PhD in nursing programs in Maryland

Best PhD in Nursing Programs in Maryland, Ranked (2027)

Maryland pulled $33,369,994 in NIH nursing research awards between FY2021 and FY2025, and both PhD in nursing programs in Maryland sit in the same city. Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland, Baltimore are a short drive apart. That concentration works in your favor if you get in, because the grant money, the labs and the dissertation committees are all in one place. It works against you if you don't, because there's no third program in the state and no other city to try.

Last updated October 9, 2026

Programs ranked: 5
Universities: 5
Nursing faculty median: $84,050
Faculty jobs in MD: 840

How We Ranked the Best PhD in Nursing Programs in Maryland

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.

Maryland's 5 Nursing PhD Programs, Compared

PhD in nursing programs in Maryland, ranked 2027
#	School	Score	Credits	Years	Funded	State
1	Johns Hopkins University	80.7	43	4-5	Yes	MD
2	University of Maryland, Baltimore	72.6	60	3-4		MD
3	Uniformed Services University	59.1	69	3	Yes	MD
4	Morgan State University	56.9	48	3		MD
5	Bowie State University	43.1	60			MD

All 5 Nursing PhD Programs in Maryland, Ranked

Johns Hopkins University

Nursing, Doctor of Philosophy

Baltimore, MD · Private nonprofit · scores 80.7

Fully funded
No GRE

$52,000 a year for at least four years, with health premiums paid, makes this the Maryland program that pays you a salary rather than charging you tuition. Uniformed Services costs nothing either, but you have to be a commissioned officer first.

Where it wins. Hopkins holds $29.7 million of Maryland's $33.4 million in federal nursing research money, 89 percent of it, and awards 17 of the state's 23 nursing doctorates a year. PhD students are unionized, which caps assigned work at 20 hours a week.

What you give up. Full-time registration every fall, spring and summer from start to finish, with a research residency each semester and a teaching residency on top. You can't hold a nursing job alongside it, and there's no part-time route.

Funding. Minimum four years of guaranteed funding for all PhD student employees in the School of Nursing; AY 2026-27 compensation of $52,000 effective July 1, 2026, with the University paying premiums for the Student Health Benefits Plan including dental and vision, plus per-child dependent subsidies of up to $12,000 per family per year.

Every published detail for Johns Hopkins University

Degree awarded: PhD
Delivery: On campus
School: Johns Hopkins School of Nursing
GRE: Not required
Dissertation: Required
On campus: A research residency every semester, including summer, across the entire period of guaranteed funding, plus a teaching residency averaging 10-15 hours per week for at least one assigned course.
NINR awards, FY2021 to FY2025: $29,694,466 across 93 awards

Read from e-catalogue.jhu.edu, e-catalogue.jhu.edu.

Johns Hopkins University's Nursing, Doctor of Philosophy at e-catalogue.jhu.edu

Credits: 43
Length: 4-5 yrs
NINR awards: $29.7M

University of Maryland, Baltimore

PhD in Nursing

Baltimore, MD · Public · scores 72.6

BSN-to-PhD
No GRE
Part time

One day a week in Baltimore, and it's the only part-time nursing PhD in Maryland, which makes it the realistic option for a nurse who isn't quitting. Hopkins pays better, but Hopkins won't let you work.

Where it wins. Sixty credits at $926 lists near $55,600, and the four elective slots can be spent on a graduate certificate in real-world data or in teaching, so you come out with a second credential at no added cost or time.

What you give up. Assistantships bring a stipend, tuition remission, in-state status and insurance, but they're awarded rather than guaranteed. And UMB holds $3.7 million of Maryland's federal nursing research money against Hopkins's $29.7 million in the same city.

Funding. Graduate assistantships provide 'stipend, tuition remission, in-state status, and paid student health insurance'; merit scholarships of $1,500-$3,000 per semester and the Conway Scholarship (full in-state tuition and fees) are also listed, but funding is not guaranteed to all admitted students.

Research. Aging Populations, Cardiovascular Health, Health Systems Outcomes, Implementation Science, Pain and Symptom Science, Palliative and End-of-Life Care.

Every published detail for University of Maryland, Baltimore

Degree awarded: PhD
Delivery: Hybrid
School: University of Maryland School of Nursing
Entry points: BSN-to-PhD, MSN-to-PhD
GRE: Not required
Minimum GPA: 3
Applications close: December 1
Part-time study: Available
Dissertation: Required
On campus: In-person classes one day a week on the Baltimore campus
Established: 1979
NINR awards, FY2021 to FY2025: $3,675,528 across 9 awards

Read from nursing.umaryland.edu.

University of Maryland, Baltimore's PhD in Nursing at nursing.umaryland.edu

Credits: 60
Length: 3-4 yrs
Per credit: $926
Tuition, total: $55,560
NINR awards: $3.7M
Deadline: December 1

Uniformed Services University

Nursing Science

Bethesda, MD · Public · scores 59.1

Fully funded
BSN-to-PhD

The gate here isn't grades, it's a commission. Admission is for active-duty officer-nurses of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Public Health Service, with federal-agency nurses taken space-available. If you qualify, tuition is zero and you stay on service pay.

