Best Nursing Colleges in the US: 2026 Rankings
The best colleges in the US for nursing are not simply the most famous universities—they are programs that combine approved prelicensure education, strong NCLEX-RN outcomes, meaningful clinical preparation, and a pathway that fits a student’s prior education and intended state of licensure.
The 40 schools ranked best nursing colleges come from Waystone’s outcome-based list; however, prospective nurses should verify each program’s current approval, accreditation, eligibility, and latest NCLEX results before applying. If you want to explore more options, you can use the Free College Finder.
Key Takeaways
- Waystone’s ranking puts CUNY Hunter College’s B.S. in Nursing at number one, scoring 79.2 out of 100 on a blend of financial payoff, ROI, institutional strength and major concentration.
- Not every “nursing” program on a best-colleges list is a traditional entry-level BSN. RN-to-BSN completion tracks (Texas A&M-Central Texas) and “Nursing Science” degrees (UC Irvine) need a closer look before you compare them to a prelicensure program.
- A nursing license is issued by a state board of nursing, not the NCLEX exam itself, so program approval and your intended practice state matter as much as any ranking.
- Five nursing degree pathways lead to five different starting points: traditional BSN, direct-entry BSN, ADN, RN-to-BSN and accelerated or direct-entry MSN.
- NCLEX-RN pass rates only compare cleanly across the same testing year, program type and first-time-candidate denominator, so a bare percentage on its own can mislead.
What separates the best nursing colleges from the rest
A strong nursing program shows up in five places. State approval comes first: a program has to be approved by the nursing board in the state where it operates before its graduates can sit for the NCLEX-RN at all. On top of that, look for programmatic accreditation through CCNE or ACEN, the two bodies that evaluate a program’s curriculum, faculty, resources and outcomes against a shared national standard.
NCLEX-RN performance is the next real signal, but only when you compare it correctly. Ask for the most recent first-time pass rate, how many candidates sat for it, and results across a few years, not just one strong cycle. A small cohort that posts 100% one year doesn’t tell you as much as a large program with consistently strong results across multiple years.
Clinical placement structure matters just as much as the classroom side. That’s where pharmacology, assessment and patient communication actually turn into practice. Ask which hospital systems host students, whether placements are guaranteed, and whether you’ll rotate through adult health, pediatrics, maternity, mental health and community health, not just one specialty.
Curriculum depth and student support round out the list: real coursework in pathophysiology, ethics, clinical reasoning and informatics, plus transparent progression and employment outcomes, tutoring, and a student-to-faculty ratio you can actually ask about. A school’s regional hospital network can matter as much as its name, especially if you plan to work near campus after graduation. That combination, not prestige, is what separates the best nursing colleges from a list built on name recognition alone.
If nursing is already your target, that’s the exact kind of program-fit comparison Waystone’s own profile analysis runs against your actual GPA and state, not a generic checklist.
The best nursing colleges in the US, ranked
This list uses Waystone’s holistic best-colleges methodology, applied to nursing specifically. Four inputs make up each school’s composite score. Debt Payoff Score, measures what a graduate owes against what they earn, benchmarked nationally against every other school with a nursing program.
10-Year ROI, measures real financial return the same way, against that same national nursing benchmark. Institutional Strength, averages four government-sourced signals: retention rate, student-to-faculty ratio, Pell-recipient completion equity, and library investment per student. Major Fit, measures how concentrated a school’s graduating class actually is in nursing, not just whether the program exists on paper.
