by our College Data Analytics TeamClinical Nurse Specialist was the 642nd most popular major in the 2020-2021 school year. Colleges in the United States reported awarding 419 degrees in this year alone. This represents a 8.4% increase in clinical nurse specialist degrees awarded over the prior year's total of 384.
Our 2023 Best Clinical Nurse Specialist Schools ranking analyzes 18 of these schools to determine the best overall colleges for clinical nurse specialist students. Explore this or one of our many other custom clinical nurse specialist rankings further below.
Talking to others to convey information effectively has been highlighted as one of the most essential skills for careers related to clinical nurse specialist. Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times and understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents are all required skills for careers related to this major.
clinical nurse specialist degree applicants generally need have finished high school or their GED. Many schools may also have GPA and SAT/ACT score minimums that must be met. In addition to these basic clinical nurse specialist program qualifications, to serve in some clinical nurse specialist careers, special certification may be required outside of your degree.
There are many different clinical nurse specialist degree levels. You can get anything from a in clinical nurse specialist to the highest clinical nurse specialist degree, a . The time it takes to complete a clinical nurse specialist degree varies depending on the program.
| Degree | Credit Requirements | Typical Program Length |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 60-70 credits | 2 years |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 120 credits | 4 years |
| Master’s Degree | 50-70 credits | 1-3 years |
| Doctorate | Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation | At least 4 years |
A master's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to clinical nurse specialist, with approximately 46.2% of workers getting one. People currently working in careers related to clinical nurse specialist tend obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Master’s Degree | 41.4% |
| Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 26.3% |
| Doctoral Degree | 13.5% |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 11.0% |
| Some College Courses | 4.2% |
About 65.0% of workers in careers related to clinical nurse specialist obtain at least master's degrees. See the chart below for the most common degree level workers in clinical nurse specialist have received.
The education level required is different depending on the clinical nurse specialist career you are seeking.
Want a job when you graduate with your clinical nurse specialist degree? Clinical Nurse Specialist careers are expected to grow 15.0% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to clinical nurse specialist.
| Occupation Name | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 3,393,200 | 14.8% |
| Nursing Instructors and Professors | 84,200 | 24.0% |
As you might expect, salaries for clinical nurse specialist graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Salaries for clinical nurse specialist graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers clinical nurse specialist grads often go into.
| Occupation Name | Median Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Nursing Instructors and Professors | $81,350 |
| Registered Nurses | $75,510 |
With over 63 different clinical nurse specialist degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased clinical nurse specialist school rankings to help you with this.
One of 22 majors within the Nursing area of study, Clinical Nurse Specialist has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | 266,651 |
| Family Practice Nurse/Nursing | 16,104 |
| Nursing Administration | 9,838 |
| Nursing Practice | 7,992 |
| Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 5,092 |
Image Credit: By Aleksahgabrielle under License More about our data sources and methodologies.
