2023 Best Value Nursing Doctor's Degree Schools
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Nursing Doctor's Degree School for You
With 322,592 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, nursing is the #3 most popular major in the United States.
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 Value Nursing Doctor's Degree Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 380 schools in the United States to see which doctor's degree programs offered the best value experiences for nursing students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Top 25 Best Schools for Affordable Quality for a Doctorate in Nursing
Our 2023 rankings named La Salle University the best value school in the United States for nursing students working on their doctor’s degree. La Salle is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Philadelphia.
La Salle graduate students pay an average of $1,455 in tuition and fees each year.
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The excellent doctor’s degree programs at Aspen University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best value nursing schools in the United States. Located in the city of Denver, Aspen University is a private for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.
Aspen University graduate students pay an average of $4,357 in tuition and fees each year.
Aspen University also claimed a spot on our Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
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Out of the 380 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Morningside College landed the # 3 spot on the list. Morningside is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Sioux City.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Morningside are $6,516 per year.
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Out of the 380 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Mount Marty University landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the remote town of Yankton, Mount Marty is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Mount Marty are $9,650 a year.
Mount Marty excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools list.
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Wilmington University is a great value for nursing students working on their doctor’s degree. Wilmington University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of New Castle.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Wilmington University are $9,060 per year.
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Ferris State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools list. Ferris is a fairly large public school located in the town of Big Rapids.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Ferris are $8,232 per year.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Ferris also did well on our Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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Point Loma Nazarene University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the large city of San Diego, PLNU is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at PLNU are $11,880 a year.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, PLNU also is in the top 5% of our Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools ranking.
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Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a doctor’s degree. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the midsize city of Peoria, St. Francis Medical Center College of Nursing is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at St. Francis Medical Center College of Nursing are $8,740 a year.
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Ashland University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a doctor’s degree. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the fringe town of Ashland, Ashland is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Ashland graduate students pay an average of $6,972 in tuition and fees each year.
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Delta State University landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value doctor’s degree nursing programs. Located in the remote town of Cleveland, Delta State University is a public college with a small student population.
Delta State University graduate students pay an average of $8,360 in tuition and fees each year.
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Viterbo University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a doctor’s degree. It came in at #11 on the list. Located in the city of La Crosse, Viterbo is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Viterbo graduate students pay an average of $9,488 in tuition and fees each year.
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American Sentinel University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools ranking. American Sentinel University is a small private for-profit school located in the midsize suburb of Aurora.
American Sentinel University graduate students pay an average of $6,920 in tuition and fees each year.
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With a ranking of #13, Mayo Clinic School of Medicine did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their doctor’s degree. Mayo Clinic School of Medicine is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Rochester.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Mayo Clinic School of Medicine are $22,716 per year.
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McKendree University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools ranking. McKendree is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Lebanon.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at McKendree are $9,756 per year.
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With a ranking of #15, Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their doctor’s degree. Located in the small city of Mankato, Minnesota State Mankato is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Minnesota State Mankato are $9,308 a year.
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University of Southern Mississippi came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools ranking. Southern Miss is a fairly large public school located in the city of Hattiesburg.
Southern Miss graduate students pay an average of $11,204 in tuition and fees each year.
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Chamberlain University - Illinois ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools list. Chamberlain - Illinois is a fairly large private for-profit school located in the large suburb of Addison.
Chamberlain - Illinois graduate students pay an average of $14,090 in tuition and fees each year.
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University of Scranton ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools list. University of Scranton is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Scranton.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at University of Scranton are $11,630 per year.
In addition to its great value ranking, University of Scranton is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools list.
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York College of Pennsylvania came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the medium-sized suburb of York, YCP is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
YCP graduate students pay an average of $11,646 in tuition and fees each year.
In addition to its great value ranking, YCP is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools list.
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With a ranking of #20, Webster University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their doctor’s degree. Located in the large suburb of Saint Louis, Webster is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Webster are $13,500 per year.
In addition to its great value ranking, Webster is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools list.
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Nebraska Methodist College of Nursing & Allied Health did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a doctor’s degree. It came in at #22 on the list. Located in the city of Omaha, Nebraska Methodist College is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Nebraska Methodist College are $12,158 per year.
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Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools ranking. SIUE is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of Edwardsville.
SIUE graduate students pay an average of $9,316 in tuition and fees each year.
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Mississippi University for Women came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the remote town of Columbus, MUW is a public college with a small student population.
MUW graduate students pay an average of $7,756 in tuition and fees each year.
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Grand Canyon University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools ranking. Grand Canyon University is a very large private for-profit school located in the large city of Phoenix.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Grand Canyon University are $11,538 per year.
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Remaining Award Winners
This list represents the remainder of the schools awarded a Best Value Nursing Doctor's Degree Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 380 different United States nursing schools we analyzed.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Maryville University of Saint Louis | Saint Louis, MO |
| 52 | Salisbury University | Salisbury, MD |
| 53 | Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences | Lancaster, PA |
| 54 | Liberty University | Lynchburg, VA |
| 55 | Alverno College | Milwaukee, WI |
| 55 | Purdue University Global | Indianapolis, IN |
| 57 | California State University - Fresno | Fresno, CA |
Additional Noteworthy Schools
Here are some additional great value schools for Nursing students seeking value that almost earned our Best Value Nursing Doctor's Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 58 | Thomas Edison State University | Trenton, NJ |
| 58 | Bradley University | Peoria, IL |
| 60 | Eastern Mennonite University | Harrisonburg, VA |
| 61 | Valparaiso University | Valparaiso, IN |
| 61 | Villanova University | Villanova, PA |
| 63 | West Chester University of Pennsylvania | West Chester, PA |
| 63 | Missouri State University - Springfield | Springfield, MO |
| 65 | Purdue University Northwest | Hammond, IN |
| 65 | Bryan College of Health Sciences | Lincoln, NE |
| 67 | University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences | San Marcos, CA |
| 68 | North Park University | Chicago, IL |
| 69 | Northern Illinois University | Dekalb, IL |
| 70 | Walsh University | North Canton, OH |
| 71 | Azusa Pacific University | Azusa, CA |
| 72 | The College of Saint Scholastica | Duluth, MN |
| 72 | Anderson University South Carolina | Anderson, SC |
| 74 | Union University | Jackson, TN |
| 75 | Gardner - Webb University | Boiling Springs, NC |
| 76 | Chatham University | Pittsburgh, PA |
Nursing by Region
View the Best Value Nursing Doctor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Nursing Rankings
Majors Related to Nursing
Nursing is one of 30 different types of programs to choose from.
Most Popular Related Majors
| 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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