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25 Best Master's in Nursing Schools (MSN) 2020

By the GradReports team | Updated 4/1/2020

We ranked the top 25 colleges that offer a Master of Science in Nursing based on the median entry-level salaries of alumni. The top ranked school is Central Connecticut State University, with a median salary of $188,500. University of North Carolina at Greensboro has the lowest median debt of all the ranked schools, with MSN graduates owing a median of $34,706. Graduates of these top nursing schools have median starting salaries in the $133,500-$188,500 range.

Tuition, median salaries, and median debt were reported by the U.S. Department of Education in November 2019. View our methodology for more details about these rankings or read more about the top-ranked schools.

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Salary and debt data reported by the U.S. Department of Education
Salary and debt data reported by the U.S. Department of Education
Rank School Location Annual Tuition Median Debt Median Salary
#1 #1 New Britain (CT) New Britain (CT) $26,970 $44,035 $188,500
#2 #2 Winona (MN) Winona (MN) $12,222 $60,500 $186,000
#3 #3 Biddeford (ME) Biddeford (ME) $32,175 $132,170 $184,700
#4 #4 Baton Rouge (LA) Baton Rouge (LA) $25,381 $143,158 $177,000
#5 #5 Lincoln (NE) Lincoln (NE) $24,095 Not Reported $167,200
#6 #6 Villanova (PA) Villanova (PA) $21,361 $81,634 $167,000
#7 #7 Yankton (SD) Yankton (SD) $14,264 $114,925 $166,500
#8 #8 Springfield (MO) Springfield (MO) $13,704 Not Reported $166,200
#9 #9 Fort Worth (TX) Fort Worth (TX) $19,408 $126,267 $165,200
#10 #10 Madison (TN) Madison (TN) Not Reported $108,131 $164,400
#12 #12 Orlando (FL) Orlando (FL) $30,280 $141,150 $160,300
#15 #15 Rochester (MN) Rochester (MN) $23,848 $85,599 $158,900
#16 #16 Erie (PA) Erie (PA) $22,280 $105,199 $156,100
#17 #17 Wichita (KS) Wichita (KS) $9,730 $111,967 $153,400
#18 #18 Charleston (SC) Charleston (SC) $25,568 $142,759 $149,100
#19 #19 Oakland (CA) Oakland (CA) Not Reported $51,241 $147,100
#20 #20 Flint (MI) Flint (MI) $20,558 $45,946 $145,300
#21 #21 New York (NY) New York (NY) $14,160 $41,000 $139,800
#22 #22 Greensboro (NC) Greensboro (NC) $22,676 $34,706 $139,100
#23 #23 Fort Myers (FL) Fort Myers (FL) $31,216 $77,875 $137,100
#24 #24 Loma Linda (CA) Loma Linda (CA) $32,900 $73,413 $135,100
#25 #25 Chattanooga (TN) Chattanooga (TN) $18,852 $63,256 $133,500

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