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.
For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 85 schools in Ohio to determine which ones were the best for nursing students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 13,976 degrees in nursing annually.
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.
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.
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 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
Case Western Reserve University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in nursing. Located in the city of Cleveland, Case Western is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #116 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Case Western is a great university overall.
There were roughly 261 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Case Western in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the nursing major at Case Western Reserve University make $19,025 more than the average graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
Every student who is interested in nursing has to check out University of Cincinnati - Main Campus. Located in the large city of Cincinnati, UC is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #137 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UC is a great university overall.
There were approximately 1182 nursing students who graduated with this degree at UC in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the nursing major at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus make $11,245 above the average college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
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.
Every student who is interested in nursing needs to check out 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 #184 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means OHIO Athens is a great university overall.
There were approximately 1959 nursing students who graduated with this degree at OHIO Athens in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the nursing program earn an average of $77,076 for their early career.
It's difficult to beat Ohio State University - Main Campus if you wish to pursue a degree in nursing. Located in the city of Columbus, Ohio State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #70 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Ohio State is a great university overall.
There were roughly 657 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Ohio State in the most recent data year. Those nursing students who get their degree from Ohio State University - Main Campus earn $4,003 more than the standard nursing student.
Located in the suburb of Kent, Kent State is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #250 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Kent State is a great university overall.
There were roughly 715 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Kent State in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the nursing program report average early career earnings of $71,228.
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 #277 out of 2,152 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 income of $76,607.
University of Toledo is a large public university located in the city of Toledo. A Best Colleges rank of #510 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means University of Toledo is a great university overall.
There were approximately 398 nursing students who graduated with this degree at University of Toledo in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, nursing degree recipients typically earn about $74,069 in their early careers.
BS in Nursing - RN to BSN - Accelerated RN to MSNProgram 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.
Otterbein is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Westerville. This university ranks 41st out of 91 schools for overall quality in the state of Ohio.
There were approximately 115 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Otterbein in the most recent data year. Those nursing students who get their degree from Otterbein University make $8,762 more than the typical nursing graduate.
Mount Carmel College of Nursing is a small private not-for-profit college located in the large city of Columbus.
There were approximately 410 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Mount Carmel College of Nursing in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program earn an average of $77,082 in their early career salary.
Herzing Akron is a small private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Akron.
There were approximately 90 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Herzing Akron in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the nursing program earn an average of $74,730 for their early career.
Cedarville is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the rural area of Cedarville. This university ranks 31st out of 91 colleges for overall quality in the state of Ohio.
There were about 165 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Cedarville in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the nursing program report average early career income of $78,980.
Located in the city of Cleveland, Cuyahoga Community College District is a public college with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #468 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Cuyahoga Community College District is a great college overall.
There were about 249 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Cuyahoga Community College District 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 earnings of $62,630.
Sinclair Community College is a large public college located in the midsize city of Dayton. A Best Colleges rank of #552 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Sinclair Community College is a great college overall.
There were approximately 121 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Sinclair Community College in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, nursing degree recipients usually make around $69,403 in the first five years of their career.
Located in the medium-sized city of Akron, University of Akron Main Campus is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 23rd out of 91 schools for overall quality in the state of Ohio.
There were about 270 nursing students who graduated with this degree at University of Akron Main Campus in the most recent data year. Nursing degree recipients from University of Akron Main Campus get an earnings boost of approximately $3,776 above the typical income of nursing majors.
Mercy College is a small private not-for-profit college located in the large city of Toledo.
There were about 242 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Mercy College in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program earn about $71,065 in their early career salary.
MS in Nursing - Family Nurse PractitionerProgram Name
Break into one of the most high-demand occupations in the nation with your online MSN Family Nurse Practitioner track from Southern New Hampshire University.
Cincinnati State is a moderately-sized public college located in the city of Cincinnati. A Best Colleges rank of #477 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Cincinnati State is a great college overall.
There were approximately 170 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Cincinnati State in the most recent data year. After graduating, nursing degree recipients usually make an average of $68,156 in the first five years of their career.
The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
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.
