by our College Data Analytics TeamNursing Science was the 162nd most popular major in the 2020-2021 school year. Colleges in the United States reported awarding 4,600 degrees in this year alone. This represents a small change of only -0.8% from the prior year's total of 4,637 nursing science degrees awarded.
This year's Best Nursing Science Schools ranking compares 127 of them to identify the best overall programs in the country. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of nursing science programs later in this article.
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 is a required skill for nursing science majors. Required skills include talking to others to convey information effectively and understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
New students will need to have completed high school or a GED program and each school will have their own minimum GPA and SAT/ACT test requirements. Once you obtain your degree, additional nursing science certifications required to pursue a career in this field.
Nursing Science degree levels vary. You can get anything from a in nursing science to the highest nursing science degree, a . Different nursing science degrees vary in how long they take.
| 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 |
An associate degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to nursing science, with approximately 33.1% of workers getting one. People currently working in careers related to nursing science tend obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 36.1% |
| Master’s Degree | 23.7% |
| Doctoral Degree | 17.1% |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 15.1% |
| Some College Courses | 5.8% |
61.6% of nursing science workers have at least a bachelor's. View the chart below to get an idea of what degree level most of those in nursing science careers have.
This of course varies depending on which nursing science career you choose.
Want a job when you graduate with your nursing science degree? Nursing Science careers are expected to grow 15.0% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to nursing science.
| 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 nursing science graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Salaries for nursing science graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers nursing science grads often go into.
| Occupation Name | Median Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Nursing Instructors and Professors | $81,350 |
| Registered Nurses | $75,510 |
With over 240 different nursing science 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 nursing science school rankings to help you with this.
One of 22 majors within the Nursing area of study, Nursing Science 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.
