University Headquarters (HQ) is an industry-leading, independent educational organization that provides independent college rankings using a proprietary formula to create first class unbiased rankings. The team at University HQ strives to provide accurate and trustworthy rankings that highlights the best online programs for nursing.
Nursing careers offer a wide variety of challenges and specializations for a prospective nurse; students interested in health and medicine can find some application of an online nursing degree to suit their interests. Prospective students can advance their education by completing a nursing degree online, with coursework online and clinicals in your local area. There are four levels of nursing; these include nurse’s aides, nurse assistants, Registered Nurses (RN), and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN). No matter which option you choose, at every level, nurses and other professionals work as a team to help educate patients and the public, diagnose patients, care for their medical treatment, and offer emotional support to patients and their families across the U.S. This may happen in clinical practice in direct patient care through community health nursing, experienced nurses educating other nursing students through one of the many online nursing programs available, as a clinical nurse specialist in healthcare facilities or other medical centers, in nursing informatics or healthcare informatics, and more.
Part-time or full-time students can reach their professional goals by gaining a collegiate nursing education through associate or BSN programs, available through in-person and online courses at one of many accredited colleges offering accredited nursing programs. They can use a nursing certificate program to start as a nurse's aide or assistant, and they can get an associate in nursing to become a licensed practical nurse. If students complete a bachelor’s degree or BSN degree program, they can gain an RN license and become a registered nurse (RN). Nurses can grow into advanced nursing opportunities and nursing leadership positions through nursing education and professional experience earned through clinical hours. Completing online graduate nursing programs to gain a Master of Science or RN to MSN degree, when combined with clinical education, can qualify nursing students as leaders, nurse educators, and experts in their fields.
Those with their nursing diploma or who have completed BSN programs and gained their RN license or more can work or become a nurse leader in many settings such as hospitals, community nursing clinics, schools, and doctor’s offices. Nurses serve in public health facilities and the military services. They can work in research facilities, in specializations such as pediatrics (children), gerontology (older persons), and surgical settings like nurse anesthetists that monitor patients under anesthesia during surgery. With the right prerequisite courses and and a willingness to meet clinical requirements, there's no telling what you can accomplish with an online nursing degree program.
Top 25 Best Campus Nursing Schools
Duke University
Score: 94.05
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $65,805
- Out-of-State:$65,805
- Net Price: $23,422
- Acceptance Rate: 7%
- Retention Rate: 96%
- Graduation Rate: 96%
- Total Enrollment: 17,112
- Undergrad Students: 6,488
- Graduate Students: 10,624
- Grads Salary: $95,000
- Student-to-faculty: 6:1
Yale University
Score: 93.86
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $64,700
- Out-of-State:$64,700
- Net Price: $26,044
- Acceptance Rate: 5%
- Retention Rate: 99%
- Graduation Rate: 96%
- Total Enrollment: 15,081
- Undergrad Students: 6,818
- Graduate Students: 8,263
- Grads Salary: $96,000
- Student-to-faculty: 6:1
Johns Hopkins University
Score: 93.74
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $63,340
- Out-of-State:$63,340
- Net Price: $22,844
- Acceptance Rate: 8%
- Retention Rate: 98%
- Graduation Rate: 95%
- Total Enrollment: 30,362
- Undergrad Students: 6,089
- Graduate Students: 24,273
- Grads Salary: $94,000
- Student-to-faculty: 6:1
Columbia University
Score: 93.38
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $69,045
- Out-of-State:$69,045
- Net Price: $20,869
- Acceptance Rate: 4%
- Retention Rate: 97%
- Graduation Rate: 95%
- Total Enrollment: 35,279
- Undergrad Students: 9,111
- Graduate Students: 26,168
- Grads Salary: $91,000
- Student-to-faculty: 6:1
University of Pennsylvania
Score: 92.71
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $66,104
- Out-of-State:$66,104
- Net Price: $26,017
- Acceptance Rate: 6%
- Retention Rate: 98%
- Graduation Rate: 97%
- Total Enrollment: 28,711
- Undergrad Students: 11,611
- Graduate Students: 17,100
- Grads Salary: $94,000
- Student-to-faculty: 8:1
University of California-Los Angeles
Score: 91.35
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $13,747
- Out-of-State:$44,524
- Net Price: $15,166
- Acceptance Rate: 9%
