Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing
Education Levels of Nursing Majors
During the 2017-2018 academic year, 150,125 students earned their bachelor's degree in nursing. This earns it the #2 spot on the list of the most popular bachelor's degree programs in the nation. The following table shows the number of diplomas awarded in nursing at each degree level.
| Education Level | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 150,125 |
| Associate’s Degree | 80,167 |
| Master’s Degree | 48,419 |
| Doctor’s Degree | 7,921 |
| Graduate Certificate | 3,082 |
| Undergraduate Certificate | 2,530 |
| Basic Certificate | 1,389 |
Earnings of Nursing Majors With Bachelor’s Degree
The median salary for graduates holding a bachelor's degree in nursing is $61,050. A lot of factors can contribute to this number, such as the location of your workplace and the availability of other perks and bonuses.
To get a better picture, earnings for this category of people can range from a low of $56,400 to a high of $67,800.
Student Debt
The median student debt for graduates holding a bachelor's degree in nursing is $23,387. The school you go to and how long it takes you to graduate, among other things, can cause this number to vary.
The chart below shows the range of accumulated debt loads. On the high side of the range, $26,635 is the debt load, and the debt load on the low side is $18,455.
The median monthly payment of a nursing graduate with a 10-year repayment plan is $243.
Student Diversity
More women than men pursue their bachelor's degree in nursing. About 87.2% of graduates with this degree are female.
| Gender | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Men | 19,220 |
| Women | 130,905 |
The racial-ethnic distribution of nursing bachelor’s degree students is as follows:
| Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Asian | 9,457 |
| Black or African American | 13,829 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 18,349 |
| White | 94,879 |
| International Students | 1,055 |
| Other Races/Ethnicities | 12,556 |
Most Popular Nursing Programs for Bachelor’s Degree
There are 1,122 colleges that offer a bachelor’s degree in nursing. Learn more about the most popular 20 below:
Western Governors University tops the list of the most popular school in the U.S. for nursing majors who are seeking their bachelor's degree. Roughly 98,600 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $6,380 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $7,500 per year.
For the 2017-2018 academic year, 8,561 bachelor's degree were handed out to nursing majors at WGU. About 89% of this group were women, and 23% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
Chamberlain University - Illinois comes in at #2 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degree in nursing. Each year, around 27,000 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $18,890 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $13,000 per year.
For the 2017-2018 academic year, 8,262 bachelor's degree were handed out to nursing majors at Chamberlain - Illinois. Of these students, 91% were women and 30% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
Grand Canyon University is the 3rd most popular school in the nation for students seeking a bachelor's degree in nursing. Each year, around 83,200 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $16,399 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $9,916 per year.
The nursing program at Grand Canyon University awarded 4,581 bachelor's degree during the 2017-2018 school year. Of these students, 89% were women and 43% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
The 4th most popular school in the country for nursing majors who are seeking their bachelor's degree is The University of Texas at Arlington. Roughly 46,400 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $8,080 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $7,898 per year.
The nursing program at The University of Texas at Arlington awarded 3,820 bachelor's degree during the 2017-2018 school year. About 86% of this group were women, and 47% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
The 5th most popular school in the country for nursing majors who are seeking their bachelor's degree is Ohio University - Main Campus. Roughly 29,300 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $12,192 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $9,444 per year.
The nursing program at Ohio University - Main Campus awarded 2,517 bachelor's degree during the 2017-2018 school year. About 88% of this group were women, and 11% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
The 6th most popular school in the country for nursing majors who are seeking their bachelor's degree is National University College. Each year, around 11,600 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $6,300 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $3,510 per year.
The nursing program at National University College awarded 1,014 bachelor's degree during the 2017-2018 school year. Around 100% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 76% were women.
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center is the 7th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a bachelor's degree in nursing. Each year, around 5,400 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $6,200 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $6,000 per year.
For the 2017-2018 academic year, 1,006 bachelor's degree were handed out to nursing majors at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. Around 11% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 90% were women.
Walden University is the 8th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a bachelor's degree in nursing. Roughly 49,600 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $10,786 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $11,739 per year.
