CIP 51.3801 Health Professions

Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse

IPEDS Completions, US Department of Education · 2025

中文

Total graduates

258,398

2025 · 2,027 schools

International share

1.0%

2,601 international students

Bachelor's degrees

148,891

1.0% international

Master's degrees

19,623

0.8% international

Overview

Registered Nursing (RN) is a vital and rewarding healthcare profession that focuses on providing patient care, education, and support to individuals and families. Registered Nurses are essential members of the healthcare team, working in various settings, including hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and community health organizations.

To become a Registered Nurse, individuals typically pursue a nursing program that may lead to an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). After completing their education, aspiring RNs must pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) to obtain their nursing license.

The role of a Registered Nurse encompasses a wide range of responsibilities, including assessing patients' health, developing and implementing nursing care plans, administering medications and treatments, and collaborating with physicians and other healthcare professionals. RNs also play a crucial role in patient education, helping individuals understand their health conditions and guiding them in making informed decisions about their care.

In addition to clinical skills, RNs must possess strong communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities. The demand for Registered Nurses continues to grow due to an aging population and increased focus on healthcare services, making it a stable career choice with numerous opportunities for advancement. Specializations within the field, such as pediatrics, geriatrics, and emergency care, allow RNs to tailor their careers to their interests and strengths. Overall, Registered Nursing is not only a profession but also a commitment to providing compassionate and competent care to those in need.

Graduates by year

Graduates by degree level (first and second majors)

167K 10

178K 11

194K 12

206K 13

217K 14

227K 15

229K 16

234K 17

240K 18

247K 19

255K 20

262K 21

258K 22

250K 23

252K 24

258K 25

AssociateBachelor'sMaster'sDoctoral

From 2010 to 2025, graduates grew 55% and the international share went from 1.4% to 1.0%.

International share (%)

1 10

1 11

1 12

1 13

1 14

1 15

1 16

1 17

1 18

1 19

1 20

1 21

1 22

1 23

1 24

1 25

Graduates by group, 2025

White

50.1%

Asian

7.6%

Hispanic

17.8%

Black

15.3%

Other

8.2%

Intl.

1.0%

Colleges that award this degree

In 2025, 2,027 schools awarded this degree as a first major. The table lists those in the 2027 U.S. News National or Liberal Arts rankings, plus the unranked schools with the most graduates.

