Looking for Best Nursing Schools in USA for Nursing Degree
Every credit-worthy nurse career starts with finding the best nursing school in USA offering a program that describes your aspirations. To appear in healthcare’s hall of fame, go to one of these best nursing schools in the US listed below. No, don’t confuse “famous” for “best,” or you’ll soon regret it!
Ask Yourself This:
What is the program’s NCLEX pass rate? What are the program’s unique features? How about the faculty’s credentials and clinical experiences? Are there sponsorship / scholarship options? What clinical placements are available? How does the school support the student’s success and career placement?
Do Your Homework Before Penning The Application
Of course you can rely on my rankings to settle for a med school, but that doesn’t mean I’ll cover all of them. Please do your homework before penning the mock personal statement or application. Consider the following 7 key factors:
❖ Check their NCLEX Pass Rate
The preferred school’s NCLEX-RN exam pass rate for first timers is a great indicator of how well they prepare nurse graduates for professional practice. The higher, the merrier – means you’ve a pretty chance of passing with the first attempt. It’s no wonder many students prefer Walden Uni!
❖ Is their Nursing Program Accredited?
The nursing program at Capella College is fully compliant with the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) quality standards. You get to see the displayed certification documents from a simple online search or educational visits to the school. If you chance on a school with ISO certification, you’ve hit the jackpot!
❖ Verify the Facilities and Technology at the School
Every serious student does an in-person academic tour of the nursing school they wish to join. Instead of admiring their poster-quality buildings and lawns, the wise ones keenly look out for well-equipped classrooms, modern simulation labs, and access to the most recent technology for enhanced learning experiences. Why does it feel like I am describing Chamberlain medical school in detail here
❖ Great Faculty Expertise and Solid Institutional Reputation are Key Indicators of America’s Best Nursing Schools!
If the school has all the big names in healthcare under their academic staff, you better pen that application before slots run out! Are your fingers and toes too few to count the number of employed alumni? Enroll today! Go through the profiles of all professors, seeking their credentials and experiences. Grand Canyon University, in many Americans’ opinion, snugly fits this description.
❖ How Much It’ll Cost You, and Options of Financial Assistance
A great nursing school should give you options to supplement your financial budget. Start with comparing the mandatory tuition fees so you know how much it’ll dent your bank balance. Cheap ain’t always substandard, but expensive also doesn’t guarantee you quality nursing education. Are there available sponsorships, scholarship opportunities, or potential financial aid?
❖ Have an Eye Out for Clinical Placement Sites and the Nursing Program Structure
After carefully investigating St. Xavier University, our in-house research team found that they’ve a wide variety of quality clinical placements. You needn’t worry about access to excellent healthcare practicum settings that are relevant to your nursing specialty. If you want to work and study, then consider a school with flexible class schedules ( day, evening, online, or weekend classes). It’s the perfect dessert if the med school has accelerated learning tracks for your desired specialization!
❖ Location
Whenever the commute time exceeds time spent in class, drop that option. The proximity of the college to a fetish practice area and the cost of living in the neighborhood are also important aspects when honing in on the ideal nursing school.
Did You Know?
Student nurses attend school for an average of 2~4 years before becoming a fully Registered Nurse (RN). An Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) takes two calendar years, while a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program lasts four long years!
Study Paths Towards a DNP in USA
Not making the cut-off GPA for direct admission to med school after K-12 isn’t an excuse to forego your DNP dreams. I know many practicing healthcare professionals who went from Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) through Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) / LVN (Licensed Vocational Nurse) to ADN before admission in a BSN program. After undergraduate studies, the rest of the journey is quite clear: an MSN, then the ultimate DNP certification.
Read also: Pathways to Becoming DNP in USA & Canada
According to a non random survey we conducted among our esteemed 625 nursing students statistics detail the following as the most popular nursing programs after 12th Grade:
- Practical Nursing (PN) for students preparing for a Licensed Practical Nurse career.
- BSc Nursing
- GNM Nursing
- Psychiatry and Mental Health Nursing
According to American Nurse Association, the most marketable nursing careers in the USA today include:
➔ Nurse practitioner
➔ Geriatric nurse
➔ Neonatal nurse
➔ Surgical nurse
➔ Clinical nurse
➔ Orthopedic nurse
➔ Pediatric nurse
➔ Psychiatric nurse
Those with specialty in these faculties have the highest demand according to US News and World Report (2024): surgical nursing, neonatal nursing, and critical care nursing. The same study revealed that the highest-paid nurse specialists were Psychiatric / Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) and Nurse Anesthetists.
