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2025 Best Nursing Schools in Missouri

46 Colleges in Missouri
6,569 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$84,107 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #3 in popularity, nursing is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 46 schools in Missouri to determine which ones were the best for nursing students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 6,569 degrees in nursing to qualified students.

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

Choosing a Great Nursing School

Best Nursing Schools in Missouri 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. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for nursing schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each 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

The nursing school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Nursing Schools in Missouri. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for Nursing in Missouri

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the nursing degree levels they offer.

10 Top Missouri Schools in Nursing

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,386 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$103,399 Median Starting Salary

Maryville University of Saint Louis is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in nursing. Maryville U is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Saint Louis. A Best Colleges rank of #319 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Maryville U is a great university overall.

There were roughly 1386 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Maryville U in the most recent year we have data available. Those nursing students who get their degree from Maryville University of Saint Louis earn $19,292 more than the average nursing grad.

More information about a degree in nursing from Maryville University of Saint Louis

2
SLU crest
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, MO
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
298 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$80,837 Median Starting Salary

Any student who is interested in nursing has to check out Saint Louis University. Located in the city of Saint Louis, SLU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #243 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means SLU is a great university overall.

There were about 298 nursing students who graduated with this degree at SLU in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program make an average of $80,837 for their early career.

More information about a degree in nursing from Saint Louis University

Sponsored
Bachelors Degree Type
BS in Nursing - RN to BSN Program Name

With the affordable and transfer-friendly online RN to BSN program at Southern New Hampshire University, you can build upon your prior educational journey and enhance your professional experience in a program designed to fit around your schedule.

More information about a degree in BS in Nursing - RN to BSN from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
402 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$66,925 Median Starting Salary

Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in nursing. Goldfarb School of Nursing is a fairly small private not-for-profit college located in the large city of Saint Louis.

There were about 402 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Goldfarb School of Nursing in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, nursing degree recipients typically earn an average of $66,925 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in nursing from Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
347 Nursing Degrees Awarded
17.9% Growth in Graduates

University of Missouri - Columbia is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in nursing. Located in the city of Columbia, Mizzou is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #131 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Mizzou is a great university overall.

There were approximately 347 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Mizzou in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, nursing degree recipients typically make around $82,972 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in nursing from University of Missouri - Columbia

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
275 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$89,929 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Kansas City, UMKC is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #674 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UMKC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 275 nursing students who graduated with this degree at UMKC in the most recent data year. Those nursing students who get their degree from University of Missouri - Kansas City receive $5,822 more than the average nursing student.

More information about a degree in nursing from University of Missouri - Kansas City

6
Rockhurst crest
Rockhurst University
Kansas City, MO
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
318 Nursing Degrees Awarded
3.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Kansas City, Rockhurst is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #509 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Rockhurst is a great university overall.

There were about 318 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Rockhurst in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, nursing degree recipients typically earn about $69,119 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in nursing from Rockhurst University

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
199 Nursing Degrees Awarded
9.5% Growth in Graduates

Missouri State is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Springfield. A Best Colleges rank of #575 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Missouri State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 199 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Missouri State in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the nursing degree program at Missouri State University - Springfield earn $50,551 more than the average college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in nursing from Missouri State University - Springfield

Sponsored
Bachelors Degree Type
BS in Nursing - RN to BSN - Accelerated RN to MSN Program Name

At Southern New Hampshire University, we understand the demands placed on today's nursing professionals. When it comes to your education, consider saving money and time by electing the RN to MSN pathway. Eligible students will complete graduate courses within their undergraduate program. This pathway allows you to gain a BSN along the way and ultimately shorten your time within the MSN Nursing Education or Population Healthcare tracks.

More information about a degree in BS in Nursing - RN to BSN - Accelerated RN to MSN from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
254 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$66,972 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Saint Louis, UMSL is a public university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #632 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UMSL is a great university overall.

There were about 254 nursing students who graduated with this degree at UMSL in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the nursing program earn around $66,972 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in nursing from University of Missouri - St Louis

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
213 Nursing Degrees Awarded
4.7% Growth in Graduates

Research College of Nursing is a small private for-profit college located in the large city of Kansas City.

There were about 213 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Research College of Nursing in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, nursing degree recipients generally make around $85,820 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in nursing from Research College of Nursing

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
67 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$68,391 Median Starting Salary

William Jewell is a fairly small private not-for-profit college located in the large suburb of Liberty. This college ranks 19th out of 48 colleges for overall quality in the state of Missouri.

There were roughly 67 nursing students who graduated with this degree at William Jewell in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the nursing program state that they receive average early career wages of $68,391.

More information about a degree in nursing from William Jewell College

Honorable Mentions

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

Rank College Location
11 Chamberlain University - Missouri St. Louis, MO
12 Webster University Saint Louis, MO
13 University of Central Missouri Warrensburg, MO
14 Cox College Springfield, MO
15 Saint Louis Community College Bridgeton, MO

Best Nursing Colleges in the Plains States Region

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Minnesota 284 14,831
Kansas 266 2,599
Iowa 264 2,901
Nebraska 238 1,885
North Dakota 210 975
South Dakota 204 1,013

View All Rankings >

One of 34 majors within the Health Professions area of study, Nursing has other similar majors worth exploring.

Nursing Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Registered Nursing 4,185
Family Practice Nurse/Nursing 580
Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 559
Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing 400
Nursing Practice 309
Critical Care Nursing 147
School Nursing 113
Geriatric Nurse/Nursing 99
Nurse Anesthetist 89
Adult Health Nurse/Nursing 42

View All Nursing Focus Areas >

Majors Similar to Nursing

Related Major Annual Graduates
Allied Health Professions 1,313
Medicine 1,205
Health & Medical Administrative Services 1,165
Health Sciences & Services 1,027
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants 963
Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions 938
Public Health 791
Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services 726
Communication Sciences 586
Dental Support Services 458

View All Nursing Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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