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2023 Best Value Colleges for Nursing Practice (Income $30-$48k)

240 Ranked Colleges
7,992 Degrees Awarded
$6,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Nursing Practice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Nursing Practice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 7,992 people earned their degree in nursing practice, making the major the 105th most popular in the United States.

This year’s “Best Value Nursing Practice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 240 colleges that offered a degree in nursing practice. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent nursing practice programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the nursing practice program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Nursing Practice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Nursing Practice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Nursing Practice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Nursing Practice (Income $30-$48k)

1
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Duke University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Nursing Practice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. Duke University is a fairly large school located in Durham, North Carolina that handed out 51 ’s nursing practice degrees in 2020-2021.

Duke not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Nursing Practice Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Duke University is $-927 for nursing practice students whose families make $30-$48k. The negative number means the student will receive more financial aid on average than it costs to attend the school.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Duke University Nursing Practice Report

2

Out of the 240 schools in the Best Value Nursing Practice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #2 spot on the list. Columbia is a large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 140 ’s nursing practice degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Columbia, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Nursing Practice Schools” ranking. It costs about $4,699 for Nursing Practice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Columbia University in the City of New York.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Nursing Practice at Columbia University in the City of New York

3
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Vanderbilt University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Nursing Practice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Nashville, Tennessee. It awarded 46 ’s nursing practice degrees in 2020-2021.

Vanderbilt also took the #2 spot in our “Best Nursing Practice Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt University is $4,652 for nursing practice students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Vanderbilt Nursing Practice Report

4
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

Out of the 240 schools in the Best Value Nursing Practice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school handed out 86 degrees to qualified ’s nursing practice students in 2020-2021.

UF also made our “Best Nursing Practice Schools” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $2,857 for nursing practice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UF.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Nursing Practice at UF

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Nursing Practice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s nursing practice degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.

UNC Chapel Hill also claimed a top spot on our “Best Nursing Practice Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $5,729 for Nursing Practice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Nursing Practice at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

6
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

With a ranking of #6, Wake Forest University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Practice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and it awarded 11 ’s nursing practice degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Wake Forest University is also in the top of our “Best Nursing Practice Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Wake Forest University is $5,612 for Nursing Practice students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Nursing Practice at Wake Forest University

7

University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Nursing Practice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 22 ’s nursing practice degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UW - Madison also did well on our “Best Nursing Practice Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $4,788 for Nursing Practice students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Nursing Practice Report

8
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

Emory University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Practice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and it awarded 40 ’s nursing practice degrees in 2020-2021.

Emory also took the #7 spot in our “Best Nursing Practice Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Emory is $8,976 for Nursing Practice students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Nursing Practice at Emory

9

With a ranking of #9, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Practice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 15 ’s nursing practice degrees in 2020-2021.

UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Nursing Practice Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $9,891 for Nursing Practice students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Nursing Practice at UCLA

10

Florida International University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Nursing Practice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. FIU is located in Miami, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 80 ’s nursing practice degrees to qualified students.

On top of its placing in this ranking, FIU also did well on our “Best Nursing Practice Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Nursing Practice Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Florida International University is $4,882 for nursing practice students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Nursing Practice at Florida International University

11

California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Nursing Practice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. California State University - Fresno is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 12 ’s nursing practice degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $4,655 for nursing practice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Nursing Practice at California State University - Fresno

12
UNF crest
University of North Florida
Jacksonville, Florida

With a ranking of #12, University of North Florida did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Practice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of North Florida is located in Jacksonville, Florida and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 73 ’s nursing practice degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend UNF is $6,074 for Nursing Practice students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full University of North Florida Nursing Practice Report

13
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

With a ranking of #13, Florida State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Practice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Tallahassee, Florida, this large public school awarded 19 degrees to qualified ’s nursing practice students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Florida State is $7,349 for nursing practice students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Nursing Practice at Florida State

14

With a ranking of #14, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Practice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 26 ’s nursing practice degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $5,821 for nursing practice students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Nursing Practice at Cal State Fullerton

15

With a ranking of #15, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Practice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and it awarded 9 ’s nursing practice degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,216 for nursing practice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full IUPUI Nursing Practice Report

16

University of South Florida - Main Campus came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Practice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of South Florida - Main Campus is a large school located in Tampa, Florida that handed out 31 ’s nursing practice degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for USF Tampa is $5,632 for Nursing Practice students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full University of South Florida - Main Campus Nursing Practice Report

17

Arizona State University - Tempe came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Practice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. ASU - Tempe is located in Tempe, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 88 ’s nursing practice degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for ASU - Tempe is $10,628 for nursing practice students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Nursing Practice at ASU - Tempe

18
NKU crest
Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, Kentucky

Northern Kentucky University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Nursing Practice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #18. Highland Heights, Kentucky is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s nursing practice degrees to 82 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Northern Kentucky University is $5,947 for nursing practice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Nursing Practice at Northern Kentucky University

19

University of Central Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Nursing Practice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. University of Central Florida is a large school located in Orlando, Florida that handed out 40 ’s nursing practice degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of Central Florida is $6,256 for nursing practice students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Nursing Practice at University of Central Florida

20
UMSL crest
University of Missouri - St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri

University of Missouri - St Louis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Nursing Practice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, this fairly large public school awarded 35 diplomas to qualified ’s nursing practice students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UMSL is $8,324 for Nursing Practice students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Nursing Practice at University of Missouri - St Louis

21
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Practice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Charlottesville, Virginia, this large public school awarded 16 degrees to qualified ’s nursing practice students in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, University of Virginia also did well on our “Best Nursing Practice Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $10,063 for nursing practice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about Nursing Practice at University of Virginia - Main Campus

22
South University, Savannah crest
South University, Savannah
Savannah, Georgia

With a ranking of #22, South University, Savannah did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Practice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. South University, Savannah is located in Savannah, Georgia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 ’s nursing practice degrees to qualified students.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Nursing Practice at South University, Savannah

23

Texas Woman’s University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Nursing Practice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #23. TWU is located in Denton, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s nursing practice degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Texas Woman’s University is $7,203 for nursing practice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Nursing Practice at TWU

24
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Nursing Practice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Oakland is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 ’s nursing practice degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $8,839 for Nursing Practice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Oakland University.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Nursing Practice at Oakland University

25

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Practice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. UIC is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 123 ’s nursing practice degrees to qualified students.

UIC also claimed a top spot on our “Best Nursing Practice Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $11,351 for Nursing Practice students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full UIC Nursing Practice Report

Rest of the Best 37 in Best Value Nursing Practice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

Not only did these schools make the top 37 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
27
FAU crest
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida
28
29
30
31
32
FGCU crest
Florida Gulf Coast University
Fort Myers, Florida
33
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan
34
Rutgers Camden crest
Rutgers University - Camden
Camden, New Jersey
35
36
UD crest
University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware
37

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