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Best Nursing Schools in Florida

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2023 Best Nursing Schools in Florida

83 Colleges
$66,973 Avg Salary
$25,610 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Nursing School for You

Nursing is one of the most popular subjects to study in Florida. With 21,209 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, it ranked 2nd out of all the majors we track in the state.

With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. 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 help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Nursing Schools in Florida ranking. Our analysis looked at 83 schools in Florida to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Nursing Schools in Florida

The colleges and universities below are the best for nursing majors pursuing a .

Top 15% Best Nursing Schools

Our analysis found West Coast University-Miami to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a degree in Florida. West Coast University-Miami is a small private for-profit school located in the small city of Doral.

On average, nursing graduates from West Coast University-Miami take out $38,146 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $665.

Read full report on Nursing at West Coast University-Miami

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Chamberlain University - Florida is a great place for nursing students. Chamberlain - Florida is a small private for-profit school located in the large city of Jacksonville.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Chamberlain - Florida carry an average student debtload of $38,460. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $256.

Read More…

#3

University of Florida

Gainesville, FL

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Nursing Schools in Florida list. Located in the medium-sized city of Gainesville, UF is a public school with a fairly large student population.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from UF carry an average student debtload of $19,458. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $146, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Nursing at University of Florida

Out of the 83 schools in Florida that were part of this year’s ranking, Rasmussen University - Florida landed the # 4 spot on the list. Rasmussen University - Florida is a moderately-sized private for-profit school located in the city of Ocala.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Rasmussen University - Florida carry an average student debtload of $35,539. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $161, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Nursing at Rasmussen University - Florida

#5

Galen College of Nursing - Tampa Bay

Saint Petersburg, FL

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Galen College of Nursing - Tampa Bay. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Nursing Schools in Florida list. Galen College of Nursing - Tampa Bay is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Saint Petersburg.

On average, nursing graduates from Galen College of Nursing - Tampa Bay take out $41,365 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $117, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Nursing at Galen College of Nursing - Tampa Bay Report

#6

AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL

AdventHealth University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in Florida list. Located in the large city of Orlando, AHU is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at AHU accumulate an average of around $34,017 in student debt.

Read full report on Nursing at AdventHealth University

#7

University of Florida-Online

Gainesville, FL

University of Florida-Online landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. UF Online is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Gainesville.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at UF Online accumulate an average of around $19,458 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $146, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read More…

University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #8 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in Florida list. Located in the city of Tampa, USF Tampa is a public school with a very large student population.

Nursing majors at USF Tampa take out an average of $24,636 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $181, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Nursing at University of South Florida - Main Campus

Herzing University - Winter Park landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Herzing University - Winter Park is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Winter Park.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Herzing University - Winter Park take out is $39,727. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $156.

Full Nursing at Herzing University - Winter Park Report

Academy for Nursing and Health Occupations came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in Florida ranking. Located in the large suburb of West Palm Beach, ANHO is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from ANHO carry an average student debtload of $35,375.

Full Nursing at Academy for Nursing and Health Occupations Report

#11

University of North Florida

Jacksonville, FL

University of North Florida ranked #11 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in Florida list. Located in the city of Jacksonville, UNF is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Nursing majors at UNF take out an average of $18,750 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read full report on Nursing at University of North Florida

#12

University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL

With a ranking of #12, University of Miami did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. U Miami is a large private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Coral Gables.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at U Miami accumulate an average of around $25,000 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $483, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Nursing at University of Miami

Additional Noteworthy Schools

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Nursing Schools in Florida award.

Rank College Location
13 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
14 Polk State College Winter Haven, FL
15 Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers, FL
16 Florida International University Miami, FL

Best Nursing Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Georgia 7,112
Virginia 6,775
North Carolina 7,425
Tennessee 6,004
Kentucky 6,395
South Carolina 3,296
Louisiana 3,502
Arkansas 2,882
Alabama 7,364
Mississippi 2,838
West Virginia 1,771

Nursing is one of 30 different types of programs to choose from.

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.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • 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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