College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2022 Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for Nursing

664 Colleges in the United States
50,422 Master's Degrees
$97,473 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #2 in popularity, nursing is one of the most sought-after master's degree programs in the nation. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

In 2022, College Factual analyzed 664 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for Nursing ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 50,422 master's degrees in nursing during the 2019-2020 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Other Rankings

Choosing a Great Nursing School for Your Master's Degree

Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for Nursing The nursing master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. As an aid in helping you pick the right school for you, we created our Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for Nursing ranking.

A high popularity ranking isn't always a sign that a school has a great overall quality ranking for nursing, but it does mean that many students are choosing the school for some reason. Sometimes this is because the school offers a great educational experience, it is a good value, or it is highly focused on the program.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Associate Degrees in Nursing
Bachelor's Degrees in Nursing
Doctor's Degrees in Nursing
Overall Popularity in Nursing

This ranking is just one of the many we have created. First of all, if you are interested in other degree levels, you may want to take a look at one of the rankings highlighted above. Also, if you are interested in attending school in a specific part of the country, see our rankings by location. On top of that, you can visit our other rankings for nursing.


 

Below you'll see a list of the most popular colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in nursing. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Most Well Attended Schools for Nursing Students Working on Their Master's

1
Walden University crest
Walden University
Minneapolis, MN
4,106 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In MN
#2 Best Quality In MN

Walden University is a popular decision for students pursuing a master's degree in nursing. Located in the city of Minneapolis, Walden University is a private for-profit university with a very large student population. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #2 in quality for master's degrees in nursing in Minnesota.

There were about 4,106 nursing individuals who graduated with this degree at Walden University in the most recent data year.

Master's students who receive their degree from the nursing program make an average of $90,900 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a master’s in nursing from Walden University

2
3,640 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In IL
#1 Best Quality In IL

Every student who is interested in a master's degree in nursing has to look into Chamberlain University - Illinois. Chamberlain - Illinois is a very large private for-profit university located in the suburb of Addison. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #1 in quality for master's degrees in nursing in Illinois.

There were roughly 3,640 nursing individuals who graduated with this degree at Chamberlain - Illinois in the most recent data year.

Master's graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program make about $90,300 for their early career.

More information about a master’s in nursing from Chamberlain University - Illinois

3
WGU crest
Western Governors University
Salt Lake City, UT
2,579 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In UT
#1 Best Quality In UT

Western Governors University is a popular choice for individuals pursuing a master's degree in nursing. WGU is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Salt Lake City. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #1 in quality for master's degrees in nursing in Utah.

There were about 2,579 nursing individuals who graduated with this degree at WGU in the most recent data year.

Master's graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program earn around $83,900 in their early career salary.

More information about a master’s in nursing from Western Governors University

4
1,782 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In AZ
#2 Best Quality In AZ

Any student who is interested in a master's degree in nursing has to look into Grand Canyon University. Located in the city of Phoenix, Grand Canyon University is a private for-profit university with a very large student population. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #2 in quality for master's degrees in nursing in Arizona.

There were approximately 1,782 nursing individuals who graduated with this degree at Grand Canyon University in the most recent data year.

Soon after graduating, nursing master's recipients usually make about $94,000 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a master’s in nursing from Grand Canyon University

5
1,406 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In TX
#7 Best Quality In TX

Located in the city of Arlington, UT Arlington is a public university with a very large student population. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #7 in quality for master's degrees in nursing in Texas.

There were roughly 1,406 nursing students who graduated with this degree at UT Arlington in the most recent data year.

Nursing master's degree recipients from The University of Texas at Arlington earn a boost of approximately $3,427 above the typical earnings of nursing majors.

More information about a master’s in nursing from The University of Texas at Arlington

6
974 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In GA
#19 Best Quality In GA

South University's online programs is a moderately-sized private for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Savannah.

There were approximately 974 nursing individuals who graduated with this degree at South University's online programs in the most recent year we have data available.

Soon after graduating, nursing master's recipients generally make an average of $88,400 in their early careers.

