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Best Nursing Schools in Florida

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2023 Best Nursing Schools in Florida

83 Colleges
$66,973 Avg Salary
$25,610 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 Florida. In total, 21,209 people earned a degree or certificate in the field from a school in Florida.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for healthcare students. 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.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Healthcare Degree Search has created the Best Nursing Schools in Florida to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 83 schools in Florida to see which ones offered the best programs for healthcare students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Nursing Schools in Florida

The following schools top our list of the Best Nursing Colleges.

Top 15% Best Nursing Schools

Our analysis found West Coast University-Miami to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a degree in Florida. Located in the small city of Doral, West Coast University-Miami is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

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.

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Chamberlain University - Florida. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Nursing Schools in Florida list. Located in the city of Jacksonville, Chamberlain - Florida is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

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.

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#3

University of Florida

Gainesville, FL

Out of the 83 schools in Florida that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the # 3 spot on the list. UF is a very large public school located in the medium-sized city of Gainesville.

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.

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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Rasmussen University - Florida. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in Florida list. Located in the city of Ocala, Rasmussen University - Florida is a private for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.

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.

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#5

Galen College of Nursing - Tampa Bay

Saint Petersburg, FL

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Galen College of Nursing - Tampa Bay is a great place for nursing students. Located in the city of Saint Petersburg, Galen College of Nursing - Tampa Bay is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Galen College of Nursing - Tampa Bay take out is $41,365. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $117.

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#6

AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL

AdventHealth University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in Florida list. AHU is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Orlando.

Nursing majors at AHU take out an average of $34,017 in student loans while working on their egree.

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#7

University of Florida-Online

Gainesville, FL

University of Florida-Online came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in Florida ranking. Located in the medium-sized city of Gainesville, UF Online is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

Nursing majors at UF Online take out an average of $19,458 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $146, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #8 on the list. USF Tampa is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Tampa.

On average, nursing graduates from USF Tampa take out $24,636 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $181.

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With a ranking of #9, Herzing University - Winter Park did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Located in the suburb of Winter Park, Herzing University - Winter Park is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Herzing University - Winter Park carry an average student debtload of $39,727. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $156, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

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Academy for Nursing and Health Occupations came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in Florida ranking. ANHO is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of West Palm Beach.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at ANHO accumulate an average of around $35,375 in student debt.

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#11

University of North Florida

Jacksonville, FL

University of North Florida came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in Florida ranking. UNF is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Jacksonville.

On average, nursing graduates from UNF take out $18,750 in student loans while working on their degree.

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#12

University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL

University of Miami landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Located in the city of Coral Gables, U Miami is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.

Nursing majors at U Miami take out an average of $25,000 in student loans while working on their egree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $483.

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Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great schools for Nursing students in the state of Florida that almost earned our Best Nursing Schools in Florida award.

Rank College Location
13 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
14 Polk State College Winter Haven, FL
15 Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers, FL
16 Florida International University Miami, FL

Best Nursing Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Nursing Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
North Carolina 7,425
Tennessee 6,004
Kentucky 6,395
Georgia 7,112
West Virginia 1,771
Virginia 6,775
Alabama 7,364
Louisiana 3,502
Mississippi 2,838
South Carolina 3,296
Arkansas 2,882

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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