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Surgical nurse education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a surgical nurse. Surgical nurses usually study nursing, nursing science, or business. 46% of surgical nurses hold a bachelor's degree, and 39% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 5,777 real surgical nurse resumes to see exactly what surgical nurse education sections show.
The most common colleges for surgical nurses are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online surgical nurse courses to help get the education required to be a surgical nurse.
There are certain surgical nurse certifications that you should consider. These surgical nurse certifications include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC).
What education do you need to become a surgical nurse?
What degree do you need to be a surgical nurse?
- Bachelor's, 46%
- Associate, 39%
- Master's, 6%
- Diploma, 6%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a surgical nurse?
- Nursing, 83%
- Nursing Science, 3%
- Business, 2%
- Other Majors, 11%
Most common colleges for surgical nurses
| Surgical nurse common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 10.47% |
| Walden University | 7.09% |
| Excelsior College | 7.09% |
| University of Massachusetts Boston | 5.41% |
| Ohio University | 5.41% |
Best majors for surgical nurses
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nursing | 83.3% |
| 2 | Nursing Science | 3.2% |
| 3 | Business | 1.6% |
| 4 | Health/Medical Preparatory Programs | 1.4% |
| 5 | Psychology | 1.3% |
Best colleges for surgical nurses
The best colleges for surgical nurses are University of Rochester, University of Tulsa, and Vanderbilt University.
A surgical 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 surgical 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 surgical 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 surgical nurses
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2. Trauma Emergencies and Care
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5. Introduction to Integrative Nursing
This course is designed for nurses who are drawn to practice in a different way – nurses who value whole-person care and know that the essence of nursing practice is truly caring and healing. You will learn about the principles and practices of Integrative Nursing and how you can be a healing presence to all you serve. Then, you will do an integrative assessment and apply the principles of Integrative Nursing to improve symptom management and overall patient outcomes. Finally, you will explore...
6. Prehospital care of acute stroke and patient selection for endovascular treatment using the RACE scale
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10. Pain Management: Easing Pain in Palliative Care
In this course, you will be able to develop a systems view for assessing and managing pain in the palliative care setting. By the end of the course, you will be able to: 1) Describe the pain problem in the palliative care setting; 2) Assess a person’s pain, 3) Explain the benefits of integrative therapies and pharmacologic strategies to manage pain...
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13. COVID-19 Training for Healthcare Workers
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14. Medical Emergencies: Airway, Breathing, and Circulation
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15. Medical Coding: ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code Training
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16. Clinical Kidney, Pancreas and Islet Transplantation
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18. Addiction Treatment: Clinical Skills for Healthcare Providers
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19. Nursing Informatics Leadership Theory and Practice
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Top 10 most affordable universities for surgical nurses
The most affordable schools for surgical nurses are SUNY Farmingdale, brigham young university, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for surgical 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 surgical 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 surgical nurses
The hardest universities for surgical nurses to get into are University of Rochester, University of Tulsa, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for surgical 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 surgical 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 surgical nurses
The easiest schools for surgical 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 surgical 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 surgical 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 surgical nurse salary by education level
| Surgical nurse education level | Surgical nurse salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $81,707 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $71,957 |
| Doctorate Degree | $74,867 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $61,037 |
Surgical nurse education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025