Where it wins. Three years full-time ties Morgan State for the fastest finish in Maryland, and the research immersion runs through NIH and tri-service military programs. Dissertations are built around warfighter health, operational readiness, veterans' care and military health systems.

What you give up. You leave owing obligated service to your sponsoring organization, so the degree comes with years attached. It also asks for the GRE, which Hopkins and the University of Maryland don't, and entry is from a BSN only.

Funding. GSN Admissions FAQ: 'There are no tuition costs or fees for DoD employees. For non-DoD Federal employees please contact individual program directors for further details. All students incur some type of obligated service according to the requirements of their sponsoring organization.' Students attend as active-duty commissioned officers of the Army, Navy, Air Force or Public Health Service under service sponsorship (Army LTHET, Navy DUINS, Air Force AFIT) and remain on service pay; full-time federal-agency nurses are admitted on a space-available basis only if they have secured tuition support from their agency.

Research. Human performance and warfighter health optimization (health promotion, disease prevention, cardiovascular, military women's health), Operational readiness (health threats of novel weapons, readiness of military medical forces, novel therapeutic techniques, nutritional interventions), Precision health and omics, Veterans' health concerns, Military and federal health care systems, Bioethics, leadership and health policy research.

Every published detail for Uniformed Services University

Degree awarded: PhD
Delivery: On campus
School: Graduate School of Nursing
Entry points: BSN-to-PhD
GRE: Required
Minimum GPA: 3
Applications close: August 1 (application window opens April 1; same deadline for all branches of service)
Dissertation: Required
On campus: Full-time in-residence study at the Bethesda, MD campus; the curriculum includes NURS 8827 Research and Scholarship Practicum and NURS 8828 Research and Scholarship Residency, plus 'early and consistent immersion in research intensive environments such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and established military programs of research.'
On the timeline: 3 years full-time (the published plan of study is headed 'THREE YEAR PHD PROGRAM', running from first-year summer through third-year spring)
Established: 2002

Read from nursing.usuhs.edu, nursing.usuhs.edu, nursing.usuhs.edu, nursing.usuhs.edu.

Uniformed Services University's Nursing Science at nursing.usuhs.edu

Credits: 69
Length: 3 yrs
Deadline: August 1

Morgan State University

Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing

Baltimore, MD · Public · scores 56.9

Forty-eight credits at $495 makes about $23,800 in list tuition, the cheapest nursing PhD in Maryland by roughly $32,000 against the University of Maryland's 60 credits at $926. That gap is most of the argument.

Where it wins. The degree sits in the School of Community Health and Policy rather than a nursing school, so seven nursing doctoral courses are paired with five public health and biostatistics courses. You finish trained for health services research and policy work.

What you give up. Entry is post-master's only, so a nurse holding a BSN can't start here the way they can at Maryland or Uniformed Services. The GRE is required, and assistantship funding is competitive, capped at three years and $21,000 a year.

Funding. Funding is competitive rather than guaranteed. School of Graduate Studies teaching and research assistantships and fellowships pay doctoral students a $21,000 stipend plus a tuition award of up to 9 credits per semester; RAs require a minimum of 20 research hours a week, all awards require unconditional admission, a 3.0 GPA and full-time enrollment of at least 9 credits, doctoral students are eligible for a maximum of three years, and applications are due April 30 for fall and November 30 for spring.

Research. Health services research and policy, Health disparities and vulnerable populations, Health service delivery systems and quality of care, Nursing leadership and administration, Nursing education.

Every published detail for Morgan State University

Degree awarded: PhD
Delivery: On campus
School: Department of Nursing, School of Community Health and Policy
Entry points: MSN-to-PhD, post-master's
GRE: Required
Minimum GPA: 3
Applications close: The School of Graduate Studies requires applications by February 1 for fall, November 1 for spring and May 1 for summer to be considered for financial aid
Dissertation: Required
On the timeline: About 3+ years full-time: the suggested curriculum sequence front-loads all 45 coursework credits into four semesters across the first two years, then continuous NURS 997 dissertation registration from year three until the defense

Read from morgan.edu, morgan.edu, morgan.edu, morgan.edu.

Morgan State University's Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing at morgan.edu

Credits: 48
Length: 3 yrs
Per credit: $495
Tuition, total: $23,760
Deadline: February 1

Bowie State University

Ph.D. in Nursing Education

Bowie, MD · Public · scores 43.1

Hybrid

This is a PhD in nursing education, not nursing science, and it's the only one in Maryland. The target isn't a research career, it's the faculty shortage, so the real question is whether you want to teach or to run studies.

