Federal Data · No Paid Rankings

Best Colleges for Nursing

Top nursing programs ranked by what their nursing graduates earn, plus completion rates, debt and actual cost. Federal data. No paid rankings.

658

Schools with nursing earnings data

1,383

Schools with nursing programs in dataset

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How We Rank Nursing Schools

These rankings use what nursing bachelor's graduates earn, not the school-wide average. College Scorecard publishes earnings three years after graduation for each field of study. A school is ranked when it has a published figure for registered nursing and at least 25 graduates behind it. Each school is then scored on our 5-component composite using federal data: nursing graduate earnings (28%), graduation rate (25%), social mobility via Pell Grant share (20%), debt burden (15%), and net cost for low-income students (12%). Where a school has not reported one of these, that component is dropped and the remaining weights are rescaled rather than filled in with an estimate. A school with no net price on file for families earning up to $30,000 is scored on its overall average net price instead. Only 4-year non-profit schools with sufficient data qualify.

→Earnings: Median annual earnings of nursing bachelor's graduates three years after they graduate. Source: College Scorecard.
→Graduation rate: Full-time first-time students completing within 150% of normal time. Source: IPEDS.
→Net price: Average annual cost after all grants and scholarships. Source: IPEDS.
→Social mobility: Share of students receiving Pell Grants, a direct measure of access for low-income students. Source: IPEDS.
→Debt burden: Median federal loan debt at graduation. Source: College Scorecard.

Top 10 Nursing Schools (2026)

Ranked by composite: nursing graduate earnings, graduation rate, social mobility, debt, affordability.

#	School	Accept	Net Price/yr	Grad Rate	Gradsin nursing	Earnings (3yr)nursing grads
1	University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA	9%	$14,512	93%	49	$100,320
2	CUNY Hunter College New York, NY	53.8%	$4,431	57%	176	$100,641
3	CUNY Lehman College Bronx, NY	56.6%	$3,961	51%	145	$102,481
4	University of California-Irvine Irvine, CA	28.6%	$15,889	87%	47	$95,882
5	California State University-Fullerton Fullerton, CA	90.5%	$7,064	70%	333	$94,651
6	California State University-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA	91.3%	$4,460	53%	147	$93,771
7	California State University-Sacramento Sacramento, CA	94%	$10,110	56%	181	$114,088
8	California State University-Stanislaus Turlock, CA	98.1%	$7,433	53%	135	$104,737
9	California State University-Long Beach Long Beach, CA	46.3%	$10,607	69%	157	$94,848
10	California State University-Northridge Northridge, CA	93.4%	$7,536	57%	132	$98,535

658 of 1,383 schools with Nursing programs have published nursing graduate earnings and are ranked. Top 10 shown. Earnings are the median for nursing bachelor's graduates three years after graduation, and Grads is how many graduates that figure covers. Data: IPEDS + College Scorecard. Updated annually.

All 1,383 Colleges in the Dataset

The ranking above shows the top 10 by composite score. Every school in the full dataset is listed here so you can explore beyond the top results.

A

Aaniiih Nakoda College Abilene Christian University Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Adams State University Adelphi University Adrian College AdventHealth University Agape College of Business and Science Agnes Scott College Alabama A & M University Alabama State University Alaska Pacific University Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Albany State University Albertus Magnus College Albion College Albizu University-Miami Albizu University-San Juan Albright College Alcorn State University Alfred University Alice Lloyd College Allegheny College Alma College Alvernia University Alverno College American International College American University Anderson University Anderson University Andrew College Andrews University Angelo State University Anna Maria College Appalachian State University Aquinas College Arcadia University Arizona State University Campus Immersion Arkansas State University Arkansas Tech University Arlington Baptist University Asbury University Ashland University Assumption University Atenas University Atlanta Metropolitan State College Auburn University Auburn University at Montgomery Augsburg University Augusta University Augustana College Augustana University Aultman College of Nursing and Health Sciences Aurora University Austin College Austin Peay State University Ave Maria University Averett University Avila University Azusa Pacific University

B

C

141

I

J

Jackson State University Jacksonville State University Jacksonville University James A. Rhodes State College James Madison University John Brown University John Carroll University Johns Hopkins University Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte Johnson & Wales University-Providence Johnson C Smith University Johnson University