| Rank | School & program | What makes it distinctive | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CUNY Hunter College B.S. in Nursing | A public New York City program with a paid-residency option: eligible BSN students can join the VA Learning Opportunities Residency (VALOR), doing structured clinical work with BSN-prepared VA preceptors after junior year, alongside undergraduate research presentation opportunities. | 79.2 ⓘ CUNY Hunter College: score breakdown
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| 2 | Texas A&M University-Central Texas B.S.N., RN-to-BSN completion | Best understood as an online RN-to-BSN completion option, not a direct-entry BSN. Its nursing courses cap online enrollment at 25 students, structured around degree completion for community-college transfer students and ADN-prepared RNs. | 77.1 ⓘ Texas A&M University-Central Texas: score breakdown
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| 3 | CUNY Lehman College B.S. in Nursing, Traditional Program | A full-time, 75-credit professional nursing major completed over two years after prerequisites: a compressed, daytime, cohort-style clinical sequence rather than a general four-year program. | 76.5 ⓘ CUNY Lehman College: score breakdown
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| 4 | California State University-Los Angeles B.S.N., Prelicensure | A public prelicensure BSN in Los Angeles for students who want early professional ties in a large, diverse urban health-care market. Confirm the school’s current pathway structure and clinical-partner details directly with the School of Nursing. | 71.4 ⓘ California State University-Los Angeles: score breakdown
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| 5 | CUNY York College B.S. in Nursing | A Queens-based public option for students who want a CUNY nursing route and plan to build a career in New York City, with the city’s clinical and employer ecosystem at a public-university price point. | 69.5 ⓘ CUNY York College: score breakdown
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| 6 | CUNY New York City College of Technology A.A.S. in Nursing | This is an A.A.S. nursing program, not a BSN, a strategically different choice for students seeking an initial RN pathway through an associate degree before considering RN-to-BSN completion. | 63.9 ⓘ CUNY New York City College of Technology: score breakdown
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| 7 | California State University-Stanislaus B.S. in Nursing, Prelicensure | Students choose among traditional prelicensure, RN-to-BSN and LVN-to-BSN tracks within the same School of Nursing, which is expanding hands-on capacity with a 16-bed skills lab, a two-bed high-fidelity simulation suite and a 13-bed physical-diagnosis space. | 62.2 ⓘ California State University-Stanislaus: score breakdown
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| 8 | Thomas Jefferson University B.S.N., Prelicensure | Unusually simulation-intensive: nearly one-third of its 44,000-square-foot nursing space is devoted to an advanced simulation center, with dedicated clinical-skills leadership across multiple Philadelphia-area campuses. | 61.5 ⓘ Thomas Jefferson University: score breakdown
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| 9 | California State University-Fullerton B.S.N., Traditional | A strong fit for students who want a clearly structured, face-to-face traditional BSN: classes are held on campus, clinical placements occur within 50 miles of Fullerton, and the final clinical includes 180 hours across day, evening and overnight shifts. | 61.4 ⓘ California State University-Fullerton: score breakdown
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| 10 | California State University-East Bay B.S. in Nursing, Prelicensure | Simulation is integrated into each practice course, culminating in a 180-hour preceptorship built to help students transition from school to professional practice. | 61.3 ⓘ California State University-East Bay: score breakdown
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| 11 | California State University-San Bernardino B.S. in Nursing | Offers both prelicensure BSN and RN-to-BSN options, with clinical rotations across varied health-care agencies and simulation embedded in all clinical courses on the main and Palm Desert campuses. | 60.4 ⓘ California State University-San Bernardino: score breakdown
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| 12 | University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa B.S. in Nursing | Home to the only simulation center of its kind in Hawaiʻi, with simulation integrated across undergraduate and graduate nursing curricula. Students considering the online RN-to-BSN option should note its clinical courses must be completed in Hawaiʻi. | 60.1 ⓘ University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa: score breakdown
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| 13 | University of Providence B.S.N. | Its accelerated BSN compresses 54 credits into a 12-month cohort for second-degree students, combining online coursework with in-person skills labs and clinical immersions across Montana and Alaska, including rural and urban settings. | 60.0 ⓘ University of Providence: score breakdown