Where it wins. At $475 a credit it's the cheapest per credit in Maryland, about $28,500 across 60 credits, roughly $27,000 under the University of Maryland. A third of those credits, 21 of them, are dissertation, and coursework online pairs with on-campus sessions.

What you give up. The first cohort starts in fall 2026, so there are no graduates and no completion record to judge, and no federal nursing research money behind the department yet. Scholarships are pointed to rather than packaged.

Funding. There is no stipend or assistantship package. Enrolled students automatically receive a list of scholarships they qualify for based on the GPA and test scores on their admission application, and encourages applying for private donor, departmental and external partner scholarships. In June 2026 the university received more than $2.3 million in competitive state grants to expand nursing education capacity, faculty development and nursing education research.

Research. Nursing education and instructional innovation, Clinical nursing studies, Nursing leadership and academic leadership, Health equity and social determinants of health, Evidence-based teaching strategies and learning outcome assessment.

Every published detail for Bowie State University

Degree awarded: PhD
Delivery: Hybrid
School: Department of Nursing, College of Professional Studies
Applications close: Graduate Admissions priority deadlines for doctoral programs: Aug. 1 for fall semester and summer session with all documents submitted by June 30, and Nov. 1 for spring semester with all documents in by Nov. 1.
Dissertation: Required
Established: 2026

Read from bowiestate.edu, bowiestate.edu, bowiestate.edu, bowiestate.edu.

Bowie State University's Ph.D. in Nursing Education at bowiestate.edu

Credits: 60
Per credit: $475
Tuition, total: $28,500
Deadline: June 30

What Nursing Faculty and Nurse Researchers Earn in Maryland

Postsecondary nursing instructors in Maryland have a median wage of $84,050, $3,800 above the national median of $80,250. Registered nurses in the state have a median of $99,790, so faculty pay runs $15,740 behind bedside pay. The faculty spread is enormous, $33,830 at the tenth percentile against $126,460 at the ninetieth, and only about 840 instructors are employed statewide. A base that small means the median can move noticeably from one year to the next. It also means faculty openings in Maryland are few enough that you shouldn't plan on one appearing the year you finish.

The full pay table by state puts these numbers beside every other state, and the career pages cover what else a nursing PhD opens up.

Can You Get a Fully Funded PhD in Nursing in Maryland?

Yes, at one of the two. Full funding for a nursing PhD typically covers tuition and pays a stipend in exchange for research or teaching work. With only two programs in Maryland, that single fact reshapes the decision. A funded seat at one school and an unfunded seat at the other aren't two versions of the same choice, and you should find out which is which before you decide where to put your effort.

Johns Hopkins University runs its Nursing, Doctor of Philosophy on campus in Baltimore and scores 78.9 here, first in Maryland. The University of Maryland, Baltimore runs a hybrid PhD in Nursing across town and scores 72. Neither requires the GRE, so the application is lighter than it used to be, and one of the two accepts part-time students.

Maryland nursing PhDs are light on coursework by comparison, a median of 51.5 credits, with a median of four years to finish. The state awards about 23 nursing doctorates a year. That's a small cohort for the amount of research money moving through Baltimore, which is another way of saying admission is competitive and the people who get in work alongside well funded faculty.

Questions About Nursing PhD Programs in Maryland

How many PhD in nursing programs are there in Maryland?

5, at 5 universities. 5 are campus-based and 0 run online.

How many PhD in nursing programs are there in Maryland?

Two, and both are in Baltimore. Johns Hopkins University offers Nursing, Doctor of Philosophy on campus, and the University of Maryland, Baltimore offers a hybrid PhD in Nursing. One is private and one is public, and one of the two is fully funded.

Do Maryland nursing PhD programs require the GRE?

Neither one does. Both Maryland programs drop the GRE. The median program runs 51.5 credits over about four years, one of the two admits BSN holders directly, and one accepts part-time students.

What do nursing professors earn in Maryland?

Postsecondary nursing instructors in Maryland earn a $84,050 median. The bottom 10% earn $33,830 and the top 10% clear $126,460, across 840 jobs in the state. The national median is $80,250.

Can you do a nursing PhD in Maryland without moving?

Every nursing PhD program in Maryland is campus-based, so studying in state means commuting or moving. The alternative is an online program based elsewhere, and those are ranked here.

Nursing PhD Programs Elsewhere in the South

PhD in Nursing Programs in Florida, Ranked

8 programs

PhD in Nursing Programs in Texas, Ranked

8 programs

PhD in Nursing Programs in Virginia, Ranked

6 programs

Nursing PhD Programs in Tennessee

5 programs

PhD in Nursing Programs in Alabama, Ranked

4 programs

PhD in Nursing Programs in Georgia

4 programs

Every On-Campus PhD in Nursing Program, Ranked

All 92 nationally.

Every Online PhD in Nursing Program, Ranked

Study from Maryland without moving.

Funded Nursing PhD Programs, Ranked

Tuition and a stipend, nationwide.

Nursing PhD Programs by State

All 46 with a nursing PhD.