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Most Popular Online Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region

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2023 Most Popular Online Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region

52 Colleges
$69,790 Avg Salary
$29,947 Avg Student Debt

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.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Healthcare Degree Search has created the Most Popular Online Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 52 schools in the Plains States Region to see which ones were the most popular online programs for healthcare students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from schools with online programs.

The following schools top our list of the Most Popular Online Nursing Colleges.

#1

Capella University

Minneapolis, MN

Our 2023 rankings named Capella University the most popular online school in the Plains States Region for nursing students. Located in the large city of Minneapolis, Capella University is a private for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at Capella University accumulate an average of around $27,599 in student debt.

Full Nursing at Capella University Report

Out of the 52 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Maryville University of Saint Louis landed the # 3 spot on the list. Maryville U is a fairly 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.

Read full report on Nursing at Maryville University of Saint Louis

#4

University of Kansas

Lawrence, KS

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means University of Kansas is a great place for nursing students pursuing an online degree. Located in the city of Lawrence, KU is a public school with a very large student population.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at KU take out is $22,182.

Read full report on Nursing at University of Kansas

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Central Methodist University - College of Graduate & Extended Studies. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Popular Online 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.

Read More…

#6

Washburn University

Topeka, KS

Washburn University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Located in the city of Topeka, Washburn University is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at Washburn University accumulate an average of around $26,142 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 $187.

Read More…

Wichita State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Online Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in the large city of Wichita, WSU is a public college with a large student population.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at WSU accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $177.

Read full report on Nursing at Wichita State University

Bemidji State University ranked #8 on this year’s Most Popular Online 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.

Full Nursing at Bemidji State University Report

With a ranking of #9, Fort Hays State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. FHSU is a large public school located in the town of Hays.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at FHSU accumulate an average of around $22,866 in student debt.

Read full report on Nursing at Fort Hays State University

#10

University of Central Missouri

Warrensburg, MO

University of Central Missouri landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Located in the town of Warrensburg, UCM is a public school with a fairly large student population.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at UCM accumulate an average of around $26,674 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $145.

Read full report on Nursing at University of Central Missouri

Explore the most popular online nursing colleges for a specific state in the Plains States region.

State Degrees Awarded
Minnesota 14,890
Iowa 2,966
Nebraska 1,908
Missouri 6,840
Kansas 2,633
South Dakota 1,022
North Dakota 976

More Nursing Rankings in the Plains States Region

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.

  • 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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