2023 Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region
Finding the Best Nursing School for You
In 2020-2021, 322,592 degrees and certificates were awarded to nursing students, making the major the most popular in the country.
It's not easy to decide which healthcare program to enroll in when you have so many options available. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.
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 Southeast Region ranking. This report analyzed 581 schools in the Southeast Region 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.
2023 Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region
The following schools top our list of the Most Popular Nursing Colleges.
Top 25 Most Popular Southeast Region Schools in Nursing
Our 2023 rankings named Rasmussen University - Florida the most popular school in the Southeast Region for nursing students. Rasmussen University - Florida is a moderately-sized private for-profit school located in the city of Ocala.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Rasmussen University - Florida take out is $35,539. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $161.
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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means University of South Alabama is a great place for nursing students. USA is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Mobile.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at USA take out is $26,429. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $230.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the midsize city of Fort Lauderdale, Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale accumulate an average of around $38,116 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $151.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Alabama at Birmingham. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region list. UAB is a very large public school located in the medium-sized city of Birmingham.
Nursing majors at UAB take out an average of $22,958 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $307.
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means University of North Carolina at Wilmington is a great place for nursing students. UNCW is a fairly large public school located in the city of Wilmington.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at UNCW take out is $21,500. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $212, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Frontier Nursing University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in the rural area of Hyden, Frontier Nursing University is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
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University of Central Florida landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular nursing programs. UCF is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Orlando.
On average, nursing graduates from UCF take out $21,500 in student loans while working on their degree.
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With a ranking of #8, Galen College of Nursing - Louisville did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students. Located in the city of Louisville, Galen College of Nursing - Louisville is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
Nursing majors at Galen College of Nursing - Louisville take out an average of $41,365 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 $117.
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Northern Kentucky University ranked #9 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region list. NKU is a large public school located in the suburb of Highland Heights.
Nursing majors at NKU take out an average of $30,429 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $252, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Miami Dade College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. MDC is a fairly large public school located in the city of Miami.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at MDC take out is $14,750.
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South University’s online programs did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for nursing students. It came in at #11 on the list. South University's online programs is a medium-sized private for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Savannah.
Nursing majors at South University's online programs take out an average of $40,204 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $250, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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University of South Florida - Main Campus landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular nursing programs. Located in the city of Tampa, USF Tampa is a public college with a very large student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at USF Tampa take out is $24,636. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $181.
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ECPI University landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular nursing programs. ECPI University is a fairly large private for-profit school located in the large city of Virginia Beach.
On average, nursing graduates from ECPI University take out $30,534 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $174.
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East Tennessee State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. ETSU is a fairly large public school located in the city of Johnson City.
On average, nursing graduates from ETSU take out $25,000 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $176.
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Liberty University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for nursing students. It came in at #15 on the list. Liberty University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Lynchburg.
On average, nursing graduates from Liberty University take out $28,000 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $554, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Miami Regional University 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 suburb of Miami Springs, Miami Regional University is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
Nursing majors at Miami Regional University take out an average of $32,633 in student loans while working on their egree.
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St Petersburg College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in the city of Clearwater, SPC is a public college with a fairly large student population.
On average, nursing graduates from SPC take out $22,934 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Florida State College at Jacksonville came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in the city of Jacksonville, FSCJ is a public school with a very large student population.
On average, nursing graduates from FSCJ take out $17,750 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Nova Southeastern University ranked #19 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region list. NUS Florida is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Fort Lauderdale.
On average, nursing graduates from NUS Florida take out $31,538 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $334.
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The University of Alabama landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular nursing programs. Located in the city of Tuscaloosa, UA is a public college with a fairly large student population.
On average, nursing graduates from UA take out $25,125 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $646.
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Duke University ranked #21 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.
Nursing majors at Duke take out an average of $25,184 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Emory University ranked #22 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the large city of Atlanta, Emory is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Emory carry an average student debt load of $25,000. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $556.
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Galen College of Nursing - Tampa Bay did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for nursing students. It came in at #23 on the list. Galen College of Nursing - Tampa Bay is a small private for-profit school located in the large city of Saint Petersburg.
Nursing majors at Galen College of Nursing - Tampa Bay take out an average of $41,365 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 $117.
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The University of West Florida came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in the city of Pensacola, UWF is a public college with a large student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at UWF take out is $21,000.
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Mississippi University for Women did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for nursing students. It came in at #25 on the list. Located in the town of Columbus, MUW is a public school with a small student population.
On average, nursing graduates from MUW take out $22,680 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Remaining Award Winners
This list shows the remainder of the colleges awarded a Most Popular Nursing Schools in the Southeast Region badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 581 different Southeast nursing schools we analyzed.
Additional Noteworthy Schools
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 the Southeast Region award.
Best Nursing Colleges by State
Explore the best nursing schools for a specific state in the Southeast region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Florida | 21,209 |
| North Carolina | 7,425 |
| Tennessee | 6,004 |
| Kentucky | 6,395 |
| Georgia | 7,112 |
| West Virginia | 1,771 |
| Virginia | 6,775 |
| Alabama | 7,364 |
| Louisiana | 3,502 |
| Mississippi | 2,838 |
| South Carolina | 3,296 |
| Arkansas | 2,882 |
Majors Related to Nursing
Nursing is one of 30 different types of healthcare programs to choose from.
Nursing Focus Areas
Most Popular Majors Related 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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