2023 Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region
Finding the Best Nursing 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.
It's not easy to decide which healthcare program to enroll in when you have so many options available. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.
The Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region ranking is one of many tools that Healthcare Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 510 schools in the Southeast Region to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for healthcare students.
View our full ranking methodology.
Featured schools near , edit
2023 Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region
Check out the nursing programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.
Top 25 Top Southeast Region Schools in Nursing
Our 2023 rankings named Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia Inc the best school in the Southeast Region for nursing students. MTSA is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Madison.
Full Nursing at Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia Inc Report
The excellent programs at Wake Forest University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in the Southeast Region . Located in the medium-sized city of Winston-Salem, Wake Forest University is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.
The excellent programs at Standard Healthcare Services - College of Nursing helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in the Southeast Region . Standard College of Nursing is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the large suburb of Falls Church.
Nursing majors at Standard College of Nursing take out an average of $27,280 in student loans while working on their egree.
The excellent programs at Vanderbilt University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in the Southeast Region . Located in the large city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Frontier Nursing University is a great place for nursing students. Located in the rural area of Hyden, Frontier Nursing University is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
With a ranking of #6, Duke University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Located in the large city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
On average, nursing graduates from Duke take out $25,184 in student loans while working on their degree.
West Coast University-Miami landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. West Coast University-Miami is a small private for-profit school located in the small city of Doral.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at West Coast University-Miami take out is $38,146. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $665.
Chamberlain University - Florida ranked #8 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region list. Chamberlain - Florida is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Jacksonville.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at Chamberlain - Florida accumulate an average of around $38,460 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $256.
Chamberlain University - Georgia ranked #9 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region list. Chamberlain - Georgia is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Atlanta.
Nursing majors at Chamberlain - Georgia take out an average of $38,460 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $256.
Chamberlain University - Virginia landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Chamberlain - Virginia is a small private for-profit school located in the large suburb of Arlington.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at Chamberlain - Virginia accumulate an average of around $38,460 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $256.
Sentara College of Health Sciences landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Sentara College of Health Sciences is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Chesapeake.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Sentara College of Health Sciences carry an average student debtload of $27,686. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $155, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
University of Virginia - Main Campus ranked #12 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region list. University of Virginia is a fairly large public school located in the small suburb of Charlottesville.
On average, nursing graduates from University of Virginia take out $16,836 in student loans while working on their degree.
Read full report on Nursing at University of Virginia - Main Campus
With a ranking of #13, Trident Technical College did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Located in the city of Charleston, Trident Technical College is a public school with a large student population.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Trident Technical College carry an average student debtload of $28,792.
Cabarrus College of Health Sciences ranked #14 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the midsize city of Concord, Cabarrus College of Health Sciences is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at Cabarrus College of Health Sciences accumulate an average of around $27,082 in student debt.
University of Florida ranked #15 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the medium-sized city of Gainesville, UF is a public college with a fairly large student population.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at UF accumulate an average of around $19,458 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $146, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Carolinas College of Health Sciences ranked #16 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region list. Carolinas College of Health Sciences is a small public school located in the city of Charlotte.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at Carolinas College of Health Sciences accumulate an average of around $23,000 in student debt.
Emory University landed the #17 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Located in the city of Atlanta, Emory is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Emory take out is $25,000. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $556.
Eastern Virginia Career College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #18 on the list. Located in the midsize suburb of Fredericksburg, Eastern Virginia Career College is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
Nursing majors at Eastern Virginia Career College take out an average of $22,874 in student loans while working on their egree.
Rasmussen University - Florida ranked #19 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region list. Rasmussen University - Florida is a medium-sized private for-profit school located in the city of Ocala.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at Rasmussen University - Florida accumulate an average of around $35,539 in student debt. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $161.
Read full report on Nursing at Rasmussen University - Florida
Centra College of Nursing came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in the small city of Lynchburg, Centra College of Nursing is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Centra College of Nursing take out is $21,076.
Medical University of South Carolina did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #21 on the list. MUSC is a small public school located in the medium-sized city of Charleston.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at MUSC take out is $28,354. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $399, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
With a ranking of #22, University of Mary Washington did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. UMW is a small public school located in the suburb of Fredericksburg.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at UMW accumulate an average of around $15,725 in student debt.
Auburn University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #23 on the list. Auburn is a very large public school located in the small city of Auburn.
Nursing majors at Auburn take out an average of $20,500 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $562.
Herzing University - Birmingham ranked #24 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the large suburb of Birmingham, Herzing University - Birmingham is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at Herzing University - Birmingham accumulate an average of around $33,946 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $107.
Virginia Commonwealth University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region list. VCU is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of Richmond.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at VCU take out is $26,687. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $238, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Rest of the Top 50 Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region
Remaining Award Winners
This list represents the rest of the schools awarded a Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 510 different Southeast nursing schools we analyzed.
Additional Noteworthy Schools
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 Schools in the Southeast Region award.
Best Nursing Colleges by State
Explore the best nursing colleges for a specific state in the Southeast region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Florida | 21,209 |
| North Carolina | 7,425 |
| Tennessee | 6,004 |
| Georgia | 7,112 |
| Kentucky | 6,395 |
| West Virginia | 1,771 |
| Virginia | 6,775 |
| Alabama | 7,364 |
| Louisiana | 3,502 |
| Mississippi | 2,838 |
| South Carolina | 3,296 |
| Arkansas | 2,882 |
More Nursing Rankings in the Southeast Region
Nursing Related Rankings by Major
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 |
Most Popular Majors Related 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
Request Info
|
Southern New Hampshire University You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs. Learn More > |
HealthcareDegreeSearch.com provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© HealthcareDegreeSearch.com – All Rights Reserved.