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Best Nursing Schools in North Carolina

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2023 Best Nursing Schools in North Carolina

16 Colleges
$65,879 Avg Salary
$19,587 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Nursing School for You

Out of the majors we analyze each year, nursing was ranked 3rd in North Carolina. In fact, 1,399 were awarded in the state in 2020-2021.

There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Grad Degree Search has developed this Best Nursing Schools in North Carolina ranking. Our analysis looked at 16 schools in North Carolina to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Nursing Schools in North Carolina

Check out the nursing programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.

Top 10 Best Nursing Schools

#1

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, NC

Our analysis found Wake Forest University to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a degree in North Carolina. Wake Forest University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Winston-Salem.

Full Nursing at Wake Forest University Report

#2

Duke University

Durham, NC

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Duke University is a great place for nursing students. Duke is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Durham.

Read full report on Nursing at Duke University

The excellent programs at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in North Carolina. UNC Chapel Hill is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Chapel Hill.

Read full report on Nursing at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Lenoir - Rhyne University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in North Carolina list. Located in the city of Hickory, Lenoir - Rhyne University is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Full Nursing at Lenoir - Rhyne University Report

Out of the 16 schools in North Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, Appalachian State University landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the distant town of Boone, Appalachian State is a public college with a very large student population.

Read More…

University of North Carolina at Charlotte ranked #6 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in North Carolina list. UNC Charlotte is a very large public school located in the large city of Charlotte.

Read full report on Nursing at University of North Carolina at Charlotte

University of North Carolina at Greensboro came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in North Carolina ranking. UNC Greensboro is a fairly large public school located in the city of Greensboro.

Read full report on Nursing at University of North Carolina at Greensboro

University of North Carolina at Wilmington ranked #8 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in North Carolina list. Located in the midsize city of Wilmington, UNCW is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Full Nursing at University of North Carolina at Wilmington Report

#9

East Carolina University

Greenville, NC

East Carolina University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in North Carolina list. Located in the small city of Greenville, ECU is a public school with a very large student population.

Read full report on Nursing at East Carolina University

#10

Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC

Western Carolina University landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. WCU is a fairly large public school located in the town of Cullowhee.

Read full report on Nursing at Western Carolina University

Best Nursing Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Nursing Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Virginia 1,110
Florida 3,074
Georgia 1,685
Tennessee 1,589
Kentucky 2,017
Louisiana 520
Alabama 2,641
South Carolina 468
Mississippi 262
Arkansas 299
West Virginia 184

One of 29 majors within the area of study, nursing has other similar majors worth exploring.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Medicine 28,629
Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions 24,774
Public Health 19,473
Health & Medical Administrative Services 17,335
Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Sciences 16,952

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 16 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Aleksahgabrielle.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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