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2022 Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Registered Nursing

1,080 Colleges in the United States
152,243 Bachelor's Degrees
Ranked #1 in popularity, registered 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.

College Factual looked at 1,080 colleges and universities when compiling its 2022 Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Registered Nursing ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 152,243 bachelor's degrees in registered nursing during the 2019-2020 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Other Rankings

Choosing a Great Registered Nursing School for Your Bachelor's Degree

Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Registered Nursing The registered nursing bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. We created our Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Registered Nursing ranking to make it a little easier to choose the right one for you.

A high popularity ranking isn't always a sign that a school has a great overall quality ranking for registered nursing, but it does mean that many students are choosing the school for some reason. This may be due to it being a great value, it offering a stellar educational experience, or the subject is a major focus of the school.

More Ways to Rank Registered Nursing Schools

Associate Degrees in Registered Nursing
Master's Degrees in Registered Nursing
Doctor's Degrees in Registered Nursing
Overall Popularity in Registered Nursing

We have also developed a number of other rankings to help guide you in your decision-making process. To begin with, if this is not the degree level you are most interested in, you may want to check out one of the others noted above. If you would prefer to limit your search to a specific state or region of the county, see our rankings by location. Plus, you can view our other rankings for registered nursing.

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.


 

Explore the most popular colleges and universities for registered nursing students seeking a a bachelor's degree. 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 Registered Nursing Students Working on Their Bachelor's

1
WGU crest
Western Governors University
Salt Lake City, UT
11,863 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In UT
#1 Best Quality In UT

Western Governors University is one of the most popular schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in registered nursing. WGU is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Salt Lake City. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #1 in quality for bachelor's degrees in registered nursing in Utah.

There were approximately 11,863 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at WGU in the most recent data year.

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

2
7,888 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In IL
#1 Best Quality In IL

Any student pursuing a degree in a bachelor's degree in registered nursing has to take a look at Chamberlain University - Illinois. Chamberlain - Illinois is a fairly large private for-profit university located in the suburb of Addison. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #1 in quality for bachelor's degrees in registered nursing in Illinois.

There were approximately 7,888 registered nursing individuals who graduated with this degree at Chamberlain - Illinois in the most recent year we have data available.

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

3
4,638 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In AZ
#2 Best Quality In AZ

Grand Canyon University is a popular choice for students pursuing a bachelor's degree in registered nursing. Located in the city of Phoenix, Grand Canyon University is a private for-profit university with a fairly large student population. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #2 in quality for bachelor's degrees in registered nursing in Arizona.

There were about 4,638 registered nursing individuals who graduated with this degree at Grand Canyon University in the most recent year we have data available.

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

4
3,539 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In TX
#9 Best Quality In TX

You'll be surrounded by many like-minded peers at The University of Texas at Arlington if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in registered nursing. Located in the large city of Arlington, UT Arlington is a public university with a very large student population. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #9 in quality for bachelor's degrees in registered nursing in Texas.

There were about 3,539 registered nursing individuals who graduated with this degree at UT Arlington in the most recent year we have data available.

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

5
2,347 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In OH
#9 Best Quality In OH

OHIO Athens is a fairly large public university located in the town of Athens. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #9 in quality for bachelor's degrees in registered nursing in Ohio.

There were about 2,347 registered nursing individuals who graduated with this degree at OHIO Athens in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a bachelor’s in registered nursing from Ohio University - Athens Campus

6
Capella University crest
Capella University
Minneapolis, MN
2,035 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In MN
#3 Best Quality In MN

Located in the large city of Minneapolis, Capella University is a private for-profit university with a fairly large student population. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #3 in quality for bachelor's degrees in registered nursing in Minnesota.

There were roughly 2,035 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at Capella University in the most recent data year.

More information about a bachelor’s in registered nursing from Capella University

7
1,056 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

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

There were about 1,056 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at National University College in the most recent data year.

More information about a bachelor’s in registered nursing from National University College

8
1,051 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In TX
#2 Best Quality In TX

TTUHSC is a medium-sized public university located in the large city of Lubbock. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #2 in quality for bachelor's degrees in registered nursing in Texas.

There were approximately 1,051 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at TTUHSC in the most recent year we have data available.

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

9
977 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In NH
#2 Best Quality In NH

Located in the medium-sized suburb of Manchester, SNHU 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 #2 in quality for bachelor's degrees in registered nursing in New Hampshire.

