
| 74 | Hillsborough Community College | Tampa, FL |
| 76 | Clemson University | Clemson, SC |
| 77 | Kennesaw State University | Kennesaw, GA |
| 78 | Radford University | Radford, VA |
| 79 | University of North Florida | Jacksonville, FL |
| 80 | University of North Alabama | Florence, AL |
| 81 | George Mason University | Fairfax, VA |
| 82 | Fayetteville State University | Fayetteville, NC |
| 83 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | Greensboro, NC |
| 84 | Jefferson State Community College | Birmingham, AL |
| 85 | Wallace State Community College, Hanceville | Hanceville, AL |
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
