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2024 Best Nursing Schools in Ohio

86 Colleges in Ohio
13,976 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$63,662 Avg Early-Career Salary
Nursing is of the hottest degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #3 most popular major in the country. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

College Factual reviewed 86 schools in Ohio to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of nursing. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 13,976 degrees in nursing during the 2021-2022 academic year.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Nursing School

Best Nursing Schools in Ohio 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. For our Best Overall Nursing School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that 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

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Nursing Schools in Ohio list, to help you choose the best school for you. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Nursing in Ohio

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the nursing degrees they offer, see the list below. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

12 Top Ohio Schools in Nursing

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
261 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$87,770 Median Starting Salary

Case Western Reserve University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in nursing. Located in the large city of Cleveland, Case Western is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #63 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Case Western is a great university overall.

There were approximately 261 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Case Western in the most recent data year. Nursing degree recipients from Case Western Reserve University earn a boost of about $24,108 over the average income of nursing majors.

More information about a degree in nursing from Case Western Reserve University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,959 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$69,562 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in nursing needs to look into Ohio University - Athens Campus. Located in the distant town of Athens, OHIO Athens is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #239 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means OHIO Athens is a great university overall.

There were roughly 1959 nursing students who graduated with this degree at OHIO Athens in the most recent year we have data available. Nursing degree recipients from Ohio University - Athens Campus receive an earnings boost of about $5,900 over the average earnings of nursing majors.

More information about a degree in nursing from Ohio University - Athens Campus

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,182 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$80,347 Median Starting Salary

Any student who is interested in nursing needs to check out University of Cincinnati - Main Campus. Located in the city of Cincinnati, UC is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #166 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UC is a great university overall.

There were roughly 1182 nursing students who graduated with this degree at UC in the most recent data year. Those nursing students who get their degree from University of Cincinnati - Main Campus receive $16,686 more than the typical nursing student.

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

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
657 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$86,009 Median Starting Salary

It's difficult to beat Ohio State University - Main Campus if you want to pursue a degree in nursing. Located in the large city of Columbus, Ohio State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #69 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Ohio State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 657 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Ohio State in the most recent data year. Nursing degree recipients from Ohio State University - Main Campus earn a boost of approximately $22,347 over the typical earnings of nursing majors.

More information about a degree in nursing from Ohio State University - Main Campus

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
410 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$76,560 Median Starting Salary

Mount Carmel College of Nursing is a small private not-for-profit college located in the city of Columbus.

There were about 410 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Mount Carmel College of Nursing in the most recent data year. Those nursing students who get their degree from Mount Carmel College of Nursing make $12,898 more than the average nursing graduate.

More information about a degree in nursing from Mount Carmel College of Nursing

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
715 Nursing Degrees Awarded
3.2% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Kent, Kent State is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #388 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Kent State is a great university overall.

There were about 715 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Kent State in the most recent data year. Those nursing students who get their degree from Kent State University at Kent receive $2,798 more than the average nursing grad.

More information about a degree in nursing from Kent State University at Kent

7
Xavier crest
Xavier University
Cincinnati, OH
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
417 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$65,508 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Cincinnati, Xavier is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #316 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Xavier is a great university overall.

There were roughly 417 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Xavier in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the nursing program state that they receive average early career earnings of $65,508.

More information about a degree in nursing from Xavier University

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
398 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$61,527 Median Starting Salary

University of Toledo is a large public university located in the city of Toledo. A Best Colleges rank of #470 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means University of Toledo is a great university overall.

There were roughly 398 nursing students who graduated with this degree at University of Toledo in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program make about $61,527 for their early career.

More information about a degree in nursing from University of Toledo

9
Otterbein crest
Otterbein University
Westerville, OH
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
115 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$81,237 Median Starting Salary

Otterbein is a small private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Westerville. A Best Colleges rank of #669 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Otterbein is a great university overall.

There were roughly 115 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Otterbein in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the nursing major at Otterbein University make $17,575 more than the standard college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in nursing from Otterbein University

10
Cedarville crest
Cedarville University
Cedarville, OH
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
165 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$75,407 Median Starting Salary

Cedarville is a small private not-for-profit university located in the town of Cedarville. A Best Colleges rank of #697 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Cedarville is a great university overall.

There were about 165 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Cedarville in the most recent year we have data available. Those nursing students who get their degree from Cedarville University make $11,745 more than the average nursing grad.

More information about a degree in nursing from Cedarville University

11
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
170 Nursing Degrees Awarded
65.3% Growth in Graduates

Cincinnati State is a moderately-sized public college located in the large city of Cincinnati. A Best Colleges rank of #442 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Cincinnati State is a great college overall.

There were about 170 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Cincinnati State in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, nursing degree recipients usually earn about $54,846 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in nursing from Cincinnati State Technical and Community College

12
Ursuline College crest
Ursuline College
Pepper Pike, OH
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
226 Nursing Degrees Awarded
8.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of Pepper Pike, Ursuline College is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population. This college ranks 28th out of 96 colleges for overall quality in the state of Ohio.

There were roughly 226 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Ursuline College in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the nursing major at Ursuline College get $8,480 above the average college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in nursing from Ursuline College

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great schools for Nursing students in the state of Ohio that almost earned our Best Nursing Schools in Ohio award.

RankCollegeLocation
13University of Akron Main CampusAkron, OH
14Mercy College of OhioToledo, OH
15Wright State University - Main CampusDayton, OH
16Herzing University - AkronAkron, OH
17University of Rio GrandeRio Grande, OH
18Walsh UniversityNorth Canton, OH
19Youngstown State UniversityYoungstown, OH
20Cuyahoga Community College DistrictCleveland, OH
21Central Ohio Technical CollegeNewark, OH

Best Nursing Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
Michigan3227,303
Illinois30421,720
Indiana2947,745
Wisconsin2735,235

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 Nursing11,814
Family Practice Nurse/Nursing711
Nursing Practice324
Adult Health Nurse/Nursing229
Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing160
Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing159
Nurse Anesthetist91
Women’s Health Nurse/Nursing75
Clinical Nurse Leader67
Nursing Science62

View All Nursing Focus Areas >

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants4,564
Allied Health Professions3,528
Health & Medical Administrative Services3,226
Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services2,811
Medicine1,353
Mental & Social Health Services1,288
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science1,176
Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions1,156
Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Sciences1,039
Public Health989

View All Nursing Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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