2023 Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region
Finding the Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree School for You
In 2020-2021, 322,592 degrees and certificates were awarded to nursing students, making the major the most popular in the country.
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for healthcare students. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Healthcare Degree Search has developed this Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. This report analyzed 113 schools in the Plains States Region to see which ones offered the best bachelor's degree programs for healthcare students. To come up with a school's ranking, we analyzed numerous factors related to post-graduation wages, the quality of education offered by the school, average accumulated student debt, and more.
View our full ranking methodology.
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2023 Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for nursing majors pursuing a bachelor's degree.
Top 15% Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools
Our analysis found Chamberlain University - Missouri to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in the Plains States Region . Located in the large suburb of St. Louis, Chamberlain - Missouri is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from Chamberlain - Missouri carry an average student debtload of $37,103. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $256, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Read full report on Nursing at Chamberlain University - Missouri
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ottawa University - Kansas City. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Ottawa University - Kansas City is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Overland Park.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Ottawa University - Kansas City take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $29,652.
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means University of Nebraska Medical Center is a great place for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. UNMC is a small public school located in the city of Omaha.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from UNMC carry an average student debtload of $24,990. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $236.
Full Nursing at University of Nebraska Medical Center Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend College of Saint Benedict. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Saint Joseph, CSB is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Webster University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in the Plains States Region . Webster is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Saint Louis.
With a ranking of #6, Capella University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the large city of Minneapolis, Capella University is a private for-profit school with a very large student population.
Nursing majors at Capella University take out an average of $28,936 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
Bemidji State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Bemidji State University is a small public school located in the remote town of Bemidji.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from Bemidji State University carry an average student debtload of $32,595.
Gustavus Adolphus College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the fringe town of Saint Peter, Gustavus Adolphus is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Mayville State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in the rural area of Mayville, Mayville State University is a public school with a small student population.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at Mayville State University accumulate an average of around $33,395 in student debt.
Central Methodist University - College of Graduate & Extended Studies did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #10 on the list. CMU CGES is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Fayette.
Nursing majors at CMU CGES take out an average of $29,850 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
Full Nursing at Central Methodist University - College of Graduate & Extended Studies Report
University of Kansas ranked #11 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the city of Lawrence, KU is a public college with a very large student population.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from KU carry an average student debtload of $23,714.
With a ranking of #12, Minnesota State University - Moorhead did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. MSU Moorhead is a moderately-sized public school located in the midsize suburb of Moorhead.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at MSU Moorhead accumulate an average of around $33,360 in student debt.
Read full report on Nursing at Minnesota State University - Moorhead
Southwest Minnesota State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the remote town of Marshall, Southwest Minnesota State University is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Southwest Minnesota State University take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $32,041.
Herzing University - Minneapolis landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree nursing programs. Located in the suburb of Minneapolis, Herzing University - Minneapolis is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Herzing University - Minneapolis take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $42,677. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $204.
Creighton University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #16 on the list. Creighton is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Omaha.
Nursing majors at Creighton take out an average of $28,316 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $483, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Honorable Mentions
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 17 | Grantham University | Lenexa, KS |
| 18 | Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College | Saint Louis, MO |
| 19 | St Olaf College | Northfield, MN |
| 20 | The College of Saint Scholastica | Duluth, MN |
| 21 | Augsburg University | Minneapolis, MN |
| 22 | Winona State University | Winona, MN |
Best Nursing Colleges by State
Explore the best nursing colleges for a specific state in the Plains States region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Minnesota | 14,890 |
| Iowa | 2,966 |
| Nebraska | 1,908 |
| Missouri | 6,840 |
| Kansas | 2,633 |
| South Dakota | 1,022 |
| North Dakota | 976 |
More Nursing Rankings in the Plains States Region
Rankings in Majors Related to Nursing
One of 30 majors within the healthcare area of study, nursing has other similar majors worth exploring.
Nursing Concentrations
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | 266,651 |
| Family Practice Nurse/Nursing | 16,104 |
| Nursing Administration | 9,838 |
| Nursing Practice | 7,992 |
| Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 5,092 |
| Nursing Science | 4,600 |
| Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing | 2,287 |
| Adult Health Nurse/Nursing | 2,021 |
| Nurse Anesthetist | 1,936 |
| Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing | 1,883 |
| Critical Care Nursing | 773 |
| Geriatric Nurse/Nursing | 563 |
| School Nursing | 553 |
| Nurse Midwife/Nursing Midwifery | 509 |
| Clinical Nurse Leader | 444 |
| Clinical Nurse Specialist | 419 |
| Perioperative/Operating Room and Surgical Nurse/Nursing | 331 |
| Maternal/Child Health and Neonatal Nurse/Nursing | 181 |
| Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing | 57 |
| Emergency Room/Trauma Nursing | 53 |
| Palliative Care Nursing | 14 |
| Forensic Nursing | 14 |
Majors Similar to Nursing
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Health & Medical Administrative Services | 89,359 |
| Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services | 84,492 |
| Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants | 84,274 |
| Allied Health Professions | 82,308 |
| Public Health | 40,596 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Aleksahgabrielle.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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