by our College Data Analytics TeamCollege Factual reviewed 14 schools in Virginia to determine which ones were the best for master's degree seekers in the field of nursing. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 769 master's degrees in nursing during the 2022-2023 academic year.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
Your choice of nursing for getting your master's degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.
The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we consider a school's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a host of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of master's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their master's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for nursing students working on their master's degree.
When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Nursing Master's Degree Schools in Virginia list to help you make the college decision.
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in nursing.
It is hard to beat University of Virginia - Main Campus if you wish to pursue a master's degree in nursing. University of Virginia is a very large public university located in the suburb of Charlottesville.
Master's graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program make around $89,572 in the first couple years of working.
More information about a master’s in nursing from University of Virginia - Main Campus
Any student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in nursing needs to look into Virginia Commonwealth University. VCU is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Richmond.
Those nursing students who get their master's degree from Virginia Commonwealth University earn $7,327 more than the typical nursing graduate.
More information about a master’s in nursing from Virginia Commonwealth University
It is hard to beat Old Dominion University if you want to pursue a master's degree in nursing. Old Dominion is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Norfolk.
Soon after graduating, nursing master's recipients usually make an average of $104,712 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a master’s in nursing from Old Dominion University
Marymount University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a master's degree in nursing. Marymount is a small private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Arlington.
Master's students who receive their degree from the nursing program earn an average of $105,608 in their early career salary.
More information about a master’s in nursing from Marymount University
Located in the small city of Winchester, Shenandoah is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.
Master's recipients from the nursing degree program at Shenandoah University get $20,667 above the average college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a master’s in nursing from Shenandoah University
Located in the city of Virginia Beach, ECPI University is a private for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Master's graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program earn an average of $102,419 in the first couple years of their career.
More information about a master’s in nursing from ECPI University
Located in the large suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Soon after graduating, nursing master's recipients typically earn an average of $105,346 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a master’s in nursing from George Mason University
Located in the small city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public university with a fairly large student population.
After graduating, nursing master's recipients generally earn about $97,814 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a master’s in nursing from James Madison University
Liberty University is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Lynchburg.
Students who graduate with their master's from the nursing program state that they receive average early career wages of $95,825.
More information about a master’s in nursing from Liberty University
Located in the town of Radford, Radford is a public university with a moderately-sized student population.
Students who graduate with their master's from the nursing program report average early career earnings of $101,223.
More information about a master’s in nursing from Radford UniversityExplore all the Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | 208 | 2,300 |
| Georgia | 190 | 1,353 |
| North Carolina | 178 | 931 |
| Tennessee | 166 | 1,147 |
| Alabama | 151 | 1,997 |
| Kentucky | 147 | 1,361 |
| Louisiana | 147 | 340 |
| South Carolina | 146 | 369 |
| Mississippi | 145 | 175 |
| Arkansas | 121 | 229 |
| West Virginia | 112 | 145 |
One of 34 majors within the Health Professions area of study, Nursing has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Mental & Social Health Services | 1,058 |
| Public Health | 503 |
| Allied Health Professions | 412 |
| Health & Medical Administrative Services | 332 |
| Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions | 155 |
| Communication Sciences | 153 |
| Alternative Medicine & Systems | 95 |
| Medical Illustration & Informatics | 72 |
| Health/Medical Prep Programs | 70 |
| Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services | 47 |
