Find Healthcare Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Best Nursing Schools in Missouri

Find Schools Near

2023 Best Nursing Schools in Missouri

45 Colleges
$67,538 Avg Salary
$28,500 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Nursing School for You

Nursing is the most popular major in Missouri with 6,840 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021.

It's not easy to decide which healthcare program to enroll in when you have so many options available. 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 Missouri ranking. Our analysis looked at 45 schools in Missouri to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for healthcare students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Nursing Schools in Missouri

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

#1

Lutheran School of Nursing

Saint Louis, MO

Our analysis found Lutheran School of Nursing to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a degree in Missouri. Lutheran School of Nursing is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Saint Louis.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at Lutheran School of Nursing accumulate an average of around $18,110 in student debt.

Full Nursing at Lutheran School of Nursing Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Chamberlain University - Missouri. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in Missouri list. Chamberlain - Missouri is a small private for-profit school located in the large suburb of St. Louis.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at Chamberlain - Missouri accumulate an average of around $38,460 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $256, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read More…

#3

Webster University

Saint Louis, MO

Out of the 45 schools in Missouri that were part of this year’s ranking, Webster University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the large suburb of Saint Louis, Webster is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.

Read More…

The excellent programs at Maryville University of Saint Louis helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in Missouri. Located in the large suburb of Saint Louis, Maryville U is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at Maryville U accumulate an average of around $31,009 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $416, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Nursing at Maryville University of Saint Louis

The excellent programs at Central Methodist University - College of Graduate & Extended Studies helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in Missouri. Located in the town of Fayette, CMU CGES is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at CMU CGES take out is $27,562.

Full Nursing at Central Methodist University - College of Graduate & Extended Studies Report

With a ranking of #6, Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Located in the large city of Saint Louis, Goldfarb School of Nursing is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at Goldfarb School of Nursing accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $350.

Read More…

#7

Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, MO

Saint Louis University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in Missouri list. SLU is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Saint Louis.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at SLU accumulate an average of around $26,192 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 $493.

Full Nursing at Saint Louis University Report

Texas County Technical College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the rural area of Houston, Bolivar Technical College is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

On average, nursing graduates from Bolivar Technical College take out $24,792 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read full report on Nursing at Texas County Technical College

#9

Rockhurst University

Kansas City, MO

Rockhurst University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #9 on the list. Rockhurst is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Kansas City.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at Rockhurst accumulate an average of around $27,000 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 $275.

Full Nursing at Rockhurst University Report

#10

Truman State University

Kirksville, MO

Truman State University landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Located in the town of Kirksville, Truman State is a public school with a small student population.

Nursing majors at Truman State take out an average of $24,750 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Nursing at Truman State University Report

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
Minnesota 14,890
Iowa 2,966
Nebraska 1,908
Kansas 2,633
South Dakota 1,022
North Dakota 976

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.