L

La Roche University La Salle University La Sierra University Lackawanna College LaGrange College Lake Erie College Lake Superior State University Lake Washington Institute of Technology Lake-Sumter State College Lakeland University Lamar University Lancaster Bible College Lander University Langston University Laredo College Lasell University Lawrence Technological University Le Moyne College Lebanon Valley College Lee University Lees-McRae College Lehigh University Lenoir-Rhyne University Lesley University LeTourneau University Lewis & Clark College Lewis University Lewis-Clark State College Liberty University Life University Limestone University Lincoln Memorial University Lincoln University Lincoln University Lindenwood University Lindsey Wilson College Linfield University Lipscomb University Logan University Lone Star College System Long Island University Longwood University Loras College Los Angeles Mission College Los Angeles Pacific University Los Angeles Valley College Louisiana Christian University Louisiana State University-Alexandria Louisiana State University-Shreveport Louisiana Tech University Lourdes University Loyola University Chicago Loyola University Maryland Loyola University New Orleans Lubbock Christian University Luther College Lynn University

M

105

Madonna University Maharishi International University Maine College of Health Professions Malone University Manchester University Manhattan University Manhattanville University Manor College Maranatha Baptist University Maria College of Albany Marian University Marian University Marietta College Marist University Marquette University Mars Hill University Marshall University Mary Baldwin University Marymount Manhattan College Marymount University Maryville College Maryville University of Saint Louis Marywood University Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Mayville State University McKendree University McMurry University McNeese State University McPherson College MCPHS University Mercer University Mercy College of Health Sciences Mercy College of Ohio Mercy University Mercyhurst University Meredith College Merrimack College Messiah University Methodist College Methodist University Metropolitan College of New York Metropolitan State University Metropolitan State University of Denver Miami Dade College Miami University-Hamilton Miami University-Middletown Miami University-Oxford Michigan State University Michigan Technological University Mid-America Christian University Mid-South Christian College MidAmerica Nazarene University Middle Georgia State University Middle Tennessee State University Midland College Midland University Midway University Midwestern State University Midwives College of Utah Millersville University of Pennsylvania Milligan University Millikin University Milwaukee School of Engineering Minnesota State University Moorhead Minnesota State University-Mankato Minot State University Misericordia University Mississippi College Mississippi University for Women Missouri Baptist University Missouri Southern State University Missouri State University-Springfield Missouri Valley College Missouri Western State University Mitchell College Modesto Junior College Molloy University Monmouth University Montana State University Montana State University Billings Montana State University-Northern Montana Technological University Montclair State University Montreat College Moody Bible Institute Moorpark College Moravian University Morehead State University Morgan State University Morningside University Morris College Mount Aloysius College Mount Carmel College of Nursing Mount Marty University Mount Mary University Mount Mercy University Mount Saint Mary College Mount Saint Mary's University Mount St. Joseph University Mount St. Mary's University Mount Vernon Nazarene University Muhlenberg College Murray State College Murray State University Muskingum University

N

Naropa University National Louis University National University Navarro College Nazareth University Nebraska Methodist College of Nursing & Allied Health Nebraska Wesleyan University Neumann University Nevada State University New England College New England Institute of Technology New Jersey City University New Mexico Highlands University New Mexico State University-Main Campus New York College of Health Professions New York Institute of Technology New York University Newberry College Newman University Niagara University Nicholls State University Norfolk State University North Carolina A & T State University North Carolina Central University North Carolina Wesleyan University North Central College North Central State College North Dakota State University-Main Campus North Florida College North Greenville University North Park University Northeastern Illinois University Northeastern State University Northeastern University Northern Arizona University Northern Illinois University Northern Kentucky University Northern Michigan University Northern New Mexico College Northwest Florida State College Northwest Missouri State University Northwest Nazarene University Northwest University Northwest University-Center for Online and Extended Education Northwest Vista College Northwestern College Northwestern Oklahoma State University Northwestern State University of Louisiana Northwestern University Northwood University Norwich University Notre Dame of Maryland University Nova Southeastern University

O

Oak Hills Christian College Oakland University Oakwood University Ohio Christian University Ohio Dominican University Ohio Northern University Ohio State University-Main Campus Ohio State University-Mansfield Campus Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus Ohio University-Eastern Campus Ohio University-Lancaster Campus Ohio University-Main Campus Ohio University-Southern Campus Ohio University-Zanesville Campus Ohio Wesleyan University Oklahoma Baptist University Oklahoma Christian University Oklahoma City University Oklahoma Panhandle State University Oklahoma State University-Main Campus Oklahoma Wesleyan University Old Dominion University Olivet Nazarene University Olympic College Oral Roberts University Oregon Institute of Technology Oregon State University Oregon State University-Cascades Campus Ottawa University-Ottawa Otterbein University Ouachita Baptist University Our Lady of the Lake University

