The List: More nursing schools in big cities

We’ve looked at top rated nursing schools in big cities as rated in our Nurse’s Guide to Nursing Schools before, but we wanted to spotlight even more top schools in larger cities. We know many nurses love the fast pace provided by studying in urban areas, and all these schools offer that opportunity.

Of course, we know many students perform better in rural areas or smaller college towns, and we’ve also compiled a list of the top schools in those areas.

Don’t forget to rate your own school or alma mater at The Nurse’s Guide to Nursing Schools and leave comments about your personal experience to help out those who may be thinking about following in your footsteps. Got a question about a school? Leave a comment on the school’s page and the Scrubs community will help find an answer.

University of Colorado – Denver
Denver

The Boulder campus is the best known location of the University of Colorado, but the Denver facility offers the advantage of being in the midst of Colorado’s capital city. Additionally, the College of Nursing is part of the Anschutz Medical Campus, which is the only accredited school of public health in the Rocky Mountain region.

Like most larger universities, the college offers a variety of undergraduate and graduate degrees for both new nurses and experienced nurses looking to earn additional degrees. Professional Development programs are available both online and in intensive conferences, both of which are designed for working nurses.

University of Illinois – Chicago
Chicago

The Chicago campus is not the most well-known of the three schools in the University of Illinois system (that would be Champaign-Urbana), but it still has a total enrollment of nearly 30,000 students. The school is the largest (by enrollment) in the Chicago area.

The school also offers a variety of programs, including BSN, MS, DNP and PhD. An RN to BSN completion program is offered as a completely online option for nurses who want to earn their bachelor’s degree while continuing to work.

University of Massachusetts School of Nursing
Boston

Boston certainly has no shortage of higher learning institutions, but UMass Boston is the only public university in the city. The school has a total enrollment of nearly 16,000 students.

Those earning a BSN can choose from a traditional, four-year program or an accelerated program for students with bachelor’s degrees in fields other than nursing. Additionally, the College of Nursing and Health Sciences offers an online-only RN to BSN degree and an online MS to DNP program.

Vanderbilt University
Nashville

Vanderbilt is ranked in the top 20 national universities (undergraduate) by U.S. News & World Report, and the Graduate School of Nursing is also ranked in the top 20 by the magazine. Located in midtown Nashville, the University has a total enrollment of just under 13,000 students.  There are approximately 1,000 MSN, DNP and PhD students enrolled in the Nursing School.

The School of Nursing works in conjunction with Vanderbilt Hospital, and the graduate program offers multiple entry options for nurses and non-nurses in all stages of their careers. One unique offering from the master’s program is a dual degree with the Vanderbilt Divinity School.

Wayne State University College of Nursing
Detroit

Wayne State was originally founded in 1868 and is located in midtown Detroit. The student body at the institution numbers almost 29,000, and draws students from around the country as well as Michigan.

The College of Nursing offers a traditional, four-year BSN program, as well as the Second Degree/Second Career option. Graduate students have a number of MSN specialties to choose from, as well as a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing Program.