by our College Data Analytics Team
[Pre-Nursing Studies](/majors/health-care-professions/health-medical-preparatory-programs/pre-nursing-studies/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 5 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value pre-nursing studies schools.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in pre-nursing studies, balancing cost against outcomes.
For return on investment in pre-nursing studies, no school beat South College this year. South College is a large private for-profit school located in the city of Knoxville. Students from in state pay about $18,535 in tuition and fees. Pre-Nursing Studies graduates carry a median of $24,533 in student loans. Pre-Nursing Studies graduates of South College earn a median of $51,389 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,533 median debt.
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.