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Best Nursing Schools in North Dakota

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2023 Best Nursing Schools in North Dakota

12 Colleges
$67,225 Avg Salary
$28,891 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Nursing School for You

Nursing is the most popular major in North Dakota with 976 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 can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Healthcare Degree Search has developed this Best Nursing Schools in North Dakota ranking. This report analyzed 12 schools in North Dakota to see which ones offered the best programs for healthcare students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Nursing Schools in North Dakota

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

Top 10 Best Nursing Schools

Our analysis found Mayville State University to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a degree in North Dakota. Located in the rural area of Mayville, Mayville State University is a public school with a small student population.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Mayville State University carry an average student debtload of $32,615.

Read More…

#2

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, ND

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Dakota. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Nursing Schools in North Dakota list. UND is a fairly large public school located in the city of Grand Forks.

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

Full Nursing at University of North Dakota Report

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means North Dakota State University - Main Campus is a great place for nursing students. Located in the medium-sized city of Fargo, North Dakota State University is a public school with a large student population.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at North Dakota State University take out is $30,036.

Read full report on Nursing at North Dakota State University - Main Campus

Out of the 12 schools in North Dakota that were part of this year’s ranking, Rasmussen University - North Dakota landed the # 4 spot on the list. Rasmussen University - North Dakota is a small private for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Fargo.

On average, nursing graduates from Rasmussen University - North Dakota take out $35,539 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $161.

Full Nursing at Rasmussen University - North Dakota Report

#5

University of Mary

Bismarck, ND

The excellent programs at University of Mary helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in North Dakota. Located in the rural area of Bismarck, UMary is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

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

Read full report on Nursing at University of Mary

North Dakota State College of Science did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the town of Wahpeton, North Dakota State College of Science is a public college with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at North Dakota State College of Science take out is $27,445.

Full Nursing at North Dakota State College of Science Report

With a ranking of #7, Minot State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. MSU is a small public school located in the remote town of Minot.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at MSU accumulate an average of around $26,500 in student debt.

Read full report on Nursing at Minot State University

#8

Dickinson State University

Dickinson, ND

Dickinson State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in North Dakota ranking. Located in the town of Dickinson, DSU is a public college with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at DSU take out is $35,461.

Full Nursing at Dickinson State University Report

#9

University of Jamestown

Jamestown, ND

University of Jamestown ranked #9 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in North Dakota list. Located in the town of Jamestown, UJ is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at UJ accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.

Full Nursing at University of Jamestown Report

#10

Bismarck State College

Bismarck, ND

Bismarck State College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in North Dakota ranking. BSC is a small public school located in the city of Bismarck.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from BSC carry an average student debtload of $27,152.

Full Nursing at Bismarck State College 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
Missouri 6,840
Nebraska 1,908
Kansas 2,633
South Dakota 1,022

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 12 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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