Rank	School	State	Graduates	International
#4	Yale University	Connecticut	143	7
#7	University of Pennsylvania	Pennsylvania	211	8
#8	Duke University	North Carolina	138	2
#9	Johns Hopkins University	Maryland	259	10
#12	Columbia University in the City of New York	New York	245	9
#16	Vanderbilt University	Tennessee	29	0
#23	Georgetown University	D.C.	233	6
#23	Emory University	Georgia	526	13
#25	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor	Michigan	181	0
#26	University of Virginia-Main Campus	Virginia	233	4
#27	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	North Carolina	207	0
#31	Boston College	Massachusetts	136	6
#31	New York University	New York	474	10
#34	University of Florida	Florida	247	1
#34	The University of Texas at Austin	Texas	120	3
#34	University of Wisconsin-Madison	Wisconsin	230	2
#42	Northeastern University	Massachusetts	221	2
#42	Villanova University	Pennsylvania	245	0
#44	Rutgers University-New Brunswick	New Jersey	312	2
#44	Case Western Reserve University	Ohio	142	11
#44	Ohio State University-Main Campus	Ohio	568	7
#49	University of Rochester	New York	217	1
#49	University of Washington-Seattle Campus	Washington	355	12
#55	University of Miami	Florida	265	7
#55	Purdue University-Main Campus	Indiana	216	2
#59	George Washington University	D.C.	185	5
#59	Florida State University	Florida	348	3
#59	University of Massachusetts-Amherst	Massachusetts	107	2
#59	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities	Minnesota	230	2
#59	Stony Brook University	New York	182	1
#59	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus	Pennsylvania	299	2
#59	Texas A & M University-College Station	Texas	269	1
#69	Michigan State University	Michigan	207	2
#73	University of Connecticut	Connecticut	149	0
#73	Howard University	D.C.	77	2
#73	Binghamton University	New York	228	3
#80	Drexel University	Pennsylvania	556	2
#80	Clemson University	South Carolina	244	1
#85	University of Delaware	Delaware	173	2
#85	University at Buffalo	New York	196	2
#90	Baylor University	Texas	371	3
#90	Texas Christian University	Texas	190	0
#90	Gonzaga University	Washington	217	0
#90	Marquette University	Wisconsin	350	8
#95	University of Illinois at Chicago	Illinois	379	5
#95	University of Missouri-Columbia	Missouri	325	2
#95	Rutgers University--Camden	New Jersey	230	0
#100	Auburn University	Alabama	257	1
#100	Florida International University	Florida	226	5
#100	University of South Florida-Main Campus	Florida	617	6
#100	University of Iowa	Iowa	217	0
#100	Saint Louis University	Missouri	224	9
#100	Creighton University	Nebraska	281	5
#100	Elon University	North Carolina	44	0
#109	Fairfield University	Connecticut	220	2
#109	University of New Hampshire-Main Campus	New Hampshire	119	0
#109	Temple University	Pennsylvania	119	1
#109	The University of Tennessee-Knoxville	Tennessee	333	2
#116	University of San Francisco	California	237	1
#116	Iowa State University	Iowa	13	0
#116	Brigham Young University-Provo	Utah	121	5
#121	Arizona State University-Tempe	Arizona	522	2
#121	University of Arizona	Arizona	480	2
#121	University of the Pacific	California	38	0
#121	University of Central Florida	Florida	867	12
#121	Loyola University Chicago	Illinois	266	2
#121	University of Dayton	Ohio	16	0
#121	University of South Carolina-Columbia	South Carolina	300	2
#121	George Mason University	Virginia	293	9
#133	Miami University-Oxford	Ohio	20	0
#133	Thomas Jefferson University	Pennsylvania	439	1
#133	University of Vermont	Vermont	112	0
#137	University of Alabama at Birmingham	Alabama	810	11
#137	California State University--Long Beach	California	195	6
#137	San Diego State University	California	245	0
#137	San Jose State University	California	163	0
#137	University of Scranton	Pennsylvania	65	0
#137	University of Houston	Texas	67	3
#137	James Madison University	Virginia	265	0
#148	California State University-Los Angeles	California	198	5
#148	Catholic University of America	D.C.	89	0
#148	Mercer University	Georgia	156	1
#148	University of Kansas	Kansas	185	1
#148	University of Kentucky	Kentucky	371	0
#148	University of Massachusetts-Lowell	Massachusetts	75	0
#148	University of Tulsa	Oklahoma	54	0
#148	University of Rhode Island	Rhode Island	210	0
#156	The University of Alabama	Alabama	532	0
#156	California State University-Fullerton	California	320	0
#156	Quinnipiac University	Connecticut	272	0
#156	Florida A&M University	Florida	77	0
#156	University of St Thomas (MN)	Minnesota	45	0
