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Most Popular Nursing Schools in Washington

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2023 Most Popular Nursing Schools in Washington

46 Colleges
$75,342 Avg Salary
$20,069 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 Washington. In total, 3,851 people earned a degree or certificate in the field from a school in Washington.

It's not easy to decide which healthcare program to enroll in when you have so many options available. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.

The Most Popular Nursing Schools in Washington ranking is one of many tools that Healthcare Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 46 schools in Washington to see which programs were the most popular for healthcare students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Nursing program at each school on the list.

Check out the nursing programs at these schools if you want to attend one of the most popular in Washington.

Our analysis found Washington State University to be the most popular school for nursing students who want to pursue a degree in Washington. Located in the town of Pullman, Wazzu is a public school with a very large student population.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Wazzu carry an average student debt load of $23,500. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $202, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Nursing at Washington State University Report

#2

Seattle University

Seattle, WA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Seattle University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Popular Nursing Schools in Washington list. Seattle U is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Seattle.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Seattle U take out is $26,000. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $722, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Nursing at Seattle University

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Popular Nursing Schools in Washington list. UW Seattle is a fairly large public school located in the city of Seattle.

On average, nursing graduates from UW Seattle take out $18,723 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $234.

Read More…

#4

Gonzaga University

Spokane, WA

The excellent programs at Gonzaga University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in Washington. Gonzaga is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Spokane.

On average, nursing graduates from Gonzaga take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read full report on Nursing at Gonzaga University

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Bothell Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Popular Nursing Schools in Washington list. Located in the large suburb of Bothell, UW Bothell is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from UW Bothell carry an average student debt load of $18,723. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $234.

Read full report on Nursing at University of Washington - Bothell Campus

#6

Seattle Central College

Seattle, WA

Seattle Central College ranked #6 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in Washington list. Located in the large city of Seattle, Seattle Central is a public school with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Seattle Central take out is $21,512.

Read More…

#7

Highline College

Des Moines, WA

Highline College ranked #7 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in Washington list. Highline is a small public school located in the suburb of Des Moines.

Nursing majors at Highline take out an average of $15,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

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Pacific Lutheran University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Schools in Washington ranking. PLU is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Tacoma.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at PLU 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 $413.

Full Nursing at Pacific Lutheran University Report

Everett Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for nursing students. It came in at #9 on the list. Everett Community College is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Everett.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at Everett Community College accumulate an average of around $15,702 in student debt.

Read full report on Nursing at Everett Community College

#10

Bellevue College

Bellevue, WA

Bellevue College landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular nursing programs. Located in the midsize city of Bellevue, BC is a public college with a large student population.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at BC accumulate an average of around $19,258 in student debt.

Read full report on Nursing at Bellevue College

Best Nursing Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Oregon 1,502
California 18,329
Nevada 2,015
Hawaii 535
Alaska 177

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.

  • 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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