Rankings by major · 176 schools scored

Best colleges for nursing

Every school we cover is scored 0–100 for nursing. The score blends how graduates in the major do four years out against the national norm for the same major, the strength of the student body, how many undergraduate courses the department lists, and the size of the program. Small programs (under five graduates a year) are capped. 80 and up is a standout program, 65+ strong, 45+ solid.

The top nursing schools: New York University, University of Pennsylvania, Emory University.

Top 100 colleges for nursing
Rank	School	Score (0–100)	Tier	Graduates per year in the major	Share of the class	Pay vs. national, same major	Acceptance rate
1	New York University New York, NY	93	Standout	437	6.4%	1.33×	9%
2	University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA	91	Standout	183	6.4%	1.11×	5%
2	Emory University Atlanta, GA	91	Standout	140	6.6%	1.15×	10%
4	Duke University Durham, NC	90	Standout	224	12.1%	0.99×	5%
5	George Washington University Washington, DC	87	Standout	272	9.3%	1.09×	47%
5	University of Rochester Rochester, NY	87	Standout	201	10.5%	1.01×	42%
7	University of Miami Coral Gables, FL	86	Standout	245	8.5%	1.04×	19%
8	Thomas Jefferson University Philadelphia, PA	85	Standout	430	38.6%	1.12×	81%
8	Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH	85	Standout	102	7.9%	0.99×	35%
10	Villanova University Villanova, PA	84	Standout	195	11.1%	1.12×	28%
11	Georgetown University Washington, DC	83	Standout	30	1.7%	–	13%
12	Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA	82	Standout	115	4.9%	1.07×	16%
13	Rutgers University–New Brunswick Piscataway, NJ	81	Standout	333	3.9%	1.12×	58%
13	University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA	81	Standout	49	0.5%	1.33×	9%
15	University of Washington Seattle, WA	80	Standout	143	1.7%	1.11×	39%
16	University of Connecticut Storrs, CT	79	Strong	250	4.6%	1.04×	54%
16	University of Delaware Newark, DE	79	Strong	196	4.5%	1.11×	71%
16	The Catholic University of America Washington, DC	79	Strong	77	10%	1.09×	83%
19	Drexel University Philadelphia, PA	78	Strong	470	13.7%	1.13×	70%
19	University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA	78	Strong	308	6.5%	0.94×	59%
19	Fairfield University Fairfield, CT	78	Strong	197	18.5%	1.15×	33%
19	University of Virginia Charlottesville, VA	78	Strong	120	2.7%	0.97×	17%
23	Stony Brook University–SUNY Stony Brook, NY	77	Strong	196	4.2%	1.26×	49%
24	University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA	76	Strong	227	14.4%	1.61×	62%
24	University of Michigan–Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI	76	Strong	173	2.2%	0.93×	16%
24	Northeastern University Boston, MA	76	Strong	112	2.5%	1.02×	5%
27	Creighton University Omaha, NE	75	Strong	280	23.3%	0.95×	92%
27	University of Portland Portland, OR	75	Strong	250	23.7%	1.17×	89%
27	University of Wisconsin–Madison Madison, WI	75	Strong	218	2.9%	0.96×	45%
30	Baylor University Waco, TX	74	Strong	362	11.1%	1.01×	52%
30	University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC	74	Strong	199	4.1%	0.88×	17%
30	Marquette University Milwaukee, WI	74	Strong	160	8.1%	0.99×	87%
30	The University of Texas–Austin Austin, TX	74	Strong	118	1.1%	0.99×	27%
34	Saint Louis University St. Louis, MO	73	Strong	220	14.5%	0.92×	75%
34	University at Buffalo–SUNY Buffalo, NY	73	Strong	181	3.5%	1.05×	81%
34	Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX	73	Strong	169	7.4%	1.01×	48%
37	The Pennsylvania State University–University Park University Park, PA	72	Strong	111	1.1%	1.02×	61%
37	University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA	72	Strong	47	0.5%	1.34×	29%
37	St. Olaf College Northfield, MN	72	Strong	22	3.2%	–	43%
40	University of Minnesota–Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN	71	Strong	136	1.8%	0.93×	80%
41	University of Kentucky Lexington, KY	70	Strong	387	7.6%	0.92×	93%
41	University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL	70	Strong	363	13%	0.88×	94%
41	University of Iowa Iowa City, IA	70	Strong	229	4.6%	0.89×	80%
41	University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT	70	Strong	210	3.8%	0.97×	87%
41	University of Scranton Scranton, PA	70	Strong	80	9.6%	1.18×	80%
46	The Ohio State University Columbus, OH	69	Strong	235	2.1%	0.92×	51%
46	University of Tulsa Tulsa, OK	69	Strong	39	5.5%	0.93×	62%
48	Washington State University Pullman, WA	68	Strong	351	5.7%	1.03×	86%
48	Seattle University Seattle, WA	68	Strong	238	18.7%	1.02×	77%
48	University of Florida Gainesville, FL	68	Strong	228	2.3%	0.90×	20%
