by our College Data Analytics TeamStudying Clinical Nurse Specialist covers Clinical Nurse Specialist. A Program That Prepares Registered Nurses To Deliver Direct Patient And Client Care In Clinical Settings. Includes Instruction In Clinical Pharmacotherapeutics, Advanced Clinical Practice, Holistic Nursing, Nursing Practice And Health Care Policy, Administration And Consultation Services, Health Assessment, Patient Stabilization And Care, And Patient Education. Read on to learn the essential details every clinical nurse specialist student should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering clinical nurse specialist programs.
Across the country, clinical nurse specialist is a widely-pursued major, with 321 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Clinical Nurse Specialist Schools ranking analyzes these 23 schools to determine the best overall colleges for clinical nurse specialist students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of clinical nurse specialist programs later in this article.
Coursework for Clinical Nurse Specialist emphasize a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations clinical nurse specialist graduates commonly enter.
The skill set emphasized by a clinical nurse specialist program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
According to O*NET, a clinical nurse specialist major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several clinical nurse specialist degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 8 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 273 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 40 |
People currently working in careers related to clinical nurse specialist tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Master’s degree | 44.5% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 24.3% |
| Doctoral degree | 10.0% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 8.9% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 7.8% |
| First professional degree | 1.4% |
| Post-doctoral training | 1.4% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 1.3% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 0.3% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 0.2% |
See the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in clinical nurse specialist careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
Majoring in clinical nurse specialist prepares you for numerous career paths. Here are some of the most common occupations related to clinical nurse specialist.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to clinical nurse specialist.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 3,793,806 | 10.2% |
| Nurse Practitioners | 2,031,912 | 3.3% |
| Clinical Nurse Specialists | 1,937,405 | 12.3% |
| Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses | 1,349,827 | 0.0% |
| Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary | 790,445 | 5.7% |
| Critical Care Nurses | 590,563 | 14.4% |
| Acute Care Nurses | 191,452 | 4.1% |
Federal data tracks median earnings of clinical nurse specialist graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $83,453 |
| 4 years | $80,149 |
| 5 years | $90,156 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for clinical nurse specialist graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers clinical nurse specialist grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Nurse Practitioners | $147,651 |
| Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses | $143,854 |
| Registered Nurses | $105,741 |
| Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary | $69,718 |
| Critical Care Nurses | $65,103 |
| Acute Care Nurses | $56,247 |
| Clinical Nurse Specialists | $52,889 |
With 23 different clinical nurse specialist programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased clinical nurse specialist school rankings to help you.
Students interested in clinical nurse specialist, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | 256,965 |
| Family Practice Nurse/Nursing | 14,847 |
| Nursing Practice | 9,206 |
| Nursing Administration | 7,911 |
| Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing | 4,379 |
| Nursing Science | 4,245 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Other | 4,125 |
| Adult Health Nurse/Nursing | 2,457 |
| Nurse Anesthetist | 1,960 |
| Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing | 1,505 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
