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Best Nursing Schools in Minnesota

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2023 Best Nursing Schools in Minnesota

45 Colleges
$74,232 Avg Salary
$31,893 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 Minnesota. In total, 14,890 people earned a degree or certificate in the field from a school in Minnesota.

With all the healthcare programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best 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 help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Healthcare Degree Search has developed this Best Nursing Schools in Minnesota ranking. Our analysis looked at 45 schools in Minnesota to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for healthcare students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Nursing Schools in Minnesota

Check out the nursing programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.

Top 10 Best Nursing Schools

Our analysis found Mayo Clinic School of Medicine to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a degree in Minnesota. Located in the midsize city of Rochester, Mayo Clinic School of Medicine is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Nursing Schools in Minnesota list. Located in the town of Winona, SMU MN is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at SMU MN accumulate an average of around $32,139 in student debt.

Full Nursing at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota Report

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#3

College of Saint Benedict

Saint Joseph, MN

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend College of Saint Benedict. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Nursing Schools in Minnesota list. Located in the suburb of Saint Joseph, CSB is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at CSB take out is $27,000.

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The excellent programs at Bemidji State University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in Minnesota. Bemidji State University is a small public school located in the remote town of Bemidji.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Bemidji State University carry an average student debtload of $30,446.

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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Rasmussen University - Minnesota is a great place for nursing students. Located in the city of St. Cloud, Rasmussen University - Minnesota is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

Nursing majors at Rasmussen University - Minnesota take out an average of $35,539 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $161.

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#6

Gustavus Adolphus College

Saint Peter, MN

Gustavus Adolphus College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in Minnesota list. Located in the fringe town of Saint Peter, Gustavus Adolphus is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Nursing majors at Gustavus Adolphus take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

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Southwest Minnesota State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in Minnesota list. Located in the town of Marshall, Southwest Minnesota State University is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Southwest Minnesota State University carry an average student debtload of $31,217.

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Northwest Technical College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in Minnesota list. NTC is a fairly small public school located in the remote town of Bemidji.

Nursing majors at NTC take out an average of $31,500 in student loans while working on their egree.

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

While working on their degree, nursing majors at Herzing University - Minneapolis accumulate an average of around $45,508 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 $204.

Full Nursing at Herzing University - Minneapolis Report

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#10

Capella University

Minneapolis, MN

Capella University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in Minnesota list. Located in the city of Minneapolis, Capella University is a private for-profit college with a very large student population.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Capella University carry an average student debtload of $27,599.

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Best Nursing Colleges in the Plains States Region

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

State Degrees Awarded
Iowa 2,966
Missouri 6,840
Nebraska 1,908
Kansas 2,633
South Dakota 1,022
North Dakota 976

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 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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