There were roughly 977 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at SNHU in the most recent data year.

More information about a bachelor’s in registered nursing from Southern New Hampshire University

10
904 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In FL
#5 Best Quality In FL

UCF is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Orlando. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #5 in quality for bachelor's degrees in registered nursing in Florida.

There were roughly 904 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at UCF in the most recent data year.

More information about a bachelor’s in registered nursing from University of Central Florida

11
Walden University crest
Walden University
Minneapolis, MN
892 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In MN
#12 Best Quality In MN

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

There were about 892 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at Walden University in the most recent data year.

More information about a bachelor’s in registered nursing from Walden University

12
789 Annual Bachelor'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 city of Tempe. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #3 in quality for bachelor's degrees in registered nursing in Arizona.

There were about 789 registered nursing individuals who graduated with this degree at UOPX - Arizona in the most recent data year.

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

13
759 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In CA
#2 Best Quality In CA

Located in the city of Anaheim, West Coast University - Orange County is a private for-profit university with a small student population. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #2 in quality for bachelor's degrees in registered nursing in California.

There were roughly 759 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at West Coast University - Orange County in the most recent data year.

More information about a bachelor’s in registered nursing from West Coast University - Orange County

14
727 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In NC
#4 Best Quality In NC

Located in the city of Wilmington, UNCW is a public university with a fairly large student population. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #4 in quality for bachelor's degrees in registered nursing in North Carolina.

There were approximately 727 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at UNCW in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a bachelor’s in registered nursing from University of North Carolina at Wilmington

15
651 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In CA
#5 Best Quality In CA

Located in the city of North Hollywood, West Coast University - Los Angeles is a private for-profit university with a small student population. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #5 in quality for bachelor's degrees in registered nursing in California.

There were roughly 651 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at West Coast University - Los Angeles in the most recent data year.

More information about a bachelor’s in registered nursing from West Coast University - Los Angeles

16
597 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#3 Most Popular In CA
#10 Best Quality In CA

Azusa Pacific is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Azusa.

There were roughly 597 registered nursing individuals who graduated with this degree at Azusa Pacific in the most recent data year.

More information about a bachelor’s in registered nursing from Azusa Pacific University

17
534 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#4 Most Popular In CA
#4 Best Quality In CA

West Coast University - Ontario is a small private for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Ontario. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #4 in quality for bachelor's degrees in registered nursing in California.

There were approximately 534 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at West Coast University - Ontario in the most recent data year.

More information about a bachelor’s in registered nursing from West Coast University - Ontario

18
530 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#3 Most Popular In TX
#14 Best Quality In TX

UT Tyler is a moderately-sized public university located in the medium-sized city of Tyler.

There were about 530 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at UT Tyler in the most recent data year.

More information about a bachelor’s in registered nursing from The University of Texas at Tyler

19
529 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#5 Most Popular In CA
#1 Best Quality In CA

Located in the city of Oakland, Samuel Merritt 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 bachelor's degrees in registered nursing in California.

There were about 529 registered nursing individuals who graduated with this degree at Samuel Merritt University in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a bachelor’s in registered nursing from Samuel Merritt University

19
529 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In KY
#2 Best Quality In KY

Located in the city of Louisville, Galen College of Nursing - Louisville is a private for-profit college with a small student population. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #2 in quality for bachelor's degrees in registered nursing in Kentucky.

There were approximately 529 registered nursing individuals who graduated with this degree at Galen College of Nursing - Louisville in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a bachelor’s in registered nursing from Galen College of Nursing - Louisville

21
526 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#3 Most Popular In AZ
#6 Best Quality In AZ

Located in the small city of Flagstaff, NAU is a public university with a fairly large student population. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #6 in quality for bachelor's degrees in registered nursing in Arizona.

There were approximately 526 registered nursing individuals who graduated with this degree at NAU in the most recent data year.

More information about a bachelor’s in registered nursing from Northern Arizona University

22
487 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In IL
#5 Best Quality In IL

Located in the city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #5 in quality for bachelor's degrees in registered nursing in Illinois.

There were roughly 487 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Chicago in the most recent data year.

More information about a bachelor’s in registered nursing from Loyola University Chicago

23
485 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#3 Most Popular In IL
#11 Best Quality In IL

Located in the large suburb of Edwardsville, SIUE is a public university with a large student population.

