by our College Data Analytics TeamA degree in Maternal/Child Health and Neonatal Nurse/Nursing explores Maternal/child Health And Neonatal Nurse/nursing. A Program That Prepares Registered Nurses To Provide Prenatal Care To Pregnant Women And To Mothers And Their Newborn Infants. Includes Instruction In Perinatal And Newborn Health Assessment, Stabilization, And Care; Pathophysiology Of Pregnancy, Fetuses, And The Newborn; Clinical Management Of High-Risk Pregnancies And Newborns; Perinatal And Neonatal Technology And Clinical Procedures; And Patient Education. Examples: [Neonatal Nurse Practitioner]. Read on to learn the key facts every maternal/child health and neonatal nurse/nursing student should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering maternal/child health and neonatal nurse/nursing programs.
Nationwide, maternal/child health and neonatal nurse/nursing is a popular field of study, with 160 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Maternal/Child Health and Neonatal Nurse/Nursing Schools ranking analyzes these 17 schools to determine the best overall colleges for maternal/child health and neonatal nurse/nursing students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of maternal/child health and neonatal nurse/nursing programs later in this article.
Studies in Maternal/Child Health and Neonatal Nurse/Nursing emphasize a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations maternal/child health and neonatal nurse/nursing graduates commonly enter.
Skills emphasized by a maternal/child health and neonatal nurse/nursing program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
Based on O*NET data, a maternal/child health and neonatal nurse/nursing major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several maternal/child health and neonatal nurse/nursing 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 138 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 22 |
People currently working in careers related to maternal/child health and neonatal nurse/nursing 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 maternal/child health and neonatal nurse/nursing careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
Studying maternal/child health and neonatal nurse/nursing prepares you for numerous career paths. Below are some of the most common occupations related to maternal/child health and neonatal nurse/nursing.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to maternal/child health and neonatal nurse/nursing.
| 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 maternal/child health and neonatal nurse/nursing graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb 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 maternal/child health and neonatal nurse/nursing graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers maternal/child health and neonatal nurse/nursing 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 17 different maternal/child health and neonatal nurse/nursing programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased maternal/child health and neonatal nurse/nursing school rankings to help you.
If you are interested in maternal/child health and neonatal nurse/nursing, 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.
