2026 Best Value Clinical Nurse Specialist Schools in the The Plains States Region
[Clinical Nurse Specialist](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/clinical-nurse-specialist/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 3 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value clinical nurse specialist schools.
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2026 Best Value Clinical Nurse Specialist Schools in the The Plains States Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in clinical nurse specialist, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Clinical Nurse Specialist Schools
Leading the list is Minnesota State University Mankato, our #1 best value for clinical nurse specialist in the The Plains States Region. Located in the city of Mankato, Minnesota State University Mankato is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $9,572 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $18,942. Clinical Nurse Specialist graduates carry a median of $25,257 in student loans. Early-career clinical nurse specialist graduates make about $53,088. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
Metropolitan State University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value clinical nurse specialist schools. Located in the city of Saint Paul, Metropolitan State University is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $9,840 in tuition and fees. Clinical Nurse Specialist graduates carry a median of $35,762 in student loans. Soon after graduation, clinical nurse specialist degree recipients from Metropolitan State University generally make around $54,195. Set against $35,762 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 99% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in clinical nurse specialist will find it at Nebraska Methodist College Of Nursing And Allied Health, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Omaha, Nebraska Methodist College Of Nursing And Allied Health is a small private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $18,934. Clinical Nurse Specialist graduates carry a median of $35,362 in student loans. Soon after graduation, clinical nurse specialist degree recipients from Nebraska Methodist College Of Nursing And Allied Health generally make around $64,158. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 73% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
