Best Nursing Programs in Pennsylvania (2026)
Nursing programs in Pennsylvania span community-college ADN paths, BSN programs at four-year universities, and accelerated BSN options. The schools below are ranked by NCLEX pass rates (where available), graduation rate, and net price — for families weighing both cost and outcomes.
More for Pennsylvania:All Pennsylvania collegesComputer ScienceBusinessEngineeringTAG transfer programsTake the fit quiz →
#1
Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA
Net Price
$27,541/yr
Median Earnings
$74,134
Grad Rate
58%
Nursing Share
61.4%
#2
Misericordia University
Dallas, PA
Net Price
$40,348/yr
Median Earnings
$69,735
Grad Rate
72%
Nursing Share
52.8%
#3
Duquesne University
Pittsburgh, PA
Net Price
$37,704/yr
Median Earnings
$81,698
Grad Rate
77%
Nursing Share
39.7%
#4
Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA
Net Price
$12,882/yr
Median Earnings
$70,924
Grad Rate
64%
Nursing Share
55.6%
#5
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Net Price
$29,577/yr
Median Earnings
$121,687
Grad Rate
97%
Nursing Share
9.2%
#6
Mount Aloysius College
Cresson, PA
Net Price
$21,483/yr
Median Earnings
$52,584
Grad Rate
55%
Nursing Share
66.3%
#7
Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA
Net Price
$37,529/yr
Median Earnings
$92,338
Grad Rate
78%
Nursing Share
17.8%
#8
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA
Net Price
$25,272/yr
Median Earnings
$116,342
Grad Rate
86%
Nursing Share
3.7%
#9
Moravian University
Bethlehem, PA
Net Price
$35,264/yr
Median Earnings
$66,967
Grad Rate
73%
Nursing Share
36.8%
#10
Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA
Net Price
$33,840/yr
Median Earnings
$85,980
Grad Rate
80%
Nursing Share
16.9%
#11
Carlow University
Pittsburgh, PA
Net Price
$22,455/yr
Median Earnings
$56,397
Grad Rate
63%
Nursing Share
49.9%
#12
Immaculata University
Immaculata, PA
Net Price
$23,811/yr
Median Earnings
$74,080
Grad Rate
66%
Nursing Share
34.1%
#13
Alvernia University
Reading, PA
Net Price
$27,122/yr
Median Earnings
$60,651
Grad Rate
54%
Nursing Share
53.5%
#14
Saint Francis University
Loretto, PA
Net Price
$28,219/yr
Median Earnings
$69,383
Grad Rate
76%
Nursing Share
27.9%
#15
DeSales University
Center Valley, PA
Net Price
$29,183/yr
Median Earnings
$69,129
Grad Rate
71%
Nursing Share
30.9%
#16
Central Penn College
Summerdale, PA
Net Price
$15,056/yr
Median Earnings
$50,822
Grad Rate
52%
Nursing Share
57.6%
#17
Gannon University
Erie, PA
Net Price
$24,443/yr
Median Earnings
$64,498
Grad Rate
69%
Nursing Share
33.3%
#18
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus
Pittsburgh, PA
Net Price
$29,362/yr
Median Earnings
$73,113
Grad Rate
86%
Nursing Share
11.9%
#19
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto
Mont Alto, PA
Net Price
$16,748/yr
Median Earnings
$71,762
Grad Rate
37%
Nursing Share
49.6%
#20
La Salle University
Philadelphia, PA
Net Price
$19,758/yr
Median Earnings
$71,235
Grad Rate
58%
Nursing Share
30.1%
#21
Franklin and Marshall College
Lancaster, PA
Net Price
$33,445/yr
Median Earnings
$81,484
Grad Rate
81%
Nursing Share
4.0%
#22
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Shenango
Sharon, PA
Net Price
$10,802/yr
Median Earnings
$71,762
Grad Rate
38%
Nursing Share
43.1%
#23
Haverford College
Haverford, PA
Net Price
$31,075/yr
Median Earnings
$76,397
Grad Rate
89%
Nursing Share
0.3%
#24
Marywood University
Scranton, PA
Net Price
$21,059/yr
Median Earnings
$59,635
Grad Rate
70%
Nursing Share
26.5%
#25
Cedar Crest College
Allentown, PA
Net Price
$23,513/yr
Median Earnings
$61,250
Grad Rate
60%
Nursing Share
31.6%
Why a Nursing degree?
Registered Nursing has 1.4% unemployment and a median salary of $93,600. The U.S. nurse shortage is structural, not cyclical — these jobs aren't going anywhere.
Common career paths: Registered Nurse · Nurse Practitioner · Critical Care Nurse · Pediatric Nurse · Public Health Nurse
Typical starting salary range: $70,000–$93,600
Find your best fit, not just the highest rank
Our 2-minute quiz weights cost, earnings, graduation rate, and other priorities to your family — and matches you to schools that actually fit, not just the top of a list.
Take the fit quiz →Other majors in Pennsylvania
Nursing programs in other states
More college guides like this in your inbox
Weekly analysis of college costs, financial aid, transfer pathways, and career outcomes — for U.S. families.