2025 Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in Pennsylvania
Ranked #2 in popularity,
nursing is one of the most sought-after bachelor's degree programs in the nation. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.
In 2025, College Factual analyzed 40 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 6,515 bachelor's degrees in nursing during the 2021-2022 academic year.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
Choosing a Great Nursing School for Your Bachelor's Degree
The nursing bachelor'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. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.
A Great Overall School
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 ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
Early-Career Earnings
One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of bachelor's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their bachelor's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.
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 bachelor'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 bachelor's degree.
- Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized nursing related body.
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for nursing students working on their bachelor's degree.
One Size Does Not Fit All
When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in Pennsylvania list to help you make the college decision.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat.
Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study Nursing in Pennsylvania
Learn about the top ranked colleges and universities for nursing students seeking a a bachelor's degree.
10 Top Pennsylvania Schools for a Bachelor's in Nursing
University of Pennsylvania is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in nursing. Located in the large city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.
Bachelor's recipients from the nursing degree program at University of Pennsylvania earn $3,732 more than the standard college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from University of Pennsylvania
It's hard to beat Drexel University if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in nursing. Located in the city of Philadelphia, Drexel is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.
Those nursing students who get their bachelor's degree from Drexel University earn $8,230 more than the typical nursing grad.
More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from Drexel University
University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in nursing. Located in the large city of Pittsburgh, Pitt is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Soon after graduation, nursing bachelor's recipients generally make about $72,251 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus
It is difficult to beat Thomas Jefferson University if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in nursing. Located in the large city of Philadelphia, Thomas Jefferson University is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.
Bachelor's recipients from the nursing program at Thomas Jefferson University make $8,445 more than the typical college grad in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from Thomas Jefferson University
Located in the suburb of Villanova, Villanova is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Bachelor's recipients from the nursing major at Villanova University get $9,030 above the typical college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from Villanova University