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| 14 | San Francisco State University B.S. in Nursing | Has a formal partnership with Sutter Health aimed at expanding clinical placement opportunities, a concrete advantage in a state where clinical capacity can be a real bottleneck. | 60.0 ⓘ San Francisco State University: score breakdown
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| 15 | Saint Elizabeth University B.S.N. | Best positioned for students who prefer a smaller private institution in northern New Jersey with access to the broader New York/New Jersey employment corridor. Confirm current prelicensure pathway details, cohort capacity and clinical partnerships directly with the university. | 59.6 ⓘ Saint Elizabeth University: score breakdown
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| 16 | Texas A&M International University B.S.N. | Embeds global and culturally responsive preparation in its BSN: its final-semester curriculum includes Global Nursing, and its simulations reflect culturally diverse populations, meaningful in Laredo’s border-region context. | 59.4 ⓘ Texas A&M International University: score breakdown
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| 17 | Dominican University of California B.S.N. | Students complete more than 1,000 clinical and laboratory hours, with simulation facilities that include simulated hospital rooms, an exam room, a behavioral-health room, high-fidelity manikins, standardized patients and training in advanced procedures such as defibrillation and intubation. | 59.3 ⓘ Dominican University of California: score breakdown
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| 18 | New Mexico Highlands University B.S.N., RN-to-BSN completion | This is an RN-to-BSN completion program, not a prelicensure BSN. It is built for licensed RNs to build on associate-degree or diploma preparation, not a first-time NCLEX-qualifying undergraduate program. | 59.0 ⓘ New Mexico Highlands University: score breakdown
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| 19 | Mercy University B.S. in Nursing | A traditional four-year BSN with clinical instruction in Westchester County and New York City, backed by a 12,000-square-foot interdisciplinary Clinical Simulation and Learning Lab whose scenarios progress from simple to complex. | 58.9 ⓘ Mercy University: score breakdown
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| 20 | Drexel University B.S.N. | Its signature differentiator is paid cooperative education embedded in the BSN: the four-year option includes one six-month co-op, and the five-year option includes three co-ops totaling 18 months with a specialty nursing concentration, since students work as employees at health-care agencies. | 58.7 ⓘ Drexel University: score breakdown
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| 21 | Mississippi University for Women B.S.N. | Prepares nurse generalists with an explicit leadership focus in illness prevention and health promotion, and has reported NCLEX performance above state and national averages alongside instructor-created simulations. | 58.5 ⓘ Mississippi University for Women: score breakdown
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| 22 | Sonoma State University B.S. in Nursing | A four-year prelicensure BSN covering medical-surgical and critical care through home health, mental health, obstetrics, community health, research, leadership and management, culminating in a senior clinical study chosen by the student. | 58.3 ⓘ Sonoma State University: score breakdown
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| 23 | St. Petersburg College A.S. Degree Nursing | This is an A.S. nursing program for initial RN preparation, not a conventional BSN. Its interprofessional simulations pair nursing students with respiratory-care students in team-based emergency scenarios. | 58.0 ⓘ St. Petersburg College: score breakdown
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| 24 | University of California, Irvine B.S. in Nursing Science | Its Nursing Science program has a 9,500-square-foot simulation center with dedicated intensive-care, pediatric intensive-care, maternity and home-care suites, a more specialized setup than a general skills lab. | 57.7 ⓘ University of California, Irvine: score breakdown
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| 25 | California State University, Sacramento B.S.N. | A public BSN structured as two years of general education and prerequisites followed by two years of clinical nursing, in California’s capital, useful for students interested in nursing, public systems and health policy. | 57.7 ⓘ California State University, Sacramento: score breakdown
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| 26 | Oklahoma Panhandle State University B.S.N. | A fully online RN-to-BSN completion program for associate- or diploma-prepared nurses, with practicum opportunities arranged in the student’s own area and courses run in short eight-week terms. | 57.7 ⓘ Oklahoma Panhandle State University: score breakdown
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| 27 | Ohio University-Chillicothe A.D.N. | The listed program is an associate-degree nursing route, though the campus also offers a BSN. Students train in a dedicated suite with three skills labs, high-fidelity adult and pediatric manikins, an electronic medication-dispensing system and ECG equipment. | 57.1 ⓘ Ohio University-Chillicothe: score breakdown