- Retention Rate: 97%
- Graduation Rate: 93%
- Total Enrollment: 46,678
- Undergrad Students: 33,040
- Graduate Students: 13,638
- Grads Salary: $89,000
- Student-to-faculty: 18:1
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Score: 90.56
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $17,228
- Out-of-State:$58,072
- Net Price: $19,005
- Acceptance Rate: 18%
- Retention Rate: 98%
- Graduation Rate: 93%
- Total Enrollment: 52,065
- Undergrad Students: 33,730
- Graduate Students: 18,335
- Grads Salary: $88,000
- Student-to-faculty: 11:1
Vanderbilt University
Score: 89.35
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $63,946
- Out-of-State:$63,946
- Net Price: $26,689
- Acceptance Rate: 6%
- Retention Rate: 96%
- Graduation Rate: 93%
- Total Enrollment: 13,456
- Undergrad Students: 7,152
- Graduate Students: 6,304
- Grads Salary: $89,000
- Student-to-faculty: 7:1
University of Virginia
Score: 88.95
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $20,986
- Out-of-State:$58,014
- Net Price: $17,831
- Acceptance Rate: 17%
- Retention Rate: 97%
- Graduation Rate: 95%
- Total Enrollment: 25,924
- Undergrad Students: 17,612
- Graduate Students: 8,312
- Grads Salary: $84,000
- Student-to-faculty: 15:1
University of Florida
Score: 87.92
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $6,381
- Out-of-State:$28,659
- Net Price: $11,521
- Acceptance Rate: 24%
- Retention Rate: 97%
- Graduation Rate: 92%
- Total Enrollment: 54,814
- Undergrad Students: 34,924
- Graduate Students: 19,890
- Grads Salary: $79,000
- Student-to-faculty: 16:1
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Score: 87.74
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $8,989
- Out-of-State:$39,330
- Net Price: $11,140
- Acceptance Rate: 19%
- Retention Rate: 97%
- Graduation Rate: 92%
- Total Enrollment: 32,234
- Undergrad Students: 20,681
- Graduate Students: 11,553
- Grads Salary: $77,000
- Student-to-faculty: 15:1
University of Washington
Score: 87.24
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $12,643
- Out-of-State:$41,997
- Net Price: $11,023
- Acceptance Rate: 43%
- Retention Rate: 95%
- Graduation Rate: 84%
- Total Enrollment: 55,620
- Undergrad Students: 39,515
- Graduate Students: 16,105
- Grads Salary: $87,000
- Student-to-faculty: 20:1
Emory University
Score: 85.78
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $60,774
- Out-of-State:$60,774
- Net Price: $27,986
- Acceptance Rate: 11%
- Retention Rate: 96%
- Graduation Rate: 92%
- Total Enrollment: 15,046
- Undergrad Students: 7,359
- Graduate Students: 7,687
- Grads Salary: $84,000
- Student-to-faculty: 9:1
Binghamton University
Score: 85.46
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $10,363
- Out-of-State:$29,453
- Net Price: $18,860
- Acceptance Rate: 38%
- Retention Rate: 88%
- Graduation Rate: 84%
- Total Enrollment: 18,456
- Undergrad Students: 14,409
- Graduate Students: 4,047
- Grads Salary: $90,000
- Student-to-faculty: 18:1
New York University
Score: 85.27
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $60,438
- Out-of-State:$60,438
- Net Price: $30,730
- Acceptance Rate: 9%
- Retention Rate: 96%
- Graduation Rate: 88%
- Total Enrollment: 57,335
- Undergrad Students: 29,760
- Graduate Students: 27,575
- Grads Salary: $87,000
- Student-to-faculty: 8:1
The University of Texas at Austin
Score: 85.21
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $11,678
- Out-of-State:$42,778
- Net Price: $18,036
- Acceptance Rate: 29%
- Retention Rate: 96%
- Graduation Rate: 88%
- Total Enrollment: 53,082
- Undergrad Students: 42,444
- Graduate Students: 10,638
- Grads Salary: $83,000
- Student-to-faculty: 18:1
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Score: 84.81
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $11,205
- Out-of-State:$40,603
- Net Price: $14,216
- Acceptance Rate: 43%
- Retention Rate: 95%
- Graduation Rate: 89%
- Total Enrollment: 49,605
- Undergrad Students: 36,797
- Graduate Students: 12,808
- Grads Salary: $80,000
- Student-to-faculty: 18:1
Villanova University
Score: 83.73
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $64,701
- Out-of-State:$64,701
- Net Price: $37,946
- Acceptance Rate: 25%
- Retention Rate: 95%
- Graduation Rate: 92%
- Total Enrollment: 10,111
- Undergrad Students: 7,063
- Graduate Students: 3,048
- Grads Salary: $91,000
- Student-to-faculty: 10:1
Georgetown University
Score: 83.23
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $65,081
- Out-of-State:$65,081
- Net Price: $37,967
- Acceptance Rate: 13%
- Retention Rate: 97%
- Graduation Rate: 94%
- Total Enrollment: 20,392
- Undergrad Students: 7,968
- Graduate Students: 12,424
- Grads Salary: $87,000
- Student-to-faculty: 11:1
Boston College
Score: 82.9
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $67,680
- Out-of-State:$67,680
- Net Price: $32,590
- Acceptance Rate: 16%
- Retention Rate: 95%
- Graduation Rate: 91%
- Total Enrollment: 15,280
- Undergrad Students: 10,083
- Graduate Students: 5,197
