2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Nursing (With Aid)
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Nursing is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 3rd of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 313,362 degrees were awarded to students with this major. 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.
For this year’s “Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 531 colleges that offer a degree in nursing. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great nursing programs and 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 program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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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 “Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid”.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid.
Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Nursing (With Aid)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Hunter College. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid. Hunter College is a large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 221 masters’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Hunter 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. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Hunter College are $20,828.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s nursing degrees to 78 students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Cal State LA are $17,723, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Full California State University - Los Angeles Nursing Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lehman College. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Lehman is a fairly large school located in Bronx, New York that handed out 83 masters’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Lehman College are $21,000, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid. Edinburg, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s nursing degrees to 27 students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at The University of Texas 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
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Dominguez Hills. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid. Carson, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s nursing degrees to 61 students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Dominguez Hills are $17,884, but some majors have different tuition rates.
With a ranking of #6, California State University - Stanislaus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Stan State is located in Turlock, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 masters’s nursing degrees to qualified students.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Stan State are $18,540, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. 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 also claimed a top spot on our “Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. 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.
Florida International University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. FIU is a large school located in Miami, Florida that handed out 180 masters’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
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 in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Average graduate tuition and fees at FIU are $24,211, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Western Governors University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Western Governors University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Salt Lake City, Utah. It awarded 2,579 masters’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Western Governors University are $7,790, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
California State University - Fullerton landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s nursing degrees to 68 students 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 - Fullerton are $17,892.
California State University - Fresno ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school awarded 23 degrees to qualified masters’s nursing 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.
Texas A&M International University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Texas A&M International University is a medium-sized school located in Laredo, Texas that handed out 16 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 Texas A&M International University are $15,106.
California State University - Bakersfield landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - Bakersfield is located in Bakersfield, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 masters’s nursing degrees to qualified students.
Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Bakersfield are $18,437, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read more about Nursing at California State University - Bakersfield
University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school awarded 18 degrees to qualified masters’s nursing students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UW Seattle is also in the top of our “Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. 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 University of Washington - Seattle Campus are $30,294.
Yale University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. Located in New Haven, Connecticut, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 116 degrees to qualified masters’s nursing students in 2019-2020.
Yale did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Yale University are $44,500, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
With a ranking of #16, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s nursing degrees to 117 students 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 - Long Beach are $17,784.
The University of West Florida landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Pensacola, Florida, this fairly large public school awarded 69 diplomas to qualified masters’s nursing students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at The University of West Florida are $24,894, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Florida Gulf Coast University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Fort Myers, Florida, and it awarded 18 masters’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at FGCU are $31,216, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. USF Tampa is a public institution located in Tampa, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 301 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at USF Tampa are $21,126, but some majors have different tuition rates.
University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school handed out 17 degrees to qualified masters’s nursing students in 2019-2020.
On top of its placing in this ranking, UC Irvine also did well on our “Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% 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 University of California - Irvine are $28,456.
University of California - Los Angeles came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s nursing degrees to 149 students in 2019-2020.
UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 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 University of California - Los Angeles are $28,131.
Read full report on Nursing at University of California - Los Angeles
With a ranking of #22, The University of Texas at El Paso did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. The University of Texas at El Paso is located in El Paso, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 171 masters’s nursing degrees to qualified students.
Average graduate tuition and fees at The University of Texas at El Paso are $16,180, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Nursing at The University of Texas at El Paso
Indiana University - Northwest did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. IU Northwest is a public institution located in Gary, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at IU Northwest are $18,275, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Florida State University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Tallahassee, Florida, this large public school awarded 22 degrees to qualified masters’s nursing students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Florida State are $26,707, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. California State University - San Bernardino is located in San Bernardino, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 masters’s nursing degrees to qualified students.
Average graduate tuition and fees at CSUSB are $17,936, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Nursing at California State University - San Bernardino
Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Nursing Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid
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 Getting Aid
While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
Rank | College | Location |
---|---|---|
51 | The University of Texas at Tyler | Tyler, TX |
52 | San Diego State University | San Diego, CA |
53 | Florida Atlantic University | Boca Raton, FL |
54 | Marshall University | Huntington, WV |
54 | The University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX |
56 | Rhode Island College | Providence, RI |
57 | Brigham Young University - Provo | Provo, UT |
58 | University of Phoenix - Arizona | Tempe, AZ |
59 | University of North Georgia | Dahlonega, GA |
60 | University of Virginia - Main Campus | Charlottesville, VA |
61 | Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis | Indianapolis, IN |
62 | Indiana University - South Bend | South Bend, IN |
63 | Mount Marty University | Yankton, SD |
64 | Governors State University | University Park, IL |
65 | The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga | Chattanooga, TN |
Rank | College | Location |
---|---|---|
66 | Columbia Central University - Caguas | Caguas, PR |
67 | California State University - San Marcos | San Marcos, CA |
68 | University of California - Davis | Davis, CA |
69 | University of North Dakota | Grand Forks, ND |
70 | Columbus State University | Columbus, GA |
71 | University of Alaska Anchorage | Anchorage, AK |
72 | Ball State University | Muncie, IN |
73 | Indiana University - East | Richmond, IN |
74 | University of South Alabama | Mobile, AL |
75 | Ramapo College of New Jersey | Mahwah, NJ |
76 | University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, PA |
77 | University of Wyoming | Laramie, WY |
77 | Indiana University - Kokomo | Kokomo, IN |
79 | University of Utah | Salt Lake City, UT |
80 | Georgia Southwestern State University | Americus, 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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Aleksahgabrielle.
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