2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing
There are about 1,068,224 students enrolled in Registered Nursing in the USA.
Menu: summary
popularity
Very Popular
Compared to national avg.
Diplomas received last year
202,799
Vs. National Avg.
1774%
popularity Rank
#4
cost
Very Affordable
Compared to national avg.
Median degree cost
$18K
Vs. National Avg.
-25%
cost Rank
#349
salary
Low Paying
Compared to national avg.
Average Salary Two Years Out of School
$37K
Vs. National Avg.
-6%
salary Rank
#341
professors
Not Very Good
Compared to national avg.
Professor Rating
C+
Vs. National Avg.
-9%
professors Rank
#357
students
Not Very Diverse
Compared to national avg.
Diversity Rating
C+
Vs. National Avg.
-5%
students Rank
#341
REGISTERED NURSING DEGREES
UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES
More college students study registered nursing than any other subject. An average focus hands out 6,156 undergraduate degrees a year; last year, 146,866 students received an undergraduate degree in registered nursing. Western Governors University accounted for 9,573 of those degrees (#1 in America). Schools in Illinois gave out more degrees than any US State (11,938).
Bachelor's degrees in registered nursing are offered at 1,091 colleges in the USA; accordingly, selecting the right college can potentially be challenging. Four-year degrees in registered nursing are available at 5.7 times more colleges than the typical subject, making it the 14th most universally available U.S. degree.
GRADUATE DEGREES
While last May, 89% of degrees in registered nursing were undergrad degrees; 11% were postgrad degrees. Registered nursing is the 10th most popular advanced degree in America, with 18,536 degrees granted. To put that in context, grad degrees in registered nursing are 6.7 times more popular among master's & doctor's students than the average concentration.
In Total, 165,402 students received a bachelor's or higher in registered nursing last year.
ONLINE REGISTERED NURSING DEGREES
44,544 of those 165,402 alumni (26.9%) were conferred their degrees online - 35,800 undergrad students and 8,744 postgrads. As you can likely see, more study registered nursing online than any other subject. It is the most in-demand remote discipline with 74.4 times the national average of 481 undergrads per course of study. For postgrads, it ranks 4th, with 14.2 times the average number of master's or doctor's students per focus (481).
Western Governors University awarded more online bachelor's degrees in registered nursing than any other US college (9,573). Last fall, 98,630 undergraduate students were attending the college exclusively remotely, 100% of their student body. They offer 30 entirely remote subjects, which is 100% of their courses.
Further, Utah graduates more registered nursing online students than any other state (9,609 undergraduate degrees awarded last May). On its own, Utah graduates 27% of the United States of America's remote students.
24.4% of all four-year degrees in registered nursing are completed via fully remote programs, (47.2% for postgrad degrees). 82.53% of Chamberlain University-Illinois' last undergraduate class majored in registered nursing comprehensively remote, higher than any other school in the United States. 6,532 students in their 7,915 student class were conferred an online four-year degree in registered nursing. They offer 1 areas of study remote, and had 12,110 enrolled online college students last fall. That's 83% of the student body.
482 institutions in the country grant bachelor's degrees via an online program, making it the 14th most widely offered remote degree. Narrowly north of three in seven schools offering the degree even have a comprehensively online option, and 50% of colleges giving out the degree remotely are public. Ohio has the most comprehensively online programs of any state, with 33 schools to choose from.
If you desire to study registered nursing online, we recommend that you view Oregon Health & Science University, as it has the best registered nursing program in the USA. They also grant an additional 8 degrees online, so you may explore classes inside other majors. Further, they have 138 online college students, which is 18% of the whole student body.
