Find Healthcare Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region

Find Schools Near

2023 Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region

510 Colleges
$67,632 Avg Salary
$24,151 Avg Student Debt

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.

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

#2

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, NC

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.

Read full report on Nursing at Wake Forest University

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.

Read More…

#4

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN

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.

Full Nursing at Vanderbilt University Report

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.

Read full report on Nursing at Frontier Nursing University

#6

Duke University

Durham, NC

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.

Read full report on Nursing at Duke University

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.

Read full report on Nursing at West Coast University-Miami

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.

Full Nursing at Chamberlain University - Florida Report

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.

Read More…

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.

Full Nursing at Chamberlain University - Virginia Report

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.

Read More…

#12

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, VA

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

#13

Trident Technical College

Charleston, SC

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.

Read More…

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.

Full Nursing at Cabarrus College of Health Sciences Report

#15

University of Florida

Gainesville, FL

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.

Read full report on Nursing at University of Florida

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.

Read More…

#17

Emory University

Atlanta, GA

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.

Read full report on Nursing at Emory University

#18

Eastern Virginia Career College

Fredericksburg, VA

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.

Full Nursing at Eastern Virginia Career College Report

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

#20

Centra College of Nursing

Lynchburg, VA

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.

Full Nursing at Centra College of Nursing Report

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.

Full Nursing at Medical University of South Carolina Report

#22

University of Mary Washington

Fredericksburg, VA

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.

Full Nursing at University of Mary Washington Report

#23

Auburn University

Auburn, AL

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.

Full Nursing at Auburn University Report

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.

Full Nursing at Herzing University - Birmingham Report

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.

Read More…

Rest of the Top 50 Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region

#26

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA
#28

Galen College of Nursing - Tampa Bay

Saint Petersburg, FL
#30

Samford University

Birmingham, AL
#31

University of Arkansas

Fayetteville, AR
#32

AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL
#38

University of Florida-Online

Gainesville, FL
#43

Augusta University

Augusta, GA
#44

East Carolina University

Greenville, NC
#47

Georgia Southern University

Statesboro, GA
#48

Clemson University

Clemson, SC
#49

Southside College of Health Sciences

Colonial Heights, VA
#50

University of North Florida

Jacksonville, FL

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.

Rank College Location
51 University of Miami Coral Gables, FL
52 Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA
53 The University of Tennessee - Health Science Center Memphis, TN
54 Southern Regional Technical College Thomasville, GA
55 Shenandoah University Winchester, VA
56 Belmont University Nashville, TN
57 University of North Georgia Dahlonega, GA
58 Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University Baton Rouge, LA
59 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
60 University of South Carolina - Columbia Columbia, SC
61 Winston - Salem State University Winston-Salem, NC
62 Shepherd University Shepherdstown, WV
63 Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing Richmond, VA
64 Galen College of Nursing - ARH Hazard, KY
65 Harding University Searcy, AR
66 University of North Carolina at Wilmington Wilmington, NC
67 Herzing University - Atlanta Atlanta, GA
68 Eastern Mennonite University Harrisonburg, VA
69 Polk State College Winter Haven, FL
70 University of Louisiana at Monroe Monroe, LA
71 Berry College Mount Berry, GA
72 North Carolina A & T State University Greensboro, NC
73 Chamberlain University - North Carolina Charlotte, NC
74 University of Mount Olive Mount Olive, NC
75 Appalachian State University Boone, NC
76 Bellarmine University Louisville, KY

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.

Rank College Location
77 Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers, FL
78 Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Tifton, GA
79 Athens Technical College Athens, GA
80 Georgia College & State University Milledgeville, GA
81 The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN
82 Louisiana Tech University Ruston, LA
83 American Public University System Charles Town, WV
84 Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC
85 Fayetteville State University Fayetteville, NC
86 North Carolina Central University Durham, NC
87 King University Bristol, TN
88 McNeese State University Lake Charles, LA
89 Albany State University Albany, GA
90 University of Kentucky Lexington, KY
91 University of Memphis Memphis, TN
92 Piedmont College Demorest, GA
93 Georgia State University-Perimeter College Atlanta, GA
94 LaGrange College Lagrange, GA
95 Radford University Radford, VA
96 University of Lynchburg Lynchburg, VA
97 West Virginia University Morgantown, WV
98 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
99 Gaston College Dallas, NC
100 Florida International University Miami, FL
101 Chattahoochee Technical College Marietta, GA
102 University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL

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

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.

Featured Schools

Find Healthcare Schools Near You

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