#156	Montclair State University	New Jersey	90	0
#156	Seton Hall University	New Jersey	148	0
#156	University of Portland	Oregon	214	2
#156	Virginia Commonwealth University	Virginia	201	2
#169	Bradley University	Illinois	72	0
#169	DePaul University	Illinois	146	0
#169	Simmons University	Massachusetts	133	0
#169	Michigan Technological University	Michigan	6	0
#169	Monmouth University	New Jersey	49	0
#169	Touro College	New York	75	0
#169	University of North Carolina at Charlotte	North Carolina	149	2
#179	University of Louisville	Kentucky	292	4
#179	University of Mississippi	Mississippi	283	0
#179	CUNY Hunter College	New York	169	7
#179	University of Cincinnati-Main Campus	Ohio	421	5
#179	University of Utah	Utah	350	3
#179	Seattle University	Washington	244	2
#186	University of Hawaii at Manoa	Hawaii	147	0
#186	University of Detroit Mercy	Michigan	172	4
#186	Wayne State University	Michigan	171	4
#191	Samford University	Alabama	112	0
#191	University of Arkansas	Arkansas	360	0
#191	Florida Atlantic University	Florida	291	3
#191	Georgia State University	Georgia	229	10
#191	Rowan University	New Jersey	81	1
#191	Adelphi University	New York	320	0
#191	Hofstra University	New York	33	0
#191	Oklahoma State University-Main Campus	Oklahoma	59	0
#191	Washington State University	Washington	350	3
#202	Sacred Heart University	Connecticut	297	0
#202	University of Massachusetts-Boston	Massachusetts	47	0
#202	East Carolina University	North Carolina	445	2
#202	Ohio University-Main Campus	Ohio	1,084	10
#202	University of St. Thomas (TX)	Texas	284	3
#208	California State University--Fresno	California	167	1
#208	California State University-Sacramento	California	249	1
#208	University of La Verne	California	3	0
#208	University of North Carolina at Greensboro	North Carolina	297	0
#208	Ohio Northern University	Ohio	30	0
#208	Xavier University	Ohio	256	2
#208	Belmont University	Tennessee	136	2
#219	Illinois State University	Illinois	287	2
#219	Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis	Indiana	513	5
#219	University of Nevada-Reno	Nevada	187	1
#219	New York Institute of Technology	New York	43	0
#219	North Carolina A&T State University	North Carolina	76	0
#219	University of North Carolina--Wilmington	North Carolina	740	2
#219	Gannon University	Pennsylvania	64	3
#219	Robert Morris University	Pennsylvania	79	2
#227	San Francisco State University	California	211	0
#227	Ball State University	Indiana	155	0
#227	Russell Sage College	New York	96	0
#227	University of North Dakota	North Dakota	201	2
#227	West Chester University of Pennsylvania	Pennsylvania	205	0
#227	West Virginia University	West Virginia	227	2
#236	University of Colorado Denver	Colorado	352	0
#236	University of North Florida	Florida	352	9
#236	Bethel University	Minnesota	91	0
#236	University of Nevada--Las Vegas	Nevada	373	2
#236	University of New Mexico-Main Campus	New Mexico	410	2
#236	North Dakota State University-Main Campus	North Dakota	191	1
#236	Kent State University at Kent	Ohio	567	4
#236	Chatham University	Pennsylvania	84	3
#236	Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania	Pennsylvania	19	0
#236	University of Texas-Arlington	Texas	2,635	35
#250	Nova Southeastern University	Florida	491	2
#250	University of Missouri--Kansas City	Missouri	140	0
#250	New Mexico State University-Main Campus	New Mexico	137	3
#250	D'Youville University	New York	183	3
#250	Pace University-New York	New York	208	0
#250	La Salle University	Pennsylvania	118	2
#250	South Dakota State University	South Dakota	351	7
#250	Lipscomb University	Tennessee	69	1
#250	University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley	Texas	247	3
#250	University of Wyoming	Wyoming	150	0
#262	University of Alabama--Huntsville	Alabama	218	2
#262	Aurora University	Illinois	182	1
#262	University of Maine	Maine	94	0
#262	University of New England	Maine	81	0
#262	Andrews University	Michigan	14	6
#262	Central Michigan University	Michigan	7	0
#262	George Fox University	Oregon	106	0
#262	DeSales University	Pennsylvania	92	0
#262	University of South Dakota	South Dakota	104	5
#262	University of Texas--El Paso	Texas	378	6
#262	Seattle Pacific University	Washington	96	4
#276	Northern Arizona University	Arizona	501	1
#276	Harding University	Arkansas	79	1
#276	California Baptist University	California	251	4
#276	Regis University	Colorado	191	2
#276	University of St. Francis	Illinois	117	4
#276	Marian University (IN)	Indiana	228	0
