When the United States entered World War I, Pennsylvania-born nurse Helen Fairchild went overseas with 63 other Pennsylvania nurses to care for wounded soldiers. The pages and pages of letters she wrote home paint a poignant picture of combat nursing during the war, and drive home the enormous impact nurses have on the lives of their patients.
There are many sick and injured people across the world who are in need of a nurse’s care, and Pennsylvania nurses are helping to provide that care even as we speak, working in hospitals, doctors’ offices, schools, outpatient clinics and patient homes. If it’s your goal to do the same, then you should be aware of Pennsylvania nursing schools, licensing requirements, professional organizations and more. Fortunately, that’s what we’re here for.
Best Nursing Schools in Pennsylvania
NursingDegrees.com used data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) to create two separate rankings of the top nursing schools in Pennsylvania: one for undergraduate students and another for graduate students. For more details about our ranking methodology, visit the bottom of this page.
Prospective nurses in Pennsylvania can use our rankings to learn about the tuition and fees, acceptance rate, and other important factors regarding nursing schools in the state, as well as to see how one school compares against another. With this information, they can make an informed decision about what school(s) to apply to, rather than wasting time, money and energy applying to a school that is not what they are looking for.
Number of undergraduate-level nursing programs offered | 0 |
Undergraduate tuition | $14,250 |
Undergraduate graduation rate | 47% |
Undergraduate retention rate | 80% |
Percent of undergrad students awarded financial aid | 89% |
Number of undergraduate-level nursing programs offered | 0 |
Undergraduate tuition | $16,080 |
Undergraduate graduation rate | 73% |
Undergraduate retention rate | 89% |
Percent of undergrad students awarded financial aid | 90% |
Number of undergraduate-level nursing programs offered | 0 |
Undergraduate tuition | $38,616 |
Undergraduate graduation rate | 46% |
Undergraduate retention rate | 80% |
Percent of undergrad students awarded financial aid | 99% |
Number of undergraduate-level nursing programs offered | 0 |
Undergraduate tuition | $32,492 |
Undergraduate graduation rate | 61% |
Undergraduate retention rate | 75% |
Percent of undergrad students awarded financial aid | 100% |
Number of undergraduate-level nursing programs offered | 0 |
Undergraduate tuition | $18,180 |
Undergraduate graduation rate | 59% |
Undergraduate retention rate | 77% |
Percent of undergrad students awarded financial aid | 100% |
Number of undergraduate-level nursing programs offered | 0 |
Undergraduate tuition | $7,716 |
Undergraduate graduation rate | 53% |
Undergraduate retention rate | 74% |
Percent of undergrad students awarded financial aid | 93% |
Number of undergraduate-level nursing programs offered | 0 |
Undergraduate tuition | $31,530 |
Undergraduate graduation rate | 69% |
Undergraduate retention rate | 79% |
Percent of undergrad students awarded financial aid | 100% |
Number of undergraduate-level nursing programs offered | 0 |
Undergraduate tuition | $14,214 |
Undergraduate graduation rate | 64% |
Undergraduate retention rate | 81% |
Percent of undergrad students awarded financial aid | 81% |
Number of undergraduate-level nursing programs offered | 0 |
Undergraduate tuition | $17,416 |
Undergraduate graduation rate | 85% |
Undergraduate retention rate | 93% |
Percent of undergrad students awarded financial aid | 65% |
Number of undergraduate-level nursing programs offered | 0 |
Undergraduate tuition | $14,214 |
Undergraduate graduation rate | 66% |
Undergraduate retention rate | 84% |
Percent of undergrad students awarded financial aid | 78% |
Number of graduate-level nursing programs offered | 0 |
Graduate Tuition | $34,882 |
Number of graduate-level nursing programs offered through distance education | 0 |
Number of graduate-level nursing programs offered | 0 |
Graduate Tuition | $18,905 |
Number of graduate-level nursing programs offered through distance education | 0 |
Number of graduate-level nursing programs offered | 0 |
Graduate Tuition | $11,580 |
Number of graduate-level nursing programs offered through distance education | 0 |
Number of graduate-level nursing programs offered | 0 |
Graduate Tuition | $22,846 |
Number of graduate-level nursing programs offered through distance education | 0 |
Number of graduate-level nursing programs offered | 0 |
Graduate Tuition | $20,160 |
Number of graduate-level nursing programs offered through distance education | 0 |
Number of graduate-level nursing programs offered | 0 |
Graduate Tuition | $23,112 |
Number of graduate-level nursing programs offered through distance education | 0 |
Number of graduate-level nursing programs offered | 0 |
Graduate Tuition | $10,980 |
Number of graduate-level nursing programs offered through distance education | 0 |
