2024 Best Nursing Master's Degree Schools
Ranked #2 in popularity,
nursing is one of the most sought-after master's 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 reviewed 537 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for master's degree seekers in the field of nursing. Combined, these schools handed out 51,608 master's degrees in nursing to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
Choosing a Great Nursing School for Your Master's Degree
The nursing master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality nursing program can vary widely even among the top schools. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:
Overall Quality Is a Must
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
Average Early-Career Salaries
Average early-career salary of those graduating with their master's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your master's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.
Other Factors We Consider
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
- Major Focus - How much a school focuses on nursing students vs. other majors.
- Major Demand - The number of nursing students who choose to seek a master's degree at the school.
- Educational Resources - The amount of money and other resources allocated to students while they are pursuing their degree. These resources include such things as number of students per instructor and education expenditures per student.
- Student Debt - How easy is it for nursing to pay back their student loans after receiving their master's degree.
- Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized nursing related body.
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for nursing students working on their master's degree.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 Nursing Master's Degree Schools list to help you make the college decision.
Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Nursing in the United States
Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for nursing students seeking a a master's degree. 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 for a Master's in Nursing
It's hard to beat University of Pennsylvania if you wish to pursue a master's degree in nursing. Located in the city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.
Master's recipients from the nursing program at University of Pennsylvania earn $6,509 above the average college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a master’s in nursing from University of Pennsylvania
Vanderbilt University is a good option for individuals pursuing a master's degree in nursing. Vanderbilt is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Nashville.
After graduating, nursing master's recipients generally earn an average of $99,979 in their early careers.
More information about a master’s in nursing from Vanderbilt University
Any student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in nursing needs to look into Emory University. Located in the large city of Atlanta, Emory is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.
Master's graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program earn around $97,878 in their early career salary.
More information about a master’s in nursing from Emory University
Duke University is a wonderful option for students pursuing a master's degree in nursing. Located in the city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Soon after graduation, nursing master's recipients usually earn about $95,695 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a master’s in nursing from Duke University
USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles.
Nursing master's degree recipients from University of Southern California earn a boost of around $69,088 over the average earnings of nursing majors.
More information about a master’s in nursing from University of Southern California
Located in the large city of Baltimore, UMB is a public university with a moderately-sized student population.
Soon after graduating, nursing master's recipients typically make an average of $71,766 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a master’s in nursing from University of Maryland - Baltimore
Located in the large suburb of Saint Louis, Maryville U is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.
Soon after graduation, nursing master's recipients typically earn around $93,862 in their early careers.
More information about a master’s in nursing from Maryville University of Saint Louis
GWU is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Washington.
Students who graduate with their master's from the nursing program state that they receive average early career income of $95,274.
More information about a master’s in nursing from George Washington University
Located in the city of Philadelphia, Thomas Jefferson University is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.
Nursing master's degree recipients from Thomas Jefferson University receive an earnings boost of about $3,196 over the average earnings of nursing majors.
More information about a master’s in nursing from Thomas Jefferson University
University of Virginia is a very large public university located in the small suburb of Charlottesville.
Soon after graduation, nursing master's recipients usually make about $87,239 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a master’s in nursing from University of Virginia - Main Campus