In Job Opportunities, Travel Nurse

Last year we published our list of the 10 Best Nursing Schools and Programs which offered a variety of options to those seeking to attend nursing school. In this article, we expand the list to include top nursing schools by region. If you love a particular area, we’ve got you covered!

We will be mentioning the NCLEX-RN® exam which is the test you will take after completing nursing school. When you’re in nursing school, testing is based on knowledge whereas this exam measures how well you use critical thinking skills to make nursing judgments. Each school has a percentage of students who pass the test and are eligible to practice as an entry-level nurse.

Here’s our list of top nursing schools by region.

As an Arizona-based placement agency, we like starting at home with the West region.

  1. University of Washington – Based in Seattle, Washington, the University of Washington boasts a 93% first attempt NCLEX pass rate and the program graduates 130-150 students each year. If you love seafood and the outdoors and don’t mind rainy days, this could be the place for you.
  2. Oregon Health and Science University – Based in Portland, Oregon, OHSU holds a high 98% new student retention rate. They offer a variety of nursing programs including a Bachelor of Science, an accelerated Bachelor of Science, and Registered Nurse for Bachelor of Science (RNBS). Each program has its uniqueness and fits a student lifestyle whether you want the flexibility to work alongside school, earn a degree faster, or take a more traditional route. Not only that, but Portland is also a foodie heaven, and the outlying areas are easily accessible by public or private transportation.
  3. University of California Los Angeles – Located in Los Angeles, California, UCLA is ranked in the top 15 of Best BSN Programs by US News & World Report. This program offers 6 academic programs, all taught by experienced faculty. If you have to learn to surf or seeing celebrities on your bucket list, this is an excellent option for you.

Next, we have the Midwest region. If you like all 4 seasons and snow-related sports, one of these schools could be a top choice for you.

  1. Case Western Reserve University – Located in Cleveland, Ohio, Case Western has an NCLEX pass rate of 98%. This is likely due to the faculty-to-student ratio of 9:1 which ensures you individualized attention and guidance from their experienced faculty.
  2. University of Michigan Ann Arbor – Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, UofM has a new student retention rate of 97%. The nursing program offers a supportive and inclusive learning environment to foster student success. Ann Arbor is known as an artist’s community offering art theatre, and museums.
  3. Indiana University School of Nursing – Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this program is ranked in the top 10 of the Nursing Schools Almanac 100 Best Nursing Schools in the United States. The nursing program offers three ways to earn a degree, depending on how you want, need, or like to learn. These include a traditional BSN, an online RN-to-BSN program, and an accelerated second-degree track for those who have already earned a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field.

Next, we have top nursing schools in the South.

  1. Duke University – Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke nursing students have an NCLEX first attempt passing rate of 95%. The program graduates 120-150 students each year, landing it in the top five nursing programs each year. Duke is located in The Triangle, a collection of innovative educational and business research facilities.
  2. Emory University – Located in Atlanta, Georgia, Emory boasts an 82% employment rate immediately after graduation. Students find employment with more than 500 clinical sites across the country. In 2021, 95% of the nursing school’s pre-licensure graduates received job offers within three months of graduation. That can get you on a path of the 1-2 years of experience AB Staffing likes as a minimum for travel nurses.
  3. University of Maryland Baltimore – UMB in Baltimore, Maryland, and is ranked in the top 10 best in the country by US News & World Report—their NCLEX pass rate of 90.33% on the first attempt.

And finally, we share our picks for top nursing schools in the Northeast.

  1. University of Pennsylvania – Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania near New Jersey and New York, Penn’s nursing program has a 98% new student retention rate. Students have a 93% NCLEX passing rate on their first attempt. The university has received more National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding than any other nursing school in the country over the last five years, with over $12 million awarded in 2020.
  2. New York University – If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere (or at least that’s how the song goes); NYU is in New York City, New York. The nursing school graduates more than 400 students each year and offers an MSN program with nine concentration options.
  3. Boston College – Located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, this private research university has a new student retention rate of 95% and a 90% NCLEX pass rate for first-time test takers.

No matter where in the country you’d like to go for nursing school, there are plenty of options.

For a complete list of the Best Undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs, please visit US News and World Report and the Nursing School Almanac. We love what they each have to say about programs across the country.

As an agency that places travel nurses and other medical professionals around the country, we require you to have 1-2 years of practical nursing experience before becoming a traveler. The reason is that there are so many moving parts to being a traveler, we want you to have experience as a staff nurse before making a big change. Of course, the AB Staffing recruiters are always here to talk to you about your career aspirations and traveler goals. We look forward to working with you when the time is right!

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