Best Nursing Colleges & Universities in the USA (2025)- Inhouse Survey
After carefully considering the 7 key factors discussed above, I’ve drawn the following (long) list. There’s no particular ordering method; it’s just a list of the best nursing colleges and universities in the USA. I’d, however, like to acknowledge the invaluable input of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), the American Nurses Association (ANA), and the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP).
1. Emory University (Atlanta)
2. University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia)
3. The Ohio State University (Columbus)
4. Duke University (Durham)
5. University of Michigan
6. University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill)
7. New York University
8. Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland)
9. Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore)
10. University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh)
11. University of California, Los Angeles
12. University of Washington, Seattle
13. University of Wisconsin (Madison)
14. University of Iowa (Iowa City)
15. Boston College
16. University of Miami
17. University of Alabama (Birmingham)
18. Yale University (New Haven)
19. University of Florida (Gainesville)
20. University of Rochester
21. Columbia University (New York)
22. University of Virginia (Charlottesville)
23. Georgetown University (Washington, D.C.)
24. Vanderbilt University (Nashville)
25. The University of Texas (Austin)
26. University of Maryland (College Park)
27. University of California (San Francisco Parnassus Campus)
28. Union University (Jackson)
29. University of Illinois (Chicago)
30. Ohio University (Athens)
31. Villanova University (Villanova)
32. University of Minnesota (Minneapolis)
33. Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
34. NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing (New York)
35. Stanbridge University (Irvine)
36. Northeastern University (Boston)
37. Saint Louis University
38. Purdue University (West Lafayette)
39. The University of Texas (Arlington)
40. The University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa)
41. Drexel University (Philadelphia)
42. Seattle University
43. The George Washington University (Washington, D.C.)
44. Marquette University (Milwaukee)
45. Grand Canyon University (Phoenix)
46. Western Governors University (Salt Lake City)
47. University of Portland
48. Fairfield University
49. West Coast University
50. Duke University School of Nursing (Durham)
51. University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati)
Best Healthcare Grad Schools
- Johns Hopkins University
- Duke University
- University Of Alabama
- New York University
- Emory University
- Case Western Reserve University
- University of Washington
- University of Michigan
- Clayton State University
- University of Pennsylvania
- University of Maryland
- Columbia University
- Ohio State
- Georgetown University
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Vanderbilt University
- Northern Illinois University
- University of Central Florida
- Baptist College of Health Sciences
- Albany State University
- Ball State University
- Dillard University
- Abilene Christian University
- Baker University
Best Online Nursing Colleges in USA
- Grand Canyon University
- The University of Texas Medical Branch
- University of Florida
- The Ohio State University
- University of Phoenix
- University of Wisconsin–Madison
- Purdue University Global
- Southeastern Louisiana University
- George Washington University
- Arizona State University
- The University of Alabama
- California State University San Marcos
- Loma Linda University
- Campbellsville University
- Boise State University
- Saint Xavier University
- University of South Carolina
- Global Nursing Schools in the US for International Students
- Johns Hopkins University
- Baker University
- Columbia University
- University of Michigan
- Yale University
- New York University
- University of Pennsylvania
- Duke University
- The University of Sydney
- UCLA
- University of Toronto
- Abilene Christian University
- Baldwin Wallace University
- Ball State University
- Baptist Health Sciences University
- Colorado Christian University
Best Nursing Schools in USA: K-12 Schools
If you want to join healthcare studies, do especially well in Math, Computer, and Career skills in your 12th grade. Biology and Chemistry teaches you rudimentary anatomy & physiology as well as elementary medical terminology, so you better pull A’s here! Eastwick College (Hackensack) has the best healthcare assistant training in my opinion.
Best Nursing Schools in USA: Best Community Colleges
➔ Eastwick College (New Jersey)
➔ Ferris State University
➔ Seton Hall University
➔ Community College of Philadelphia
➔ Everett Community College
➔ Ivy Tech Community College
➔ Oakland Community College
➔ Oklahoma City Community College
➔ Shoreline Community College
Now that you’ve successfully applied for nursing school and got accepted. Earning the coveted nursing degree requires extra hard work and focus. Sometimes due to limited time and inadequate resources you may be required to look for a DNP writing service to assist you with assignments, DNP proposals and projects. We have a team of qualified nurse writers who have been assisting nursing students in USA and Canada complete nursing assignments.
The writers are conversant with assignment structures for all nursing schools. Therefore for just a small fee you will be able to hire an expert nursing assignment writer and get delivered a well researched and written nursing assignment on any topic or specialization including mental health nursing, family nursing, geriatric nursing, ambulatory nursing among others.