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Doctor's Degree in Nursing

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Doctor’s Degrees in Nursing

10,943 Yearly Graduations
$108,639 Median Salary
86% Women
There are 425 colleges and univerities across the nation that offer a doctor's degree in nursing. This degree is more popular with female students, and about 34% of recent graduates were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group. Also, 1.2% of nursing graduates were international students.

Education Levels of Nursing Majors

In 2020-2021, 10,943 doctor's degrees were awarded to nursing majors. This earns it the #4 spot on the list of the most popular doctor's degree programs in the nation.

The following table shows the number of diplomas awarded in nursing at each degree level.

Education Level Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree 165,538
Associate Degree 85,504
Master’s Degree 51,608
Doctor’s Degree 10,943
Graduate Certificate 4,413
Undergraduate Certificate 2,494
Basic Certificate 2,092

Earnings of Nursing Majors With Doctor’s Degrees

The median salary for graduates holding a doctor's degree in nursing is $108,639. However, this can depend on a number of factors, such as where you live and the number of years experience you have. A better approximation of salary is to look at the typical range of salaries. In this case the low is $99,510 and the high is $124,759.

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Student Debt

We do not have the data to calculate the median and range of debt loads for nursing students who are doctor's degree holders.

Student Diversity

More women than men pursue their doctor's degree in nursing. About 85.7% of graduates with this degree are female.

Gender Number of Grads
Men 1,565
Women 9,378
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The racial-ethnic distribution of nursing doctor’s degree students is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 852
Black or African American 1,744
Hispanic or Latino 762
White 6,542
International Students 129
Other Races/Ethnicities 914
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There are 425 colleges that offer a doctor’s degree in nursing. Learn more about the most popular 20 below:

565 Yearly Graduations
93% Women
44% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

Chamberlain University - Illinois tops the list of the most popular school in the U.S. for nursing majors who are seeking their doctor's degree. Roughly 29,400 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $19,117 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $13,000 per year. The nursing program at Chamberlain University - Illinois awarded 565 doctor's degrees during the 2020-2021 school year. About 93% of this group were women, and 44% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.

#2

Grand Canyon University

Phoenix, Arizona
368 Yearly Graduations
90% Women
47% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

Grand Canyon University comes in at #2 on our list of the most popular colleges offering doctor's degrees in nursing. Roughly 103,400 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $16,401 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $10,621 per year. For the 2020-2021 academic year, 368 doctor's degrees were handed out to nursing majors at Grand Canyon University. Of these students, 90% were women and 47% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.

#3

Rush University

Chicago, Illinois
199 Yearly Graduations
88% Women
24% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

The 3rd most popular school in the country for nursing majors who are seeking their doctor's degree is Rush University. Roughly 2,800 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $29,828 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $37,253 per year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 199 people received their doctor's degree in nursing from Rush University. Of these students, 88% were women and 24% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.

#4

Walden University

Minneapolis, Minnesota
191 Yearly Graduations
87% Women
53% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

The 4th most popular school in the country for nursing majors who are seeking their doctor's degree is Walden University. Roughly 49,600 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $10,064 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $9,651 per year. For the 2020-2021 academic year, 191 doctor's degrees were handed out to nursing majors at Walden University. Around 53% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 87% were women.

#5

Frontier Nursing University

Hyden, Kentucky
181 Yearly Graduations
92% Women
33% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

The 5th most popular school in the country for nursing majors who are seeking their doctor's degree is Frontier Nursing University. Roughly 2,400 attend the school each year. For the 2020-2021 academic year, 181 doctor's degrees were handed out to nursing majors at Frontier Nursing University. Around 33% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 92% were women.

#6

Capella University

Minneapolis, Minnesota
171 Yearly Graduations
94% Women
32% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

Capella University is the 6th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a doctor's degree in nursing. Roughly 38,900 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $14,148 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $14,784 per year. For the 2020-2021 academic year, 171 doctor's degrees were handed out to nursing majors at Capella University. Around 32% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 94% were women.

#7

Rutgers University - New Brunswick

New Brunswick, New Jersey
163 Yearly Graduations
87% Women
52% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

The 7th most popular school in the country for nursing majors who are seeking their doctor's degree is Rutgers University - New Brunswick. Roughly 50,400 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $12,536 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $18,180 per year. For the 2020-2021 academic year, 163 doctor's degrees were handed out to nursing majors at Rutgers New Brunswick. About 87% of this group were women, and 52% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.

146 Yearly Graduations
91% Women
52% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

The 8th most popular school in the country for nursing majors who are seeking their doctor's degree is Columbia University in the City of New York. Each year, around 30,100 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $59,450 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $50,496 per year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 146 people received their doctor's degree in nursing from Columbia. About 91% of this group were women, and 52% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.