There were approximately 485 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at SIUE in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a bachelor’s in registered nursing from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

23
Drexel crest
Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA
485 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In PA
#5 Best Quality In PA

Located in the large city of Philadelphia, Drexel 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 #5 in quality for bachelor's degrees in registered nursing in Pennsylvania.

There were approximately 485 registered nursing individuals who graduated with this degree at Drexel in the most recent data year.

More information about a bachelor’s in registered nursing from Drexel University

25
476 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In OH
#23 Best Quality In OH

Kent State is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Kent.

There were approximately 476 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at Kent State in the most recent data year.

More information about a bachelor’s in registered nursing from Kent State University at Kent

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30
Wilmington University crest
Wilmington University
New Castle, DE
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33
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, MI
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35
36
Adelphi crest
Adelphi University
Garden City, NY
37
LIU Post crest
LIU Post
Brookville, NY
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39
40

41

42
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
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44
45
Purdue University Global crest
Purdue University Global
Indianapolis, IN
46
47
48
Molloy crest
Molloy College
Rockville Centre, NY
48
NUS Florida crest
Nova Southeastern University
Fort Lauderdale, FL

 

Remaining Award Winners

This list represents the remainder of the schools awarded a Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Registered Nursing badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 1080 different United States registered nursing schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
48 University of Maryland - Baltimore Baltimore, MD
51 Universidad Metropolitana San Juan, PR
52 University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL
52 Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti, MI
54 Oregon Health & Science University Portland, OR
54 Denver College of Nursing Denver, CO
56 Mississippi University for Women Columbus, MS
57 Utica College Utica, NY
58 Liberty University Lynchburg, VA
59 University of Nebraska Medical Center Omaha, NE
59 Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Boston, MA
59 Emory University Atlanta, GA
62 The University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston, TX
63 University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI
64 East Carolina University Greenville, NC
64 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ
66 Universidad del Sagrado Corazon Santurce, PR
67 Marian University Indianapolis, IN
68 The University of Texas at El Paso El Paso, TX
69 Mount Carmel College of Nursing Columbus, OH
70 California State University - San Marcos San Marcos, CA
70 Washington State University Pullman, WA
72 Jacksonville University Jacksonville, FL
73 Roseman University of Health Sciences Henderson, NV
74 Gwynedd Mercy University Gwynedd Valley, PA
74 Mercy College Dobbs Ferry, NY
76 National University La Jolla, CA
77 The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio San Antonio, TX
78 Chamberlain University - Georgia Atlanta, GA
79 University of South Carolina - Upstate Spartanburg, SC
80 Towson University Towson, MD
80 University of Oklahoma - Health Sciences Center Oklahoma City, OK
80 South Dakota State University Brookings, SD
83 The College of Saint Scholastica Duluth, MN
83 Xavier University Cincinnati, OH
85 Nevada State College Henderson, NV
85 University of South Alabama Mobile, AL
87 George Washington University Washington, DC
88 University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Denver, CO
88 Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale, FL
90 University of Kentucky Lexington, KY
91 California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA
92 Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH
93 University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh Oshkosh, WI
94 Arizona State University - Tempe Tempe, AZ
95 Jacksonville State University Jacksonville, AL
96 Georgia Southern University Statesboro, GA
97 Rutgers University - Camden Camden, NJ
98 Miami Dade College Miami, FL
98 Baylor University Waco, TX
98 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR
101 Creighton University Omaha, NE
102 Northeastern University Professional Advancement Network Boston, MA
103 University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI
103 Brigham Young University - Idaho Rexburg, ID
105 Chamberlain University - Florida Jacksonville, FL
106 Thomas Jefferson University Philadelphia, PA
107 University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA
107 Regis University Denver, CO
109 Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi Corpus Christi, TX
110 University of Memphis Memphis, TN
110 University of Louisville Louisville, KY
110 Rockhurst University Kansas City, MO
113 Winston - Salem State University Winston-Salem, NC
114 University of Connecticut Storrs, CT
115 University of Mississippi University, MS
116 University of Michigan - Flint Flint, MI
117 The College at Brockport Brockport, NY
117 University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA
119 Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center - New Orleans New Orleans, LA
120 Northwestern State University of Louisiana Natchitoches, LA
121 Villanova University Villanova, PA
121 California State University - Sacramento Sacramento, CA
123 The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Knoxville, TN
123 James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA
125 Winona State University Winona, MN
126 Montana State University Bozeman, MT
127 University of Maryland Global Campus Adelphi, MD
128 University of Alabama in Huntsville Huntsville, AL
128 Florida International University Miami, FL
130 University of South Carolina - Columbia Columbia, SC
131 University of South Dakota Vermillion, SD
132 Holy Family University Philadelphia, PA
132 University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL
134 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
135 Regis College Weston, MA
136 University of Toledo Toledo, OH
137 University of Wisconsin - Madison Madison, WI
138 Minnesota State University - Mankato Mankato, MN
139 The Christ College of Nursing and Health Sciences Cincinnati, OH
139 Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, GA
141 Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL
142 Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY
142 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
142 Columbus State University Columbus, GA
145 Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, KY
145 Pace University - New York New York, NY
145 Chamberlain University - Arizona Phoenix, AZ
145 University of Miami Coral Gables, FL
149 Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, KY
149 University of Akron Main Campus Akron, OH
149 University of North Florida Jacksonville, FL
152 Cleveland State University Cleveland, OH
152 St Petersburg College Clearwater, FL
152 Radford University Radford, VA
152 University of Detroit Mercy Detroit, MI
156 Quinnipiac University Hamden, CT
157 Wright State University - Main Campus Dayton, OH
157 Colorado Technical University - Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, CO
157 Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA
160 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
161 South College Knoxville, TN
161 University of Iowa Iowa City, IA