More information about a master’s in nursing from South University’s online programs

7
846 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In MO
#1 Best Quality In MO

Maryville U is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Saint Louis. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #1 in quality for master's degrees in nursing in Missouri.

There were about 846 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Maryville U in the most recent data year.

Soon after graduation, nursing master's recipients usually make around $91,400 in their early careers.

More information about a master’s in nursing from Maryville University of Saint Louis

8
666 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In AL
#3 Best Quality In AL

USA is a fairly large public university located in the city of Mobile. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #3 in quality for master's degrees in nursing in Alabama.

There were roughly 666 nursing students who graduated with this degree at USA in the most recent year we have data available.

After graduation, nursing master's recipients generally earn around $94,000 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a master’s in nursing from University of South Alabama

9
617 Annual Master's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In AL
#1 Best Quality In AL

Located in the midsize city of Birmingham, UAB is a public university with a fairly large student population. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #1 in quality for master's degrees in nursing in Alabama.

There were about 617 nursing individuals who graduated with this degree at UAB in the most recent data year.

Students who graduate with their master's from the nursing program report average early career income of $91,900.

More information about a master’s in nursing from University of Alabama at Birmingham

10
613 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In KY
#1 Best Quality In KY

Located in the rural area of Hyden, Frontier Nursing University is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #1 in quality for master's degrees in nursing in Kentucky.

There were approximately 613 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Frontier Nursing University in the most recent year we have data available.

After graduating, nursing master's recipients typically earn around $90,100 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a master’s in nursing from Frontier Nursing University

11
588 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In MA
#1 Best Quality In MA

Simmons is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Boston. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #1 in quality for master's degrees in nursing in Massachusetts.

There were approximately 588 nursing individuals who graduated with this degree at Simmons in the most recent year we have data available.

Students who graduate with their master's from the nursing program report average early career income of $95,000.

More information about a master’s in nursing from Simmons University

12
575 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In OH
#4 Best Quality In OH

UC is a very large public university located in the city of Cincinnati. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #4 in quality for master's degrees in nursing in Ohio.

There were roughly 575 nursing individuals who graduated with this degree at UC in the most recent year we have data available.

Soon after graduating, nursing master's recipients typically earn an average of $92,400 in their early careers.

More information about a master’s in nursing from University of Cincinnati - Main Campus

13
Capella University crest
Capella University
Minneapolis, MN
527 Annual Master's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In MN
#10 Best Quality In MN

Located in the city of Minneapolis, Capella University is a private for-profit university with a fairly large student population.

There were roughly 527 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Capella University in the most recent year we have data available.

Master's students who receive their degree from the nursing program earn an average of $86,200 in their early career salary.

More information about a master’s in nursing from Capella University

14
Purdue University Global crest
Purdue University Global
Indianapolis, IN
526 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In IN
#10 Best Quality In IN

Located in the large city of Indianapolis, Purdue University Global is a public university with a fairly large student population.

There were roughly 526 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Purdue University Global in the most recent data year.

Soon after graduating, nursing master's recipients usually earn about $92,200 in their early careers.

More information about a master’s in nursing from Purdue University Global

15
Miami Regional University crest
Miami Regional University
Miami Springs, FL
493 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In FL
#22 Best Quality In FL

Located in the large suburb of Miami Springs, Miami Regional University is a private for-profit university with a fairly small student population.

There were approximately 493 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Miami Regional University in the most recent data year.

More information about a master’s in nursing from Miami Regional University

16
464 Annual Master's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In AZ
#3 Best Quality In AZ

UOPX - Arizona is a fairly large private for-profit university located in the large city of Tempe. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #3 in quality for master's degrees in nursing in Arizona.

There were roughly 464 nursing individuals who graduated with this degree at UOPX - Arizona in the most recent year we have data available.

Students who graduate with their master's from the nursing program state that they receive average early career income of $94,100.

