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Best Nursing Schools in West Virginia

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2023 Best Nursing Schools in West Virginia

19 Colleges
$68,392 Avg Salary
$25,751 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Nursing School for You

Nursing is the most popular major in West Virginia with 1,771 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021.

There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which healthcare program is right for you. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.

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 West Virginia ranking. This report analyzed 19 schools in West Virginia to see which ones offered the best programs for healthcare students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Nursing Schools in West Virginia

The colleges and universities below are the best for nursing majors pursuing a .

Top 10 Best Nursing Schools

#1

Shepherd University

Shepherdstown, WV

Our 2023 rankings named Shepherd University the best school in West Virginia for nursing students. Shepherd University is a small public school located in the fringe town of Shepherdstown.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Shepherd University take out is $27,000. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $272, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

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The excellent programs at American Public University System helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in West Virginia. Located in the fringe town of Charles Town, American Military University is a private for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

On average, nursing graduates from American Military University take out $34,408 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Nursing at American Public University System Report

#3

West Virginia University

Morgantown, WV

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend West Virginia University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Nursing Schools in West Virginia list. Located in the city of Morgantown, WVU is a public school with a fairly large student population.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at WVU accumulate an average of around $26,242 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $256, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Nursing at West Virginia University Report

#4

Wheeling University

Wheeling, WV

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Wheeling University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Nursing Schools in West Virginia list. Located in the small city of Wheeling, Wheeling University is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

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#5

University of Charleston

Charleston, WV

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Charleston. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Nursing Schools in West Virginia list. Located in the city of Charleston, UC is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Nursing majors at UC take out an average of $26,875 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read full report on Nursing at University of Charleston

West Virginia Wesleyan College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in West Virginia list. West Virginia Wesleyan is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Buckhannon.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from West Virginia Wesleyan carry an average student debtload of $28,000.

Full Nursing at West Virginia Wesleyan College Report

BridgeValley Community & Technical College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in West Virginia list. BridgeValley Community & Technical College is a small public school located in the medium-sized suburb of South Charleston.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at BridgeValley Community & Technical College accumulate an average of around $18,158 in student debt.

Read full report on Nursing at BridgeValley Community & Technical College

With a ranking of #8, Davis & Elkins College did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Located in the town of Elkins, D&E is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at D&E accumulate an average of around $27,636 in student debt.

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Alderson Broaddus University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in West Virginia list. Alderson Broaddus University is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Philippi.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Alderson Broaddus University carry an average student debtload of $31,000.

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#10

Fairmont State University

Fairmont, WV

Fairmont State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #10 on the list. Fairmont State is a small public school located in the town of Fairmont.

Nursing majors at Fairmont State take out an average of $30,454 in student loans while working on their egree.

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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
Florida 21,209
North Carolina 7,425
Tennessee 6,004
Georgia 7,112
Kentucky 6,395
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

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 19 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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