- Grads Salary: $85,000
- Student-to-faculty: 13:1
Northeastern University
Score: 82.85
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $63,141
- Out-of-State:$63,141
- Net Price: $34,770
- Acceptance Rate: 6%
- Retention Rate: 98%
- Graduation Rate: 90%
- Total Enrollment: 31,159
- Undergrad Students: 15,891
- Graduate Students: 15,268
- Grads Salary: $87,000
- Student-to-faculty: 16:1
Rutgers University-New Brunswick
Score: 81.52
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $17,239
- Out-of-State:$36,001
- Net Price: $19,052
- Acceptance Rate: 65%
- Retention Rate: 93%
- Graduation Rate: 85%
- Total Enrollment: 50,617
- Undergrad Students: 36,588
- Graduate Students: 14,029
- Grads Salary: $81,000
- Student-to-faculty: 15:1
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Score: 80.9
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $16,488
- Out-of-State:$36,402
- Net Price: $16,730
- Acceptance Rate: 77%
- Retention Rate: 91%
- Graduation Rate: 85%
- Total Enrollment: 54,890
- Undergrad Students: 39,556
- Graduate Students: 15,334
- Grads Salary: $80,000
- Student-to-faculty: 16:1
Ohio State University
Score: 80.67
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $12,859
- Out-of-State:$38,365
- Net Price: $19,575
- Acceptance Rate: 51%
- Retention Rate: 94%
- Graduation Rate: 88%
- Total Enrollment: 60,046
- Undergrad Students: 45,728
- Graduate Students: 14,318
- Grads Salary: $77,000
- Student-to-faculty: 18:1
University of Connecticut
Score: 80.61
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $20,366
- Out-of-State:$43,034
- Net Price: $22,324
- Acceptance Rate: 54%
- Retention Rate: 91%
- Graduation Rate: 84%
- Total Enrollment: 27,364
- Undergrad Students: 19,388
- Graduate Students: 7,976
- Grads Salary: $82,000
- Student-to-faculty: 16:1
Professional Organizations
ANA
American Nursing Association
This large powerful association represents the interests of more than 3.4 million registered nurses. They engages in advocacy for health policy and improvement in the national health system. They also promote nursing standards, ethics, and greater participation in the health industry. Members can take advantage of education, continuing education, and information resources. There are 54 state-based affiliate chapters, and students can join. Students will benefit from discussions of current trends, best practices, and educational benefits. The association works to advance practical issues for nurses such as salary, greater professional recognition, and better working conditions.
STT
Sigma Theta Tau
Sigma is an honor society that appeals to students and recent grads too. Operating through local chapters and affiliates, this global association funds grant and research opportunities. Its activities include networking, leadership, and personal and professional growth opportunities. Sigma represents more than 130,000 nurses across more than 90 countries. The association helps students access career counseling, coaching, and job placement assistance. Members can get up-to-date information about job openings and salaries based on current offers and salaries. Graduating students can get the benefits of association with members of their new profession.
ICN
International Council of Nurses
The council consists of about 130 national nursing associations. In combination, they represent more than 20 million nurses around the globe. The association promotes the nursing profession and advances health policies. They publish a peer-reviewed journal: The International Nursing Review. This scholarly platform provides a means of communication across national boundaries with insights about regulations, government policies, and the needs for more and better cooperation. The association advances health education on a global basis. Students can take advantage of educational resources and health information from around the world.
ANIA
American Nursing Informatics Association
Members have a commitment to this specialty; Informatics integrates science, computer science, and information science. This field has the potential to change the way the profession manages and communicates data, information, knowledge, and wisdom in nursing practice. The goal of the association is to reinforce informatics practice as a specialty. Informatics is essential to the delivery of high quality, and cost-effective healthcare. Students can join this group and take advantage of the information and education resources. Graduates can move into this emerging information technology field for professional development.
NCSBN
The National Council of State Boards of Nursing
This independent and non-profit association represents the state boards of governance of the nursing profession. This body serves the vital role of reviewing and developing nursing examinations. It also provides a voice on policy issues of concern to public health and safety. The association operates events that provide opportunities for collaboration, participation, and networking.