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Best Nursing Schools in Washington

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2023 Best Nursing Schools in Washington

40 Colleges
$75,342 Avg Salary
$20,069 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Nursing School for You

Out of the majors we analyze each year, nursing was the most popular one in Washington. In total, 3,851 people earned a degree or certificate in the field from a school in Washington.

It's not easy to decide which healthcare program to enroll in when you have so many options available. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Healthcare Degree Search has created its Best Nursing Schools in Washington ranking. Our analysis looked at 40 schools in Washington to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for healthcare students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Nursing Schools in Washington

Check out the nursing programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.

Top 10 Best Nursing Schools

#1

Gonzaga University

Spokane, WA

Our analysis found Gonzaga University to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a degree in Washington. Gonzaga is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Spokane.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Gonzaga take out is $27,000.

Read More…

Out of the 40 schools in Washington that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Tacoma Campus landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the midsize city of Tacoma, UW Tacoma is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at UW Tacoma take out is $18,723. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $234.

Full Nursing at University of Washington - Tacoma Campus Report

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means University of Washington - Bothell Campus is a great place for nursing students. Located in the suburb of Bothell, UW Bothell is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

Nursing majors at UW Bothell take out an average of $18,723 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $234.

Read full report on Nursing at University of Washington - Bothell Campus

#4

Seattle University

Seattle, WA

Out of the 40 schools in Washington that were part of this year’s ranking, Seattle University landed the # 4 spot on the list. Seattle U is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Seattle.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at Seattle U accumulate an average of around $26,000 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $722, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Nursing at Seattle University Report

Out of the 40 schools in Washington that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the # 5 spot on the list. UW Seattle is a very large public school located in the city of Seattle.

On average, nursing graduates from UW Seattle take out $18,723 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $234.

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With a ranking of #6, Washington State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Located in the distant town of Pullman, Wazzu is a public college with a very large student population.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Wazzu carry an average student debtload of $23,500. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $202, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Nursing at Washington State University

Seattle Pacific University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Located in the large city of Seattle, SPU is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at SPU accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $477.

Full Nursing at Seattle Pacific University Report

#8

Highline College

Des Moines, WA

Highline College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #8 on the list. Highline is a small public school located in the suburb of Des Moines.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at Highline accumulate an average of around $15,000 in student debt.

Full Nursing at Highline College Report

Pacific Lutheran University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in Washington ranking. PLU is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Tacoma.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from PLU carry an average student debtload of $27,000. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $413.

Read More…

Saint Martin’s University landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Saint Martin's is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Lacey.

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Best Nursing Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Oregon 1,502
California 18,329
Nevada 2,015
Hawaii 535
Alaska 177

More Nursing Rankings in Washington

Nursing is one of 30 different types of healthcare programs to choose from.

Nursing Focus Areas

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

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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