Why This Matters
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CHOOSE FROM A VARIETY OF WORK ENVIRONMENTS
While most nurses are employed in hospitals, you can also find work in ambulatory healthcare services, residential care facilities, government positions, and educational services.
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PROJECTED 6% GROWTH RATE OVER THE NEXT DECADE
Nursing jobs are expected to grow by 6% between 2022 and 2032, creating 177,400 new jobs.
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POTENTIAL TO EARN OVER $120,000
The average salary for registered nurses is $81,220 per year, with the top 10% of workers in this profession making more than $129,400. A graduate certificate will help you reach the high end of your salary potential.
Our Research
This list features some of the best online graduate certificate in nursing programs at top colleges nationwide. Each school featured is a nonprofit, accredited institution — either public or private — with a high standard of academic quality for postsecondary education. Many of the programs on our list have been accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), which assesses the objectives, quality, and overall effectiveness of nursing programs.
We evaluated each school’s program on admission, retention, and graduation rates as well as tuition costs, faculty, reputation, and the resources provided for online students. Then, we calculated the Intelligent Score on a scale of 0 to 100. Read more about our ranking methodology.
Next, we compared this comprehensive list of online graduate certificate in nursing programs to a list of aggregated college rankings from reputable publications like U.S. News & World Report, among others, to simplify a student’s college search. We pored through these rankings so students don’t have to.
The Top 50 Online Graduate Certificate in Nursing Programs
What You Should Know About This Degree
There are plenty of other degrees and certificates in the medical field you can pursue, such as clinical laboratory science, cytotechnology, radiology, pharmacy, and audiology, among others. However, while nursing is a more general degree for overall patient care, these other programs require more specific science courses that often add an extra year of study.
Only apply to schools approved by a DOE-recognized accrediting organization, such as the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) or Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). If your school isn’t accredited, you may be unable to access financial aid or transfer credits to another institution if needed.
To be accepted into a graduate certicate in nursing program, you will likely need to already possess a bachelor’s in nursing degree.
What’s Next?
Here are some questions to ask when researching online graduate certificate in nursing programs:
- What licensing or certifications are required? To become a registered nurse, you’ll need to pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN). CPR, basic life support, and other certifications may also be necessary depending on the area of work you want to pursue after graduation.
- How long does it take to complete this online program? The timeline ranges from one to three semesters based on the program and credit requirements.
As you research individual programs to determine which one is the best fit for you, keep track of application deadlines and admission requirements. Having an organized system for this information will make it easier for you to apply successfully when the time comes. Also, take note of the cost per credit at each institution to get a sense of the expenses.