Number of graduate-level nursing programs offered | 0 |
Graduate Tuition | $11,880 |
Number of graduate-level nursing programs offered through distance education | 0 |
Number of graduate-level nursing programs offered | 0 |
Graduate Tuition | $13,518 |
Number of graduate-level nursing programs offered through distance education | 0 |
Number of graduate-level nursing programs offered | 0 |
Graduate Tuition | $24,450 |
Number of graduate-level nursing programs offered through distance education | 0 |
Nursing Accreditation in Pennsylvania
Accreditation is a stamp of approval that no school should be without. An accredited nursing school in Pennsylvania has undergone an extensive review and evaluation by one or several organizations to check whether that institution meets certain basic academic standards for the United States. Students at an accredited nursing school may qualify for more financial aid, may be able to transfer credits to other schools more easily, and may have an edge over candidates who attended an unaccredited school when it comes to the hiring process.
All of this makes it very important for students to make sure the nursing school(s) they apply to are accredited by an official accreditation agency. Some of the major agencies in Pennsylvania include:
- Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
- National League for Nursing Accreditation Commission (NLNAC)
Pennsylvania Nursing Licensure
In Pennsylvania, students who wish to work as licensed practical nurses (LPNs) are required to complete an LPN program and pass the NCLEX-PN exam. Usually LPN-oriented academic programs are either undergraduate certificate programs, but earning an associate degree in nursing can work as well.
Registered nurses (RNs) may be able to enter the field of registered nursing by earning either an associate degree in nursing or a bachelor’s degree in nursing. Either way, they must pass the NCLEX-RN exam after graduation before they can practice as an official RN.
RNs who would like to become certified registered nurse practitioners (CRNPs) are required to earn a master’s degree in nursing and pass the national NP certification exam. Additional courses or certifications may be necessary for some of the many specialty nurse practitioner careers, such as becoming a nurse midwife or nurse anesthetist, but these requirements can be flexible depending on your situation. Checking with potential employers to see what options you have available to you might be a wise way to understand what you may need to do in order to pursue a specific NP specialization.
To learn more about nursing licensure in Pennsylvania, you may wish to review the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing.
Pennsylvania Nursing Organizations
Pennsylvania hosts a number of nursing organizations that can be of service to nursing students and working nurses. Here’s a brief overview of a few of these organizations:
- Pennsylvania State Nurses Association (PSNA):
PSNA’s mission is to lead, advocate and connect with registered nurses across the Commonwealth. This organization works on two fronts: first, it helps Pennsylvania nurses refine and sharpen their knowledge. Second, it builds and maintains relationships with leaders in the state.
- Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals (PASNAP):
PASNAP is a union of dedicated nurses and allied health professionals. Together, they promote legislation in Harrisburg and Washington for safe nurse-to-patient-ratios.
- Nurses of Pennsylvania:
The nonprofit Nurses of Pennsylvania organization works toward a future where the healthcare system puts patients first. Safe staffing, better patient care and putting patients above profits are all goals of this group
PENNSYLVANIA-SPECIFIC CONTINUING EDUCATION
In order to maintain the active status of their nursing licensure, nurses in Pennsylvania must complete certain continuing education requirements. RNs are required to complete 30 hours during biennial renewal periods, while LPNs must participate in two hours of child abuse recognition and reporting that is approved by the Department of Human Services.
When they are renewing their licenses, LPNs need to complete at least two hours of continuing education. For CRNPs, 16 hours related to pharmacology is required. For up-to-date information on continuing education requirements for Pennsylvania nurses, visit this resource.
Hospitals in Pennsylvania
It is important for Pennsylvania nursing students to be aware of the hospitals in their state. Hospitals can be an excellent place for nurses to earn experience, whether they are just starting out at the entry level or whether they’ve been working as a nurse for years. The three largest hospitals in Pennsylvania include:
- Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest (Allentown): Lehigh Valley Hospital is the flagship hospital of the nonprofit Lehigh Valley Health Network. This facility provides a variety of services to patients, including breast health services, burn care, a cancer center and neonatal intensive care.
- Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia): The history of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (aka Penn Medicine) began when the nation’s first medical school was founded at the University of Pennsylvania in 1765. This academic medical center has several important discoveries to its name, including the first general vaccine against pneumonia and the discovery of the Philadelphia chromosome.
- Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia (Philadelphia): Einstein Medical Center is equipped with an accredited Level I regional Resource Trauma Center and a notoriously busy emergency room. One of its many important services is the Spine Institute, where orthopedics, neurosurgery, neurology, pain management and rehabilitation are combined to help patients manage and prevent back pain.
Methodology
Using the National Center for Education Statistics’ Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), we gathered data for 6,758 United States institutions. We then filtered that list of schools by state and analyzed the data for each state with two different methodologies, in order to create two different lists: our undergraduate list, based on 11 ranking criteria, and our graduate list, based on 9 ranking criteria.
Final data for the 2016-17 school year was used for these rankings. Schools that did not provide data for all of the required ranking criteria were disqualified from that ranking.
The 11 criteria for the undergraduate school ranking were as follows:
- Number of associate- and bachelor’s-level degree programs offered to nursing-related majors
- Number of associate- and bachelor’s-level nursing-related degree programs offered via distance education
- Variety of associate- and bachelor’s-level nursing-related degree programs offered
- Tuition
- Retention rate
- Graduation rate
- Average amount of federal grant aid awarded to full-time first-time undergraduates
- Percent of full-time first-time undergraduates awarded any financial aid
- Credit offerings (Military, Dual, Life Experience, AP)
- Services (Career Counseling, Placement Services)
- Availability of tuition plans (Guaranteed, Prepaid, Payment, Other)
The graduate school ranking scored schools based on 9 criteria, different from the undergraduate list. These 9 criteria were as follows:
- Number of master’s- and doctoral-level degree programs offered to nursing-related majors
- Number of master’s- and doctoral-level nursing-related degree programs offered via distance education
- Variety of master’s- and doctoral-level nursing-related degree programs offered
- Tuition
- Retention rate
- Graduation rate
- Credit offerings (Military, Dual, Life Experience, AP)
- Services (Career Counseling, Placement Services)
- Availability of tuition plans (Guaranteed, Prepaid, Payment, Other)
All schools were scored on a 10-point scale for each of the points listed above. Individual data point scores were then multiplied by their respective weights, and the scores were added together, for a maximum possible score of 10 points.
NOTE: Schools’ tuition amounts are based on 2016-17 undergraduate and graduate data reported to the National Center for Education Statistics. The actual cost of tuition may vary.
Sources
- Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2016-17, National Center for Education Statistics, Accessed January 2018, http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/
- American Hospital Directory, Accessed August 2018, https://www.ahd.com/
- Helen Fairchild: Reflection in Nursing, Nursing Theory, Accessed August 2018, http://www.nursing-theory.org/famous-nurses/Helen-Fairchild.php
- Continuing Education Information, Pennsylvania Department of State, Accessed August 2018, https://www.dos.pa.gov/ProfessionalLicensing/BoardsCommissions/Nursing/Pages/Continuing-Education.aspx
- Pennsylvania State Nurses Association, Accessed August 2018, https://www.psna.org/
- Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses & Allied Professionals, Accessed August 2018, http://www.pennanurses.org/
- About Us, Nurses of Pennsylvania, Accessed August 2018, https://www.nursesofpa.org/about/
- Lehigh Valley Hospital Cedar Crest, Lehigh Valley Hospital Network, Accessed August 2018, https://www.lvhn.org/facilities_directions/hospital_locations/campuses/lehigh_valley_hospital%E2%80%93cedar_crest
- Penn Medicine, Accessed August 2018, https://www.pennmedicine.org
- What It Means to Be an Academic Medical Center, Penn Medicine, Accessed September 2018, https://www.pennmedicine.org/about/benefits-of-an-academic-medical-center
- Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia, Einstein Healthcare Network, Accessed August 2018, https://www.einstein.edu/einstein-medical-center-philadelphia
- Spine Institute, Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia, Accessed September 2018, https://www.einstein.edu/spine-institute