2023 Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States 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.
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for healthcare students. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.
The Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region ranking is one of many tools that Healthcare Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 193 schools in the Plains States Region to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for healthcare students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Nursing Colleges.
Top 25 Top Plains States Region Schools in Nursing
Our analysis found Mayo Clinic School of Medicine to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a degree in the Plains States Region . Located in the medium-sized city of Rochester, Mayo Clinic School of Medicine is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lutheran School of Nursing. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the large city of Saint Louis, Lutheran School of Nursing is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
Nursing majors at Lutheran School of Nursing take out an average of $18,110 in student loans while working on their egree.
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Chamberlain University - Missouri is a great place for nursing students. Located in the large suburb of St. Louis, Chamberlain - Missouri is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
Nursing majors at Chamberlain - Missouri take out an average of $38,460 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $256, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Nursing at Chamberlain University - Missouri Report
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Out of the 193 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Mount Marty University landed the # 4 spot on the list. Mount Marty is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Yankton.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Mount Marty take out is $28,832.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Ottawa University - Kansas City. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region list. Ottawa University - Kansas City is a small private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Overland Park.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at Ottawa University - Kansas City accumulate an average of around $26,768 in student debt.
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University of Nebraska Medical Center ranked #6 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region list. UNMC is a small public school located in the large city of Omaha.
Nursing majors at UNMC take out an average of $23,737 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 $236.
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Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #7 on the list. Located in the town of Winona, SMU MN is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Nursing majors at SMU MN take out an average of $32,139 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Webster University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Webster is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Saint Louis.
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College of Saint Benedict came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in the suburb of Saint Joseph, CSB is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from CSB carry an average student debtload of $27,000.
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Bemidji State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region list. Bemidji State University is a small public school located in the remote town of Bemidji.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at Bemidji State University accumulate an average of around $30,446 in student debt.
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Rasmussen University - Minnesota landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Located in the small city of St. Cloud, Rasmussen University - Minnesota is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
On average, nursing graduates from Rasmussen University - Minnesota take out $35,539 in student loans while working on their degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $161, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Gustavus Adolphus College landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Located in the town of Saint Peter, Gustavus Adolphus is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
On average, nursing graduates from Gustavus Adolphus take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Mayville State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in the rural area of Mayville, Mayville State University is a public college with a small student population.
Nursing majors at Mayville State University take out an average of $32,615 in student loans while working on their egree.
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University of Kansas came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in the small city of Lawrence, KU is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at KU take out is $22,182.
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Maryville University of Saint Louis came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Maryville U is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Saint Louis.
Nursing majors at Maryville U take out an average of $31,009 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $416, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Central Methodist University - College of Graduate & Extended Studies ranked #16 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region list. CMU CGES is a small private not-for-profit school located in the distant town of Fayette.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from CMU CGES carry an average student debtload of $27,562.
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Clarkson College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region list. Clarkson College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Omaha.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at Clarkson College accumulate an average of around $36,225 in student debt.
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With a ranking of #18, Southwest Minnesota State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Located in the remote town of Marshall, Southwest Minnesota State University is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at Southwest Minnesota State University accumulate an average of around $31,217 in student debt.
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With a ranking of #19, Northwest Technical College did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. NTC is a fairly small public school located in the town of Bemidji.
On average, nursing graduates from NTC take out $31,500 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Herzing University - Minneapolis landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Located in the suburb of Minneapolis, Herzing University - Minneapolis is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
Nursing majors at Herzing University - Minneapolis take out an average of $45,508 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $204.
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With a ranking of #21, Creighton University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Creighton is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Omaha.
Nursing majors at Creighton take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $483, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Capella University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #22 on the list. Located in the large city of Minneapolis, Capella University is a private for-profit school with a very large student population.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at Capella University accumulate an average of around $27,599 in student debt.
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St Olaf College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #23 on the list. St. Olaf is a small private not-for-profit school located in the distant town of Northfield.
Nursing majors at St. Olaf take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Bryan College of Health Sciences came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in the city of Lincoln, Bryan College of Health Sciences is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Bryan College of Health Sciences carry an average student debtload of $30,125. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $234.
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Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region list. Goldfarb School of Nursing is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Saint Louis.
Nursing majors at Goldfarb School of Nursing take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $350.
Full Nursing at Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College Report
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Honorable Mentions
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 Plains States Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 29 | Minnesota State University - Moorhead | Moorhead, MN |
| 30 | Luther College | Decorah, IA |
| 31 | Northwestern College | Orange City, IA |
| 32 | Minnesota State University - Mankato | Mankato, MN |
| 33 | Concordia College at Moorhead | Moorhead, MN |
| 34 | Rasmussen University - Kansas | Topeka, KS |
| 35 | Augustana University | Sioux Falls, SD |
| 36 | Saint Louis University | Saint Louis, MO |
| 37 | University of Iowa | Iowa City, IA |
| 38 | University of North Dakota | Grand Forks, ND |
Best Nursing Colleges by State
Explore the best nursing colleges for a specific state in the Plains States region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Minnesota | 14,890 |
| Iowa | 2,966 |
| Missouri | 6,840 |
| Nebraska | 1,908 |
| Kansas | 2,633 |
| South Dakota | 1,022 |
| North Dakota | 976 |
More Nursing Rankings in the Plains States Region
Rankings in Majors Related to Nursing
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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