Find Healthcare Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region

Find Schools Near

2023 Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region

113 Colleges
$64,238 Avg Salary
$28,730 Avg Student Debt

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.

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

#2

Ottawa University - Kansas City

Overland Park, KS

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.

Read More…

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

#4

College of Saint Benedict

Saint Joseph, MN

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.

Read More…

#5

Webster University

Saint Louis, MO

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.

Full Nursing at Webster University Report

#6

Capella University

Minneapolis, MN

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.

Full Nursing at Capella University Report

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.

Read full report on Nursing at Bemidji State University

#8

Gustavus Adolphus College

Saint Peter, MN

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.

Full Nursing at Gustavus Adolphus College Report

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.

Read More…

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

#11

University of Kansas

Lawrence, KS

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.

Full Nursing at University of Kansas Report

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.

Full Nursing at Southwest Minnesota State University Report

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.

Read More…

#16

Creighton University

Omaha, NE

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.

Full Nursing at Creighton University Report

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

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.

Featured Schools

Find Healthcare Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited healthcare schools across the U.S.