2025 Best Nursing Master's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region
If you pursue a master's degree in
nursing, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #2 most popular program in the country. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.
College Factual reviewed 38 schools in the Plains States Region 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 7,167 master's degrees in nursing during the 2022-2023 academic year.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
Choosing a Great Nursing School for Your Master's Degree
The nursing master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality nursing program can vary widely even among the top schools. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
Quality Overall Is Important
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
Average Earnings
To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their master's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their master's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.
Other Factors We Consider
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
- Major Focus - How much a school focuses on nursing students vs. other majors.
- Major Demand - The number of nursing students who choose to seek a master's degree at the school.
- Educational Resources - The amount of money and other resources allocated to students while they are pursuing their degree. These resources include such things as number of students per instructor and education expenditures per student.
- Student Debt - How easy is it for nursing to pay back their student loans after receiving their master's degree.
- Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized nursing related body.
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for nursing students working on their master's degree.
One Size Does Not Fit All
The nursing school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Nursing Master's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region.
Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Nursing in the Plains States Region
Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in nursing.
10 Top Plains States Region Schools for a Master's in Nursing
Maryville University of Saint Louis is a good choice for individuals pursuing a master's degree in nursing. Located in the large suburb of Saint Louis, Maryville U is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.
Students who graduate with their master's from the nursing program report average early career income of $106,615.
More information about a master’s in nursing from Maryville University of Saint Louis
University of Iowa is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in nursing. Iowa is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Iowa City.More information about a master’s in nursing from University of Iowa
University of North Dakota is a wonderful option for students interested in a master's degree in nursing. Located in the small city of Grand Forks, UND is a public university with a large student population.
Nursing master's degree recipients from University of North Dakota get an earnings boost of about $123,081 above the average earnings of nursing graduates.
More information about a master’s in nursing from University of North Dakota
Every student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in nursing needs to look into Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College. Located in the city of Saint Louis, Goldfarb School of Nursing is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.More information about a master’s in nursing from Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College
SLU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Saint Louis.
Master's graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program earn around $98,522 for their early career.
More information about a master’s in nursing from Saint Louis University
