Best Registered Nurse programs in Maryland, ranked by enrollment
Assess patient health problems and needs, develop and implement nursing care plans, and maintain medical records. Administer nursing care to ill, injured, convalescent, or disabled patients.
28 schools in Maryland run programs that feed this job, graduating 4,020 people a year. The job pays a median of $99,790 in Maryland across about 52,910 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Maryland that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
8 programs in Maryland that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Maryland (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Maryland page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nursemain feeder CIP 51.3801In Maryland → | 3,601 | 89.6% | 28 | $71,623 | $25,750 |
| 2 | Nursing Administrationmain feeder CIP 51.3802In Maryland → | 204 | 5.1% | 1 | $71,623 | $25,750 |
| 3 | Nursing Practicemain feeder CIP 51.3818In Maryland → | 144 | 3.6% | 4 | $71,623 | $25,750 |
| 4 | Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursingmain feeder CIP 51.3810In Maryland → | 42 | 1.0% | 2 | $71,623 | $25,750 |
| 5 | Nursing Sciencemain feeder CIP 51.3808In Maryland → | 18 | 0.4% | 1 | $71,623 | $25,750 |
| 6 | Family Practice Nurse/Nursingmain feeder CIP 51.3805In Maryland → | 5 | 0.1% | 1 | $71,623 | $25,750 |
| 7 | Adult Health Nurse/Nursingmain feeder CIP 51.3803In Maryland → | 3 | 0.1% | 1 | $71,623 | $25,750 |
| 8 | Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursingmain feeder CIP 51.3811In Maryland → | 3 | 0.1% | 1 | $71,623 | $25,750 |
Top 25 schools in Maryland
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 24 of the 28 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Maryland, Baltimore Baltimore, MD Public · 4 feeder programs | 715 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $78,568 | — | — | — |
| 2 | Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 505 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | — | 94% | $11,888 | 6% |
| 3 | Towson University Towson, MD Public · 2 feeder programs | 255 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $80,344 | 69% | — | 82% |
| 4 | Allegany College of Maryland Cumberland, MD Public · 1 feeder programs | 245 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $66,303 | 40% | — | — |
| 5 | Community College of Baltimore County Baltimore, MD Public · 1 feeder programs | 240 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $75,725 | 19% | — | — |
| 6 | Howard Community College Columbia, MD Public · 1 feeder programs | 206 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $71,307 | 24% | — | — |
| 7 | Stevenson University Owings Mills, MD Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 195 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $79,709 | 68% | $26,556 | 79% |
| 8 | University of Maryland Global Campus Adelphi, MD Public · 1 feeder programs | 191 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $92,323 | 33% | — | — |
| 9 | Frostburg State University Frostburg, MD Public · 1 feeder programs | 184 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $82,617 | 50% | — | 89% |
| 10 | Anne Arundel Community College Arnold, MD Public · 1 feeder programs | 165 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | — | 31% | — | — |
| 11 | Montgomery College Rockville, MD Public · 1 feeder programs | 133 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | — | 32% | — | — |
| 12 | Harford Community College Bel Air, MD Public · 1 feeder programs | 113 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $74,823 | 39% | — | — |
| 13 | College of Southern Maryland La Plata, MD Public · 1 feeder programs | 99 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $73,576 | 33% | — | — |
| 14 | Notre Dame of Maryland University Baltimore, MD Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 93 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $83,354 | 50% | $24,333 | 82% |
| 15 | Prince George's Community College Largo, MD Public · 1 feeder programs | 93 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $89,437 | 18% | — | — |
| 16 | Salisbury University Salisbury, MD Public · 2 feeder programs | 84 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $76,477 | 68% | — | 87% |
| 17 | Frederick Community College Frederick, MD Public · 1 feeder programs | 67 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $70,649 | 37% | — | — |
| 18 | Coppin State University Baltimore, MD Public · 3 feeder programs | 60 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $76,661 | 26% | — | 46% |
| 19 | Wor - Wic Community College Salisbury, MD Public · 1 feeder programs | 60 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $70,742 | 27% | — | — |
