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2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing

There are about 1,068,224 students enrolled in Registered Nursing in the USA.

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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.

A

Rating

#1 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing

Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing

Peoria, IL | www.sfmccon.edu/

0%

Acceptance

678

Students

#392

Ranking

$21K

Tuition

A−

Rating

#2 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing

West Coast University-Orange County

Anaheim, CA | westcoastuniversity.edu/

0%

Acceptance

5,810

Students

#435

Ranking

$24K

Tuition

A

Rating

#3 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing

Resurrection University

Chicago, IL | www.resu.edu/

0%

Acceptance

1,125

Students

#272

Ranking

$26K

Tuition

A−

Rating

#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

0%

Acceptance

329

Students

#468

Ranking

$13K

Tuition

B+

Rating

#5 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing

Denver College of Nursing

Denver, CO | www.denvercollegeofnursing.edu/

0%

Acceptance

1,274

Students

#582

Ranking

$11K

Tuition

B+

Rating

#6 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing

Nebraska Methodist College of Nursing & Allied Health

Omaha, NE | www.methodistcollege.edu/

92%

Acceptance

1,354

Students

#707

Ranking

$17K

Tuition

A+

Rating

#7 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing

Samuel Merritt University

Oakland, CA | www.samuelmerritt.edu/

0%

Acceptance

2,690

Students

#135

Ranking

$49K

Tuition

A

Rating

#8 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing

Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences

Lancaster, PA | https://www.pacollege.edu/

54%

Acceptance

2,311

Students

#363

Ranking

$30K

Tuition

A

Rating

#9 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing

Stanbridge University

Irvine, CA | www.stanbridge.edu/

35%

Acceptance

1,954

Students

#342

Ranking

$0

Tuition

A−

Rating

#10 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing

Bellin College

Green Bay, WI | https://www.bellincollege.edu/

96%

Acceptance

907

Students

#446

Ranking

$22K

Tuition

A−

Rating

#11 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing

Mercy College of Ohio

Toledo, OH | www.mercycollege.edu/

40%

Acceptance

1,791

Students

#460

Ranking

$19K

Tuition

A

Rating

#12 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing

Bryan College of Health Sciences

Lincoln, NE | https://www.bryanhealthcollege.edu/bcohs/

58%

Acceptance

917

Students

#317

Ranking

$18K

Tuition

A−

Rating

#13 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing

Sentara College of Health Sciences

Chesapeake, VA | www.sentara.edu/

0%

Acceptance

479

Students

#438

Ranking

$371

Tuition

A

Rating

#14 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing

Pacific College

Costa Mesa, CA | www.pacific-college.edu/

38%

Acceptance

441

Students

#365

Ranking

$0

Tuition

A−

Rating

#15 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing

Northeastern University Lifelong Learning Network

Boston, MA | https://www.northeastern.edu/learnforlife/

0%

Acceptance

14,916

Students

#461

Ranking

$13K

Tuition

A−

Rating

#16 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing

Arizona State University Digital Immersion

Scottsdale, AZ | www.asu.edu/

73%

Acceptance

69,608

Students

#509

Ranking

$11K

Tuition

B

Rating

#17 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing

Research College of Nursing

Kansas City, MO | researchcollege.edu/

0%

Acceptance

596

Students

#759

Ranking

$39K

Tuition

A−

Rating

#18 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing

Clarkson College

Omaha, NE | www.clarksoncollege.edu/

57%

Acceptance

1,455

Students

#520

Ranking

$14K

Tuition

A−

Rating

#19 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing

Touro University Nevada

Henderson, NV | www.tun.touro.edu/

0%

Acceptance

2,117

Students

#421

Ranking

$10K

Tuition

A

Rating

#20 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing

Roseman University of Health Sciences

Henderson, NV | www.roseman.edu/

0%

Acceptance

1,767

Students

#187

Ranking

$34K

Tuition

A

Rating

#21 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center

Lubbock, TX | https://www.ttuhsc.edu/

0%

Acceptance

7,464

Students

#205

Ranking

$19K

Tuition

A

Rating

#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

35%

Acceptance

556

Students

#321

Ranking

$14K

Tuition

A+

Rating

#23 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing

University of Maryland, Baltimore

Baltimore, MD | www.umaryland.edu/

0%

Acceptance

7,663

Students

#144

Ranking

$38K

Tuition

D

Rating

#24 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing

Chamberlain University-Illinois

Addison, IL | https://www.chamberlain.edu/

92%

Acceptance

41,147

Students

#1897

Ranking

$20K

Tuition

B+

Rating

#25 2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Registered Nursing

Marian University

Indianapolis, IN | www.marian.edu/

64%

Acceptance

5,140

Students

#685

Ranking

$36K

Tuition

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