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2025 Best Nursing Schools in Minnesota

44 Colleges in Minnesota
16,016 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$84,107 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a degree in nursing, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #3 most popular program in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 44 schools in Minnesota to determine which ones were the best for nursing students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 16,016 degrees in nursing to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Nursing School

Best Nursing Schools in Minnesota Your choice of nursing school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall Nursing School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your Nursing Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Nursing
Bachelor's Degrees in Nursing
Master's Degrees in Nursing
Doctor's Degrees in Nursing

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Nursing Schools in Minnesota ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Nursing in Minnesota

The schools below may not offer all types of nursing degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.

10 Top Minnesota Schools in Nursing

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
37 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$189,790 Median Starting Salary

It's hard to beat Mayo Clinic School of Medicine if you wish to pursue a degree in nursing. Mayo Clinic School of Medicine is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Rochester.

There were about 37 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Mayo Clinic School of Medicine in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the nursing program at Mayo Clinic School of Medicine get $105,683 above the standard graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in nursing from Mayo Clinic School of Medicine

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
986 Nursing Degrees Awarded
20.0% Growth in Graduates

Rasmussen University - Minnesota is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in nursing. Rasmussen University - Minnesota is a medium-sized private for-profit university located in the city of St. Cloud. A Best Colleges rank of #129 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Rasmussen University - Minnesota is a great university overall.

There were approximately 986 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Rasmussen University - Minnesota in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, nursing degree recipients usually earn about $69,825 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in nursing from Rasmussen University - Minnesota

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
301 Nursing Degrees Awarded
8.6% Growth in Graduates

Winona State University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in nursing. Winona State is a moderately-sized public university located in the town of Winona. A Best Colleges rank of #330 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Winona State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 301 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Winona State in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program earn about $79,889 for their early career.

More information about a degree in nursing from Winona State University

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
378 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$87,629 Median Starting Salary

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a good decision for students pursuing a degree in nursing. Located in the large city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #45 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UMN Twin Cities is a great university overall.

There were roughly 378 nursing students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent year we have data available. Nursing degree recipients from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities earn a boost of about $3,523 above the typical earnings of nursing majors.

More information about a degree in nursing from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
355 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$75,499 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Duluth, St. Scholastica is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #494 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means St. Scholastica is a great college overall.

There were roughly 355 nursing students who graduated with this degree at St. Scholastica in the most recent data year. After graduating, nursing degree recipients generally make an average of $75,499 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in nursing from The College of Saint Scholastica

6
St. Kate's crest
St Catherine University
Saint Paul, MN
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
290 Nursing Degrees Awarded
3.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Saint Paul, St. Kate's is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #362 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means St. Kate's is a great university overall.

There were roughly 290 nursing students who graduated with this degree at St. Kate's in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program make about $78,909 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in nursing from St Catherine University

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
367 Nursing Degrees Awarded
22.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Mankato, Minnesota State Mankato is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #412 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Minnesota State Mankato is a great university overall.

There were about 367 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Minnesota State Mankato 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 $77,188.

More information about a degree in nursing from Minnesota State University - Mankato

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
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
44 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$190,453 Median Starting Salary

Located in the distant town of Winona, SMU MN is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #432 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means SMU MN is a great university overall.

There were roughly 44 nursing students who graduated with this degree at SMU MN in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the nursing major at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota get $106,347 above the standard graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in nursing from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
140 Nursing Degrees Awarded
4.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of Saint Paul, Bethel University Minnesota is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #476 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Bethel University Minnesota is a great university overall.

There were about 140 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Bethel University Minnesota in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, nursing degree recipients generally make an average of $75,479 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in nursing from Bethel University Minnesota

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
105 Nursing Degrees Awarded
6.7% Growth in Graduates

Herzing University - Minneapolis is a small private not-for-profit university located in the small city of St. Louis Park.

There were about 105 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Herzing University - Minneapolis in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program earn around $75,774 for their early career.

More information about a degree in nursing from Herzing University - Minneapolis

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
Missouri 283 6,440
Kansas 266 2,599
Iowa 264 2,901
Nebraska 238 1,885
North Dakota 210 975
South Dakota 204 1,013

View All Rankings >

Nursing is one of 34 different types of Health Professions programs to choose from.

Nursing Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Registered Nursing 13,847
Nursing Administration 825
Nursing Practice 741
Clinical Nurse Leader 130
Nursing Science 99
Nurse Anesthetist 93
Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing 67
Adult Health Nurse/Nursing 36
Family Practice Nurse/Nursing 36
Maternal/Child Health and Neonatal Nurse/Nursing 33

View All Nursing Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Mental & Social Health Services 2,805
Health & Medical Administrative Services 2,405
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants 2,082
Allied Health Professions 1,066
Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services 925
Public Health 864
Dental Support Services 713
Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions 606
Bioethics/Medical Ethics 578
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science 501

View All Nursing Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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