48	University of Massachusetts–Amherst Amherst, MA	68	Strong	148	2.4%	1.02×	60%
52	Quinnipiac University Hamden, CT	67	Strong	290	16.8%	1.11×	77%
52	Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PA	67	Strong	259	18.4%	0.95×	84%
52	Howard University Washington, DC	67	Strong	43	3.3%	1.06×	41%
55	University of New Mexico Albuquerque, NM	66	Strong	412	12.2%	0.97×	95%
55	University of Mississippi Oxford, MS	66	Strong	282	7%	0.99×	97%
55	University of Arizona Tucson, AZ	66	Strong	272	3.7%	1.00×	86%
55	University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL	66	Strong	270	5.3%	0.98×	77%
59	University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI	65	Strong	292	8.8%	1.08×	72%
59	Texas A&M University College Station, TX	65	Strong	275	2.1%	0.91×	52%
59	Mercer University Macon, GA	65	Strong	191	15.9%	0.96×	69%
59	Binghamton University–SUNY Binghamton, NY	65	Strong	190	5.3%	1.22×	37%
59	Michigan State University East Lansing, MI	65	Strong	189	2.1%	0.90×	85%
59	University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu, HI	65	Strong	119	3.6%	1.35×	87%
59	College of St. Benedict St. Joseph, MN	65	Strong	59	15.8%	0.95×	92%
66	University of Missouri Columbia, MO	64	Solid	247	4.9%	0.94×	78%
66	Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA	64	Solid	210	4.2%	0.97×	84%
66	University of Kansas Lawrence, KS	64	Solid	191	4.5%	0.88×	93%
66	Purdue University–Main Campus West Lafayette, IN	64	Solid	162	1.9%	0.90×	50%
66	Gonzaga University Spokane, WA	64	Solid	70	6.1%	1.07×	82%
71	Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL	63	Solid	424	12.9%	0.99×	75%
71	Sacred Heart University Fairfield, CT	63	Solid	252	18.8%	1.16×	65%
71	University of Vermont Burlington, VT	63	Solid	109	4.3%	0.93×	73%
71	Temple University Philadelphia, PA	63	Solid	93	1.6%	1.08×	86%
71	Saint Anselm College Manchester, NH	63	Solid	84	16.3%	1.03×	76%
71	Saint Mary's College Notre Dame, IN	63	Solid	47	15%	0.90×	76%
77	Clemson University Clemson, SC	62	Solid	235	4.6%	0.84×	38%
77	Auburn University Auburn, AL	62	Solid	222	3.9%	0.82×	46%
77	Seton Hall University South Orange, NJ	62	Solid	117	9.1%	1.08×	73%
77	University of New Hampshire Durham, NH	62	Solid	74	2.7%	1.02×	88%
81	University of Nevada–Reno Reno, NV	61	Solid	180	4.7%	1.10×	83%
82	University of Tennessee–Knoxville Knoxville, TN	60	Solid	239	4.5%	0.87×	42%
82	New York Institute of Technology Old Westbury, NY	60	Solid	62	8.8%	1.32×	81%
84	The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL	59	Solid	374	5.5%	0.96×	71%
84	University of Massachusetts–Boston Boston, MA	59	Solid	372	13.5%	1.08×	84%
84	San Diego State University San Diego, CA	59	Solid	195	2.2%	1.36×	37%
84	University of North Dakota Grand Forks, ND	59	Solid	118	6.4%	0.90×	83%
84	University of Massachusetts–Lowell Lowell, MA	59	Solid	99	3.5%	1.05×	83%
89	University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH	58	Solid	363	5.7%	0.96×	85%
89	University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR	58	Solid	291	5.8%	0.96×	74%
89	Wayne State University Detroit, MI	58	Solid	174	4.5%	0.95×	81%
89	Simmons University Boston, MA	58	Solid	143	34.7%	–	70%
89	Hope College Holland, MI	58	Solid	43	6.1%	0.85×	79%
89	Westmont College Santa Barbara, CA	58	Solid	8	3.2%	–	77%
95	Adelphi University Garden City, NY	57	Solid	470	37.5%	1.27×	66%
95	Arizona State University Tempe, AZ	57	Solid	395	2.6%	0.97×	88%
95	Rutgers University–Camden Camden, NJ	57	Solid	267	17.6%	1.12×	66%
95	University of Louisville Louisville, KY	57	Solid	267	9.2%	0.89×	79%
95	George Mason University Fairfax, VA	57	Solid	206	3.3%	1.01×	87%
100	Berea College Berea, KY	56	Solid	12	4.1%	–	19%

76 more schools are on the full nursing ranking.

How this ranking works

Updated October 13, 2026. Sources: early-career pay for graduates of each program, by field of study (College Scorecard), graduates per year in the major (IPEDS), undergraduate courses listed in each department's current catalog, and the student body's test scores. Inputs that are missing for a school are dropped and the rest reweighted; programs with fewer than five graduates a year are capped at 30. Scores are relative to the other schools covered, from 0 to 100.

To cite: prefrosh.ai, "Best colleges for nursing," updated October 13, 2026, https://prefrosh.ai/majors/nursing. For a specific student's chances at these schools, use Chance me, which reads odds from the student's own high school's admissions chart.

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Best colleges for nursing

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