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Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region

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2023 Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region

292 Colleges
$78,873 Avg Salary
$26,663 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Nursing School for You

Nursing is the most popular major in the United States with 42,404 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 Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 292 schools in the Middle Atlantic Region 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.

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

#1

Excelsior College

Albany, NY

Our 2023 rankings named Excelsior College the most popular school in the Middle Atlantic Region for nursing students. Located in the city of Albany, Excelsior College is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

On average, nursing graduates from Excelsior College take out $23,176 in student loans while working on their degree.

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#2

Drexel University

Philadelphia, PA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Drexel University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Drexel is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Philadelphia.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Drexel take out is $31,000. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $596.

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#3

Thomas Jefferson University

Philadelphia, PA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Thomas Jefferson University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Thomas Jefferson University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Philadelphia.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Thomas Jefferson University take out is $27,852. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $537, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means University of Maryland - Baltimore is a great place for nursing students. UMB is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Baltimore.

On average, nursing graduates from UMB take out $21,500 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $318.

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#5

New York University

New York, NY

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means New York University is a great place for nursing students. Located in the large city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

On average, nursing graduates from NYU take out $25,380 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $732.

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#6

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA

University of Pennsylvania ranked #6 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Located in the large city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from UPenn carry an average student debt load of $20,861.

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#7

Jersey College

Teterboro, NJ

Jersey College ranked #7 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Located in the suburb of Teterboro, Jersey College is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at Jersey College accumulate an average of around $36,433 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $89, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

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#8

Stony Brook University

Stony Brook, NY

Stony Brook University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Located in the large suburb of Stony Brook, SUNY Stony Brook is a public school with a fairly large student population.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at SUNY Stony Brook take out is $23,301. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $114, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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#9

Wilmington University

New Castle, DE

With a ranking of #9, Wilmington University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students. Wilmington University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of New Castle.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Wilmington University carry an average student debt load of $23,448.

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#10

Adelphi University

Garden City, NY

Adelphi University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Located in the suburb of Garden City, Adelphi is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.

Nursing majors at Adelphi take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $475, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

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#10

LIU Post

Brookville, NY

With a ranking of #10, LIU Post did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students. Located in the large suburb of Brookville, LIU Post is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from LIU Post carry an average student debt load of $31,000. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $370, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

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With a ranking of #12, Rutgers University - New Brunswick did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students. Rutgers New Brunswick is a fairly large public school located in the small city of New Brunswick.

On average, nursing graduates from Rutgers New Brunswick take out $27,500 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 $217.

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Columbia University in the City of New York ranked #13 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Columbia is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York.

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#14

Mercy College

Dobbs Ferry, NY

With a ranking of #14, Mercy College did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students. Located in the large suburb of Dobbs Ferry, Mercy is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Mercy carry an average student debt load of $27,000.

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#15

George Washington University

Washington, DC

With a ranking of #15, George Washington University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students. GWU is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at GWU accumulate an average of around $25,000 in student debt.

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#16

Molloy College

Rockville Centre, NY

Molloy College ranked #16 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Molloy is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Rockville Centre.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Molloy take out is $31,934. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $365, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences landed the #17 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular nursing programs. PA College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Lancaster.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at PA College accumulate an average of around $26,106 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $297, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

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#18

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD

With a ranking of #18, Johns Hopkins University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students. Johns Hopkins is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Baltimore.

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Delaware Technical Community College - Terry landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular nursing programs. Located in the small city of Dover, Delaware Tech is a public college with a large student population.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at Delaware Tech accumulate an average of around $14,500 in student debt.

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Helene Fuld College of Nursing landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular nursing programs. HFCN is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at HFCN accumulate an average of around $33,485 in student debt.

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Harrisburg Area Community College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Located in the city of Harrisburg, HACC is a public college with a large student population.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from HACC carry an average student debt load of $29,839.

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#22

Pace University - New York

New York, NY

Pace University - New York landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular nursing programs. Pace University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York.

Nursing majors at Pace University take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $487.

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#23

Duquesne University

Pittsburgh, PA

Duquesne University ranked #23 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Duquesne is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Pittsburgh.

Nursing majors at Duquesne take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $648.

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#24

Utica College

Utica, NY

Utica College landed the #24 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular nursing programs. Located in the city of Utica, Utica College is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Nursing majors at Utica College take out an average of $32,361 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $376, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

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University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus ranked #25 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Located in the city of Pittsburgh, Pitt is a public college with a very large student population.

Nursing majors at Pitt take out an average of $24,500 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 $319.

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#27

Union County College

Cranford, NJ
#27

Towson University

Towson, MD
#29

Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA
#30

Georgetown University

Washington, DC
#31

Lehman College

Bronx, NY
#31

Trocaire College

Buffalo, NY
#33

D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY
#35

Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA
#36

Villanova University

Villanova, PA
#37

St. John Fisher College

Rochester, NY
#39

Binghamton University

Vestal, NY
#40

University of Rochester

Rochester, NY
#41

Widener University

Chester, PA
#43

Stevenson University

Stevenson, MD

Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional popular schools for Nursing students in the Middle Atlantic Region that almost earned our Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region award.

Rank College Location
44 SUNY Delhi Delhi, NY
45 Hunter College New York, NY
46 The College at Brockport Brockport, NY
47 University of Maryland Global Campus Adelphi, MD
48 Suffolk County Community College Selden, NY
49 Wilkes University Wilkes-Barre, PA
50 California University of Pennsylvania California, PA
51 Thomas Edison State University Trenton, NJ
52 La Salle University Philadelphia, PA
53 The Graduate Center, CUNY New York, NY
54 West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester, PA
55 Felician University Lodi, NJ
56 Chamberlain University - New Jersey North Brunswick, NJ
57 St Paul’s School of Nursing - Staten Island Staten Island, NY
58 Clarion University of Pennsylvania Clarion, PA

Best Nursing Colleges by State

Explore the best nursing schools for a specific state in the Middle Atlantic region.

State Degrees Awarded
New York 17,708
Pennsylvania 11,477
Maryland 4,104
New Jersey 5,648
District of Columbia 990
Delaware 1,267

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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