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| 28 | New York University B.S. in Nursing | Operates a 10,000-square-foot Clinical Simulation Learning Center running more than 100 simulation sessions weekly for roughly 1,000 BS and MS students, with nearly half of undergraduates’ clinical learning happening in the center. | 56.9 ⓘ New York University: score breakdown
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| 29 | California State University, Dominguez Hills B.S.N., Prelicensure | A public prelicensure choice in the South Bay/Los Angeles region for students seeking a route into a highly diverse urban patient population. Confirm current clinical partners, simulation facilities and cohort design directly with CSUDH. | 56.9 ⓘ California State University, Dominguez Hills: score breakdown
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| 30 | Oklahoma City University B.S.N. | Offers Oklahoma’s first and only 12-month accelerated BSN, combining an average 32-hour weekly commitment to class, lab, clinical and simulation work with placements at major hospital and community sites in the Oklahoma City metro area. | 56.7 ⓘ Oklahoma City University: score breakdown
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| 31 | College of Staten Island, CUNY B.S. in Nursing | Its four-year BSN combines liberal arts, science and nursing coursework across eight semesters, including a simulation lab configured as a studio apartment for home-care practice alongside hospital scenarios. | 56.5 ⓘ College of Staten Island, CUNY: score breakdown
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| 32 | University of San Francisco B.S.N. | Integrates augmented and virtual reality into clinical-skills development and uses selected Bay Area sites across Marin County, San Jose and the East Bay for technology-enhanced preparation. | 56.5 ⓘ University of San Francisco: score breakdown
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| 33 | Mayville State University B.S.N., RN-to-BSN completion | Mayville’s B.S.N. is an RN-to-BSN program, positioned for current registered nurses rather than first-time nursing applicants, since it does not lead to initial RN licensure on its own. | 56.3 ⓘ Mayville State University: score breakdown
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| 34 | Chamberlain University-California B.S.N. | Offers a three-year structure and high-tech simulation labs, plus coordinated clinical placement support. Verify which campus you would attend, its current approval status, exact tuition, clinical-travel expectations and program outcomes directly with the school. | 56.0 ⓘ Chamberlain University-California: score breakdown
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| 35 | Boston College B.S.N. | Combines undergraduate nursing education with a major academic and health-care ecosystem in Boston, using both clinical settings and simulation in areas such as child and family nursing. Confirm current program-specific opportunities directly with the Connell School. | 55.8 ⓘ Boston College: score breakdown
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| 36 | University of Texas Rio Grande Valley B.S.N. | Its distinction is a border-region health orientation: program materials identify Spanish terminology for health professionals and cultural-immersion opportunities as part of BSN preparation. | 55.4 ⓘ University of Texas Rio Grande Valley: score breakdown
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| 37 | University of Rochester B.S.N. | Designed primarily for career changers, offering an intensive on-site 12-month accelerated BSN and a flexible hybrid 24-month option. Students complete more than 650 clinical hours, including rotations at the University of Rochester Medical Center and more than 90 hours in a simulation center. | 55.2 ⓘ University of Rochester: score breakdown
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| 38 | California State University Channel Islands B.S.N. | Has two simulation labs, one in Camarillo and one at the Goleta satellite site, with a six-bed open lab, an ICU/testing station, SimMan and SimBaby technology, birthing and pelvic-exam trainers and barcode medication administration. | 55.0 ⓘ California State University Channel Islands: score breakdown
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| 39 | California State University Northridge B.S.N. | A prelicensure option, including for students who already hold a previous bachelor’s degree and have completed required prerequisites, a practical alternative for second-degree students who want a public-university nursing pathway. | 54.9 ⓘ California State University Northridge: score breakdown
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| 40 | Chamberlain University-Virginia B.S.N. | Uses the SIMCARE CENTER and eight- to 12-hour clinical rotations within an accelerated eight-week session structure. Its Specialty Focused program gives third-year BSN students a 16-week online course followed by an eight-week specialty clinical experience. | 54.9 ⓘ Chamberlain University-Virginia: score breakdown
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Whether a specific program is a reach, good fit or safety for you still depends on your own GPA, state residency and academic record. See Waystone’s full methodology for how every percentile behind this list actually gets calculated.
