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Most Popular Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in Pennsylvania

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2023 Most Popular Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in Pennsylvania

57 Colleges
$64,238 Avg Salary
$28,730 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree School for You

Nursing is the most popular major in Pennsylvania with 11,477 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021.

There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one 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 Most Popular Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. This report analyzed 57 schools in Pennsylvania to see which ones were the most popular bachelor's degree programs for students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Nursing program at each school on the list.

The following schools top our list of the Most Popular Nursing Bachelor's Degree Colleges.

#1

Drexel University

Philadelphia, PA

Our 2023 rankings named Drexel University the most popular school in Pennsylvania for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the large city of Philadelphia, Drexel is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

Women make up 89% of the nursing majors at the school.

Nursing majors at Drexel take out an average of $30,671 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 $596.

Full Nursing at Drexel University Report

#2

Thomas Jefferson University

Philadelphia, PA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Thomas Jefferson University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Popular Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania list. Located in the city of Philadelphia, Thomas Jefferson University is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.

Women make up 86% of the nursing majors at the school.

Nursing majors at Thomas Jefferson University take out an average of $28,302 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 $537.

Read More…

#3

Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Gwynedd Mercy University is a great place for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Gwynedd - Mercy is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Gwynedd Valley.

Women make up 88% of the nursing majors at the school.

While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at Gwynedd - Mercy accumulate an average of around $36,789 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 $375.

Read full report on Nursing at Gwynedd Mercy University

#4

Duquesne University

Pittsburgh, PA

The in-demand bachelor’s degree programs at Duquesne University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular nursing schools in Pennsylvania. Located in the large city of Pittsburgh, Duquesne is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.

About 90% of the students majoring in nursing at the school are women while 10% are male.

While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at Duquesne accumulate an average of around $27,560 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $648, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Nursing at Duquesne University Report

#5

Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA

Out of the 57 schools in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, Holy Family University landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the city of Philadelphia, Holy Family is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

About 83% of the students majoring in nursing at the school are women while 17% are male.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Holy Family take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $31,497. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $197.

Full Nursing at Holy Family University Report

With a ranking of #6, University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Pitt is a very large public school located in the large city of Pittsburgh.

About 82% of the students majoring in nursing at the school are women while 18% are male.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Pitt take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $26,233. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $368.

Read More…

#7

Villanova University

Villanova, PA

Villanova University ranked #7 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania list. Villanova is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Villanova.

Of the 223 students majoring in nursing at Villanova, 10% are male and 90% are female.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from Villanova carry an average student debt load of $30,032. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $433, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Nursing at Villanova University Report

#8

Widener University

Chester, PA

Widener University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for nursing students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the suburb of Chester, Widener is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.

Women make up 91% of the nursing majors at the school.

On average, nursing graduates from Widener take out $30,779 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $531, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read More…

West Chester University of Pennsylvania landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular bachelor’s degree nursing programs. Located in the large suburb of West Chester, WCUPA is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Women make up 89% of the nursing majors at the school.

Read More…

#10

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA

University of Pennsylvania did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for nursing students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #10 on the list. UPenn is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Philadelphia.

Of the 189 students majoring in nursing at UPenn, 8% are male and 92% are female.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from UPenn carry an average student debt load of $24,423.

Full Nursing at University of Pennsylvania Report

Best Nursing Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region

Explore all the Most Popular Nursing Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
New York 17,708
Maryland 4,104
New Jersey 5,648
District of Columbia 990
Delaware 1,267

One of 30 majors within the area of study, nursing has other similar majors worth exploring.

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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