2023 Most Popular Online Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools
Finding the Most Popular Online Nursing Bachelor'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.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Most Popular Online Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 226 schools in the United States to see which online bachelor's degree programs were the most popular for students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from schools with online programs.
2023 Most Popular Online Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the United States
The colleges and universities below are the most popular for nursing majors pursuing an online bachelor's degree.
Top 25 Most Popular Online Schools for a Bachelor's in Nursing
Our analysis found Western Governors University to be the most popular school for nursing students who want to pursue an online bachelor’s degree in the United States. WGU is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Salt Lake City.
Of the 10,730 students majoring in nursing at WGU, 11% are male and 89% are female.
Nursing majors at WGU take out an average of $24,473 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Capella University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Popular Online Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Capella University is a very large private for-profit school located in the city of Minneapolis.
Of the 3,199 students majoring in nursing at Capella University, 10% are male and 90% are female.
On average, nursing graduates from Capella University take out $28,936 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
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The in-demand online bachelor’s degree programs at Southern New Hampshire University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in the United States. SNHU is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Manchester.
Of the 945 students majoring in nursing at SNHU, 10% are male and 90% are female.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at SNHU accumulate an average of around $32,255 in student debt.
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means American Sentinel University is a great place for nursing students working on their online bachelor’s degree. American Sentinel University is a small private for-profit school located in the medium-sized suburb of Aurora.
About 91% of the students majoring in nursing at the school are women while 9% are male.
On average, nursing graduates from American Sentinel University take out $26,198 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
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With a ranking of #6, Purdue University Northwest did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students working on their online bachelor’s degree. Located in the suburb of Hammond, Purdue Northwest is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
Women make up 85% of the nursing majors at the school.
On average, nursing graduates from Purdue Northwest take out $27,233 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $152, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Nursing at Purdue University Northwest Report
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With a ranking of #7, University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students working on their online bachelor’s degree. Located in the city of Tampa, USF Tampa is a public college with a very large student population.
Of the 506 students majoring in nursing at USF Tampa, 13% are male and 87% are female.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at USF Tampa accumulate an average of around $27,078 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $181, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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With a ranking of #8, Loyola University Chicago did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students working on their online bachelor’s degree. Located in the city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
About 87% of the students majoring in nursing at the school are women while 13% are male.
On average, nursing graduates from Loyola Chicago take out $28,313 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $767.
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Arizona State University - Skysong landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular online bachelor’s degree nursing programs. Located in the medium-sized city of Scottsdale, ASU - Skysong is a public college with a fairly large student population.
About 83% of the students majoring in nursing at the school are women while 17% are male.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at ASU - Skysong accumulate an average of around $28,439 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $264, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Wilmington University ranked #10 on this year’s Most Popular Online Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Wilmington University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of New Castle.
About 88% of the students majoring in nursing at the school are women while 12% are male.
Nursing majors at Wilmington University take out an average of $24,871 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
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Nova Southeastern University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular online places for nursing students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #11 on the list. NUS Florida is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Fort Lauderdale.
Of the 403 students majoring in nursing at NUS Florida, 14% are male and 86% are female.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at NUS Florida take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $33,123. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $334.
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Purdue University Global did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular online places for nursing students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #11 on the list. Purdue University Global is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Indianapolis.
Of the 403 students majoring in nursing at Purdue University Global, 10% are male and 90% are female.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from Purdue University Global carry an average student debtload of $41,009.
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Liberty University ranked #13 on this year’s Most Popular Online Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Liberty University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Lynchburg.
Of the 369 students majoring in nursing at Liberty University, 10% are male and 90% are female.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from Liberty University carry an average student debtload of $29,474. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $554, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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National University ranked #14 on this year’s Most Popular Online Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. National University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of La Jolla.
About 75% of the students majoring in nursing at the school are women while 25% are male.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from National University carry an average student debtload of $35,476. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $198, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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East Carolina University ranked #15 on this year’s Most Popular Online Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. ECU is a very large public school located in the small city of Greenville.
About 91% of the students majoring in nursing at the school are women while 9% are male.
On average, nursing graduates from ECU take out $24,172 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $261.
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Georgia Southern University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular online places for nursing students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #16 on the list. GaSou is a fairly large public school located in the town of Statesboro.
About 91% of the students majoring in nursing at the school are women while 9% are male.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at GaSou accumulate an average of around $28,652 in student debt. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $121.
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University of Michigan - Flint ranked #17 on this year’s Most Popular Online Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. UM Flint is a medium-sized public school located in the small city of Flint.
About 83% of the students majoring in nursing at the school are women while 17% are male.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from UM Flint carry an average student debtload of $38,230.
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University of Memphis did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular online places for nursing students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #18 on the list. UofM is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Memphis.
Of the 304 students majoring in nursing at UofM, 9% are male and 91% are female.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from UofM carry an average student debtload of $27,057. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $115.
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Rutgers University - Camden ranked #19 on this year’s Most Popular Online Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Rutgers Camden is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Camden.
Of the 302 students majoring in nursing at Rutgers Camden, 13% are male and 87% are female.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at Rutgers Camden accumulate an average of around $29,905 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $217.
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University of Arkansas ranked #20 on this year’s Most Popular Online Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. UARK is a very large public school located in the small city of Fayetteville.
Women make up 89% of the nursing majors at the school.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at UARK accumulate an average of around $26,161 in student debt. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $410.
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Northwestern State University of Louisiana landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular online bachelor’s degree nursing programs. NSU is a fairly large public school located in the town of Natchitoches.
Of the 279 students majoring in nursing at NSU, 14% are male and 86% are female.
Nursing majors at NSU take out an average of $29,152 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
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Colorado Technical University - Colorado Springs landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular online bachelor’s degree nursing programs. Located in the city of Colorado Springs, Colorado Technical University - Colorado Springs is a private for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
About 87% of the students majoring in nursing at the school are women while 13% are male.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Colorado Technical University - Colorado Springs take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $30,518.
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University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular online places for nursing students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #23 on the list. CU Anschutz is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Denver.
Of the 274 students majoring in nursing at CU Anschutz, 17% are male and 83% are female.
On average, nursing graduates from CU Anschutz take out $31,848 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $191.
Full Nursing at University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Report
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University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh landed the #24 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular online bachelor’s degree nursing programs. UW Oshkosh is a fairly large public school located in the city of Oshkosh.
Women make up 90% of the nursing majors at the school.
Nursing majors at UW Oshkosh take out an average of $26,175 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $177, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Winston - Salem State University landed the #25 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular online bachelor’s degree nursing programs. WSSU is a medium-sized public school located in the midsize city of Winston-Salem.
Women make up 90% of the nursing majors at the school.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from WSSU carry an average student debtload of $25,916. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $135.
Full Nursing at Winston - Salem State University Report
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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 Most Popular Online Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 34 | Central Methodist University - College of Graduate & Extended Studies | Fayette, MO |
| 34 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | Greensboro, NC |
| 36 | Sacred Heart University | Fairfield, CT |
| 37 | Virginia Commonwealth University | Richmond, VA |
| 38 | University of Northern Colorado | Greeley, CO |
| 39 | Auburn University | Auburn, AL |
| 40 | University of Kansas | Lawrence, KS |
| 41 | University of Arkansas at Little Rock | Little Rock, AR |
| 42 | University of Florida | Gainesville, FL |
| 43 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | Charlotte, NC |
| 44 | Lewis - Clark State College | Lewiston, ID |
| 45 | California State University - Dominguez Hills | Carson, CA |
Most Popular Online Nursing by Region
View the Most Popular Online Nursing Bachelor'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.