January 21, 2022
What defines the best colleges for nursing? Many would say that there are plenty of good nursing schools out there and, for the most part, any school you choose is going to offer an opportunity to receive a strong education. After all, it’s more about how you apply yourself than where you apply yourself, right? We wanted to put this theory to the test and determine if certain schools offer better outcomes and career opportunities than others. Before we reveal the full list and our methodology, here’s a quick look at the top 10:
- West Coast University - Orange County
- Rutgers University - Camden
- Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion
- University of Washington Bothell
- University of Detroit Mercy
- The University of Texas at Arlington
- Winona State University
- Waynesburg University
- Creighton University
- Rockhurst University
Calculating the Best Nursing Schools in the US in 2022
To gain a better understanding of the best nursing programs in the US, we tapped into the latest data releases from the Department of Education's College Scorecard and the National Center for Education Statistics. Leveraging this data, we compared over 750 colleges and universities across three main categories: school factors, nursing programs, and career potential.
- School Factors: Graduation rate (the higher the better) and total annual cost (the lower the better).
- Nursing Programs: The ratio of nursing graduates to the student population. The larger the better.
- Career Potential: Average earnings 6 years post-entry (early career), average earning 10 years post-entry (mid-career) and employment rate 6 years post-entry.
Our goal was to create a list of the best undergraduate nursing schools, those which offer a low cost, high graduation rate, and solid career outcomes for nursing students.
With our criteria in place, we ranked each institution to determine which would make the list of the top nursing schools in the US. With strong numbers across the board, the best college for nursing in 2021 went to Chamberlain University's Arizona campus. Keep reading to see the full rankings below.
Top Nursing Schools in 2022
| School | State | Cost | Employment Rate | Early Income | Established Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Coast University - Orange County | CA | $44,481 | 94.96% | $71,900 | $67,700 |
| Rutgers University - Camden | NJ | $27,676 | 92.62% | $48,200 | $68,100 |
| Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion | IN | $38,455 | 93.15% | $47,700 | $56,200 |
| University of Washington Bothell | WA | $22,415 | 91.02% | $50,300 | $69,600 |
| University of Detroit Mercy | MI | $37,747 | 92.95% | $47,000 | $53,700 |
| The University of Texas at Arlington | TX | $23,217 | 93.79% | $43,700 | $54,000 |
| Winona State University | MN | $21,782 | 96.62% | $40,000 | $48,600 |
| Waynesburg University | PA | $36,042 | 93.77% | $43,800 | $51,200 |
| Creighton University | NE | $54,561 | 94.92% | $50,900 | $70,100 |
| Rockhurst University | MO | $51,633 | 94.19% | $44,100 | $57,300 |
| University of Mary | ND | $29,047 | 94.88% | $46,700 | $53,000 |
| Duquesne University | PA | $53,904 | 96.31% | $54,500 | $68,200 |
| North Dakota State University | ND | $21,497 | 96.25% | $45,200 | $55,500 |
| The College of Saint Scholastica | MN | $49,391 | 95.14% | $48,600 | $56,000 |
| South Dakota State University | SD | $22,858 | 96.29% | $41,100 | $50,200 |
| Ramapo College of New Jersey | NJ | $28,375 | 92.92% | $43,100 | $56,300 |
| D'Youville University | NY | $37,316 | 91.28% | $50,600 | $51,700 |
| University of Portland | OR | $61,562 | 95.77% | $54,900 | $62,500 |
| Molloy College | NY | $45,672 | 87.40% | $55,400 | $64,100 |
| Chamberlain University - Florida | FL | $31,166 | 95.88% | $69,800 | $60,400 |
| Immaculata University | PA | $43,069 | 93.64% | $51,300 | $54,700 |
| James Madison University | VA | $27,221 | 95.51% | $46,100 | $63,300 |
| Towson University | MD | $25,180 | 94.44% | $41,900 | $55,100 |
| York College of Pennsylvania | PA | $31,858 | 96.13% | $40,100 | $52,200 |
| University of St. Francis | IL | $41,946 | 93.94% | $47,100 | $56,500 |
Honorable Mentions
Just outside the top 25, these schools also stood out for their strong nursing programs and career outcomes.
| School | State | Cost | Employment Rate | Early Income | Established Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville | IL | $24,012 | 95.06% | $39,600 | $50,800 |
| University of North Carolina Wilmington | NC | $24,452 | 93.35% | $36,900 | $46,600 |
| Xavier University | OH | $54,310 | 95.20% | $44,800 | $58,200 |
| The College of New Jersey | NJ | $34,427 | 95.43% | $49,000 | $64,900 |
| Holy Family University | PA | $35,659 | 92.38% | $43,600 | $54,300 |
Closing Thoughts
That covers it for the best colleges for nursing. Ready to start your nursing career or looking for a fresh start in a new spot? We reviewed career outcomes and market trends in our article on the best states for nurses.
Need a fresh set of scrubs or anything else for the school year? Check out our wide selection of nursing scrubs or read our list of the top nusing essentials.
Sources
- National Center for Education Statistics. "IPEDS." https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/. 19 April 2022.
- U.S. Department of Education. "College Scorecard." https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. 19 April 2022.
