50 Best State Public Nursing Schools for Value in the United States for 2025

50 Best State Public Nursing Schools for Value in the United States for 2025

Colleges Ranking Index by Rebellion Research

List of State Public Schools

1. California State University – Dominguez Hills (CA)
2. California State University – Los Angeles (CA)
3. California State University – Bakersfield (CA)
4. California State University – San Bernardino (CA)
5. California State University – Fullerton (CA)
6. California State University – Fresno (CA)
7. California State University – Northridge (CA)
8. California State University – Long Beach (CA)
9. Utah Valley University (UT)
10. University of New Mexico (NM)
11. New Mexico State University (NM)
12. Indiana University – Northwest (IN)
13. Indiana University – Kokomo (IN)
14. Indiana University – South Bend (IN)
15. Indiana University – Southeast (IN)
16. Indiana University – East (IN)
17. Purdue University Northwest (IN)
18. Northern Kentucky University (KY)
19. Murray State University (KY)
20. Morehead State University (KY)
21. University of North Carolina at Pembroke (NC)
22. North Carolina A&T State University (NC)
23. University of West Florida (FL)
24. Florida Atlantic University (FL)
25. Florida State College at Jacksonville (FL) – public institution
26. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (TX)
27. The University of Texas Permian Basin (TX)
28. Tennessee State University (TN)
29. Marshall University (WV)
30. Potomac State College of West Virginia University (WV)
31. Ohio University – Eastern (OH)
32. Ohio University – Southern (OH)
33. Ohio University – Chillicothe (OH)
34. Ohio University – Zanesville (OH)
35. Kent State University at Trumbull (OH)
36. CUNY Lehman College (NY)
37. CUNY Hunter College (NY)
38. CUNY York College (NY)
39. Farmingdale State College (SUNY) (NY)
40. Clayton State University (GA)
41. Dalton State College (GA)
42. East Central University (OK)
43. Western New Mexico University (NM)
44. Western Governors University (UT) – public, online-based
45. University of Nebraska (NE) – public (example of public nursing value)
46. (Addition) University of Florida (FL) – state public example of low tuition per semester for in-state.
47. (Addition) University of Maryland (MD) – state public example of affordability in accelerated nursing.
48. (Addition) University of Wisconsin – Madison (WI) – state public example of affordable accelerated nursing.
49. (Addition) University of Virginia (VA) – state public example.
50. (Addition) Rutgers University (NJ) – state public example.

Notes for use
• These are public/state institutions rather than private colleges.
• They tend to offer in-state tuition discounts and benefit from state funding.
• Before selecting a school, check for accreditation (CCNE or ACEN), NCLEX pass rate, net price for your bracket, and region job market.
• “Value” means combination of low cost + acceptable outcomes.
• Some added institutions at the end (45-50) are general state public examples in various states; you may substitute based on your preferred region.

High-Value Source Links

1. UniversityHQ’s Most Affordable Nursing (BSN) Colleges and Universities – https://universityhq.org/best-colleges/rankings/most-affordable-nursing-schools/
2. NurseJournal State NCLEX Pass Rates – https://nursejournal.org/resources/nclex/states-with-highest-nclex-pass-rates/
3. OnlineU Most Affordable Nursing Degree Programs – https://www.onlineu.com/most-affordable-colleges/nursing-degrees
4. Research.com Most Affordable Nursing Degree Programs USA – https://research.com/rankings/nursing/most-affordable-nursing-usa
5. DegreeChoices Cheapest Nursing Schools – https://www.degreechoices.com/blog/cheap-nursing-schools/