2026 Best Value Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing Schools in Wisconsin

[Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/psychiatric-mental-health-nurse-nursing/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools to find the best return on investment for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing students.
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2026 Best Value Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing Schools in Wisconsin
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing Schools
For return on investment in psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing, no school beat University Of Wisconsin Oshkosh this year. Located in the city of Oshkosh, University Of Wisconsin Oshkosh is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $8,532, while out-of-state students pay about $16,446. Typical student debt for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing graduates is $25,000. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates of University Of Wisconsin Oshkosh earn a median of $91,263 early in their careers. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 86%.
University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing schools. Set in the city of Milwaukee, University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,398, while out-of-state students pay about $22,398. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing program here. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates of University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee earn a median of $86,743 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee admits about 91% of applicants.
A rank of #3 makes Alverno College one of the best values for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing. Alverno College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Milwaukee. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $34,086. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates carry a median of $34,000 in student loans. Early-career psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing graduates make about $91,109. Set against $34,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 86%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Wisconsin Madison earned it the #4 place for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing. University Of Wisconsin Madison is a very large public school located in the city of Madison. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,603, compared with $42,103 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing graduates is $25,000. Soon after graduation, psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing degree recipients from University Of Wisconsin Madison generally make around $92,233. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 45% of applicants are accepted.
Herzing University Madison came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing schools. Set in the city of Madison, Herzing University Madison is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,450. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates carry a median of $37,747 in student loans. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates of Herzing University Madison earn a median of $90,021 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $37,747 median debt. Herzing University Madison admits about 94% of applicants.
Milwaukee School Of Engineering landed the #6 spot for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing value this year. Milwaukee School Of Engineering is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Milwaukee. In-state tuition and fees average $50,480. Typical student debt for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing graduates is $31,666. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates of Milwaukee School Of Engineering earn a median of $73,835 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Milwaukee School Of Engineering admits about 59% of applicants.
Edgewood College ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best value psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing schools. Located in the city of Madison, Edgewood College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $35,860. Typical student debt for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing graduates is $27,000. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates of Edgewood College earn a median of $56,578 early in their careers. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 76%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 7 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.