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Psychiatric Registered Nurse Education Requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a psychiatric registered nurse. Psychiatric registered nurses usually study nursing, psychology, or nursing science. 43% of psychiatric registered nurses hold a associate degree, and 43% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 3,386 real psychiatric registered nurse resumes to see exactly what psychiatric registered nurse education sections show.

The most common colleges for psychiatric registered nurses are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online psychiatric registered nurse courses to help get the education required to be a psychiatric registered nurse.

There are certain psychiatric registered nurse certifications that you should consider. These psychiatric registered nurse certifications include Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing (RN-BC) and Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP).

What education do you need to become a psychiatric registered nurse?

What degree do you need to be a psychiatric registered nurse?

The most common degree for psychiatric registered nurses is associate degree, with 43% of psychiatric registered nurses earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 43% and bachelor's degree degree at 7%.
  • Associate, 43%
  • Bachelor's, 43%
  • Master's, 7%
  • Diploma, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a psychiatric registered nurse?

You should major in nursing to become a psychiatric registered nurse. 82% of psychiatric registered nurses major in nursing. Other common majors for a psychiatric registered nurse include psychology and nursing science.

Most common colleges for psychiatric registered nurses

Psychiatric registered nurses often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Excelsior College, and Grand Canyon University. Here are the most common colleges for psychiatric registered nurses in the US based on their resumes.
Psychiatric Registered Nurse Common CollegePercentages
University of Phoenix14.44%
Excelsior College8.02%
Grand Canyon University7.49%
University of South Alabama6.95%
New York University5.88%

Best majors for psychiatric registered nurses

RankMajorPercentages
1Nursing81.5%
2Psychology4.2%
3Nursing Science2.2%
4Business1.7%
5Liberal Arts1.2%

Best colleges for psychiatric registered nurses

The best colleges for psychiatric registered nurses are University of Rochester, University of Tulsa, and Vanderbilt University.

A psychiatric registered nurse with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for psychiatric registered nurses. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become psychiatric registered nurses.

1. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

In-State Tuition

$53,430

Enrollment

5,963

4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-State Tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

5. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-State Tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

6. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

7. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

In-State Tuition

$17,653

Enrollment

16,405

8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

9. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

10. Chamberlain College of Nursing - Arlington

Arlington, VA • Private

In-State Tuition

$19,375

Enrollment

506

20 best online courses for psychiatric registered nurses

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2. Introduction to Integrative Nursing

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Top 10 most affordable universities for psychiatric registered nurses

The most affordable schools for psychiatric registered nurses are SUNY Farmingdale, brigham young university, and hunter college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for psychiatric registered nurses are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for psychiatric registered nurses.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,306

Cost of Attendance

16,091

2. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-State Tuition

$5,620

Cost of Attendance

18,136

3. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,182

Cost of Attendance

13,998

4. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-State Tuition

$5,419

Cost of Attendance

17,697

5. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-State Tuition

$9,992

Cost of Attendance

22,430

6. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,064

Cost of Attendance

15,576

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,556

Cost of Attendance

19,434

8. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-State Tuition

$4,094

Cost of Attendance

14,302

9. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,238

Cost of Attendance

21,567

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-State Tuition

$5,656

Cost of Attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for psychiatric registered nurses

The hardest universities for psychiatric registered nurses to get into are University of Rochester, University of Tulsa, and Vanderbilt University.

Some great schools for psychiatric registered nurses are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for psychiatric registered nurses based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

29%

SAT Average

1,422

2. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions Rate

41%

SAT Average

1,321

3. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions Rate

10%

SAT Average

1,514

4. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

40%

SAT Average

1,376

5. Clemson University

Clemson, SC • Private

Admissions Rate

47%

SAT Average

1,337

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions Rate

11%

SAT Average

1,513

7. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions Rate

28%

SAT Average

1,429

8. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

Admissions Rate

58%

SAT Average

1,309

9. Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions Rate

58%

SAT Average

1,304

10. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

42%

SAT Average

1,326

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for psychiatric registered nurses

The easiest schools for psychiatric registered nurses to get into are AdventHealth University, nyack college, and d'youville college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a psychiatric registered nurse without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for psychiatric registered nurses.

1. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions Rate

87%

SAT Average

1,016

2. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

98%

SAT Average

999

3. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

100%

SAT Average

1,072

4. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions Rate

99%

SAT Average

1,008

5. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions Rate

84%

SAT Average

1,069

6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions Rate

68%

SAT Average

964

7. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions Rate

92%

SAT Average

1,031

8. Aultman College of Nursing and Health Sciences

Canton, OH • Private

Admissions Rate

75%

SAT Average

1,085

9. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions Rate

96%

SAT Average

1,111

10. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions Rate

84%

SAT Average

1,031

Average psychiatric registered nurse salary by education level

Psychiatric registered nurses with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $92,793 annually. With a Doctorate degree, psychiatric registered nurses earn a median annual income of $85,167 compared to $81,919 for psychiatric registered nurses with an Bachelor's degree.
Psychiatric Registered Nurse education levelPsychiatric Registered Nurse salary
Master's Degree$92,793
Bachelor's Degree$81,919
Doctorate Degree$85,167
Some College/ Associate Degree$69,708

Psychiatric Registered Nurse Education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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