Every ranking on this site
Best PhD in Nursing Programs, Ranked Every Way We Publish
140 nursing PhD programs sit behind these lists. The two core national rankings are the place to start, and the part-time ranking keeps their scoring models separate. Everything else is the same 140 programs cut a different way, because a nurse who cannot move and a nurse who wants funding are asking different questions.
Last updated
National and Format Rankings
DNP Entry
DNP to PhD Programs
Five verified bridges compared by prior credit, research preparation, and campus requirements.
Tuition
Affordable Online Nursing PhD Programs
Current resident rates with nursing surcharges, separate fees, and degree-credit comparisons.
Campus
92 Campus PhD in Nursing Programs
Scored on research funding, what the program pays its own students, doctoral output and time to degree. This is the list if you can move and want to be paid to do the doctorate.
Online
48 Online PhD in Nursing Programs
Scored on residency burden, cost per credit and flexibility. This is the list if you are keeping your nursing job and need the program to bend around it.
Part time
87 Part-Time PhD in Nursing Programs
Campus and hybrid choices stay on the campus score model; online choices stay on the online model. Each list restarts at number one.
Cut by What Usually Decides It
Funded Nursing PhD Programs, Ranked
Nursing PhD programs that pay you.
BSN to PhD Nursing Programs, Ranked
Nursing PhD programs you can enter with a BSN.
PhD in Nursing Programs With No GRE
Nursing PhD programs that dropped the GRE.
Best Nursing Education PhD Programs
PhD programs for nurses who want to teach nursing.
MSN to PhD Nursing Programs, Compared
Nursing PhD programs for nurses with a master's degree.
PhD in Nursing Programs by State
46 states have at least one nursing PhD program. Each page ranks what is in that state and gives the state's own nursing faculty pay against the national median.
Northeast
Pennsylvania PhD in Nursing Programs, Ranked
9 programs
Massachusetts PhD in Nursing Programs, Ranked
8 programs
Nursing PhD Programs in New York
7 programs
PhD in Nursing Programs in New Jersey, Ranked
3 programs
Nursing PhD Programs in Connecticut
2 programs
Nursing PhD Programs in Rhode Island
1 program
Midwest
Missouri PhD in Nursing Programs, Ranked
6 programs
Nursing PhD Programs in Michigan
4 programs
Ohio PhD in Nursing Programs, Ranked
4 programs
PhD in Nursing Programs in Illinois, Ranked
3 programs
PhD in Nursing Programs in Wisconsin, Ranked
3 programs
PhD in Nursing Programs in Indiana
2 programs
Nursing PhD Programs in Minnesota
2 programs
PhD in Nursing Programs in Iowa
1 program
PhD in Nursing Programs in Kansas, Ranked
1 program
Nebraska PhD in Nursing Programs, Ranked
1 program
North Dakota PhD in Nursing Programs, Ranked
1 program
PhD in Nursing Programs in South Dakota, Ranked
1 program
South
Florida PhD in Nursing Programs, Ranked
8 programs
PhD in Nursing Programs in Texas, Ranked
8 programs
Virginia PhD in Nursing Programs, Ranked
6 programs
Nursing PhD Programs in Maryland
5 programs
PhD in Nursing Programs in Tennessee
5 programs
Alabama PhD in Nursing Programs, Ranked
4 programs
Nursing PhD Programs in Georgia
4 programs
PhD in Nursing Programs in Mississippi, Ranked
4 programs
PhD in Nursing Programs in North Carolina
4 programs
District of Columbia PhD in Nursing Programs, Ranked
3 programs
Nursing PhD Programs in Kentucky
2 programs
Louisiana PhD in Nursing Programs, Ranked
2 programs
Nursing PhD Programs in South Carolina
2 programs
PhD in Nursing Programs in Arkansas
1 program
PhD in Nursing Programs in Delaware, Ranked
1 program
Nursing PhD Programs in Oklahoma
1 program
Nursing PhD Programs in Puerto Rico
1 program
PhD in Nursing Programs in West Virginia
1 program
West
Nursing PhD Programs in California
7 programs
Nursing PhD Programs in Arizona
2 programs
Colorado PhD in Nursing Programs, Ranked
2 programs
Nursing PhD Programs in Washington
2 programs
PhD in Nursing Programs in Hawaii, Ranked
1 program
PhD in Nursing Programs in Idaho, Ranked
1 program
Nevada PhD in Nursing Programs, Ranked
1 program
New Mexico PhD in Nursing Programs, Ranked
1 program
PhD in Nursing Programs in Oregon
1 program
PhD in Nursing Programs in Utah
1 program
How These Rankings Are Put Together
Campus and online programs run on separate scoring models with different weights, and the two are never merged into one list. Everything traces to four sources: federal IPEDS completions, NIH RePORTER for nursing research awards, BLS wage data, and the program pages each school publishes. The full model, including the weights, is here.