For the 2017-2018 academic year, 990 bachelor's degree were handed out to nursing majors at Walden University. Of these students, 89% were women and 21% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
Capella University comes in at #9 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degree in nursing. Each year, around 36,200 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $14,148 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $14,516 per year.
For the 2017-2018 academic year, 970 bachelor's degree were handed out to nursing majors at Capella University. Around 19% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 93% were women.
The 10th most popular school in the country for nursing majors who are seeking their bachelor's degree is Southern New Hampshire University. Roughly 90,900 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $30,756 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $18,810 per year.
During the 2017-2018 academic year, 774 people received their bachelor's degree in nursing from SNHU. Around 13% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 89% were women.
The 11th most popular school in the country for nursing majors who are seeking their bachelor's degree is University of Phoenix - Arizona. Roughly 103,900 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $9,552 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $16,752 per year.
During the 2017-2018 academic year, 700 people received their bachelor's degree in nursing from UOPX - Arizona. Of these students, 89% were women and 33% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
University of Central Florida comes in at #12 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degree in nursing. Each year, around 66,000 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $4,478 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $6,916 per year.
For the 2017-2018 academic year, 689 bachelor's degree were handed out to nursing majors at UCF. Around 33% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 87% were women.
The 13th most popular school in the country for nursing majors who are seeking their bachelor's degree is Purdue University Northwest. Roughly 12,000 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $6,674 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $5,820 per year.
For the 2017-2018 academic year, 649 bachelor's degree were handed out to nursing majors at Purdue Northwest. About 90% of this group were women, and 29% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
Northern Arizona University is the 14th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a bachelor's degree in nursing. Each year, around 31,000 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $9,738 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $9,795 per year.
During the 2017-2018 academic year, 625 people received their bachelor's degree in nursing from NAU. Of these students, 85% were women and 37% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
University of North Carolina at Wilmington is the 14th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a bachelor's degree in nursing. Each year, around 16,400 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $4,443 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $4,719 per year.
During the 2017-2018 academic year, 625 people received their bachelor's degree in nursing from UNCW. About 91% of this group were women, and 17% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
The 16th most popular school in the country for nursing majors who are seeking their bachelor's degree is Drexel University. Roughly 24,100 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $50,874 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $34,155 per year.
For the 2017-2018 academic year, 598 bachelor's degree were handed out to nursing majors at Drexel. About 89% of this group were women, and 28% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
West Coast University - Orange County comes in at #17 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degree in nursing. Roughly 2,500 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $34,060 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $10,054 per year.
During the 2017-2018 academic year, 586 people received their bachelor's degree in nursing from West Coast University - Orange County. Of these students, 82% were women and 75% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
California State University - San Marcos comes in at #18 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degree in nursing. Each year, around 15,700 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $5,742 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $7,176 per year.
The nursing program at California State University - San Marcos awarded 568 bachelor's degree during the 2017-2018 school year. About 83% of this group were women, and 55% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
The 19th most popular school in the country for nursing majors who are seeking their bachelor's degree is Kent State University at Kent. Roughly 28,900 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $10,312 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $11,536 per year.
During the 2017-2018 academic year, 554 people received their bachelor's degree in nursing from Kent State. Around 11% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 85% were women.
Indiana Wesleyan University-National & Global comes in at #19 on our list of the most popular colleges offering bachelor's degree in nursing. Roughly 10,700 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $9,020 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $10,842 per year.
The nursing program at Indiana Wesleyan University-National & Global awarded 554 bachelor's degree during the 2017-2018 school year. About 92% of this group were women, and 19% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
Related Majors
Below are some popular majors that are similar to nursing that offer bachelor’s degree.
| Major | Annual Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Health/Medical Admin Services | 17,212 |
| Health Sciences & Services | 15,706 |
| Public Health | 15,666 |
| Communication Sciences | 11,266 |
| Allied Health Professions | 11,021 |
References
*The racial-ethnic minority student count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the percentage of racial-ethnic minorities.
- College Factual
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Image Credit: By Aleksahgabrielle under License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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