| 20 | Hagerstown Community College Hagerstown, MD Public · 1 feeder programs | 59 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $73,996 | 39% | — | — |
| 21 | Carroll Community College Westminster, MD Public · 1 feeder programs | 47 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $74,079 | 39% | — | — |
| 22 | Cecil College North East, MD Public · 1 feeder programs | 46 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | — | 37% | — | — |
| 23 | Hood College Frederick, MD Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 46 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $78,873 | 57% | $23,244 | 78% |
| 24 | Bowie State University Bowie, MD Public · 1 feeder programs | 43 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $70,278 | 38% | — | 72% |
| 25 | Chesapeake College Wye Mills, MD Public · 1 feeder programs | 28 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $72,090 | 35% | — | — |
All 28 schools in Maryland
Every school in Maryland with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Maryland, Baltimore | Baltimore | Public | 715 | 4 |
| Johns Hopkins University | Baltimore | Private not-for-profit | 505 | 3 |
| Towson University | Towson | Public | 255 | 2 |
| Allegany College of Maryland | Cumberland | Public | 245 | 1 |
| Community College of Baltimore County | Baltimore | Public | 240 | 1 |
| Howard Community College | Columbia | Public | 206 | 1 |
| Stevenson University | Owings Mills | Private not-for-profit | 195 | 1 |
| University of Maryland Global Campus | Adelphi | Public | 191 | 1 |
| Frostburg State University | Frostburg | Public | 184 | 1 |
| Anne Arundel Community College | Arnold | Public | 165 | 1 |
| Montgomery College | Rockville | Public | 133 | 1 |
| Harford Community College | Bel Air | Public | 113 | 1 |
| College of Southern Maryland | La Plata | Public | 99 | 1 |
| Notre Dame of Maryland University | Baltimore | Private not-for-profit | 93 | 3 |
| Prince George's Community College | Largo | Public | 93 | 1 |
What registered nurses earn in Maryland
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $97,550. Maryland pays above the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in Maryland
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Registered Nurses page.
How to become a Registered Nurse
Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in Maryland
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 21 majors mapped to Registered Nurses21 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 51.3801Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse
- 51.3802Nursing Administration
- 51.3803Adult Health Nurse/Nursing
- 51.3805Family Practice Nurse/Nursing
- 51.3806Maternal/Child Health and Neonatal Nurse/Nursing
- 51.3808Nursing Science
- 51.3809Pediatric Nurse/Nursing
- 51.3810Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing
- 51.3811Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing
- 51.3812Perioperative/Operating Room and Surgical Nurse/Nursing
- 51.3813Clinical Nurse Specialist
- 51.3814Critical Care Nursing
- 51.3815Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing
- 51.3816Emergency Room/Trauma Nursing
- 51.3818Nursing Practice
- 51.3819Palliative Care Nursing
- 51.3820Clinical Nurse Leader
- 51.3821Geriatric Nurse/Nursing
- 51.3822Women's Health Nurse/Nursing
- 51.3824Forensic Nursing
- 51.3899Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Other
Common questions
Answers for people weighing registered nurses programs in Maryland.
What degree do you need to become a Registered Nurse?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse, which awarded 3,601 degrees in Maryland in 2024-25, 89.6% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Registered Nurse?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 8 programs to this occupation. The largest are Registered Nursing. Together they graduate about 4,020 people a year in Maryland.
How much do registered nurses earn in Maryland?+
The median is $99,790 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 2.3% above the U.S. median of $97,550. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for registered nurses growing?+
BLS projects a +4.9% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 189,100 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Maryland?+
28 institutions in Maryland reported graduates from at least one of the 8 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do registered nurses work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Staff Nurse, Charge Nurse, APN (Advanced Practice Nurse), CNS (Clinical Nurse Specialist), Critical Care Nurse Practitioner, Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurse among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 29-1141.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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