More information about a master’s in nursing from University of Phoenix - Arizona

17
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
371 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In PA
#1 Best Quality In PA

Located in the large city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #1 in quality for master's degrees in nursing in Pennsylvania.

There were roughly 371 nursing individuals who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent data year.

Those nursing students who get their master's degree from University of Pennsylvania make $6,927 more than the typical nursing grad.

More information about a master’s in nursing from University of Pennsylvania

18
Drexel crest
Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA
368 Annual Master's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In PA
#6 Best Quality In PA

Located in the large city of Philadelphia, Drexel is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #6 in quality for master's degrees in nursing in Pennsylvania.

There were roughly 368 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Drexel in the most recent data year.

Master's graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program make about $97,400 in their early career salary.

More information about a master’s in nursing from Drexel University

19
334 Annual Master's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In IN
#2 Best Quality In IN

Located in the rural area of Marion, IWU is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #2 in quality for master's degrees in nursing in Indiana.

There were approximately 334 nursing students who graduated with this degree at IWU in the most recent data year.

Master's students who receive their degree from the nursing program make about $90,600 in their early career salary.

More information about a master’s in nursing from Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global

20
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
333 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In TN
#1 Best Quality In TN

Vanderbilt is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Nashville. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #1 in quality for master's degrees in nursing in Tennessee.

There were about 333 nursing individuals who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent year we have data available.

Master's graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program earn an average of $89,500 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a master’s in nursing from Vanderbilt University

21
330 Annual Master's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In TX
#3 Best Quality In TX

TTUHSC is a medium-sized public university located in the large city of Lubbock. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #3 in quality for master's degrees in nursing in Texas.

There were about 330 nursing students who graduated with this degree at TTUHSC in the most recent data year.

Students who graduate with their master's from the nursing program state that they receive average early career wages of $98,100.

More information about a master’s in nursing from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center

22
Aspen University crest
Aspen University
Denver, CO
319 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In CO
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type

Aspen University is a medium-sized private for-profit university located in the large city of Denver.

There were approximately 319 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Aspen University in the most recent data year.

More information about a master’s in nursing from Aspen University

23
301 Annual Master's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In FL
#6 Best Quality In FL

USF Tampa is a very large public university located in the large city of Tampa. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #6 in quality for master's degrees in nursing in Florida.

There were roughly 301 nursing individuals who graduated with this degree at USF Tampa in the most recent year we have data available.

After graduation, nursing master's recipients generally earn around $93,600 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a master’s in nursing from University of South Florida - Main Campus

24
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
291 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In DC
#1 Best Quality In DC

Located in the large city of Washington, Georgetown is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #1 in quality for master's degrees in nursing in District of Columbia.

There were about 291 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Georgetown in the most recent data year.

Master's students who receive their degree from the nursing program earn about $99,000 in their early career salary.

More information about a master’s in nursing from Georgetown University

25
SUNY Stony Brook crest
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, NY
280 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In NY
#6 Best Quality In NY

Located in the large suburb of Stony Brook, SUNY Stony Brook is a public university with a very large student population. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #6 in quality for master's degrees in nursing in New York.

There were roughly 280 nursing students who graduated with this degree at SUNY Stony Brook in the most recent year we have data available.

Master's recipients from the nursing program at Stony Brook University make $7,427 above the standard college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a master’s in nursing from Stony Brook University

25
SUNY Stony Brook crest
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, NY
26
27
Regis College crest
Regis College
Weston, MA
28
29
30
31

32

33
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
34
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, NY
35
Marquette crest
Marquette University
Milwaukee, WI
36
37
38
Spring Arbor crest
Spring Arbor University
Spring Arbor, MI
39
40
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, IL

41
NUS Florida crest
Nova Southeastern University
Fort Lauderdale, FL

42
42
44
45
46
47
48
49
JU crest
Jacksonville University
Jacksonville, FL

 

