Best Registered Nurse programs in Massachusetts, 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.
46 schools in Massachusetts run programs that feed this job, graduating 5,587 people a year. The job pays a median of $104,550 in Massachusetts across about 88,200 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Massachusetts that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
13 programs in Massachusetts that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Massachusetts (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 Massachusetts page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nursemain feeder CIP 51.3801In Massachusetts → | 4,213 | 75.4% | 45 | $71,623 | $25,750 |
| 2 | Nursing Sciencemain feeder CIP 51.3808In Massachusetts → | 426 | 7.6% | 9 | $71,623 | $25,750 |
| 3 | Family Practice Nurse/Nursingmain feeder CIP 51.3805In Massachusetts → | 361 | 6.5% | 6 | $71,623 | $25,750 |
| 4 | Nursing Practicemain feeder CIP 51.3818In Massachusetts → | 209 | 3.7% | 11 | $71,623 | $25,750 |
| 5 | CIP 51.3899In Massachusetts → | 129 | 2.3% | 2 | $71,623 | $25,750 |
| 6 | Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursingmain feeder CIP 51.3810In Massachusetts → | 101 | 1.8% | 5 | $71,623 | $25,750 |
| 7 | Nursing Administrationmain feeder CIP 51.3802In Massachusetts → | 42 | 0.8% | 2 | $71,623 | $25,750 |
| 8 | Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursingmain feeder CIP 51.3811In Massachusetts → | 24 | 0.4% | 3 | $71,623 | $25,750 |
| 9 | Geriatric Nurse/Nursingmain feeder CIP 51.3821In Massachusetts → | 22 | 0.4% | 2 | $71,623 | $25,750 |
| 10 | Clinical Nurse Leadermain feeder CIP 51.3820In Massachusetts → | 19 | 0.3% | 1 | $71,623 | $25,750 |
| 11 | Adult Health Nurse/Nursingmain feeder CIP 51.3803In Massachusetts → | 18 | 0.3% | 2 | $71,623 | $25,750 |
| 12 | Pediatric Nurse/Nursingmain feeder CIP 51.3809In Massachusetts → | 14 | 0.3% | 1 | $71,623 | $25,750 |
| 13 | Women's Health Nurse/Nursingmain feeder CIP 51.3822In Massachusetts → | 9 | 0.2% | 1 | $71,623 | $25,750 |
Top 25 schools in Massachusetts
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 38 of the 46 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Regis College Weston, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 590 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $78,481 | 72% | $26,647 | 70% |
| 2 | University of Massachusetts - Boston Boston, MA Public · 6 feeder programs | 447 | Nursing Science | $79,672 | 49% | — | 84% |
| 3 | Simmons University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 410 | Family Practice Nurse/Nursing | $85,096 | 72% | $24,848 | 70% |
| 4 | Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 300 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $80,034 | 62% | $35,358 | 85% |
| 5 | Northeastern University Professional Programs Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 270 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $78,713 | — | — | — |
| 6 | MGH Institute of Health Professions Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 8 feeder programs | 266 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $81,868 | — | — | — |
| 7 | Laboure College of Healthcare Milton, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 243 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $69,451 | 100% | — | 50% |
| 8 | Northeastern University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 224 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $78,713 | 91% | $18,925 | 5% |
| 9 | Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 212 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $78,934 | 91% | $21,126 | 16% |
| 10 | Endicott College Beverly, MA Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 185 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $78,594 | 76% | $34,195 | 71% |
| 11 | Curry College Milton, MA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 151 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $79,242 | 51% | $28,321 | 88% |
| 12 | University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth North Dartmouth, MA Public · 4 feeder programs | 151 | Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Other | $75,659 | 52% | — | 91% |
| 13 | College of Our Lady of the Elms Chicopee, MA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 149 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $83,775 | 68% | $21,982 | 85% |
| 14 | University of Massachusetts - Amherst Amherst, MA Public · 5 feeder programs | 147 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $81,452 | 83% | — | 60% |
| 15 | Salem State University Salem, MA Public · 2 feeder programs | 145 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $80,641 | 50% | — | 96% |
| 16 | Quinsigamond Community College Worcester, MA Public · 1 feeder programs | 143 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $74,992 | 22% | — | — |
| 17 | Fitchburg State University Fitchburg, MA Public · 2 feeder programs | 132 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $80,228 | 55% | — | 87% |
| 18 | University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School Worcester, MA Public · 3 feeder programs | 127 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | — | — | — | — |
| 19 | University of Massachusetts - Lowell Lowell, MA Public · 4 feeder programs | 102 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $78,247 | 65% | — | 83% |
| 20 | Bristol Community College Fall River, MA Public · 1 feeder programs | 87 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $70,855 | 22% | — | — |
| 21 | Berkshire Community College Pittsfield, MA Public · 1 feeder programs | 73 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $69,083 | 20% | — | — |
| 22 | Springfield Technical Community College Springfield, MA Public · 1 feeder programs | 71 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $75,769 | 32% | — | — |
| 23 | Bunker Hill Community College Boston, MA Public · 1 feeder programs | 69 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $72,734 | 13% | — | — |
| 24 | Merrimack College North Andover, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 68 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | — | 70% | $33,877 | 70% |
| 25 | Worcester State University Worcester, MA Public · 3 feeder programs | 65 | Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | $75,249 | 61% | — | 88% |
All 46 schools in Massachusetts
Every school in Massachusetts 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regis College | Weston | Private not-for-profit | 590 | 1 |
| University of Massachusetts - Boston | Boston | Public | 447 | 6 |
| Simmons University | Boston | Private not-for-profit | 410 | 3 |
| Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | Boston | Private not-for-profit | 300 | 3 |
| Northeastern University Professional Programs | Boston | Private not-for-profit | 270 | 1 |
| MGH Institute of Health Professions | Boston | Private not-for-profit | 266 | 8 |
| Laboure College of Healthcare | Milton | Private not-for-profit | 243 | 1 |
| Northeastern University | Boston | Private not-for-profit | 224 | 2 |
| Boston College | Chestnut Hill | Private not-for-profit | 212 | 3 |
| Endicott College | Beverly | Private not-for-profit | 185 | 5 |
| Curry College | Milton | Private not-for-profit | 151 | 2 |
| University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth | North Dartmouth | Public | 151 | 4 |
| College of Our Lady of the Elms | Chicopee | Private not-for-profit | 149 | 3 |
| University of Massachusetts - Amherst | Amherst | Public | 147 | 5 |
| Salem State University | Salem | Public | 145 | 2 |
What registered nurses earn in Massachusetts
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $97,550. Massachusetts pays above the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in Massachusetts
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 Massachusetts
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 Massachusetts.
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 4,213 degrees in Massachusetts in 2024-25, 75.4% 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 13 programs to this occupation. The largest are Registered Nursing. Together they graduate about 5,587 people a year in Massachusetts.
How much do registered nurses earn in Massachusetts?+
The median is $104,550 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 7.2% 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 Massachusetts?+
46 institutions in Massachusetts reported graduates from at least one of the 13 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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