P

Q

Queens University of Charlotte Quincy University Quinnipiac University

S

134

Sacred Heart University Saginaw Valley State University Saint Ambrose University Saint Anselm College Saint Augustine's University Saint Cloud State University Saint Edward's University Saint Elizabeth University Saint Francis University Saint Johns River State College Saint Johns University Saint Joseph's College of Maine Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia Saint Louis University Saint Martin's University Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College Saint Mary's College Saint Mary's College of California Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Saint Michael's College Saint Peter's University Saint Vincent College Saint Xavier University Salem College Salem State University Salisbury University Salish Kootenai College Salve Regina University Sam Houston State University Samford University San Antonio College San Diego Mesa College San Diego State University San Francisco State University San Jose State University San Juan Bautista School of Medicine Santa Ana College Santa Fe College Sarah Lawrence College School of the Art Institute of Chicago Schreiner University Scripps College Seattle Central College Seattle Pacific University Seattle University Seminole State College of Florida Seton Hall University Seton Hill University Shasta College Shawnee State University Shenandoah University Shepherd University Shorter University Siena College Siena Heights University Simmons University Simpson College Simpson University Sinte Gleska University Skagit Valley College Skyline College Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Sonoma State University South Carolina State University South Dakota State University South Florida Bible College and Theological Seminary South Florida State College South Georgia State College South Texas College Southeast Missouri Hospital College of Nursing and Health Sciences Southeast Missouri State University Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary Southeastern Louisiana University Southeastern University Southern Adventist University Southern Arkansas University Main Campus Southern California University of Health Sciences Southern Connecticut State University Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Southern Nazarene University Southern New Hampshire University Southern Oregon University Southern University and A & M College Southern Utah University Southern Wesleyan University Southwest Baptist University Southwest Minnesota State University Southwestern Adventist University Southwestern College Southwestern Oklahoma State University Spalding University Spelman College Spring Arbor University Spring Hill College Springfield College St Bonaventure University St Catherine University St Luke's College St Olaf College St Petersburg College St Philip's College St. Francis College St. John Fisher University St. John's University-New York St. Joseph's University-New York St. Mary's University St. Thomas Aquinas College St. Thomas University State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota State University of New York at Cortland State University of New York at New Paltz State University of New York at Oswego State University of New York at Plattsburgh Stephen F Austin State University Stephens College Stetson University Stevenson University Stockton University Stonehill College Stony Brook University Suffolk University Sul Ross State University SUNY at Fredonia SUNY Brockport SUNY Buffalo State University SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill SUNY College of Technology at Alfred SUNY College of Technology at Canton SUNY College of Technology at Delhi SUNY Morrisville SUNY Old Westbury SUNY Polytechnic Institute

T

U

210

V

Valdosta State University Valencia College Valley City State University Valparaiso University Vanderbilt University Vanguard University of Southern California Vermont State University Villa Maria College Villanova University Vincennes University Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Union University Virginia Wesleyan University Viterbo University Voorhees University

W

Wagner College Wake Forest University Walla Walla University Walsh University Warner Pacific University Warren Wilson College Wartburg College Washburn University Washington Adventist University Washington State College of Ohio Washington State University Washington University in St Louis Wayland Baptist University Wayne State University Waynesburg University Weatherford College Webber International University Weber State University Webster University Wenatchee Valley College Wesleyan College West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Liberty University West Los Angeles College West Texas A & M University West Virginia State University West Virginia University West Virginia University at Parkersburg West Virginia University Institute of Technology West Virginia Wesleyan College Western Carolina University Western Connecticut State University Western Governors University Western Illinois University Western Kentucky University Western Michigan University Western New England University Western New Mexico University Western Oregon University Western Washington University Westfield State University Westminster College Westminster University Westmont College Wheaton College (Massachusetts)Wheeling University Whitworth University Wichita State University Widener University Wilberforce University Wilkes University William Carey University William Jewell College William Paterson University of New Jersey William Peace University William Penn University William Woods University Wilmington College Wilmington University Wilson College Wingate University Winona State University Winston-Salem State University Wisconsin Lutheran College Wittenberg University Women's Institute of Torah Seminary and College Worcester State University World Mission University Wright State University-Lake Campus Wright State University-Main Campus

X

Xavier University Xavier University of Louisiana

Y

Yakima Valley College Yale University Yavapai College Yeshiva University York College of Pennsylvania Youngstown State University

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