Top Nursing Colleges in USA: Fees, Courses, Eligibility, Scholarships and Scope

Nursing Colleges in USA can be challenging but equally rewarding in terms of quality education and future work experiences. Nursing Colleges in the USA have widespread popularity among all study abroad aspirants, due to increased emphasis on preventive care, increased rate if chronic conditions and demand for healthcare services. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for resident nurses’s is expected to grow by 7% from 2019 to 2029. This is much faster than the national average of 5% for all occupations.

To become a registered nurse, students are required to have a bachelor's degree, associate degree, or a diploma in nursing. Bachelor’s degrees are offered by the majority of nursing colleges in the USA. However, only a few of them offer associates or diplomas in nursing. Masters, doctoral and post-degree certificate programs are also available for studying abroad in USA to those who wish to get specialized knowledge in this field.

• General medical hospitals and surgical hospitals employed the highest number of nurses ie. 1,729,200. 
• The average salary of registered nurses in USA in 2020 was 75,300 USD per year and 36.22 USD per hour. 
• The pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing industry paid the highest salary of 95,400 USD per annum to graduates of nursing programs in the USA. 
• The employment of registered nurses in USA is projected to grow by 2029, adding 221,900 more jobs.

International applicants who wish to study abroad, and pursue nursing are required to get their prior degrees evaluated by specialists to meet the requirements to study in US. Some institutes require verification from the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, others ask for Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools to evaluate applicants' records.

Best Nursing Colleges in USA

Programs for nursing in USA are offered by over 605 colleges and universities. Out of these, 5 are included in the top 10 list of QS News World Ranking of 2021 for nursing. Tabulated information on courses offered by top-ranked nursing colleges in USA is provided below: 

Nursing Colleges in USA: Courses and Specializations Offered

Nursing programs teach students how to deal with patients and assist doctors in the treatment. Some of the common courses taught in nursing in the USA are: 

• Anatomy and Physiology
• Microbiology
• Biochemistry
• Nutrition
• Statistics
• Patient care
• Psychology
• Health care law and ethics
• Health Care policy

The depth of knowledge imparted to students depends upon the level of degree they are pursuing. General courses offered at various levels of degrees at nursing colleges in the USA are mentioned below:

• Undergraduate: Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
• Graduate: Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
• Doctoral: Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP); Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

In addition to this, post-degree nursing certificates are also offered by top-ranking colleges in the USA. Students can pursue these courses after completion of a master's degree. 

Vocational Nursing Programs in USA

Nursing Colleges in USA: Undergraduate Programs 

Bachelors and associate degrees are offered at the undergraduate level in universities for nursing in USA. A Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree lasts for 4 years if pursued after 12th class and for 2 years if opted after an associate degree. 

Some of the popular nursing colleges in USA offering BSN degree are: 

Nursing Colleges in USA: Eligibility for Bachelors

International students must satisfy the following minimum criteria to apply in US universities:

• Completed senior secondary school
• Minimum 80% or 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale in 12th class (varies with the university)
• Studied chemistry, English and biology at the senior secondary level
• Have some experience of working in a healthcare service (depends on the university)
• SOP for USA
• Proof of English proficiency by submitting one of the following scores:
  • TOEFL (iBT): 90-100
  • IELTS: 6.5- 7.0

Nursing Colleges in USA: Documents Required for Bachelors

International students must submit the following documents either by post or via mail directly to the admission committee of the respective university to apply for nursing colleges in the USA: 

• Original copies of senior secondary school and high school completion certificate
• Subject by subject evaluation of international students transcripts by one of the accredited agencies
• English translation of non-English transcripts
• Official test report of English proficiency tests
• Recommendation letters from a teacher or guidance counselor

Nursing Colleges in USA: Postgraduate Programs

The majority of the nursing colleges offer Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) in USA. The program duration is 2 years and is available under various specializations such as neonatal, family care, pediatric primary care, psychiatric-mental health care, etc. 

Following are some of the popular universities for nursing in the USA offering programs at postgraduate level: 

Nursing Colleges in USA: Eligibility for Masters

Most of the high ranking nursing colleges in the USA have the following minimum eligibility criteria: 

• Bachelor's degree in nursing or equivalent
• Minimum 80% or Grade B or 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale at the bachelors level
• Registered Nursing license
• GRE score (depends on the university)
• Experience of working in a healthcare facility (varies with the university)
• Interview
• One of the following test scores to demonstrate proficiency in the English language:
  • TOEFL (iBT): 100
  • IELTS: 7.0

Nursing Colleges in USA: Documents Required for Masters

Following are the documents required to apply for a masters program in nursing in the USA:

• Transcripts of the bachelor's degree
• Test scorecards of English proficiency and GRE
• Recommendation letters from the professor and/or previous employer
• Updated Resume/CV
• SOP for MS in USA.

