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Most Popular Nursing Schools in Ohio

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2023 Most Popular Nursing Schools in Ohio

110 Colleges
$63,417 Avg Salary
$29,300 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 Ohio. In total, 13,973 people earned a degree or certificate in the field from a school in Ohio.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for healthcare students. 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.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Healthcare Degree Search has created its Most Popular Nursing Schools in Ohio ranking. This report analyzed 110 schools in Ohio to see which ones were the most popular programs for healthcare students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Nursing program at each school on the list.

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

Our analysis found Ohio University - Athens Campus to be the most popular school for nursing students who want to pursue a degree in Ohio. OHIO Athens is a fairly large public school located in the distant town of Athens.

On average, nursing graduates from OHIO Athens take out $27,632 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $180.

Full Nursing at Ohio University - Athens Campus Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Cincinnati - Main Campus. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in Ohio list. Located in the large city of Cincinnati, UC is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Nursing majors at UC take out an average of $21,978 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $247, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Nursing at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Report

Out of the 110 schools in Ohio that were part of this year’s ranking, Kent State University at Kent landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the suburb of Kent, Kent State is a public school with a fairly large student population.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Kent State carry an average student debt load of $28,565. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $222.

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Out of the 110 schools in Ohio that were part of this year’s ranking, Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the # 4 spot on the list. Ohio State is a very large public school located in the city of Columbus.

Nursing majors at Ohio State take out an average of $26,028 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $277.

Full Nursing at Ohio State University - Main Campus Report

#5

Xavier University

Cincinnati, OH

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Xavier University. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in Ohio list. Located in the large city of Cincinnati, Xavier is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Xavier take out is $27,000. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $726, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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With a ranking of #6, Mount Carmel College of Nursing did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students. Mount Carmel College of Nursing is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Columbus.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at Mount Carmel College 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 $365.

Read full report on Nursing at Mount Carmel College of Nursing

#7

University of Toledo

Toledo, OH

With a ranking of #7, University of Toledo did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students. University of Toledo is a fairly large public school located in the city of Toledo.

On average, nursing graduates from University of Toledo take out $21,938 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $141.

Full Nursing at University of Toledo Report

Cuyahoga Community College District ranked #8 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in Ohio list. Located in the large city of Cleveland, Cuyahoga Community College District is a public college with a large student population.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at Cuyahoga Community College District accumulate an average of around $17,540 in student debt.

Read More…

#9

Hondros College of Nursing

Westerville, OH

Hondros College of Nursing ranked #9 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in Ohio list. Located in the large suburb of Westerville, Hondros College of Nursing is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

On average, nursing graduates from Hondros College of Nursing take out $43,140 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $125.

Read full report on Nursing at Hondros College of Nursing

University of Akron Main Campus landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular nursing programs. University of Akron Main Campus is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Akron.

Nursing majors at University of Akron Main Campus take out an average of $26,050 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $209.

Read full report on Nursing at University of Akron Main Campus

#11

Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH

Cleveland State University landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular nursing programs. Located in the large city of Cleveland, Cleveland State University is a public school with a large student population.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Cleveland State University carry an average student debt load of $29,152. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $209.

Read full report on Nursing at Cleveland State University

The Christ College of Nursing and Health Sciences did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for nursing students. It came in at #12 on the list. The Christ College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cincinnati.

Nursing majors at The Christ College take out an average of $32,385 in student loans while working on their egree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $226.

Full Nursing at The Christ College of Nursing and Health Sciences Report

Case Western Reserve University ranked #13 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in Ohio list. Located in the large city of Cleveland, Case Western is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

On average, nursing graduates from Case Western take out $24,201 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $272.

Full Nursing at Case Western Reserve University Report

#14

Mercy College of Ohio

Toledo, OH

Mercy College of Ohio came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Schools in Ohio ranking. Located in the city of Toledo, Mercy College is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Mercy College take out is $34,103. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $188, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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Galen College of Nursing - Cincinnati came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Schools in Ohio ranking. Galen College of Nursing - Cincinnati is a small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Cincinnati.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at Galen College of Nursing - Cincinnati accumulate an average of around $41,365 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $117, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read More…

#16

Owens Community College

Perrysburg, OH

Owens Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for nursing students. It came in at #16 on the list. Located in the large suburb of Perrysburg, Owens State Community College is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

Nursing majors at Owens State Community College take out an average of $28,149 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read full report on Nursing at Owens Community College

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also popular but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Most Popular Nursing Schools in Ohio award.

Rank College Location
17 Ursuline College Pepper Pike, OH
18 Wright State University - Main Campus Dayton, OH
19 Central Ohio Technical College Newark, OH
20 Ashland University Ashland, OH
21 Cedarville University Cedarville, OH
22 Youngstown State University Youngstown, OH
22 Columbus State Community College Columbus, OH

Best Nursing Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Illinois 21,938
Michigan 7,345
Indiana 7,922
Wisconsin 5,410

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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