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Registered nurse midwife education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a registered nurse midwife. Registered nurse midwives usually study nursing, medical technician, or nursing science. 37% of registered nurse midwives hold a bachelor's degree, and 28% hold an diploma. We analyzed 240 real registered nurse midwife resumes to see exactly what registered nurse midwife education sections show.

The most common colleges for registered nurse midwives are the University of the West and the University of the West.

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

There are certain registered nurse midwife certifications that you should consider. These registered nurse midwife certifications include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Certified Midwife (CM).

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

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

The most common degree for registered nurse midwives is bachelor's degree, with 37% of registered nurse midwives earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are diploma degree at 28% and diploma degree at 24%.
  • Bachelor's, 37%
  • Diploma, 28%
  • Associate, 24%
  • Master's, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 5%

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

You should major in nursing to become a registered nurse midwife. 80% of registered nurse midwives major in nursing. Other common majors for a registered nurse midwife include medical technician and nursing science.

Most common colleges for registered nurse midwives

Registered nurse midwives often get their degrees at University of the West, Eastern Michigan University, and Santa Monica College. Here are the most common colleges for registered nurse midwives in the US based on their resumes.
Registered nurse midwife common collegePercentages
University of the West26.92%
Eastern Michigan University3.85%
Santa Monica College3.85%
Arkansas Tech University3.85%
Excelsior College3.85%

Best majors for registered nurse midwives

RankMajorPercentages
1Nursing80.1%
2Medical Technician2.0%
3Nursing Science2.0%
4Public Health1.3%
5Education1.3%

Best colleges for registered nurse midwives

The best colleges for registered nurse midwives are University of Rochester, University of Tulsa, and Vanderbilt University.

A registered nurse midwife with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for registered nurse midwives. 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 registered nurse midwives.

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 registered nurse midwives

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1. Introduction to Integrative Nursing

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In this course, we explore the AMIA Nursing Informatics History Project. By the end of the module, you will understand the resources available that will be used in this course to learn about the first hand experiences, future vision, and lessons learned in becoming a nursing informatics pioneer. Course Objectives: • Explore the history of technology and its relationship to the beginning of nursing informatics to understand historical context and evolution of the specialty • Discover the AMIA...

6. Trauma Emergencies and Care

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7. Nursing Informatics Leadership Theory and Practice

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“By the end of this Course, you will be able to…” • Evaluate effective leadership styles for leadership in nursing informatics in clinical or academic contexts to improve leadership success. • Discover core values that support effective nursing informatics leadership in academic and clinical contexts to inform development of a personal leadership mission statement. • Discover competing values and polarities related to knowledge leadership and management to promote successful leadership...

8. The Critical Role of IT Support Staff in Healthcare

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9. Emergency Care: Pregnancy, Infants, and Children

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Welcome to the final course of lectures in your quest to master EMT basics. In this course, we will cover some of the highest-stress patient populations: pregnant patients and kids, also known as pediatrics. To wrap up your EMT knowledge we will end this course with information about hazmat situations, extricating patients from tight spots and finally how you write a note about your patient care. You will learn to ensure it communicates what your assessment of the patient was, what...

10. Health After Cancer: Cancer Survivorship for Primary Care

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This course presents basic principles of cancer survivorship to primary-care physicians. Developed by a team of experts in caring for cancer survivors, and narrated by a primary-care physician, this course provides practical tips and tools that can be easily integrated into medical practice. You will learn about the complex physical and psychosocial needs and concerns of the growing number of cancer survivors, along with the key role that primary care physicians have in guiding these patients...

11. Medical Emergencies: CPR, Toxicology, and Wilderness

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In this course, you will develop the knowledge and skills to assess and stabilize certain types of patients for transport. By the end of this course, you will be able to: (1) Identify the signs and symptoms associated with a patient in shock, to describe the major categories of shock, to assess a patient with signs of shock and formulate a plan for treatment to stabilize the patient for transport, (2) Identify a patient in cardiac arrest and to describe the components of high performance CPR...

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13. Addiction Treatment: Clinical Skills for Healthcare Providers

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This course is designed with a singular goal: to improve the care you provide to your patients with substance use disorders. By delving into a model case performed by actors, seven Yale instructors from various fields provide techniques to screen your patients for substance use disorder risk, diagnose patients to gauge the severity of their use, directly manage treatment plans, refer out to treatment services, and navigate the various conditions that may limit your patient’s access to treatment...

14. Health for All Through Primary Health Care

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Top 10 most affordable universities for registered nurse midwives

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

If the best universities for registered nurse midwives 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 registered nurse midwives.

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 registered nurse midwives

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

Some great schools for registered nurse midwives 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 registered nurse midwives 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 registered nurse midwives

The easiest schools for registered nurse midwives 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 registered nurse midwife 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 registered nurse midwives.

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 registered nurse midwife salary by education level

Registered nurse midwives with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $96,785 annually. With a Doctorate degree, registered nurse midwives earn a median annual income of $89,016 compared to $85,701 for registered nurse midwives with an Bachelor's degree.
Registered nurse midwife education levelRegistered nurse midwife salary
Master's Degree$96,785
Bachelor's Degree$85,701
Doctorate Degree$89,016
Some College/ Associate Degree$73,211

Registered nurse midwife 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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