Nursing Colleges in USA for Doctoral Programs

A Ph.D. in Nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practise (DNP) in various specializations are the two main programs offered at the doctoral level in nursing colleges in the USA. A Ph.D. requires 3 to 4 years to complete. However, a DNP degree can be completed within 2 to 3 years.

Doctoral programs offered by top universities for nursing in the USA are tabulated below along with their annual fees: 

Nursing Colleges in USA: Eligibility for Ph.D.

International students are required to have the following requirements for admission in US universities: 

• Bachelors and masters degree in nursing
• Minimum 80% or 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale at bachelors and masters level
• Registered Nursing (RN) license
• GRE score
• Completion of introductory-level statistics at undergraduate level (varies with the university)
• Interview
• IELTS (7.0) or TOEFL iBT (100) as a proof of English proficiency.

Nursing Colleges in USA: Documents Required for Ph.D. 

Following documents should be mailed to the School of Nursing (SON) of respective universities: 

• Transcripts of bachelors and masters degree
• Research proposal
• An essay based on prompts given by the university
• LOR
• Updated Resume.

Post-Degree Certificates in Nursing in USA

Students after completing masters in nursing can also apply for short-term courses instead of a doctoral degree. Such courses are known as post-degree certificates. These courses can be completed within 1 to 1.5 years.

Few of post-degree certificates offered by popular universities are:

• University of Washington: Adult-Gerontology, Advanced Practice Environmental and Occupational Health, Nurse-Midwifery, Palliative Care, Pediatric Nurse, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Women's Health Clinical Nurse Specialist
• John Hopkins University: Health Systems Management, Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Educator, HIV Primary Care
• University of Pennsylvania: Adult Oncology Specialty, Integrated Nursing Care of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Palliative Care, Quality Improvement and Safety Processes in Healthcare, Transformative Nursing Education
• University of North Carolina: Adult-Gerontology Primary Care, Family Nurse, Pediatric Nurse, Psychiatric Mental Health

Scholarships offered by Nursing Colleges in USA

The majority of the universities’ School of Nursing (SON) provide scholarships specifically for students pursuing a course in nursing colleges in USA. Also, many healthcare service providers, NGOs, and third-party organizations offer funding to nursing students. 

Some the awards and scholarships offered to international students in USA by such organizations are provided below: 

In addition to the above-mentioned scholarships, students enrolled in bachelor's in nursing in the USA are eligible to apply for entrance merit scholarships and other awards offered to undergraduate students of respective universities.

Similarly, masters in nursing students can apply for scholarships offered by graduate schools of respective universities. Research funds and teaching assistantships are other funding options available to Ph.D. in nursing students in the USA. 

Scope after Studying at Nursing Colleges in USA

Students can earn an average of 53,000 to 104,000 USD per annum after completion of a program in nursing colleges in the USA. However, to practice as a nurse, you must have a registered RN license. Students who pursued a degree in nursing can apply for the NCLEX -RN exam. After scoring a passing pass, you will be provided the RN license and thus given the opportunity to practice in any hospital or clinic in the USA.

Although, anyone with a degree in nursing such as certificate, diploma, associate degree, bachelor's or master's degree can apply for an RN license in the USA. Yet, most of the organizations prefer to hire students having at least a bachelor's degree in nursing. 

Following are the available jobs in USA for nursing graduates: 

• Work in hospitals
• Office Nurse (Doctor’s office or outpatient clinic)
• Public health nurses (working with individuals and groups to improve overall health in the community)
• Long term care nurses (caring for patients in assisted living facilities or nursing homes)

About 210,400 openings for registered nurses are projected each year on an average over the decade. Nurses with BSN degree have better prospects, moreover, candidates with work experience or specialty areas like gerontology have fair chances. Nursing is not an easy job as you might have to work in rotational shifts and odd hours. However, with increasing employment rate and a rise in demand for skilled nurses, the paygrade is also continuously increasing in this sector. This makes nursing colleges in the USA one of the lucrative study options for international students.