2026 Best Value Nursing Science Schools in New York

[Nursing Science](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/nursing-science/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 10 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for nursing science students.
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2026 Best Value Nursing Science Schools in New York
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the nursing science degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Nursing Science Schools
For return on investment in nursing science, no school beat Cuny Hunter College this year. Cuny Hunter College is a very large public school located in the city of New York. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,382, while out-of-state students pay about $15,332. Nursing Science graduates carry a median of $16,944 in student loans. Nursing Science graduates of Cuny Hunter College earn a median of $51,372 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $16,944 median debt. Roughly 54% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Stony Brook University earned it the #2 place for nursing science. Located in the suburb of Stony Brook, Stony Brook University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $10,931, while out-of-state students pay about $32,741. Students borrow a median of $23,000 to complete the nursing science program here. Soon after graduation, nursing science degree recipients from Stony Brook University generally make around $60,047. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 49% of applicants are accepted.
Columbia University In The City Of New York came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value nursing science schools. Columbia University In The City Of New York is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York. Students from in state pay about $70,517 in tuition and fees. Nursing Science graduates carry a median of $23,258 in student loans. Soon after graduation, nursing science degree recipients from Columbia University In The City Of New York generally make around $138,848. That is a strong return on a $23,258 median debt. The acceptance rate is 4%.
Students looking for strong value in nursing science will find it at University At Buffalo, which ranked #4. Located in the suburb of Buffalo, University At Buffalo is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $10,936, while out-of-state students pay about $31,536. Nursing Science graduates carry a median of $26,117 in student loans. Nursing Science graduates of University At Buffalo earn a median of $110,839 early in their careers. Set against $26,117 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University At Buffalo admits about 74% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Suny At Binghamton earned it the #5 place for nursing science. Located in the suburb of Vestal, Suny At Binghamton is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $10,567, compared with $30,447 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $23,750 to complete the nursing science program here. Soon after graduation, nursing science degree recipients from Suny At Binghamton generally make around $100,425. Set against $23,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 39% of applicants are accepted.
Wagner College landed the #6 spot for nursing science value this year. Set in the city of Staten Island, Wagner College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $53,200. Typical student debt for nursing science graduates is $27,000. Early-career nursing science graduates make about $125,479. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
Adelphi University came in at #7 for value in nursing science this year. Adelphi University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Garden City. In-state tuition and fees average $48,775. Typical student debt for nursing science graduates is $27,000. Early-career nursing science graduates make about $124,565. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 66%.
University Of Rochester earned the #8 position for value in nursing science this year. Set in the city of Rochester, University Of Rochester is a large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $67,080. Students borrow a median of $31,000 to complete the nursing science program here. Early-career nursing science graduates make about $89,788. That is a strong return on a $31,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 40%.
New York University earned the #9 position for value in nursing science this year. Located in the city of New York, New York University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $62,796. Students borrow a median of $25,500 to complete the nursing science program here. Early-career nursing science graduates make about $138,833. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 9%.
More Nursing Science Rankings
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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 · 10 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 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.