2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2019-2020, 313,362 nursing students received their degree, making the major the 3rd most popular in the country. In 2017-2018, nursing graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $67,065 and had an average of $26,282 in loans still to pay off.
At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 50,422 nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 529 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in nursing. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality nursing programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the nursing program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Nursing (Income $0-$30k)
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 Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k. This fairly large school is located in Durham, North Carolina, and it awarded 234 masters’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
Duke not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Duke are $59,140, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Out of the 529 schools in the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pennsylvania landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Pennsylvania is a private not-for-profit institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has a large population, and it awarded 371 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UPenn, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Pennsylvania are $41,760.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Yale University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in New Haven, Connecticut, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 116 diplomas to qualified masters’s nursing students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our master’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k list, Yale has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Yale are $44,500, but some majors have different tuition rates.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Johns Hopkins University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Johns Hopkins University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Baltimore, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 264 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Johns Hopkins also made our “Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #4. Average graduate tuition and fees at Johns Hopkins are $59,425, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Out of the 529 schools in the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Vanderbilt University landed the #5 spot on the list. Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Nashville, Tennessee. It awarded 333 masters’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our master’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k list, Vanderbilt has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Vanderbilt are $50,624, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Georgetown University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Washington, District of Columbia, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 291 degrees to qualified masters’s nursing students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Georgetown, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Georgetown University are $53,591, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 87 masters’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at U-M are $49,548, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Nursing at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Hunter College landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s nursing degrees to 221 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on this list, Hunter is in the top on our “Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Average graduate tuition and fees at Hunter College are $20,828, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UNC Chapel Hill is a large public school situated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It awarded 99 masters’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
UNC Chapel Hill excels when it comes to nursing quality. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UNC Chapel Hill are $30,248.
Read more about Nursing at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Florida International University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. FIU is located in Miami, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 180 masters’s nursing degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, FIU is also in the top of our “Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at FIU are $24,211.
Lehman College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Lehman College is a public institution located in Bronx, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 83 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Lehman are $21,000.
California State University - Los Angeles ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 78 masters’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Cal State LA are $17,723.
Read full report on Nursing at California State University - Los Angeles
Columbia University in the City of New York came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Columbia is a large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 277 masters’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our master’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k list, Columbia has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Columbia University in the City of New York are $51,194, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Florida State University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Florida State University is located in Tallahassee, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 masters’s nursing degrees to qualified students.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Florida State are $26,707, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
With a ranking of #15, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is located in Edinburg, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 27 masters’s nursing degrees to qualified students.
Average graduate tuition and fees at UT Rio Grande Valley are $15,151, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Nursing at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
California State University - Stanislaus landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Turlock, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s nursing degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Stanislaus are $18,540, but some majors have different tuition rates.
With a ranking of #17, California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Carson, California, and it awarded 61 masters’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Dominguez Hills are $17,884.
Read full report on Nursing at California State University - Dominguez Hills
Wake Forest University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Wake Forest University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It awarded 24 masters’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
Wake Forest University excels when it comes to nursing quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Wake Forest University are $39,216.
With a ranking of #19, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 68 masters’s nursing degrees to qualified students.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Fullerton are $17,892.
Read more about Nursing at California State University - Fullerton
University of California - Los Angeles came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of California - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 149 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UCLA are $28,131, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Nursing at University of California - Los Angeles
University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school handed out 18 degrees to qualified masters’s nursing students in 2019-2020.
UW Seattle excels when it comes to nursing quality. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Average graduate tuition and fees at UW Seattle are $30,294, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Nursing Report
With a ranking of #22, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 17 masters’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UC Irvine is also in the top of our “Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Irvine are $28,456, but some majors have different tuition rates.
University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of South Florida - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Tampa, Florida. It awarded 301 masters’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at University of South Florida - Main Campus are $21,126, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Nursing at University of South Florida - Main Campus
California State University - Fresno ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s nursing degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Fresno are $17,581, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Emory University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 149 degrees to qualified masters’s nursing students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our master’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k list, Emory has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Emory are $44,676, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k
While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Florida Atlantic University | Boca Raton, FL |
| 52 | The University of Texas at Tyler | Tyler, TX |
| 53 | Appalachian State University | Boone, NC |
| 54 | College of Staten Island CUNY | Staten Island, NY |
| 55 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | Greensboro, NC |
| 56 | The University of Texas at El Paso | El Paso, TX |
| 57 | SUNY Polytechnic Institute | Utica, NY |
| 58 | University of Wyoming | Laramie, WY |
| 59 | University of Southern California | Los Angeles, CA |
| 60 | California State University - Sacramento | Sacramento, CA |
| 61 | Indiana University - South Bend | South Bend, IN |
| 62 | Stony Brook University | Stony Brook, NY |
| 63 | Indiana University - Kokomo | Kokomo, IN |
| 64 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | Edwardsville, IL |
| 65 | Ball State University | Muncie, IN |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 66 | Washington State University | Pullman, WA |
| 67 | University of Wisconsin - Green Bay | Green Bay, WI |
| 68 | Ferris State University | Big Rapids, MI |
| 69 | McNeese State University | Lake Charles, LA |
| 70 | University of Southern Indiana | Evansville, IN |
| 71 | Marshall University | Huntington, WV |
| 72 | MSU Texas | Wichita Falls, TX |
| 73 | University of Mississippi | University, MS |
| 74 | University of Rochester | Rochester, NY |
| 75 | University of South Carolina - Columbia | Columbia, SC |
| 76 | Brigham Young University - Provo | Provo, UT |
| 77 | San Jose State University | San Jose, CA |
| 78 | Augusta University | Augusta, GA |
| 78 | Arizona State University - Tempe | Tempe, AZ |
| 80 | University of North Georgia | Dahlonega, GA |
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Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
Footnotes
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
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- Credit for the banner image above goes to Aleksahgabrielle.
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