Graduate Certificates in Nursing
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Education Levels of Nursing Majors
In 2018-2019, 3,386 earned their graduate certificate in nursing. This makes it the 4th most popular graduate certificate program in the country.
The following table shows the number of diplomas awarded in nursing at each degree level.
Education Level | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Master’s Degree | 51,213 |
Doctor’s Degree | 8,781 |
Graduate Certificate | 3,386 |
Earnings of Nursing Majors With Graduate Certificates
The median salary for graduates holding a graduate certificate in nursing is $101,400. A lot of factors can contribute to this number, such as the location of your workplace and the availability of other perks and bonuses.
To get a better picture, earnings for this category of people can range from a low of $96,100 to a high of $101,400.

Student Debt
The median student debt for graduates holding a graduate certificate in nursing is $43,524. The length of time it takes you to graduate and what college you attend can affect this number quite a bit.
The chart below shows the range of accumulated debt loads. On the high side of the range, $45,204 is the debt load, and the debt load on the low side is $36,035.

Those students who are paying back their debt on a 10-year repayment plan have a median monthly payment of $507.
Student Diversity
More women than men pursue their graduate certificate in nursing. About 89.2% of graduates with this degree are female.
Gender | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Men | 365 |
Women | 3,021 |

The racial-ethnic distribution of nursing graduate certificate students is as follows:
Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Asian | 209 |
Black or African American | 616 |
Hispanic or Latino | 217 |
White | 2,009 |
International Students | 32 |
Other Races/Ethnicities | 303 |