#9

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
142 Yearly Graduations
89% Women
17% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities comes in at #9 on our list of the most popular colleges offering doctor's degrees in nursing. Roughly 52,000 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $13,532 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $17,844 per year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 142 people received their doctor's degree in nursing from UMN Twin Cities. Of these students, 89% were women and 17% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.

#10

University of Maryland - Baltimore

Baltimore, Maryland
137 Yearly Graduations
81% Women
42% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

University of Maryland - Baltimore is the 10th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a doctor's degree in nursing. Each year, around 7,100 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $9,446 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $15,140 per year. For the 2020-2021 academic year, 137 doctor's degrees were handed out to nursing majors at UMB. Around 42% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 81% were women.

#11

University of Illinois at Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
134 Yearly Graduations
90% Women
31% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

University of Illinois at Chicago is the 11th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a doctor's degree in nursing. Roughly 33,500 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $12,253 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $13,927 per year. For the 2020-2021 academic year, 134 doctor's degrees were handed out to nursing majors at UIC. About 90% of this group were women, and 31% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.

#11

University of South Alabama

Mobile, Alabama
134 Yearly Graduations
92% Women
46% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

The 11th most popular school in the country for nursing majors who are seeking their doctor's degree is University of South Alabama. Each year, around 14,200 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $8,256 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $8,226 per year. For the 2020-2021 academic year, 134 doctor's degrees were handed out to nursing majors at USA. Of these students, 92% were women and 46% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.

#13

Samford University

Birmingham, Alabama
129 Yearly Graduations
89% Women
31% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

Samford University is the 13th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a doctor's degree in nursing. Roughly 5,700 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $34,410 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $20,935 per year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 129 people received their doctor's degree in nursing from Samford. Around 31% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 89% were women.

#14

Brandman University

Irvine, California
113 Yearly Graduations
84% Women
85% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

Brandman University comes in at #14 on our list of the most popular colleges offering doctor's degrees in nursing. Each year, around 10,900 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $12,000 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $12,240 per year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 113 people received their doctor's degree in nursing from Brandman. Of these students, 84% were women and 85% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.

#15

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona
108 Yearly Graduations
93% Women
44% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

University of Arizona is the 15th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a doctor's degree in nursing. Roughly 45,600 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $10,990 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $12,106 per year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 108 people received their doctor's degree in nursing from University of Arizona. About 93% of this group were women, and 44% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.

107 Yearly Graduations
85% Women
32% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

The 16th most popular school in the country for nursing majors who are seeking their doctor's degree is University of Washington - Seattle Campus. Each year, around 48,100 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $10,927 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $16,605 per year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 107 people received their doctor's degree in nursing from UW Seattle. Around 32% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 85% were women.

#16

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina
107 Yearly Graduations
86% Women
27% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

The 16th most popular school in the country for nursing majors who are seeking their doctor's degree is Duke University. Each year, around 16,100 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $58,085 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $57,900 per year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 107 people received their doctor's degree in nursing from Duke. Of these students, 86% were women and 27% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.

#18

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah
105 Yearly Graduations
80% Women
16% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

The 18th most popular school in the country for nursing majors who are seeking their doctor's degree is University of Utah. Roughly 33,000 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $7,749 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $6,970 per year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 105 people received their doctor's degree in nursing from U of U. Of these students, 80% were women and 16% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.

#19

University of North Florida

Jacksonville, Florida
102 Yearly Graduations
86% Women
47% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

The 19th most popular school in the country for nursing majors who are seeking their doctor's degree is University of North Florida. Each year, around 16,900 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $3,996 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $8,570 per year. The nursing program at University of North Florida awarded 102 doctor's degrees during the 2020-2021 school year. Of these students, 86% were women and 47% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.

#19

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland
102 Yearly Graduations
95% Women
46% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

Johns Hopkins University is the 19th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a doctor's degree in nursing. Roughly 28,800 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $58,720 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $58,720 per year. The nursing program at Johns Hopkins University awarded 102 doctor's degrees during the 2020-2021 school year. Of these students, 95% were women and 46% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.

Nursing Focus Areas

Major Annual Degrees Awarded
Nursing Practice 6,164
Registered Nursing 1,058
Nurse Anesthetist 1,015
Nursing Science 950
Family Practice Nursing 563

Below are some popular majors that are similar to nursing that offer doctor’s degrees.

Major Annual Degrees Awarded
Medicine 28,623
Rehabilitation Professions 15,249
Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Sciences 15,192
Dentistry 6,742
Chiropractic 2,658

References

*The racial-ethnic minority student count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the percentage of racial-ethnic minorities.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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