Additional Noteworthy Schools

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Registered Nursing award.

Rank College Location
163 University of Florida Gainesville, FL
164 St. John Fisher College Rochester, NY
164 SUNY Delhi Delhi, NY
166 University of Portland Portland, OR
167 West Virginia University Morgantown, WV
168 Loma Linda University Loma Linda, CA
168 University of Rochester Rochester, NY
168 Medical University of South Carolina Charleston, SC
168 Clemson University Clemson, SC
172 Arkansas State University - Main Campus Jonesboro, AR
173 Widener University Chester, PA
173 Mount Saint Mary’s University Los Angeles, CA
173 Curry College Milton, MA
173 Belmont University Nashville, TN
177 Chamberlain University - Texas Houston, TX
177 Dixie State University Saint George, UT
177 Sacred Heart University Fairfield, CT
177 University of Phoenix - California Costa Mesa, CA
181 Davenport University Grand Rapids, MI
181 North Dakota State University - Main Campus Fargo, ND
183 Southwestern Oklahoma State University Weatherford, OK
183 Tarleton State University Stephenville, TX
185 Michigan State University East Lansing, MI
185 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
185 Fayetteville State University Fayetteville, NC
188 Lamar University Beaumont, TX
189 Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI
190 Lehman College Bronx, NY
190 University of Missouri - St Louis Saint Louis, MO
190 Baker College Owosso, MI
193 Stevenson University Stevenson, MD
193 College of Mount Saint Vincent Bronx, NY
193 University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, CO
193 Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA
197 MidAmerica Nazarene University Olathe, KS
197 University of Delaware Newark, DE
199 University of Northern Colorado Greeley, CO
199 Thomas Edison State University Trenton, NJ
201 Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, KY
201 Saint Louis University Saint Louis, MO
201 University of Kansas Lawrence, KS
201 Viterbo University La Crosse, WI
205 University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC
205 Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences Lancaster, PA
207 California State University - East Bay Hayward, CA
208 Texas A&M University - College Station College Station, TX
208 West Coast University-Miami Doral, FL
208 Mercy College of Health Sciences Des Moines, IA
208 Chamberlain University - New Jersey North Brunswick, NJ
208 Linfield University - School of Nursing Portland, OR
213 University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC
213 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC
215 Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX
215 California State University - Fresno Fresno, CA

Registered Nursing by Region

View the Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Registered 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 >

One of 22 majors within the Nursing area of study, Registered Nursing has other similar majors worth exploring.

Majors Similar to Registered Nursing

Related Major Annual Graduates
Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 3,122
Nursing Science 1,419
Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing 1,155
Nursing Administration 852
Nursing Practice 793
Adult Health Nurse/Nursing 187
Family Practice Nurse/Nursing 145
Clinical Nurse Leader 23
Clinical Nurse Specialist 19

Notes and References

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