2026 Most Popular Nursing Schools
There are 2,207 colleges that offer a degree in Nursing. Learn more about the most popular schools below:
Finding the Best Nursing School for You
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which Nursing program is right for you. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendance, there are many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience.
The Most Popular Nursing Schools ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 2,207 schools in the United States to see which Nursing programs were the most popular. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from each school’s program.
Featured schools near , edit
2026 Most Popular Nursing Schools in the United States
The following schools top our list of the Most Popular Nursing Schools.
Top 25 Most Popular Nursing Schools
Our 2026 rankings named Chamberlain University-Illinois the most popular school in the U.S. for Nursing majors. Chamberlain University-Illinois is a private for-profit school located in Addison, IL. This school awarded 13,367 degrees in Nursing in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $83,585. Read full report on Nursing at Chamberlain University-Illinois
Capella University landed the #2 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Nursing Schools ranking. Capella University is a private for-profit school located in Minneapolis, MN. This school awarded 8,953 degrees in Nursing in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $79,233. Read More…
Western Governors University landed the #3 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Nursing Schools ranking. Located in Salt Lake City, UT, this is a private nonprofit institution. This school awarded 7,799 degrees in Nursing in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $74,978. Read full report on Nursing at Western Governors University
Grand Canyon University landed the #4 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Nursing Schools ranking. Grand Canyon University is a private for-profit school located in Phoenix, AZ. This school awarded 5,116 degrees in Nursing in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $62,543. Read More…
Walden University landed the #5 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Nursing Schools ranking. Walden University is a private for-profit school located in Minneapolis, MN. During the most recent year for which we have data, 4,948 people earned their degree in Nursing from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $76,759. Read More…
The University of Texas at Arlington comes in at #6 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Nursing majors. Located in Arlington, TX, this is a public institution. This school awarded 3,485 degrees in Nursing in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $64,801. Read full report on Nursing at The University of Texas at Arlington
Aspen University comes in at #7 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Nursing majors. Aspen University is a private for-profit school located in Phoenix, AZ. This school awarded 1,999 degrees in Nursing in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $78,528. Full Nursing at Aspen University Report
West Coast University-Orange County landed the #8 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Nursing Schools ranking. West Coast University-Orange County is a private for-profit school located in Anaheim, CA. This school awarded 1,760 degrees in Nursing in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $95,294. Read full report on Nursing at West Coast University-Orange County
Galen College of Nursing-Louisville comes in at #9 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Nursing majors. Galen College of Nursing-Louisville is a private for-profit school located in Louisville, KY. This school awarded 1,491 degrees in Nursing in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $67,307. Full Nursing at Galen College of Nursing-Louisville Report
Ivy Tech Community College landed the #10 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Nursing Schools ranking. Ivy Tech Community College is a public school located in Indianapolis, IN. During the most recent year for which we have data, 1,481 people earned their degree in Nursing from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $46,027. Read full report on Nursing at Ivy Tech Community College
University of South Alabama landed the #11 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Nursing Schools ranking. Located in Mobile, AL, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 1,440 people earned their degree in Nursing from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $46,120. Read More…
Ohio University-Main Campus comes in at #12 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Nursing majors. Located in Athens, OH, this is a public institution. This school awarded 1,401 degrees in Nursing in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $53,614. Read full report on Nursing at Ohio University-Main Campus
NUC University landed the #13 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Nursing Schools ranking. Located in Bayamon, PR, this is a private for-profit institution. This school awarded 1,335 degrees in Nursing in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $18,183. Full Nursing at NUC University Report
Purdue University Global comes in at #14 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Nursing majors. Located in West Lafayette, IN, this is a public institution. This school awarded 1,160 degrees in Nursing in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $45,209. Read full report on Nursing at Purdue University Global
Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale landed the #15 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Nursing Schools ranking. Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale is a private nonprofit school located in Fort Lauderdale, FL. This school awarded 1,154 degrees in Nursing in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $41,151. Read More…
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center landed the #16 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Nursing Schools ranking. Located in Lubbock, TX, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 1,142 people earned their degree in Nursing from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $76,944. Read full report on Nursing at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
Rasmussen University-Florida comes in at #17 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Nursing majors. Located in Ocala, FL, this is a private for-profit institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 1,063 people earned their degree in Nursing from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $51,485. Read full report on Nursing at Rasmussen University-Florida
University of Alabama at Birmingham landed the #18 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Nursing Schools ranking. Located in Birmingham, AL, this is a public institution. This school awarded 1,053 degrees in Nursing in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $48,854. Full Nursing at University of Alabama at Birmingham Report
Northern Kentucky University landed the #19 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Nursing Schools ranking. Located in Highland Heights, KY, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 1,035 people earned their degree in Nursing from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $44,702. Full Nursing at Northern Kentucky University Report
Frontier Nursing University landed the #20 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Nursing Schools ranking. Located in Versailles, KY, this is a private nonprofit institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 1,021 people earned their degree in Nursing from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $106,311. Read More…
ECPI University landed the #21 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Nursing Schools ranking. ECPI University is a private for-profit school located in Virginia Beach, VA. This school awarded 1,016 degrees in Nursing in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $45,216. Full Nursing at ECPI University Report
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus landed the #22 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Nursing Schools ranking. Located in Cincinnati, OH, this is a public institution. This school awarded 1,014 degrees in Nursing in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $53,819. Read More…
West Coast University-Los Angeles comes in at #23 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Nursing majors. Located in North Hollywood, CA, this is a private for-profit institution. This school awarded 972 degrees in Nursing in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $95,294. Full Nursing at West Coast University-Los Angeles Report
University of North Carolina Wilmington comes in at #24 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Nursing majors. University of North Carolina Wilmington is a public school located in Wilmington, NC. During the most recent year for which we have data, 960 people earned their degree in Nursing from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $44,355. Read More…
University of Phoenix-Arizona landed the #25 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Nursing Schools ranking. Located in Phoenix, AZ, this is a private for-profit institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 935 people earned their degree in Nursing from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $52,226. Full Nursing at University of Phoenix-Arizona Report
Rest of the Top Most Popular Nursing Schools
Additional Noteworthy Schools
Here are some additional great schools for this major that just missed the list above.
Nursing by Region
View the Most Popular Nursing Schools ranking for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| New England |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Great Lakes |
| Plains States |
| Southeast |
| Southwest |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Far Western US |
More Nursing Rankings
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this Most Popular Nursing Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you.
Majors Related to Nursing
Nursing Concentrations
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | 256,965 |
| Family Practice Nursing | 14,847 |
| Nursing Practice | 9,206 |
| Nursing Administration | 7,911 |
| Mental Health Nursing | 4,379 |
| Nursing Science | 4,245 |
| Nursing Research & Other | 4,125 |
| Adult Health Nursing | 2,457 |
| Nurse Anesthetist | 1,960 |
| Public Health Nursing | 1,505 |
| Geriatric Nursing | 641 |
| Critical Care Nursing | 596 |
| Nurse Midwifery | 559 |
| School Nursing | 441 |
| Clinical Nurse Leader | 434 |
| Women’s Health Nursing | 323 |
| Clinical Nurse Specialist | 321 |
| Surgical Nursing | 190 |
| Maternal & Neonatal Nursing | 160 |
| ER/Trauma Nursing | 57 |
| Environmental Health Nursing | 22 |
| Forensic Nursing | 21 |
| Palliative Care Nursing | 7 |
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Nursing & Nursing Assistants | 99,987 |
| Allied Health Professions | 90,379 |
| Health/Medical Admin Services | 90,166 |
| Allied Health Services | 80,693 |
| Public Health | 41,086 |
References
*The average salary above is for the top 25 schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Course Advisor provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© Course Advisor – All Rights Reserved.