2023 Best Registered Nursing Schools
College Factual reviewed 1,709 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of registered nursing. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 266,651 degrees in registered nursing during the 2020-2021 academic year.
What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great Registered Nursing School
The registered nursing program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Registered Nursing rankings. For our Best Overall Registered Nursing School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that 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.
Pick Your Registered Nursing Degree Level
When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Registered Nursing Schools list to help you make the college 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.
Featured Registered Nursing Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
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BS in Nursing - RN to BSN
With the affordable and transfer-friendly online RN to BSN program at Southern New Hampshire University, you can build upon your prior educational journey and enhance your professional experience in a program designed to fit around your schedule. Learn More > |
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BS in Nursing - RN to BSN - Accelerated RN to MSN
At Southern New Hampshire University, we understand the demands placed on today's nursing professionals. When it comes to your education, consider saving money and time by electing the RN to MSN pathway. Eligible students will complete graduate courses within their undergraduate program. This pathway allows you to gain a BSN along the way and ultimately shorten your time within the MSN Nursing Education or Population Healthcare tracks. Learn More > |
Best Schools for Registered Nursing in the United States
Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the registered 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.
25 Top Schools in Registered Nursing
Samuel Merritt University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in registered nursing. Samuel Merritt University is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Oakland.
There were about 595 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at Samuel Merritt University in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in registered nursing from Samuel Merritt University
Johns Hopkins University is a great decision for students interested in a degree in registered nursing. Located in the city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #9 out of 2,241 colleges nationwide means Johns Hopkins is a great university overall.
There were roughly 323 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at Johns Hopkins in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in registered nursing from Johns Hopkins University
Any student pursuing a degree in registered nursing has to check out New York University. NYU is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York. This university ranks 3rd out of 143 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.
There were approximately 482 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in registered nursing from New York University
It's difficult to beat Duke University if you wish to pursue a degree in registered nursing. Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Durham. A Best Colleges rank of #3 out of 2,241 colleges nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.
There were about 147 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in registered nursing from Duke University
UPenn is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Philadelphia. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,241 colleges nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.
There were roughly 206 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in registered nursing from University of Pennsylvania
Located in the large city of Lubbock, TTUHSC is a public university with a moderately-sized student population.
There were approximately 919 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at TTUHSC in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in registered nursing from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
Columbia is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,241 colleges nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.
There were approximately 358 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in registered nursing from Columbia University in the City of New York
Emory is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Atlanta. This university ranks 2nd out of 69 colleges for overall quality in the state of Georgia.
There were about 386 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at Emory in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in registered nursing from Emory University
Located in the large city of Houston, UTHealth is a public university with a moderately-sized student population.
There were about 426 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at UTHealth in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in registered nursing from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Loma Linda University is a small private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Loma Linda.
There were about 200 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at Loma Linda University in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in registered nursing from Loma Linda University
UTMB Galveston is a small public university located in the fringe town of Galveston.
There were about 367 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at UTMB Galveston in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in registered nursing from The University of Texas Medical Branch
Georgetown is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Washington. A Best Colleges rank of #19 out of 2,241 colleges nationwide means Georgetown is a great university overall.
There were roughly 298 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at Georgetown in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in registered nursing from Georgetown University
Yale is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of New Haven. A Best Colleges rank of #15 out of 2,241 schools nationwide means Yale is a great university overall.
There were about 131 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at Yale in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in registered nursing from Yale University
Located in the city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #25 out of 2,241 colleges nationwide means U-M is a great university overall.
There were approximately 157 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in registered nursing from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
University of Rochester is a large private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Rochester. This university ranks 7th out of 143 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.
There were approximately 188 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at University of Rochester in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in registered nursing from University of Rochester
Located in the city of Washington, GWU is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 8 schools for overall quality in the state of District of Columbia.
There were roughly 273 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at GWU in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in registered nursing from George Washington University
Located in the large city of Cleveland, Case Western is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 96 schools for overall quality in the state of Ohio.
There were approximately 127 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at Case Western in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in registered nursing from Case Western Reserve University
UMB is a moderately-sized public university located in the large city of Baltimore.
There were about 446 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at UMB in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in registered nursing from University of Maryland - Baltimore
UW Seattle is a fairly large public university located in the city of Seattle. This university ranks 1st out of 51 colleges for overall quality in the state of Washington.
There were roughly 249 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in registered nursing from University of Washington - Seattle Campus
HFCN is a fairly small private not-for-profit college located in the large city of New York.
There were roughly 373 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at HFCN in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in registered nursing from Helene Fuld College of Nursing
Thomas Jefferson University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Philadelphia. This university ranks 11th out of 117 schools for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.
There were approximately 689 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at Thomas Jefferson University in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in registered nursing from Thomas Jefferson University
UCSF is a small public university located in the city of San Francisco.
There were roughly 159 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at UCSF in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in registered nursing from University of California - San Francisco
Located in the city of Brooklyn, SUNY Downstate is a public university with a small student population.
There were approximately 107 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at SUNY Downstate in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in registered nursing from SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
Located in the suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 65 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.
There were approximately 265 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in registered nursing from University of Virginia - Main Campus
Located in the city of Portland, OHSU is a public university with a small student population.
There were roughly 385 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at OHSU in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in registered nursing from Oregon Health & Science UniversityRest of the Top 50 Best Registered Nursing Schools
Related Programs
Learn about other programs related to Registered Nursing that might interest you.
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MS in Nursing - Family Nurse Practitioner
Break into one of the most high-demand occupations in the nation with your online MSN Family Nurse Practitioner track from Southern New Hampshire University. Learn More > |
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MS in Nursing - Nursing Education
Position the next generation of nurses for success with your online MSN in Nursing Education from Southern New Hampshire University. Learn More > |
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MS in Nursing - Healthcare Quality & Safety
Ensure a safer future for healthcare with your online MSN in Healthcare Quality & Safety from Southern New Hampshire University. Learn More > |
Additional Award Winners
This section shows the rest of the schools awarded a Best Registered Nursing Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 1709 different United States registered nursing schools we analyzed.
Honorable Mentions
Here are some additional great schools for Registered Nursing students that almost earned our Best Registered Nursing Schools award.
Registered Nursing by Region
View the Best Registered Nursing Schools for a specific region near you.
Region |
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Southeast |
New England |
Rocky Mountains |
Plains States |
Middle Atlantic |
Far Western US |
Southwest |
Great Lakes |
Rankings in Majors Related to Registered Nursing
Registered Nursing is one of 22 different types of Nursing programs to choose from.
Most Popular Related Majors
Related Major | Annual Graduates |
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Family Practice Nurse/Nursing | 16,104 |
Nursing Administration | 9,838 |
Nursing Practice | 7,992 |
Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 5,092 |
Nursing Science | 4,600 |
Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing | 2,287 |
Adult Health Nurse/Nursing | 2,021 |
Nurse Anesthetist | 1,936 |
Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing | 1,883 |
Critical Care Nursing | 773 |
View All Registered 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 Nursing Schools
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Southern New Hampshire University
You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More > |