A deeper look at the list
A ranked table can flatten real differences between programs. A few names on this list are worth a second look before you compare them head-to-head.
The CUNY cluster, and why five New York schools rank this high
Five CUNY schools land in the top 31: Hunter at number one, Lehman at number three, York at number five, New York City College of Technology at number six, and College of Staten Island at number 31. That isn’t a coincidence. CUNY tuition is low for New York residents, this drives strong Debt Payoff Scores across the whole system, and New York City’s public hospital network gives every one of these programs a deep, shared pool of clinical placement sites.
Hunter’s own program runs a separate, competitive Nursing CAS admission after prerequisite coursework, with an adult acute-illness immersion clinical built into the curriculum. That’s a real, structural advantage.
RN-to-BSN, “Nursing Science” and other labels worth a second look
Texas A&M University-Central Texas lands at number two, but its program is an RN-to-BSN completion track, not a traditional prelicensure BSN. It’s built for students who are already licensed RNs or in the final semester of an associate-degree nursing program, not for a high schooler starting from zero.
Chamberlain University’s California and Virginia campuses, at numbers 34 and 40, both post a perfect 100 on Major Fit and a near-perfect Institutional Strength score, a pattern that reflects Chamberlain’s career-focused, nursing-only campus model. Verify campus-specific approval, clinical availability and current outcomes directly with the school before applying, the same advice that applies to any single-purpose nursing campus.
This is the same major-versus-label question Waystone covers more broadly in does your major matter more than where you go to college, and it applies just as directly to a degree title as it does to a school’s overall name.
Build a nursing-ready profile before you apply
A strong nursing application starts well before the NursingCAS portal or a program-specific application opens. Most of these programs weigh prerequisite science grades and course rigor as heavily as your overall GPA, so the work happens years earlier, in the courses and activities you choose now.
Activities and coursework that actually signal nursing readiness
Course rigor matters early. AP Biology, AP Chemistry and dual-enrollment anatomy or physiology signal real preparation for a nursing curriculum’s early science load, not just general interest. On the activity side, a CNA certification, EMT training, hospital or hospice volunteering, and HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) all carry direct career relevance that a generic club membership doesn’t.
Waystone’s own Activity Scoring weighs field-aligned activities like these more heavily through a career-relevance modifier. And, it flags which of your current activities and courses actually build toward a nursing application versus which ones are just participation.
Which nursing degree pathway actually fits you
Nursing credentials can look nearly identical in a school’s marketing while leading to very different starting points. Before you compare best nursing colleges rankings, know which pathway a program is actually offering.
| Pathway | Best for | Credential | RN licensure route | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional BSN | Students starting from high school or early college | Bachelor of Science in Nursing | Graduate an approved program, meet state requirements, pass NCLEX-RN | Usually four years including prerequisites |
| Direct-entry BSN | First-year students admitted straight into a nursing cohort | B.S.N. | Same RN licensure sequence as a traditional BSN | “Direct entry” describes the admission structure, not a different license |
| ADN or ASN | Students who want a shorter, lower-cost first step | Associate Degree in Nursing | Same NCLEX-RN exam after an approved program | Many employers now prefer, or require, a BSN over time |
| RN-to-BSN | Students who are already licensed as an RN | B.S.N. | Doesn’t create new NCLEX eligibility; you’re already an RN | Not an entry point if you aren’t licensed yet |
| Accelerated BSN | Career changers with a non-nursing bachelor’s degree | Second B.S.N. | Graduate, meet state eligibility, pass NCLEX-RN | Intensive, usually 11 to 18 months |
| Direct-entry MSN | Career changers with a non-nursing bachelor’s degree | Entry-to-practice master’s | Prepares for RN licensure, then graduate-level nursing work | Not every program’s RN-prep structure is identical |
Traditional, direct-entry and accelerated BSN
A traditional or direct-entry BSN is the standard four-year path from high school into nursing practice. An accelerated BSN serves a different student entirely. This program is for someone who already holds a non-nursing bachelor’s degree and wants a second degree focused on nursing. That path typically runs 11 to 18 months and is intensive by design, this leaves little room for outside work.
