6 Best Nursing Schools in Mississippi – 2024 Rankings
Written By: Pattie Trumble, MPP, MPH
Mississippi has some of the most affordable nursing schools in the U.S. Once you’ve graduated from one of the nursing schools in Mississippi and earned your license, you’ll be able to practice in a number of other states as well since the Magnolia State is part of the Enhanced Nursing Licensure Compact. As a Mississippi RN, you can count on averaging $67,930 a year in salary. Demand for your services will be high, too: The Magnolia State will need 6 percent more nurses than it presently has over the next decade. For information on the 6 best nursing schools in Mississippi for 2024, keep reading.
WHAT ARE THE BEST ACCREDITED NURSING SCHOOLS IN MISSISSIPPI?
(After closely assessing all nursing schools approved by the Mississippi State Board of Nursing, based on our Ranking Methodology, the following are the best accredited nursing schools in Mississippi offering BSN programs.)
1. University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg
The College of Nursing and Health Professions is headquartered in Ashbury Hall. Students put classroom theory into action at the state-of-the-art Learning Resources and Simulation Center, where students can focus on learning essential nursing skills such as IV insertion, oxygen administration, and ECG interpretation. Clinical rotations are scheduled at a range of local health care facilities throughout Hattiesburg and more rural parts of central MS.
Financial Aid: The nursing college receives grant funds from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that are earmarked for the training of primary care nurse practitioners. The University of Southern Mississippi doesn’t offer any endowed scholarships, but it encourages nursing students to look for external scholarship funding. By filling out and submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), you may qualify for federal needs-based support.
2. William Carey University, Biloxi and Hattiesburg
William Carey University is affiliated with the Mississippi Baptist Convention. While the university is open to students of all religious affiliations, the university embraces its Baptist heritage, and one of the aims of nursing education here is to encourage aspiring nurses to look at their profession as a type of Christian service. Students have the opportunity to learn diagnostic practices and bedside skills at a sophisticated Simulation and Technology Center. From there, students go on to participate in clinical rotations at Forrest General Hospital, Merit Health Wesley, and other health care providers throughout Biloxi, Gulfport, Hattiesburg, and more rural communities along Mississippi’s Gulf Coast.
Financial Aid: William Carey University offers 15 endowed scholarships for nursing students. Applications must be received by April 1 in order to be considered for the following academic year. Mississippi Tuition Assistance Grants and other state support may be available through the Mississippi Office of Student Financial Aid. Students who submit FAFSA forms may qualify for federal grants and loans.
3. Delta State University, Cleveland
The City of Cleveland donated the 12,000-square-foot City Hospital building to Delta State University after the hospital was shut down, and this is where the nursing school is housed today. Delta State is known for its commitment to high tech, so all the classrooms in the nursing building are equipped with sophisticated, interactive technologies. The nursing school’s innovative Skills and Simulation Labs contain hospital equipment, supplies, and high-tech manikins that can be programmed to mimic a wide range of physiological responses so that nursing students can learn how to respond to common clinical scenarios before they begin interacting with patients. Clinical rotations are scheduled at acute care hospitals, outpatient clinics, and community health agencies in Cleveland and throughout other parts of western Mississippi.
Financial Aid: The Robert E. Smith School administers a few scholarships specifically for nursing students and also encourages nursing students to explore external scholarship options. The Office of Financial Assistance may also be able to help you find state and federal grants and loans. You’ll need to submit a FAFSA form to quality.
4. Mississippi University for Women, Columbus
The W’s College of Nursing & Health Sciences is one of two schools to offer two-year Associate of Science nursing degrees in MS as well as four-year baccalaureate degrees. The other health science degrees the college offers in addition to nursing include speech-language pathology, public health education, and kinesiology. The nursing program is housed in Martin Hall where each degree program—Associate, Baccalaureate and Master’s—occupies its own floor. The Nursing Skills Lab is located on the second floor of Martin Hall. Clinical rotations take place at affiliated hospitals, ambulatory care clinics, and community health care agencies throughout Columbus and other communities on the Mississippi/Alabama border.
Financial Aid: Mississippi University for Women doesn’t administer any nursing-specific scholarships, but all incoming and transfer students are eligible for merit scholarships. When you submit a FAFSA form to the Office of Financial Aid, you may qualify for federal grants and loans. All residents of Lowndes County who are graduates of East Mississippi Community College may attend Mississippi University for Women tuition-free.
5. Alcorn State University, Natchez
The School of Nursing occupies a 47,000-square-foot building on a 10-acre lot in Natchez. In addition to classrooms and meeting spaces, the building also includes a Learning Resource Center and two seven-bed nursing skills laboratories that comply with National Science Foundation standards. Just next door to the nursing building sits the 1,880-square-foot Community Family Clinic, which is one of the sites where Alcorn nursing students perform their clinical rotations. Other clinical rotations are scheduled at health care facilities throughout Natchez and more rural parts of Adams County.
Financial Aid: Alcorn University nursing students can apply for the Dr. Malvina A. Williams Endowed Scholarship as well as for a number of merit scholarships that are available to entering and transferring students. The Office of Financial Aid may also be able to help you identify federal grants and loans once you’ve filled out and submitted a FAFSA form.
6. University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson
Nursing students have an opportunity for active hands-on learning at the Clinical Skills and Simulation Center. Once they’ve perfected clinical techniques using high-fidelity manikins that are programmed to respond to stimuli in realistic ways, they’ll go on to participate in clinical rotations at one of UMMC’s many medical facilities. These facilities include the University Hospital, the Winfred L. Wiser Hospital for Women and Infants, and the Blair E. Batson Children's Hospital. The School of Nursing also publishes a biannual newsletter called “Vital Signs,” which contains information about faculty and student achievements as well as updates on community service activities.
Financial Aid: The School of Nursing sponsors several scholarship opportunities for students and reviews applications from all incoming students to determine eligibility. The school also encourages students to investigate nursing scholarships from outside sources. Completing a FAFSA form may help you qualify for needs-based grants and loans.
Pattie Trumble, MPP, MPH
Pattie Trumble is a nurse who worked in both California and New York for many years as an emergency room nurse. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and an Associate Degree in Nursing from the Samuel Merritt Hospital School of Nursing. After 10 years of providing direct care, she went back to school and earned concurrent Master’s degrees in both public policy and public health from the University of California, Berkeley. Thereafter, she worked for various public health agencies in California at both the community and state levels providing economic and legislative analysis.
Nursing Schools in Nearby States
Nursing Schools in other States
Nursing Salaries
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|