#276	Western Michigan University	Michigan	83	2
#276	University of Missouri--St. Louis	Missouri	142	6
#276	Bowling Green State University-Main Campus	Ohio	117	0
#276	Widener University	Pennsylvania	162	2
#276	Marymount University	Virginia	133	2
#288	Biola University	California	60	0
#288	University of Hartford	Connecticut	53	0
#288	Southern Illinois University-Carbondale	Illinois	74	3
#288	University of Indianapolis	Indiana	128	0
#288	Wichita State University	Kansas	151	3
#288	University of Memphis	Tennessee	360	4
#288	Texas State University	Texas	85	2
#288	Utah State University	Utah	131	0
#288	Shenandoah University	Virginia	98	2
#288	University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee	Wisconsin	265	15
#299	Azusa Pacific University	California	623	9
#299	Southern Connecticut State University	Connecticut	163	1
#299	Boise State University	Idaho	388	0
#299	Saint Mary's University of Minnesota	Minnesota	11	0
#299	Utica University	New York	201	1
#299	University of Toledo	Ohio	207	4
#299	Tennessee Technological University	Tennessee	165	2
#299	Concordia University Wisconsin	Wisconsin	60	1
#308	Northern Illinois University	Illinois	154	0
#308	Oakland University	Michigan	459	5
#308	University of Southern Mississippi	Mississippi	179	1
#308	Maryville University of Saint Louis	Missouri	121	2
#308	Montana State University	Montana	252	2
#308	North Carolina Central University	North Carolina	39	0
#308	Wilkes University	Pennsylvania	403	3
#308	Abilene Christian University	Texas	36	5
#308	University of the Incarnate Word	Texas	149	3
#317	Morgan State University	Maryland	13	1
#317	Ferris State University	Michigan	80	0
#317	Kean University	New Jersey	29	0
#317	University of Mary	North Dakota	89	1
#317	Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus	Pennsylvania	145	1
#317	Prairie View A&M University	Texas	64	3
#317	Emory & Henry University	Virginia	14	0
#317	Marshall University	West Virginia	190	0
#317	Augusta University	Georgia	291	2
#328	Georgia Southern University	Georgia	368	0
#328	East Tennessee State University	Tennessee	397	6
#328	Old Dominion University	Virginia	224	1
#332	University of South Alabama	Alabama	1,073	2
#332	Jacksonville University	Florida	255	2
#332	Mercy University	New York	326	1
#332	University of Findlay	Ohio	17	0
#332	Texas Woman's University	Texas	449	7
#332	University of Lynchburg	Virginia	39	0
#342	Concordia University -- Irvine	California	127	4
#342	University of Northern Colorado	Colorado	131	0
#342	Mississippi College	Mississippi	100	3
#342	Missouri State University	Missouri	186	2
#342	Daemen University	New York	64	0
#342	Campbell University	North Carolina	56	0
#342	University of Akron	Ohio	157	2
#342	Cleveland State University	Ohio	180	8
#342	Lincoln Memorial University	Tennessee	171	1
#342	University of Texas--Tyler	Texas	614	7
#342	Kennesaw State University	Georgia	353	4
#353	Jacksonville State University	Alabama	212	3
#353	Arkansas State University	Arkansas	572	6
#353	University of West Georgia	Georgia	185	3
#353	Southern Illinois University--Edwardsville	Illinois	339	2
#353	University of Louisiana--Lafayette	Louisiana	313	0
#353	University of Michigan--Flint	Michigan	376	2
#353	Plymouth State University	New Hampshire	24	0
#353	Youngstown State University	Ohio	251	3
#353	Trevecca Nazarene University	Tennessee	13	0
#353	University of Houston--Clear Lake	Texas	15	5
#353	Pennsylvania Western University	Pennsylvania	175	0
#365	Troy University	Alabama	264	2
#365	University of Central Arkansas	Arkansas	137	2
#365	Indiana State University	Indiana	71	1
#365	Northern Kentucky University	Kentucky	782	1
#365	University of Louisiana--Monroe	Louisiana	112	1
#365	William Carey University	Mississippi	117	0
#365	The University of Montana	Montana	44	0
#365	Gardner-Webb University	North Carolina	109	0
#365	Liberty University	Virginia	253	2
#365	Eastern Washington University	Washington	40	1
#376	University of Arkansas--Little Rock	Arkansas	280	8
#376	University of Bridgeport	Connecticut	124	0
#376	Barry University	Florida	62	4
#376	Concordia University-Saint Paul	Minnesota	393	1
#376	Belhaven University	Mississippi	21	0
#376	Tennessee State University	Tennessee	26	0
#382	Grand Canyon University	Arizona	3,940	31
#382	National University	California	307	0
#382	University of Colorado--Colorado Springs	Colorado	210	0
#382	Colorado Technical University	Colorado	299	0
#382	Wilmington University	Delaware	89	2
#382	Palm Beach Atlantic University	Florida	67	1
