Berea (Ky.) College is the best affordable Bachelor of Science in nursing program in the U.S., according to a University HQ ranking.
For the ranking, the independent education organization collected data from the National Center for Education Statistics, the U.S. Education Department's College Scorecard, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Payscale.
The rankings considered tuition cost, retention rate, graduation rate, number of programs offered, online programs offered, loan default rate, diplomas awarded, percent of students receiving financial aid, and reputation and expert opinion.
Top 10 best affordable nursing degree programs:
1. Berea College
In-state tuition: $45,092
Out-of-state tuition: $45,092
Net price: $1,964
Retention rate: 84 percent
Total enrollment: 1,688
Graduation rate: 68 percent
Diplomas awarded: 13
2. St. Petersburg (Fla.) College
In-state tuition: $2,682
Out-of-state tuition: $9,286
Net price: $2,702
Retention rate: N/A
Total enrollment: 28,853
Graduation rate: 33 percent
Diplomas awarded: 219
3. California State University-Los Angeles
In-state tuition: $6,781
Out-of-state tuition: $18,661
Net price: $3,859
Retention rate: 81 percent
Total enrollment: 26,671
Graduation rate: 52 percent
Diplomas awarded: 171
4. The City University of New York-Lehman College
In-state tuition: $7,410
Out-of-state tuition: $15,360
Net price: $3,913
Retention rate: 83 percent
Total enrollment: 15,143
Graduation rate: 53 percent
Diplomas awarded: 197
5. The City University of New York-Hunter College
In-state tuition: $7,382
Out-of-state tuition: $15,332
Net price: $4,014
Retention rate: 81 percent
Total enrollment: 23,193
Graduation rate: 57 percent
Diplomas awarded: 179
6. Texas A&M International University (Laredo)
In-state tuition: $7,683
Out-of-state tuition: $18,983
Net price: $4,165
Retention rate: 79 percent
Total enrollment: 8,305
Graduation rate: 47 percent
Diplomas awarded: 85
7. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (Edinburg)
In-state tuition: $8,917
Out-of-state tuition: $18,733
Net price: $4,419
Retention rate: 76 percent
Total enrollment: 29,113
Graduation rate: 46 percent
Diplomas awarded: 138
8. California State University-Dominguez Hills
In-state tuition: $6,941
Out-of-state tuition: $18,821
Net price: $4,683
Retention rate: 77 percent
Total enrollment: 17,977
Graduation rate: 44 percent
Diplomas awarded: 130
9. The City University of New York-York College
In-state tuition: $7,358
Out-of-state tuition: $15,308
Net price: $5,228
Retention rate: 62 percent
Total enrollment: 8,337
Graduation rate: 35 percent
Diplomas awarded: 50
10. Indiana University-Northwest (Gary)
In-state tuition: $7,715
Out-of-state tuition: $20,574
Net price: $5,453
Retention rate: 64 percent
Total enrollment: 3,877
Graduation rate: 35 percent
Diplomas awarded: 71
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