Master’s Degrees in Nursing
Education Levels of Nursing Majors
During the most recent year for which data is available, 49,855 people earned their master's degree in nursing. This makes it the 2nd most popular master's degree program in the country.
The following table shows the number of diplomas awarded in nursing at each degree level.
| Education Level | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 153,413 |
| Associate Degree | 82,967 |
| Master’s Degree | 49,855 |
| Doctor’s Degree | 13,058 |
| Graduate Certificate | 5,204 |
| Undergraduate Certificate | 2,434 |
| Basic Certificate | 1,183 |
Earnings of Nursing Majors With Master’s Degrees
The median salary for graduates holding a master's degree in nursing is $106,154. However, this can depend on a number of factors, such as where you live and the number of years experience you have. A better approximation of salary is to look at the typical range of salaries. In this case the low is $98,154 and the high is $116,881.
Student Debt
We do not have the data to calculate the median and range of debt loads for nursing students who are master's degree holders.
Student Diversity
More women than men pursue their master's degree in nursing. About 87.2% of graduates with this degree are female.
| Gender | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Men | 6,382 |
| Women | 43,473 |
The racial-ethnic distribution of nursing master’s degree students is as follows:
| Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Asian | 4,302 |
| Black or African American | 6,966 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 6,333 |
| White | 27,476 |
| International Students | 353 |
| Other Races/Ethnicities | 4,425 |
Most Popular Nursing Programs for Master’s Degrees
There are 674 colleges that offer a master’s degree in nursing. Learn more about the most popular 20 below:
The 2nd most popular school in the country for nursing majors who are seeking their master's degree is Chamberlain University - Illinois. Roughly 29,400 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $19,341 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $13,650 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 3,923 people received their master's degree in nursing from Chamberlain - Illinois. Of these students, 91% were women and 35% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups. Data shows that Chamberlain - Illinois graduates that hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $106,154.
Western Governors University is the 3rd most popular school in the nation for students seeking a master's degree in nursing. Roughly 147,800 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $7,710 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $8,302 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 3,210 people received their master's degree in nursing from WGU. Around 27% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 90% were women. Data shows that WGU graduates that hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $106,154.
The 4th most popular school in the country for nursing majors who are seeking their master's degree is Grand Canyon University. Roughly 103,400 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $16,390 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $10,138 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 1,935 people received their master's degree in nursing from Grand Canyon University. Around 49% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 91% were women. Those who complete their master's degree in nursing at Grand Canyon University make a median salary of 106,154.
The 5th most popular school in the country for nursing majors who are seeking their master's degree is The University of Texas at Arlington. Each year, around 48,000 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $9,206 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $9,015 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 1,204 people received their master's degree in nursing from UT Arlington. Around 52% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 89% were women. Data shows that UT Arlington graduates that hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $106,154.
Maryville University of Saint Louis is the 6th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a master's degree in nursing. Each year, around 10,900 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $24,766 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $14,346 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 839 people received their master's degree in nursing from Maryville U. Of these students, 88% were women and 24% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups. Data shows that Maryville U graduates that hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $106,154.
University of South Alabama comes in at #7 on our list of the most popular colleges offering master's degrees in nursing. Each year, around 14,200 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $8,976 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $8,640 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 780 people received their master's degree in nursing from USA. Around 30% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 87% were women. University of South Alabama nursing graduates who receive their master's degree go on to jobs earning a median salary of $106,154.
University of Alabama at Birmingham comes in at #8 on our list of the most popular colleges offering master's degrees in nursing. Roughly 22,500 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $8,832 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $8,424 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 686 people received their master's degree in nursing from UAB. Around 20% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 89% were women. University of Alabama at Birmingham nursing graduates who receive their master's degree go on to jobs earning a median salary of $106,154.
Frontier Nursing University is the 10th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a master's degree in nursing. Roughly 2,400 attend the school each year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 607 people received their master's degree in nursing from Frontier Nursing University. Of these students, 93% were women and 23% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups. Frontier Nursing University nursing graduates who receive their master's degree go on to jobs earning a median salary of $106,154.
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus comes in at #11 on our list of the most popular colleges offering master's degrees in nursing. Each year, around 40,800 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $11,228 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $13,224 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 576 people received their master's degree in nursing from UC. About 92% of this group were women, and 21% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus nursing graduates who receive their master's degree go on to jobs earning a median salary of $106,154.
South University's online programs comes in at #12 on our list of the most popular colleges offering master's degrees in nursing. Each year, around 5,400 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $15,732 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $16,056 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 540 people received their master's degree in nursing from South University's online programs. Of these students, 79% were women and 60% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups. Those who complete their master's degree in nursing at South University's online programs make a median salary of 106,154.
Simmons University comes in at #13 on our list of the most popular colleges offering master's degrees in nursing. Each year, around 6,200 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $44,208 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $28,500 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 534 people received their master's degree in nursing from Simmons. About 92% of this group were women, and 21% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group. Simmons University nursing graduates who receive their master's degree go on to jobs earning a median salary of $106,154.
Miami Regional University comes in at #15 on our list of the most popular colleges offering master's degrees in nursing. Each year, around 800 students seeking various degrees attend the university. During the most recent year for which we have data, 493 people received their master's degree in nursing from Miami Regional University. About 66% of this group were women, and 97% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group. Those who complete their master's degree in nursing at Miami Regional University make a median salary of 106,154.
Northern Kentucky University comes in at #16 on our list of the most popular colleges offering master's degrees in nursing. Roughly 16,200 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $10,512 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $10,206 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 466 people received their master's degree in nursing from NKU. Around 22% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 86% were women. Data shows that NKU graduates that hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $106,154.
The 17th most popular school in the country for nursing majors who are seeking their master's degree is Aspen University. Roughly 9,500 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $6,210 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $4,485 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 455 people received their master's degree in nursing from Aspen University. Of these students, 91% were women and 35% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups. Those who complete their master's degree in nursing at Aspen University make a median salary of 106,154.
University of Phoenix - Arizona comes in at #18 on our list of the most popular colleges offering master's degrees in nursing. Each year, around 89,700 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $9,552 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $16,215 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 436 people received their master's degree in nursing from UOPX - Arizona. About 87% of this group were women, and 23% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group. Data shows that UOPX - Arizona graduates that hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $106,154.
United States University comes in at #19 on our list of the most popular colleges offering master's degrees in nursing. Roughly 1,900 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $6,467 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $5,112 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 397 people received their master's degree in nursing from USU. Of these students, 84% were women and 64% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups. Those who complete their master's degree in nursing at United States University make a median salary of 106,154.
The 20th most popular school in the country for nursing majors who are seeking their master's degree is University of Pennsylvania. Each year, around 26,500 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $58,620 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $41,544 per year. During the most recent year for which we have data, 382 people received their master's degree in nursing from UPenn. Around 34% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 88% were women. Data shows that UPenn graduates that hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $106,154.
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Related Majors
Below are some popular majors that are similar to nursing that offer master’s degrees.
| Major | Annual Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Public Health | 17,864 |
| Mental & Social Health Services | 17,274 |
| Health/Medical Admin Services | 15,811 |
| Allied Health Professions | 14,052 |
| Communication Sciences | 10,306 |
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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