Best PhD in Nursing Programs in Arizona, Ranked (2026)
Both PhD in nursing programs in Arizona sit at public universities. The University of Arizona runs its nursing PhD out of Tucson and Arizona State University runs its out of Tempe, and that is the whole in-state field. Both admit you straight from a BSN, so a master's isn't a prerequisite. Two programs is a short list. If neither one fits what you want to research, your next move is a program in another state or an online program run from somewhere else, and you should know that before you start writing applications.
Last updated
Programs ranked
2
Universities
2
Nursing faculty median
$78,980
Faculty jobs in AZ
1,930
How We Ranked the Best PhD in Nursing Programs in Arizona
Campus and online programs are scored on separate models, because they compete on different
things, and this page lists both together with each one's score from its own model. Research
funding comes from NIH RePORTER, doctoral scale from federal IPEDS completions, and the
curriculum, funding and deadline figures from each school's own pages.
The full scoring model is here.
Arizona's federal nursing research money is 98 percent at Tucson, $8.7 million of the state's $8.9 million, and the program is still delivered online. You get access to that research operation without moving to Tucson, which is a rare pairing.
Where it wins. The only in-person obligation is one RISE week a year in Tucson, and part-time study is allowed, so a working nurse can actually do this. The MS entry route runs 64 credits over three years against 79 over four from a BSN.
What you give up. Funding here means the Nurse Faculty Loan Program, up to 85 percent forgiven only if you teach full-time for four years after. That's a loan with a job attached, not a stipend, and average time to degree runs 4.6 years against a three-to-four plan.
Funding. The college points PhD students to the Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP), 'which provides up to 85% loan forgiveness for PhD graduates who teach full-time for four years at an accredited nursing school.' No guaranteed tuition-and-stipend package is described.
Full-time only, nine credits a semester through the first two years, and immersion week at the start of both fall and spring. Where Tucson asks for one week a year and allows part-time study, ASU asks for two and doesn't.
Where it wins. It takes applicants from non-nursing disciplines, where Tucson's entry routes all start from a nursing degree, and it runs a concurrent DNP-PhD pathway. The framing is nursing and healthcare innovation, so the work leans toward leadership and health systems.
What you give up. Eighty-four credits is the heavier load of the two Arizona programs, and the federal nursing research money in the building is $164,522 against Tucson's $8.7 million. Assistantship consideration comes down to an optional extra essay.
Funding. Applicants may submit an optional additional essay to be considered for a Presidential Graduate Assistantship (PGA); no guaranteed tuition-and-stipend package is described on the program or application pages.
Research. aging, education, health care innovation leadership, healthy families, world health.
Every published detail for Arizona State
Degree awarded
PhD
Delivery
Hybrid
School
Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation
Entry points
BSN-to-PhD, MSN-to-PhD
GRE
Not required
Minimum GPA
3
Dissertation
Required
On campus
One week of in-person, on-site immersion at the beginning of each fall and spring semester, including Scholars' Day in spring
What Nursing Faculty and Nurse Researchers Earn in Arizona
Postsecondary nursing instructors in Arizona have a median wage of $78,980, which sits $1,270 under the national median of $80,250. The state's registered nurses have a median of $99,500. That leaves a $20,520 gap in the RN's favor, and it's the number to sit with before you commit three or four years to a doctorate, because teaching nursing in Arizona pays less than working a floor does. The faculty range is wide, $50,400 at the tenth percentile and $119,880 at the ninetieth, across about 1,930 instructors statewide. The top of that range is real, but you reach it late.
They aren't the same degree. The University of Arizona offers a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Nursing, delivered online out of Tucson, and it scores 73.2 here, top of the state. Arizona State University Campus Immersion offers Nursing and Healthcare Innovation, PhD, a hybrid program in Tempe, scoring 60.6. Read those two program names again. One is a nursing PhD in the traditional sense, the other is built around healthcare innovation, and that shapes what your dissertation is allowed to be about.
The practical differences matter just as much. Both admit BSN holders directly. One of the two drops the GRE, and one takes part-time students, so if you're staying employed through the degree, that narrows your list to one before you've read a word about faculty research.
Expect a heavy load either way. The median Arizona nursing PhD runs 81.5 credits, which is a lot of coursework, though the median time to finish is 3.5 years. Arizona awards about 79 nursing doctorates a year and holds $8,872,070 in NIH nursing research awards from FY2021 through FY2025, so the research money is here. It's just concentrated in a small number of places.
Questions About Nursing PhD Programs in Arizona
How many PhD in nursing programs are there in Arizona?
2, at 2 universities. 1 is campus-based and 1 runs online.
How many PhD in nursing programs are there in Arizona?
Two, at two public universities. The University of Arizona in Tucson offers a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Nursing online, and Arizona State University Campus Immersion in Tempe offers Nursing and Healthcare Innovation, PhD, as a hybrid program. Both admit BSN holders directly.
Can you do a PhD in nursing online in Arizona?
Yes. The University of Arizona delivers its nursing PhD online. Arizona State's is hybrid, so you'll be in Tempe for part of it. One of the two takes part-time students, and one drops the GRE requirement, so check both before you assume either fits your schedule.
What do nursing professors earn in Arizona?
Postsecondary nursing instructors in Arizona earn a $78,980 median. The bottom 10% earn $50,400 and the top 10% clear $119,880, across 1,930 jobs in the state. The national median is $80,250.
Can you do a nursing PhD in Arizona without moving?
1 of the 2 programs in Arizona runs online. You can also apply to any of the online programs based in other states, since an online nursing PhD does not care where you live. They are all ranked here.