#382	Saint Leo University	Florida	12	0
#382	St. Thomas University (FL)	Florida	497	2
#382	Southeastern University	Florida	57	0
#382	Columbus State University	Georgia	110	1
#382	Valdosta State University	Georgia	91	0
#382	Idaho State University	Idaho	198	1
#382	Chicago State University	Illinois	12	1
#382	Governors State University	Illinois	11	0
#382	National Louis University	Illinois	3	0
#382	Roosevelt University	Illinois	10	0
#382	Southern University and A&M College	Louisiana	134	0
#382	University of Southern Maine	Maine	123	2
#382	Wright State University-Main Campus	Ohio	97	0
#382	Northeastern State University	Oklahoma	56	0
#382	Southwestern Oklahoma State University	Oklahoma	282	1
#382	Angelo State University	Texas	51	1
#382	Texas A&M University--Corpus Christi	Texas	136	5
#382	East Texas A&M University	Texas	49	0
#382	Houston Christian University	Texas	63	1
#382	Lamar University	Texas	153	0
#382	Tarleton State University	Texas	201	1
#382	Regent University	Virginia	8	0
#382	Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce	Puerto Rico	69	0
#382	Inter American University of Puerto Rico, Metropolitan Campus	Puerto Rico	56	0
#382	Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Gurabo Campus	Puerto Rico	70	0
#382	Chamberlain University-Illinois	Illinois	8,657	21
LAC #49	St. Olaf College	Minnesota	27	0
LAC #62	Berea College	Kentucky	12	1
LAC #62	Gustavus Adolphus College	Minnesota	33	1
LAC #68	College of St. Benedict	Minnesota	55	0
LAC #72	Saint Anselm College	New Hampshire	85	0
LAC #74	St. John's University (MN)	Minnesota	11	0
LAC #78	Saint Mary's College	Indiana	57	0
LAC #78	Hope College	Michigan	43	1
LAC #85	Randolph-Macon College	Virginia	26	0
LAC #106	Pacific Lutheran University	Washington	201	2
LAC #109	Westmont College	California	39	0
LAC #111	Luther College	Iowa	33	0
LAC #119	Coe College	Iowa	14	0
LAC #119	California State University-Channel Islands	California	95	1
LAC #125	Emmanuel College	Massachusetts	59	0
LAC #128	University of Mary Washington	Virginia	48	0
LAC #138	Truman State University	Missouri	49	2
LAC #140	Alcorn State University	Mississippi	67	0
LAC #146	Claflin University	South Carolina	45	0
LAC #150	Dillard University	Louisiana	29	1
LAC #153	University of Hawaii--Hilo	Hawaii	44	1
LAC #160	Wittenberg University	Ohio	25	0
LAC #160	University of Virginia's College at Wise	Virginia	44	0
LAC #166	Fort Valley State University	Georgia	6	0
LAC #172	Brigham Young University-Idaho	Idaho	180	6
LAC #172	University of Wisconsin-Green Bay	Wisconsin	87	0
LAC #176	Virginia Wesleyan University	Virginia	4	0
LAC #177	Grambling State University	Louisiana	15	1
LAC #181	Bethune-Cookman University	Florida	5	0
LAC #184	College of Coastal Georgia	Georgia	78	0
LAC #184	Indiana University-Southeast	Indiana	34	0
LAC #184	Louisiana State University at Alexandria	Louisiana	265	0
LAC #184	CUNY Medgar Evers College	New York	43	1
LAC #184	Texas A&M University-Texarkana	Texas	25	0
LAC #184	Utah Tech University	Utah	315	1
LAC #184	West Virginia State University	West Virginia	13	0
—	Capella University	Minnesota	9,210	132
—	Western Governors University	Utah	4,940	0
—	Walden University	Minnesota	4,224	30
—	Ivy Tech Community College	Indiana	1,615	0
—	Galen College of Nursing-Louisville	Kentucky	1,608	0
—	Joyce University of Nursing and Health Sciences	Utah	1,474	0
—	West Coast University-Anaheim-Orange County	California	1,324	4
—	Nightingale College	Utah	1,270	0
—	Keiser University	Florida	1,207	5
—	ECPI University	Virginia	1,178	2
—	NUC University	Puerto Rico	1,073	0
—	West Coast University-Los Angeles	California	1,027	2
—	West Coast University-Ontario	California	994	4
—	Miami Dade College	Florida	977	55
—	Rasmussen University-Florida	Florida	951	0
—	Weber State University	Utah	947	4
—	Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center	Texas	933	6
—	Excelsior University	New York	884	0
—	Galen College of Nursing-San Antonio	Texas	779	0
—	Jersey College	New Jersey	773	0
—	Southern New Hampshire University	New Hampshire	729	0
—	South College	Tennessee	699	36
—	William Paterson University of New Jersey	New Jersey	687	5
—	Samuel Merritt University	California	606	0
—	University of Maryland, Baltimore	Maryland	568	20
—	Hondros College of Nursing	Ohio	567	0
—	Chamberlain University-Texas	Texas	549	3
—	University of Oklahoma-Health Sciences Center	Oklahoma	538	2
—	Regis College	Massachusetts	528	7
—	Northwestern State University of Louisiana	Louisiana	511	2