Most Popular Nursing Programs for Graduate Certificates
There are 381 colleges that offer a graduate certificate in nursing. Learn more about the most popular 20 below:
Maryville University of Saint Louis tops the list of the most popular school in the U.S. for nursing majors who are seeking their graduate certificate. Each year, around 10,000 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $26,070 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $14,346 per year.
For the 2018-2019 academic year, 200 graduate certificates were handed out to nursing majors at Maryville U. About 92% of this group were women, and 28% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
The 2nd most popular school in the country for nursing majors who are seeking their graduate certificate is University of Cincinnati - Main Campus. Roughly 39,200 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $9,476 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $12,790 per year.
During the 2018-2019 academic year, 184 people received their graduate certificate in nursing from UC. About 85% of this group were women, and 36% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
The 3rd most popular school in the country for nursing majors who are seeking their graduate certificate is South University's online programs. Each year, around 6,100 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $13,500 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $13,800 per year.
For the 2018-2019 academic year, 126 graduate certificates were handed out to nursing majors at South University's online programs. About 93% of this group were women, and 56% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
Yale University comes in at #4 on our list of the most popular colleges offering graduate certificates in nursing. Roughly 13,600 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $55,500 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $43,300 per year.
The nursing program at Yale University awarded 105 graduate certificates during the 2018-2019 school year. Of these students, 91% were women and 34% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
University of South Alabama is the 5th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a graduate certificate in nursing. Roughly 14,300 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $7,896 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $7,956 per year.
The nursing program at University of South Alabama awarded 94 graduate certificates during the 2018-2019 school year. Of these students, 95% were women and 43% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
Frontier Nursing University is the 6th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a graduate certificate in nursing. Roughly 2,200 attend the school each year. For the 2018-2019 academic year, 93 graduate certificates were handed out to nursing majors at Frontier Nursing University. About 96% of this group were women, and 25% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
Kaplan University-Indianapolis comes in at #7 on our list of the most popular colleges offering graduate certificates in nursing. Roughly 38,100 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $7,920 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $8,791 per year.
During the 2018-2019 academic year, 92 people received their graduate certificate in nursing from Kaplan University-Indianapolis. Of these students, 90% were women and 39% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
The 8th most popular school in the country for nursing majors who are seeking their graduate certificate is Duke University. Roughly 16,600 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $55,880 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $55,680 per year.
During the 2018-2019 academic year, 79 people received their graduate certificate in nursing from Duke. Around 29% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 91% were women.
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley comes in at #9 on our list of the most popular colleges offering graduate certificates in nursing. Each year, around 29,100 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $6,664 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $5,959 per year.
During the 2018-2019 academic year, 76 people received their graduate certificate in nursing from UT Rio Grande Valley. Around 68% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 84% were women.
The 10th most popular school in the country for nursing majors who are seeking their graduate certificate is University of Massachusetts - Boston. Each year, around 15,900 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $14,187 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $18,433 per year.
During the 2018-2019 academic year, 69 people received their graduate certificate in nursing from UMass Boston. Around 30% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 87% were women.
The 11th most popular school in the country for nursing majors who are seeking their graduate certificate is Concordia University, Wisconsin. Each year, around 5,700 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $30,060 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $11,052 per year.
During the 2018-2019 academic year, 66 people received their graduate certificate in nursing from Concordia University, Wisconsin. Around 2% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 89% were women.
Drexel University is the 12th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a graduate certificate in nursing. Roughly 24,200 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $52,146 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $35,181 per year.
For the 2018-2019 academic year, 60 graduate certificates were handed out to nursing majors at Drexel. Around 17% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 87% were women.
Washington State University is the 13th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a graduate certificate in nursing. Roughly 31,600 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $9,953 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $11,493 per year.
The nursing program at Washington State University awarded 50 graduate certificates during the 2018-2019 school year. Around 32% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 78% were women.
Bradley University comes in at #14 on our list of the most popular colleges offering graduate certificates in nursing. Roughly 5,900 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $34,200 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $16,380 per year.
During the 2018-2019 academic year, 43 people received their graduate certificate in nursing from Bradley. Of these students, 95% were women and 28% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
Western University of Health Sciences is the 15th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a graduate certificate in nursing. Each year, around 3,700 students seeking various degrees attend the university. For the 2018-2019 academic year, 41 graduate certificates were handed out to nursing majors at Western University of Health Sciences. Around 61% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 93% were women.
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center is the 16th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a graduate certificate in nursing. Each year, around 5,200 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $6,417 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $6,168 per year.
For the 2018-2019 academic year, 39 graduate certificates were handed out to nursing majors at TTUHSC. About 82% of this group were women, and 26% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
Walden University comes in at #16 on our list of the most popular colleges offering graduate certificates in nursing. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $10,428 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $12,039 per year.
The nursing program at Walden University awarded 39 graduate certificates during the 2018-2019 school year. Of these students, 100% were women and 51% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
Vanderbilt University comes in at #16 on our list of the most popular colleges offering graduate certificates in nursing. Roughly 13,100 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $50,800 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $48,624 per year.
During the 2018-2019 academic year, 39 people received their graduate certificate in nursing from Vanderbilt. Of these students, 90% were women and 15% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
The University of Texas at Arlington is the 16th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a graduate certificate in nursing. Each year, around 48,600 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $8,624 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $8,474 per year.
During the 2018-2019 academic year, 39 people received their graduate certificate in nursing from UT Arlington. Around 38% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 92% were women.
Regis University is the 20th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a graduate certificate in nursing. Each year, around 6,900 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $37,830 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $14,441 per year.
During the 2018-2019 academic year, 38 people received their graduate certificate in nursing from Regis U. Of these students, 95% were women and 5% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
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Related Majors
Below are some popular majors that are similar to nursing that offer graduate certificates.
Major | Annual Degrees Awarded |
---|---|
Public Health | 1,648 |
Mental & Social Health Services | 988 |
Health/Medical Admin Services | 906 |
Advanced Dentistry & Oral Sciences | 856 |
Dietetics & Nutrition Services | 825 |
References
*The racial-ethnic minority student count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the percentage of racial-ethnic minorities.
- College Factual
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Image Credit: By Aleksahgabrielle under License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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