PARTIALLY ONLINE REGISTERED NURSING DEGREES
- Registered nursing is the most in-demand partially online four-year degree in the United States of America
- Registered nursing is the 28th most commonly available partially online bachelor's degree coast-to-coast
- Last spring, 35,281 students received a bachelor's or higher in registered nursing partially online
- Chamberlain University-Illinois granted 768 partially online undergrad degrees in registered nursing, more than any other college in the United States
- Colleges from Texas conferred the most partially online undergraduate degrees in registered nursing last spring (2,828)
- The typical subject is offered partially online at approximately 154 institutions
IN-PERSON REGISTERED NURSING DEGREES
- 76,860 people last May completed undergraduate degrees in registered nursing in-person
- Registered nursing is the 42nd most broadly available in-person undergraduate degree in the United States
- 52.33% of all college degree in registered nursing are done in-person
- 100% of Samuel Merritt University's last undergraduate class studied registered nursing in-person, higher than any other U.S. school
- 90% of last spring's in-person degrees in registered nursing were four-year degrees; 10% were graduate degrees
- 44.36% of all graduate degrees in registered nursing are done totally in-person
REGISTERED NURSING OVERVIEW
A nursing degree from an online accredited college can be your ticket to a rewarding career in any of these roles:
- Surgical Nurse
- Nurse Midwife
- Home Care Nurse
- Research Nurse
- Nurse Educator
- Pain Management Nurse
- ICU Nurse
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist
Nurses across different nursing practices rate their career satisfaction levels 94% or higher. Most nurses say that helping people or making a difference in people's lives is the most rewarding aspect of the job for them, including:
- 50% of nurse midwives
- 40% of RNs, and
- 44% Licensed Practical Nurses (LPRs)
However, the nursing profession is experiencing higher demand than supply. States like California, Texas, New Jersey, and South Carolina have nurse deficits of 10,000 to over 44,000 each.
And according to LinkedIn data, demand for nurses has spiked in the past few years.
Thanks to technological advancements, you can earn a prestigious nursing degree from an online accredited college regardless of where you live. A nursing degree from one of the best online schools can help you pursue goals like these:
- Improve and save lives
- Enjoy a reliable income and job security
- Travel and work anywhere in the world
- Specialize in any medical field
- Have essential medical knowledge outside work
What kind of job you get depends entirely on you. The average salary for nursing careers ranges from $75,000 to $200,000, depending on the field and level of specialization.
Read on to find several accredited schools that rank among the best online schools for nursing programs.
Top 25 Best Online Colleges for Registered Nursing
Search for the best Registered Nursing online colleges according to your filter parameters.
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#1 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing
Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing
Peoria, IL | www.sfmccon.edu/
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#2 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing
West Coast University-Orange County
Anaheim, CA | westcoastuniversity.edu/
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#3 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing
Resurrection University
Chicago, IL | www.resu.edu/
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#4 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing
Linfield University-Online and Continuing Education
McMinnville, OR | https://www.linfield.edu/academics/oce/index.html
B+
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#5 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing
Denver College of Nursing
Denver, CO | www.denvercollegeofnursing.edu/
B+
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#6 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing
Nebraska Methodist College of Nursing & Allied Health
Omaha, NE | www.methodistcollege.edu/
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#7 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing
Samuel Merritt University
Oakland, CA | www.samuelmerritt.edu/
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#8 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing
Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences
Lancaster, PA | https://www.pacollege.edu/
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#9 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing
Stanbridge University
Irvine, CA | www.stanbridge.edu/
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#10 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing
Bellin College
Green Bay, WI | https://www.bellincollege.edu/
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#11 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing
Mercy College of Ohio
Toledo, OH | www.mercycollege.edu/
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#12 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing
Bryan College of Health Sciences
Lincoln, NE | https://www.bryanhealthcollege.edu/bcohs/
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#13 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing
Sentara College of Health Sciences
Chesapeake, VA | www.sentara.edu/
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#14 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing
Pacific College
Costa Mesa, CA | www.pacific-college.edu/
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#15 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing
Northeastern University Lifelong Learning Network
Boston, MA | https://www.northeastern.edu/learnforlife/
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#16 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing
Arizona State University Digital Immersion
Scottsdale, AZ | www.asu.edu/
B
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#17 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing
Research College of Nursing
Kansas City, MO | researchcollege.edu/
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#18 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing
Clarkson College
Omaha, NE | www.clarksoncollege.edu/
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#19 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing
Touro University Nevada
Henderson, NV | www.tun.touro.edu/
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#20 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing
Roseman University of Health Sciences
Henderson, NV | www.roseman.edu/
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#21 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
Lubbock, TX | https://www.ttuhsc.edu/
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#22 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing
Cabarrus College of Health Sciences
Concord, NC | www.atriumhealth.org/education/cabarrus-college-of-health-sciences
A+
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#23 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing
University of Maryland, Baltimore
Baltimore, MD | www.umaryland.edu/
D
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#24 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing
Chamberlain University-Illinois
Addison, IL | https://www.chamberlain.edu/
B+
Rating
#25 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing
Marian University
Indianapolis, IN | www.marian.edu/