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2024 Best Nursing Schools in the New England Region

96 Colleges in the New England Region
15,982 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$79,102 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. Combined, these schools handed out 15,982 degrees in nursing to qualified students.

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
245 Nursing Degrees Awarded
46.5% Growth in Graduates

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

There were about 245 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Yale in the most recent data year. Nursing degree recipients from Yale University get an earnings boost of approximately $34,488 over the average earnings of nursing graduates.

More information about a degree in nursing from Yale University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
346 Nursing Degrees Awarded
1.7% Growth in Graduates

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

There were roughly 346 nursing students who graduated with this degree at UCONN in the most recent data year. Nursing degree recipients from University of Connecticut get an earnings boost of about $9,294 over the typical income of nursing graduates.

More information about a degree in nursing from University of Connecticut

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

Every student pursuing a degree in nursing needs to check out Simmons University. Located in the large 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 schools nationwide means Simmons is a great university overall.

There were about 613 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Simmons in the most recent data year. Nursing degree recipients from Simmons University earn a boost of around $5,173 above the average earnings of nursing graduates.

More information about a degree in nursing from Simmons University

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
280 Nursing Degrees Awarded
13.6% Growth in Graduates

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

There were roughly 280 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Fairfield U in the most recent data year. Nursing degree recipients from Fairfield University earn a boost of around $30,214 above the typical earnings of nursing majors.

More information about a degree in nursing from Fairfield University

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
217 Nursing Degrees Awarded
7.4% Growth in Graduates

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 colleges nationwide means Northeastern is a great university overall.

There were about 217 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Northeastern in the most recent year we have data available. Those nursing students who get their degree from Northeastern University receive $25,919 more than the average nursing student.

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
226 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$81,286 Median Starting Salary

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

There were approximately 226 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Boston College in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the nursing degree program at Boston College get $2,184 more than the typical graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in nursing from Boston College

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

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

There were about 331 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 $6,406 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
322 Nursing Degrees Awarded
5.9% Growth in Graduates

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

There were about 322 nursing students who graduated with this degree at MGH Institute of Health Professions in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the nursing program state that they receive average early career income of $80,453.

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

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
473 Nursing Degrees Awarded
1.1% Growth in Graduates

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

There were approximately 473 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 make $4,593 more than the average nursing grad.

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

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
183 Nursing Degrees Awarded
1.6% Growth in Graduates

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

There were approximately 183 nursing students who graduated with this degree at UNH in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the nursing program earn about $70,109 in the first couple years of working.

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

11
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
161 Nursing Degrees Awarded
27.3% Growth in Graduates

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

There were approximately 161 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Quinsigamond Community College in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the nursing program state that they receive average early career income of $63,168.

More information about a degree in nursing from Quinsigamond Community College

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
239 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 schools nationwide means UMass Amherst is a great university overall.

There were about 239 nursing students who graduated with this degree at UMass Amherst in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the nursing major at University of Massachusetts Amherst get $3,950 above the standard graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

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
890 Nursing Degrees Awarded
8.9% Growth in Graduates

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

There were about 890 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 report average early career earnings of $79,131.

More information about a degree in nursing from Regis College

14
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
376 Nursing Degrees Awarded
6.9% Growth in Graduates

Quinnipiac is a moderately-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 roughly 376 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 $10,493 over the average earnings 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.

RankCollegeLocation
15Sacred Heart UniversityFairfield, CT
16University of Massachusetts Medical School WorcesterWorcester, MA
17University of Massachusetts - BostonBoston, MA
17American Sentinel UniversityWaterbury, CT
18University of Massachusetts - LowellLowell, MA
19New England Institute of TechnologyEast Greenwich, RI
20Southern New Hampshire UniversityManchester, NH
21Capital Community CollegeHartford, CT
22Elms CollegeChicopee, MA
23University of VermontBurlington, VT
24Rhode Island CollegeProvidence, RI

Best Nursing Colleges by State

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

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
Massachusetts3016,436
Connecticut2413,035
New Hampshire2102,059
Maine2021,238
Rhode Island2001,084
Vermont194390

View All Rankings >

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

Nursing Concentrations

MajorAnnual Graduates
Registered Nursing11,612
Nursing Administration1,076
Nursing Science1,040
Family Practice Nurse/Nursing989
Nursing Practice568
Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing168
Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing162
Adult Health Nurse/Nursing101
Nurse Anesthetist97
Clinical Nurse Leader82

View All Nursing Focus Areas >

Majors Similar to Nursing

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Health & Medical Administrative Services3,817
Public Health3,165
Allied Health Professions2,755
Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions2,494
Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services2,343
Mental & Social Health Services2,140
Health Sciences & Services2,128
Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Sciences1,822
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants1,678
Medicine1,518

View All Nursing Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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