How will your MSN education stack up?

If you are considering pursuing a MSN degree at home, below is relevant information to help you compare the education you will be receiving to that available elsewhere in the country. There are 203 traditional MSN schools in the US.

Top Schools

The top schools in the nation in 2010 that had MSN programs were:

1. Yale University - located in New Haven, Connecticut
2. University of Pennsylvania - located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
3. New York University - located in New York, New York

Student Demographics

In 2010 in the US, 3,867 students graduated with degrees in MSN. Of these students, 242 received certifications in nursing, 249 received an undergraduate degree in nursing, and 3,376 received a graduate-level degree in nursing.

Academics

Students can pursue education in nursing at the following levels:

Msn students can expect to gain the following skills and/or knowledge while studying MSN:

• Bio-ethical Decision Making
• Judgment and Decision Making
• Organization
• Clinical Management
• Nursing Research

Cost

Students at MSN schools around the nation paid an average of $25,426 in tuition fees per year in 2010. The MSN schools charging the highest tuition were:

1. George Washington University - located in Washington, Washington DC, students paid $41,655
2. Johns Hopkins University - located in Baltimore, Maryland, students paid $39,150
3. University of Pennsylvania - located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, students paid $38,970

The MSN schools that charged students the lowest tuition rates were:

1. Kennesaw State University - located in Kennesaw, Georgia, students paid $4,044
2. Texas Woman's University - located in Denton, Texas, students paid $5,046
3. The University of Texas at Tyler - located in Tyler, Texas, students paid $5,004

How will your MSN job compare?

A large number of nursing majors become nurse practitioners. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 31,390 nurse practitioners working in the US in 2010. The states with the largest populations of nurse practitioners are:

1. Florida - 3,750 Nurse Practitioners
2. Maryland - 3,710 Nurse Practitioners
3. California - 2,260 Nurse Practitioners

Projected Growth

Over the next few years, the government projects the growth for nurse practitioners to be the fastest in these states:

1. Utah - 23%
2. Texas - 21%
3. Oregon - 20%

Salary

Nurse practitioners in the US can make an average of $81,620 per year. However, factors such as shift differentials, your previous performance reviews, or experience can cause the salary for a nurse practitioner to vary greatly. Salaries for nurse practitioners range from less than $15,870 per year to more than $155,490 per year. Nurse practitioners in the following states make the highest salaries on average:

1. South Carolina - $121,120 per year
2. Maryland - $117,900 per year
3. Washington DC - $103,140 per year

On average, a nurse practitioner earns the least in the following states:

1. Montana - $44,590 per year
2. Wyoming - $50,900 per year
3. Indiana - $52,900 per year