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2024 Best Registered Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region

178 Colleges in the Plains States Region
25,853 Registered Nursing Degrees Awarded
Ranked #3 in popularity, registered nursing is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. 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 178 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Registered Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 25,853 degrees in registered nursing to qualified students.

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

Choosing a Great Registered Nursing School

Best Registered Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region 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

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

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Registered Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region 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 Registered Nursing in the Plains States 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 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 Plains States Region Schools in Registered Nursing

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In NE
315 Registered Nursing Degrees Awarded

Creighton University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in registered nursing. Located in the city of Omaha, Creighton is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #105 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Creighton is a great university overall.

There were about 315 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at Creighton in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in registered nursing from Creighton University

2
Capella University crest
Capella University
Minneapolis, MN
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In MN
3,223 Registered Nursing Degrees Awarded

Any student who is interested in registered nursing needs to look into Capella University. Capella University is a very large private for-profit university located in the city of Minneapolis. A Best Colleges rank of #145 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Capella University is a great university overall.

There were approximately 3223 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at Capella University in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in registered nursing from Capella University

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In NE
449 Registered Nursing Degrees Awarded

University of Nebraska Medical Center is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in registered nursing. Located in the large city of Omaha, UNMC is a public university with a small student population.

There were approximately 449 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at UNMC in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in registered nursing from University of Nebraska Medical Center

4
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In IA
215 Registered Nursing Degrees Awarded

Every student who is interested in registered nursing needs to take a look at University of Iowa. Located in the city of Iowa City, Iowa is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #84 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Iowa is a great university overall.

There were approximately 215 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at Iowa in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in registered nursing from University of Iowa

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
6th Most Popular In MN
236 Registered Nursing Degrees Awarded

UMN Twin Cities is a very large public university located in the large city of Minneapolis. A Best Colleges rank of #51 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UMN Twin Cities is a great university overall.

There were roughly 236 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in registered nursing from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

6
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In KS
204 Registered Nursing Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Lawrence, KU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #141 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means KU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 204 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at KU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in registered nursing from University of Kansas

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
7th Most Popular In MN
230 Registered Nursing Degrees Awarded

Located in the town of Winona, Winona State is a public university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 17th out of 52 schools for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were approximately 230 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at Winona State in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in registered nursing from Winona State University

7
Walden University crest
Walden University
Minneapolis, MN
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In MN
5,004 Registered Nursing Degrees Awarded

Walden University is a very large private for-profit university located in the city of Minneapolis.

There were roughly 5004 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at Walden University in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in registered nursing from Walden University

8
SLU crest
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, MO
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In MO
309 Registered Nursing Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Saint Louis, SLU is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #244 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means SLU is a great university overall.

There were about 309 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at SLU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in registered nursing from Saint Louis University

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In ND
167 Registered Nursing Degrees Awarded

UND is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Grand Forks. A Best Colleges rank of #218 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UND is a great university overall.

There were approximately 167 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at UND in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in registered nursing from University of North Dakota

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In MO
285 Registered Nursing Degrees Awarded

Located in the midsize city of Columbia, Mizzou is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #124 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Mizzou is a great university overall.

There were about 285 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at Mizzou in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in registered nursing from University of Missouri - Columbia

11
Allen College crest
Allen College
Waterloo, IA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In IA
129 Registered Nursing Degrees Awarded

Allen College is a small private not-for-profit college located in the small city of Waterloo.

There were approximately 129 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at Allen College in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in registered nursing from Allen College

12
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In NE
138 Registered Nursing Degrees Awarded

Nebraska Methodist College is a small private not-for-profit college located in the large city of Omaha.

There were roughly 138 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at Nebraska Methodist College in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in registered nursing from Nebraska Methodist College of Nursing & Allied Health

13
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In MN
358 Registered Nursing Degrees Awarded

St. Scholastica is a small private not-for-profit college located in the small city of Duluth. This college ranks 8th out of 52 colleges for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were roughly 358 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at St. Scholastica in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in registered nursing from The College of Saint Scholastica

14
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In MN
789 Registered Nursing Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of St. Cloud, Rasmussen University - Minnesota is a private for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 10th out of 52 colleges for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were roughly 789 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at Rasmussen University - Minnesota in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in registered nursing from Rasmussen University - Minnesota

15
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In MO
273 Registered Nursing Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Kansas City, UMKC is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 12th out of 48 schools for overall quality in the state of Missouri.

