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Thus far on our lists of the top rated nursing schools, we’ve focused on public and private schools grouped into different regions of the country or by size. For today’s list, we want to take a slightly different approach and look only at public state universities.
Every nurse will likely have their own preference as to whether they favor public or private schools, but both come with their advantages and disadvantages. One advantage to attending a public school is often a lower tuition price (which can lead to less debt) that usually is even lower if you attend a school in your state of residence. But each school has its distinct perks, and we’ll look at a few of the best nursing programs at state schools here.
Additionally, if you’ve already been through nursing school, 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 Northern Colorado
Greeley, Colo.
Greeley is located a little over an hour’s drive north of Denver, and is home to just shy of 100,000 residents. University of Northern Colorado enrolls a total of around 12,000 undergraduate and graduate students.
The UNC School of Nursing offers three different undergraduate degrees: a traditional four-year, on-campus option, a second degree option and an online option for RNs who want to earn their BSN degrees while they continue to work. The graduate school offers an on-campus master’s program and an online PhD program.
University Of Virginia
Charlottesville, Va.
The University of Virginia consistently ranks as one of the top public universities in the nation. It also is one of the largest schools on this list, with a total student body of 21,095.
The UVA School of Nursing offers a traditional four-year BSN program, as well as an RN to BSN program. The graduate school offers a slew of master’s options and specialities, as well as PhD and DNP options.
University Of Wyoming
Laramie, Wy.
The city of Laramie is a relatively small town of around 30,000 residents. It’s located about 7,500 feet above sea level, less than an hour’s drive from Cheyenne. The University of Wyoming has an student enrollment of approximately 14,000.
Like the other schools on this list, the school of nursing at the university offers a variety of program options to meet the needs of both those new to nursing and experienced nurses returning to school for advanced degrees. These include BSN, second degree BSN, RN/BSN Completion, MS and DNP degrees.
Grand Valley State University
Allendale, Mich.
The main campus of GVSU is located in Allendale Charter Township, a small town of around 20,000 residents that is just west of Grand Rapids, Mich. However, the Kirkhof College of Nursing–commonly known as KCON–is actually located in downtown Grand Rapids at the Cook DeVos Center for Health Sciences.
All undergraduate programs (BSN, second degree BSN and RN to BSN) are taught on-campus, though the RN to BSN can be taken as a part-time student for those who wish to continue working. Various MSN and DNP programs are offered in a variety of formats to accommodate working professionals.
Indiana State University
Terre Haute, Ind.
Indiana State has a total enrollment around 12,000 students and is located in Terre Haute, Ind. Because of ISU and a handful of other schools in the area, the city has become known for its college town feel.
The ISU School of Nursing has specific programs for both RNs and LPNs to earn their BSN degrees, and also offers traditional and accelerated BSN options. There are multiple master’s options under the Department of Advanced Practice Nursing, and the school also offers a Continuing Nursing Education program.