ADN, RN-to-BSN and direct-entry MSN
An ADN gets you to the same NCLEX-RN exam as a BSN, often faster and at lower cost, but many employers now expect a BSN eventually, which is where RN-to-BSN completion programs come in. RN-to-BSN is a degree-completion track for someone who’s already an RN. It isn’t interchangeable with a prelicensure BSN, and it won’t get an unlicensed student to their first RN license.
A direct-entry MSN serves the same career-changer audience as an accelerated BSN, but adds graduate-level coursework in leadership and health systems on top of RN preparation.
Licensure is state-specific, no matter which pathway you pick
The NCLEX-RN itself is a national exam, but your actual RN license comes from an individual state or territorial board of nursing. Before you commit to any program, confirm the school’s approval status with the board in the state where it operates. Confirm your own educational eligibility in the state where you plan to seek your first license, and check that state’s rules on background checks, fingerprinting and English-proficiency requirements.
If you expect to practice across states, your primary state of residence is what matters most. The NCSBN’s Candidate Bulletin is the national testing guide, but licensure eligibility itself is always set by the state board, not by NCSBN.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best nursing colleges in the US?
Waystone’s ranking has a clear number one: CUNY Hunter College’s B.S. in Nursing, scoring 79.2 out of 100. The score blends financial payoff, 10-year ROI, institutional strength and major concentration in nursing specifically. Texas A&M University-Central Texas and CUNY Lehman College follow closely, though the right program for you still depends on your intended practice state and which nursing pathway you actually need.
Is a BSN better than an ADN for nursing?
Both lead to the same NCLEX-RN exam and the same RN license. A BSN typically takes about four years and is increasingly preferred, or required, by employers over time. An ADN gets you to licensure faster and at lower cost, often through an RN-to-BSN completion track later. Neither is objectively better; it depends on your timeline and budget.
Does a nursing school’s NCLEX pass rate actually matter?
Yes, but only when you compare it correctly. A valid comparison uses the same testing year, program type and first-time-candidate denominator. A small cohort’s single strong year tells you less than a large program’s consistent results across several years, so ask for multi-year data, not just the most recent headline number.
What’s the difference between CCNE and ACEN accreditation?
Both are national accrediting bodies for nursing programs, and either one is a legitimate signal of quality. CCNE and ACEN each evaluate a program’s curriculum, faculty, resources and student outcomes against their own set of standards. State board approval is still the baseline requirement for licensure eligibility; accreditation is a separate, additional quality signal on top of it.
Is an RN-to-BSN program the same as a regular BSN?
No. An RN-to-BSN is a degree-completion track for someone who’s already a licensed RN, typically through an associate degree or diploma program. It doesn’t create new NCLEX eligibility for an unlicensed student, and it isn’t a substitute for a traditional or accelerated BSN if you haven’t earned your RN license yet.
What extracurricular activities help a nursing school application?
Activities with direct clinical or caregiving relevance carry the most weight: CNA certification, EMT training, hospital or hospice volunteering, and HOSA participation. Course rigor in biology, chemistry and anatomy matters just as much. A themed application, built around one or two deep, related experiences rather than a long unrelated list, tends to stand out more than breadth alone.
Where to go from here
The best nursing colleges in the US aren’t just the biggest names. They’re the programs that combine board approval, real accreditation, strong NCLEX outcomes and a clinical network big enough to get every student real hospital hours before graduation.
Waystone’s ranking gives you a real place to start. CUNY Hunter College leads, backed by a strong debt-payoff score and New York’s wider CUNY nursing cluster right behind it. But the right pathway for you, traditional BSN, ADN, RN-to-BSN or accelerated, depends on where you’re starting from and which state you plan to practice in, not just where a program lands on this list.
Search nursing on Waystone’s College Finder to compare every school’s completion rate, ROI and selectivity side by side. Then build your profile to see how your own GPA, activities and coursework actually line up with a nursing pathway, and get three essay directions built from your own experience, not a template.
