2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in Florida
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
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.
The Best Value Nursing Schools in Florida ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 83 schools in Florida to see which ones offered the best value programs for nursing students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
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 15% Best Nursing Schools
Our analysis found Tallahassee Community College to be the best value school for nursing students who want to pursue a degree in Florida. Tallahassee Community College is a large public school located in the medium-sized city of Tallahassee.
Tallahassee Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $2,026 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, nursing graduates from Tallahassee Community College take out $16,245 in student loans while working on their degree.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Valencia College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in Florida list. Valencia College is a fairly large public school located in the city of Orlando.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Valencia College are $2,474 a year. While working on their degree, nursing majors at Valencia College accumulate an average of around $18,298 in student debt.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Santa Fe College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in Florida list. Santa Fe College is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized suburb of Gainesville.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Santa Fe College are $2,563 a year. After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Santa Fe College carry an average student debtload of $19,447.
Full Nursing at Santa Fe College Report
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Hillsborough Community College. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools in Florida list. HCC is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Tampa.
HCC undergraduate students pay an average of $2,506 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at HCC take out is $17,052.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, HCC also is in the top 10% of our Best Nursing Schools in Florida ranking.
Full Nursing at Hillsborough Community College Report
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The excellent programs at Pensacola State College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in Florida. Pensacola State is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Pensacola.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Pensacola State are $2,367 a year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Pensacola State take out is $10,591.
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With a ranking of #6, Miami Dade College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students. MDC is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Miami.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at MDC are $2,838 a year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at MDC take out is $14,750.
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With a ranking of #7, Gulf Coast State College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students. Located in the city of Panama City, GCSC is a public college with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at GCSC are $2,370 a year. On average, nursing graduates from GCSC take out $12,019 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Florida State College at Jacksonville landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value nursing programs. Located in the city of Jacksonville, FSCJ is a public school with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at FSCJ are $2,657 a year. While working on their degree, nursing majors at FSCJ accumulate an average of around $17,750 in student debt.
Full Nursing at Florida State College at Jacksonville Report
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Broward College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools in Florida ranking. Located in the midsize city of Fort Lauderdale, BC is a public college with a very large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at BC are $2,830 per year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at BC take out is $16,810.
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St Petersburg College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for nursing students. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the city of Clearwater, SPC is a public college with a very large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SPC are $2,682 per year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at SPC take out is $22,934.
SPC also claimed a spot on our Best Nursing Schools in Florida list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
Full Nursing at St Petersburg College Report
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State College of Florida - Manatee - Sarasota did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for nursing students. It came in at #11 on the list. Located in the large suburb of Bradenton, State College of Florida - Manatee - Sarasota is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at State College of Florida - Manatee - Sarasota are $3,074 a year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at State College of Florida - Manatee - Sarasota take out is $20,058.
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North Florida College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools in Florida list. Located in the rural area of Madison, NFC is a public school with a small student population.
NFC undergraduate students pay an average of $2,994 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, nursing majors at NFC accumulate an average of around $8,844 in student debt.
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Here are some additional great value schools for Nursing students in the state of Florida seeking value that almost earned our Best Value Nursing Schools in Florida award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | Polk State College | Winter Haven, FL |
| 14 | Indian River State College | Fort Pierce, FL |
| 15 | College of Central Florida | Ocala, FL |
| 16 | Florida Gateway College | Lake City, FL |
Best Value Nursing Colleges in the Southeast Region
Explore all the Best Value 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 |
More Nursing Rankings in Florida
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.