There were roughly 273 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at UMKC in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in registered nursing from University of Missouri - Kansas City

16
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In SD
328 Registered Nursing Degrees Awarded

Located in the town of Brookings, South Dakota State is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 13 schools for overall quality in the state of South Dakota.

There were approximately 328 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at South Dakota State in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in registered nursing from South Dakota State University

17
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
10th Most Popular In MO
184 Registered Nursing Degrees Awarded

Maryville U is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Saint Louis. A Best Colleges rank of #202 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Maryville U is a great university overall.

There were about 184 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at Maryville U in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in registered nursing from Maryville University of Saint Louis

18
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In MN
266 Registered Nursing Degrees Awarded

Minnesota State Mankato is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Mankato. This university ranks 13th out of 52 colleges for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were roughly 266 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at Minnesota State Mankato in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in registered nursing from Minnesota State University - Mankato

19
Webster crest
Webster University
Saint Louis, MO
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
13th Most Popular In MO
131 Registered Nursing Degrees Awarded

Webster is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Saint Louis. A Best Colleges rank of #219 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Webster is a great university overall.

There were about 131 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at Webster in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in registered nursing from Webster University

20
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In NE
119 Registered Nursing Degrees Awarded

Clarkson College is a small private not-for-profit college located in the city of Omaha.

There were roughly 119 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at Clarkson College in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in registered nursing from Clarkson College

21
Rockhurst crest
Rockhurst University
Kansas City, MO
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In MO
261 Registered Nursing Degrees Awarded

Located in the large city of Kansas City, Rockhurst is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 9th out of 48 schools for overall quality in the state of Missouri.

There were roughly 261 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at Rockhurst in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in registered nursing from Rockhurst University

22
CSB crest
College of Saint Benedict
Saint Joseph, MN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
33rd Most Popular In MN
46 Registered Nursing Degrees Awarded

CSB is a small private not-for-profit college located in the medium-sized suburb of Saint Joseph. This college ranks 11th out of 52 colleges for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were about 46 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at CSB in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in registered nursing from College of Saint Benedict

23
UMary crest
University of Mary
Bismarck, ND
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In ND
91 Registered Nursing Degrees Awarded

UMary is a small private not-for-profit university located in the rural area of Bismarck. This university ranks 3rd out of 12 schools for overall quality in the state of North Dakota.

There were about 91 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at UMary in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in registered nursing from University of Mary

24
St. Kate's crest
St Catherine University
Saint Paul, MN
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
8th Most Popular In MN
217 Registered Nursing Degrees Awarded

St. Kate's is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Saint Paul. This university ranks 16th out of 52 colleges for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were approximately 217 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at St. Kate's in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in registered nursing from St Catherine University

Rest of the Top Best Registered Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region

26

 

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Registered Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region award.

Rank College Location
27 Luther College Decorah, IA
28 Bethel University Minnesota Saint Paul, MN
29 University of Missouri - St Louis Saint Louis, MO
30 Bryan College of Health Sciences Lincoln, NE
31 Morningside College Sioux City, IA
32 University of South Dakota Vermillion, SD
33 St Luke’s College Sioux City, IA
34 Research College of Nursing Kansas City, MO
35 Mercy College of Health Sciences Des Moines, IA

Best Registered Nursing Colleges by State

Explore the best registered nursing schools for a specific state in the Plains States Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Minnesota 742 12,882
Missouri 693 4,413
Iowa 648 2,499
Kansas 599 2,307
Nebraska 500 1,571
North Dakota 416 909
South Dakota 381 941

View All Rankings >

One of 23 majors within the Nursing area of study, Registered Nursing has other similar majors worth exploring.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Nursing Practice 1,262
Family Practice Nurse/Nursing 1,089
Nursing Administration 878
Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 710
Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing 481
Nurse Anesthetist 326
Nursing Science 224
Critical Care Nursing 182
Geriatric Nurse/Nursing 166
School Nursing 106

View All Registered Nursing Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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