Best Nursing Colleges in Pennsylvania2026 Rankings
Pennsylvania is home to 51 accredited institutions offering Nursing programs — from large public research universities to small private liberal arts colleges. This ranking evaluates each school on admission selectivity, four-year graduation rate, net price, and graduate earnings to surface the programs that deliver the strongest outcomes.
Among the schools listed here, University of Pennsylvania is the most selective, admitting 6% of applicants. Average in-state tuition across this group sits at $39,575, while out-of-state students can expect to pay around $41,719. Median early-career earnings for Nursing graduates in this state average $35,114 per year, and the average four-year graduation rate among ranked programs is 69%.
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| # | College | Value Score | Admit Rate | Grad Rate | Net Price | Median Earnings | Student:Faculty | Majors Offered | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of PennsylvaniaPrivate | Elite· 48 | 6% | 97% | $17,585 | $80,943 | 8:1 | 70 | 10,768 |
| 2 | Villanova UniversityPrivate | Excellent· 46 | 25% | 92% | $25,786 | $86,241 | 10:1 | 55 | 7,005 |
| 3 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh CampusPublic | Great· 41 | 50% | 84% | $26,179 | $72,251 | 13:1 | 101 | 20,189 |
| 4 | Holy Family UniversityPrivate | Great· 41 | 74% | 60% | $11,559 | $83,363 | 11:1 | 41 | 2,298 |
| 5 | Saint Francis UniversityPrivate | Great· 40 | 77% | 73% | $12,775 | $72,930 | 14:1 | 55 | 1,525 |
| 6 | Drexel UniversityPrivate | Great· 40 | 78% | 77% | $35,842 | $85,441 | 9:1 | 80 | 13,509 |
| 7 | University of ScrantonPrivate | Great· 39 | 84% | 81% | $24,999 | $82,895 | 13:1 | 59 | 3,589 |
| 8 | Messiah UniversityPrivate | Great· 39 | 78% | 79% | $22,689 | $73,788 | 12:1 | 63 | 2,318 |
| 9 | Elizabethtown CollegePrivate | Great· 39 | 77% | 77% | $21,711 | $47,777 | 12:1 | 59 | 1,815 |
| 10 | Marywood UniversityPrivate | Great· 39 | 84% | 73% | $18,927 | $73,240 | 11:1 | 51 | 1,821 |
| 11 | Seton Hill UniversityPrivate | Strong· 37 | 76% | 71% | $18,474 | $37,278 | 13:1 | 50 | 1,581 |
| 12 | Moravian UniversityPrivate | Strong· 37 | 54% | 71% | $27,277 | $82,585 | 10:1 | 35 | 1,970 |
| 13 | Misericordia UniversityPrivate | Strong· 36 | 85% | 69% | $21,763 | $78,428 | 10:1 | 29 | 1,632 |
| 14 | Lincoln UniversityPublic | Strong· 36 | 78% | 52% | $12,623 | $68,662 | 13:1 | 37 | 1,712 |
| 15 | Duquesne UniversityPrivate | Strong· 36 | 79% | 76% | $31,920 | $70,265 | 12:1 | 62 | 5,216 |
| 16 | DeSales UniversityPrivate | Strong· 36 | 79% | 71% | $25,683 | $79,460 | 11:1 | 39 | 2,113 |
| 17 | Temple UniversityPublic | Strong· 35 | 83% | 75% | $28,493 | $82,319 | 12:1 | 100 | 21,249 |
| 18 | Gannon UniversityPrivate | Strong· 35 | 77% | 70% | $21,199 | $65,493 | 13:1 | 59 | 2,467 |
| 19 | Chatham UniversityPrivate | Strong· 35 | 70% | 66% | $22,983 | $70,404 | 10:1 | 46 | 1,252 |
| 20 | Widener UniversityPrivate | Strong· 35 | 84% | 64% | $28,722 | $83,528 | 11:1 | 56 | 2,765 |
| 21 | Thomas Jefferson UniversityPrivate | Strong· 34 | 86% | 68% | $24,652 | $85,656 | 13:1 | 43 | 3,708 |
| 22 | La Roche UniversityPrivate | Strong· 34 | 78% | 58% | $19,339 | $40,716 | 11:1 | 38 | 786 |
| 23 | Gwynedd Mercy UniversityPrivate | Strong· 34 | 94% | 58% | $25,170 | $82,372 | 9:1 | 24 | 1,141 |
| 24 | Immaculata UniversityPrivate | Good· 33 | 78% | 64% | $27,527 | $87,624 | 10:1 | 38 | 1,265 |
| 25 | Westminster CollegePrivate | Good· 32 | 86% | 66% | $19,699 | $37,402 | 12:1 | 42 | 1,051 |
| 26 | Alvernia UniversityPrivate | Good· 32 | 62% | 58% | $26,381 | $77,394 | 12:1 | 38 | 2,042 |
| 27 | University of Pittsburgh-BradfordPublic | Good· 32 | 91% | 43% | $14,898 | $72,251 | 12:1 | 32 | 980 |
| 28 | West Chester University of PennsylvaniaPublic | Good· 31 | 79% | 70% | $20,275 | $50,561 | 20:1 | 49 | 14,067 |
| 29 | Neumann UniversityPrivate | Good· 31 | 76% | 46% | $27,393 | $82,238 | 13:1 | 31 | 1,574 |
| 30 | Cedar Crest CollegePrivate | Good· 31 | 99% | 58% | $21,105 | $80,844 | 9:1 | 39 | 857 |