Remaining Award Winners

This section shows the rest of the schools awarded a Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for Nursing badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 664 different United States nursing schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
50 Florida International University Miami, FL
51 Kent State University at Kent Kent, OH
52 Universidad del Turabo Gurabo, PR
53 The University of Texas at El Paso El Paso, TX
54 University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA
54 Herzing University - Madison Madison, WI
56 Benedictine University Lisle, IL
56 New York University New York, NY
58 Rush University Chicago, IL
59 University of Alabama in Huntsville Huntsville, AL
60 University of California - San Francisco San Francisco, CA
60 University of North Carolina at Wilmington Wilmington, NC
62 Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science Los Angeles, CA
62 Wilkes University Wilkes-Barre, PA
64 University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Denver, CO
65 Emory University Atlanta, GA
65 University of California - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
67 Texas Woman’s University Denton, TX
68 American Sentinel University Aurora, CO
69 University of Virginia - Main Campus Charlottesville, VA
70 East Tennessee State University Johnson City, TN
70 Regis University Denver, CO
72 Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL
73 D’Youville College Buffalo, NY
73 Barry University Miami, FL
73 Liberty University Lynchburg, VA
76 Augusta University Augusta, GA
77 Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH
78 Molloy College Rockville Centre, NY
79 University of Miami Coral Gables, FL
79 Gonzaga University Spokane, WA
81 Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, KY
82 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
83 Yale University New Haven, CT
84 Clarkson College Omaha, NE
85 Columbus State University Columbus, GA
86 Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH
86 Pace University - New York New York, NY
88 Texas Wesleyan University Fort Worth, TX
88 University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA
88 Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, KY
91 Bradley University Peoria, IL
92 Arkansas State University - Main Campus Jonesboro, AR
92 University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL
92 MGH Institute of Health Professions Boston, MA
92 LIU Post Brookville, NY
96 Lewis University Romeoville, IL
97 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC
98 Wilmington University New Castle, DE
98 Olivet Nazarene University Bourbonnais, IL
98 Colorado Technical University - Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, CO

Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional great schools for Nursing students that almost earned our Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for Nursing award.

Rank College Location
101 Ball State University Muncie, IN
102 St Catherine University Saint Paul, MN
102 Upstate Medical University Syracuse, NY
102 Ohio University - Athens Campus Athens, OH
102 University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Little Rock, AR
106 University of Central Florida Orlando, FL
106 University of San Diego San Diego, CA
106 University of Southern Indiana Evansville, IN
106 Saint Louis University Saint Louis, MO
110 Northeastern University Boston, MA
111 University of North Dakota Grand Forks, ND
111 Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA
113 Loyola University New Orleans New Orleans, LA
113 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN
113 East Carolina University Greenville, NC
116 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI
117 Mount St. Joseph University Cincinnati, OH
117 University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC
119 SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University Brooklyn, NY
120 Lehman College Bronx, NY
120 University of Mississippi University, MS
122 University of Toledo Toledo, OH
122 The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX
122 University of Michigan - Flint Flint, MI
125 Rockhurst University Kansas City, MO
125 Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN
127 University of Missouri - Kansas City Kansas City, MO
128 Monmouth University West Long Branch, NJ
128 Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi Corpus Christi, TX
128 Oakland University Rochester Hills, MI
128 Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL
132 Oregon Health & Science University Portland, OR
132 California State University - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA

Nursing by Region

View the Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for Nursing for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

Nursing is one of 30 different types of Health Professions programs to choose from.

Nursing Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Registered Nursing 18,126
Family Practice Nurse/Nursing 14,915
Nursing Administration 6,780
Nursing Science 1,583
Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 1,543
Adult Health Nurse/Nursing 1,374
Nurse Anesthetist 1,015
Nursing Practice 748
Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing 745
Geriatric Nurse/Nursing 599

Related Major Annual Graduates
Public Health 15,529
Health & Medical Administrative Services 13,637
Mental & Social Health Services 13,482
Allied Health Professions 11,535
Communication Sciences 9,315
Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions 8,844
Bioethics/Medical Ethics 3,393
Dietetics & Clinical Nutrition Services 1,469
Medical Illustration & Informatics 1,428
Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Sciences 1,287

Notes and References

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options