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Registered nurse teacher education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a registered nurse teacher. Registered nurse teachers usually study nursing, nursing science, or biology. 54% of registered nurse teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 28% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 83 real registered nurse teacher resumes to see exactly what registered nurse teacher education sections show.

The most common colleges for registered nurse teachers are the University of Southern Maine and the University of Southern Maine.

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

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

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

The most common degree for registered nurse teachers is bachelor's degree, with 54% of registered nurse teachers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 28% and associate degree degree at 10%.
  • Bachelor's, 54%
  • Associate, 28%
  • Master's, 10%
  • Diploma, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

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

You should major in nursing to become a registered nurse teacher. 62% of registered nurse teachers major in nursing. Other common majors for a registered nurse teacher include nursing science and biology.

Most common colleges for registered nurse teachers

Registered nurse teachers often get their degrees at University of Southern Maine, Coastal Carolina University, and Houston Baptist University. Here are the most common colleges for registered nurse teachers in the US based on their resumes.
Registered nurse teacher common collegePercentages
University of Southern Maine5.00%
Coastal Carolina University5.00%
Houston Baptist University5.00%
Saint Anselm College5.00%
Jackson College5.00%

Best majors for registered nurse teachers

RankMajorPercentages
1Nursing61.8%
2Nursing Science5.9%
3Biology2.9%
4Business2.9%
5Health Sciences And Services2.9%

Best colleges for registered nurse teachers

The best colleges for registered nurse teachers are Vanderbilt University, University of Rochester, and Johns Hopkins University.

A registered nurse teacher 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 teachers. 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 teachers.

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. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

4. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

5. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$17,653

Enrollment

16,405

6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

7. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

8. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

In-state tuition

$49,816

Enrollment

6,840

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

10. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

20 best online courses for registered nurse teachers

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10. HI-FIVE: Health Informatics For Innovation, Value & Enrichment (Clinical Perspective)

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13. Nursing Informatics Leadership Theory and Practice

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14. Introduction to Integrative Nursing

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Top 10 most affordable universities for registered nurse teachers

The most affordable schools for registered nurse teachers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, brigham young university, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for registered nurse teachers 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 teachers.

1. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

2. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

5. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

6. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

9. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

10. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for registered nurse teachers

The hardest universities for registered nurse teachers to get into are Vanderbilt University, University of Rochester, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for registered nurse teachers 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 teachers 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. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

2. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

5. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

6. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

7. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

9. Clemson University

Clemson, SC • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,337

10. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

Admissions rate

26%

SAT average

1,427

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for registered nurse teachers

The easiest schools for registered nurse teachers to get into are D'Youville College, nyack college, and gwynedd mercy university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a registered nurse teacher 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 teachers.

1. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

2. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

3. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

4. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

5. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

6. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

7. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

8. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

10. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

Average registered nurse teacher salary by education level

According to our data, registered nurse teachers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $87,982 annually. Registered nurse teachers with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $80,330.
Registered nurse teacher education levelRegistered nurse teacher salary
Master's Degree$87,982
Bachelor's Degree$77,083
Doctorate Degree$80,330
Some College/ Associate Degree$64,949

Registered nurse teacher 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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