Best Colleges for Nursing in 2025

Best Colleges for Nursing in 2025 (And How to Get In)

Why Nursing Is a Hot Major Right Now

Nursing is the backbone of U.S. care delivery—and employers continue hiring at scale. BLS shows Registered Nurses (RNs) — $93,600 median; +5% (2024–34) with ~189,000 openings/year, while APRNs (NP/CNM/CRNA) — $132,050 median. AACN’s 2024–2025 national survey (published June 2025) reports broad enrollment increases across most program levels (including a +4.9% lift in entry‑level BSN enrollment to 267,889 students), signaling sustained interest and institutional capacity rebuilding.

What’s new for 2025 applicants:

NGN (Next‑Gen) NCLEX remains the licensure standard, pushing schools to expand simulation and clinical judgment training.
Clinical placements and nurse residency pipelines are key differentiators; review hospital affiliations, preceptor ratios, and new‑grad residency support.
Graduate pathways (BSN‑to‑DNP; post‑BSN APRN routes) continue expanding, often with hybrid formats and analytics/informatics tracks.

Top 10 Schools for Nursing (with source links)

Based on Niche’s 2026 Nursing rankings (latest as of Oct 2025); cross‑check with QS subject tables.

University of Pennsylvania
Duke University
Emory University
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of Michigan — Ann Arbor
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
University of Washington
New York University (NYU)
Johns Hopkins University
The Ohio State University

Source: Niche — 2026 Best Colleges for Nursing
Cross‑checks: QS 2025 Nursing

Admissions Overview for These Programs

Academics: biology, chemistry, statistics, anatomy/physiology if offered.
Clinical readiness: patient‑facing volunteering, CNA/EMT, or hospital internships.
Licensure path: BSN → NCLEX‑RN; many systems prefer a BSN.
For APRN goals: plan for graduate education (MSN/DNP) + national certification.

Best Careers You Can Pursue With This Major

Registered Nurse (BSN/ADN + licensure) — hospital, community, ambulatory, telehealth. $93,600 median; +5%.
APRNs (NP/CNM/CRNA) — primary care, anesthesia, women’s health, specialty clinics. $132,050 median.
Leadership & informatics — clinical nurse leader/manager, educator, quality, health IT.

Where Nursing Grads Work (and Earn)

Hospitals & health systems: med‑surg, ICU, periop, ED, outpatient.
Community & public health: FQHCs, schools, home health, long‑term care.
Specialties: oncology, cardiology, pediatrics, behavioral health.

How to Choose a Nursing Program (Beyond Rankings)

Clinical placements: number/quality of sites, preceptor ratios, scheduling flexibility.
Outcomes transparency: NCLEX first‑time pass rates, job offer rates, residencies.
Learning infrastructure: simulation centers, skills labs, informatics coursework.
Graduate pathways: BSN‑to‑DNP/APRN options; faculty research strengths.

How GoodGoblin Can Match You to These Schools

Academic match: align GPA/prereqs to BSN/ABSN/entry‑MSN tracks.
Program fit: flag clinical affiliations, residencies, and NCLEX outcomes.
Outcomes & cost: combine College Scorecard with school‑reported metrics.
Application plan: prereq mapping and licensure timeline.