2024 Rankings: The 30 Best Nursing Schools in the Miami Metro Area

The University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies (SONHS) is home to the Simulation Hospital for Advancing Research and Education (SHARE), one of the nation’s first education-based simulation hospitals. The school frequently ranks among the top 25 nursing schools nationwide in National Institutes of Health research funding. A member of the respected UHealth family, SONHS offers BSN, MSN, DNP, and PhD degrees. Post-master’s certificates are also available in several nurse practitioner specializations. The school graduates approximately 200 students annually from its flagship prelicensure BSN program. During the past decade, more than 95% of these students passed the NCLEX-RN licensure exam on their first try.

FAU’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing educates 1,600 students across its three campuses in Boca Raton, Davie, and Harbor Branch. The college offers four undergraduate pathways: traditional BSN, freshmen direct admission, accelerated BSN, and RN-to-BSN. The prelicensure tracks graduate approximately 100 BSN students annually, with a 92% first-time pass rate on the NCLEX exam over the past decade. At the graduate level, FAU offers both DNP and PhD programs, plus a rich breadth of MSN specializations including administration, holistic nursing, education, clinical nurse leader, and two nurse practitioner roles. Indeed, FAU has the largest graduate nursing enrollment of any university in Florida.

The College of Nursing and Health Sciences at Barry University is the first and only institution in Florida to be named a Center of Excellence by the National League for Nursing. At the undergraduate level, the college offers both a traditional BSN and an accelerated 15-month program for students with a bachelor’s degree in another discipline. Barry University typically graduates 100-130 prelicensure BSN students annually, with a solid 82% NCLEX-RN exam pass rate over the past decade. MSN students can pursue a nurse practitioner specialization in either family practice or adult-gerontology acute care, with post-master’s certificates also available in both specializations. Doctoral candidates have four options: a four-year post-baccalaureate DNP, a two-year post-master’s DNP, a newly launched DNP in anesthesiology, and an interdisciplinary PhD program that features classes from both the College of Nursing and Health Sciences and the School of Education.

West Coast University Miami is the newest addition to the WCU family. Occupying more than 46,000 square feet, the university provides students with access to computer labs, internet stations, nursing skills labs, and science labs. The Miami campus also features a 5,000-square-foot simulation center with high-fidelity simulators. Programs for aspiring nurses include a traditional prelicensure BSN and an LPN-to-BSN bridge program. The traditional BSN can be completed in 39 months with a daytime schedule or 44 months with an evening and weekend schedule. The LPN-to-BSN bridge program allows students to shave five months off these timelines. Since the program’s launch, BSN graduates from Miami have posted an incredible 96% first-time pass rate on the NCLEX-RN licensure examination.

Keiser University offers degree pathways for current and aspiring nurses at nearly twenty campuses across the state of Florida. Options include an associate of science degree, four BSN pathways (traditional, accelerated, FastTrack, and RN-to-BSN), an MSN degree with an option for family nurse practitioner focus, and a DNP program. The school offers working nurses the opportunity to concurrently integrate educational principles into their direct practice. Practicum activities include community agency visits, approved conferences, volunteer activities, interagency site visits, technological field trips, simulation labs, leadership activities, and interdepartmental study in current employment systems.

Mercy Hospital is Miami-Dade County’s only Catholic hospital and a two-time recipient of the prestigious Magnet award for nursing excellence. The institution houses both the School of Practical Nursing and the College of Nursing. The School of Practical Nursing offers two pathways for aspiring LPNs: a 12-month daytime program and a 14-month evening program. Either curriculum is designed to be completed in three trimesters. The College of Nursing builds on this foundation with a one-year LPN-to-RN bridge. This associate degree program is designed for working students with convenient evening and weekend hours. Mercy Hospital graduates have consistently performed well on their licensure exams over the past decade, including an 86% NCLEX-PN pass rate for LPN graduates and an 87% NCLEX-RN pass rate for ADN graduates.

Broward College offers an ASN degree with three options: the generic option, for applicants with no previous nursing education; an LPN-to-RN transition, for students who already hold a current Florida LPN license; and a hybrid online option for students who prefer a blend of online and on-campus learning. The program consists of 72 credits. There are 56 hours of clinical practicum and 16 hours of theory for each credit. Clinical hours are conducted in both acute care and extended care facilities as well as nursing campus lab settings. For the past decade, approximately 300 ADN graduates annually have achieved an outstanding NCLEX-RN exam pass rate of 94%.

Antigua College International focuses exclusively on nursing education. The school offers multiple pathways to enter the nursing profession, including a 16-month practical nursing diploma, a 28-month associate of science in nursing (ASN) degree, and a 42-month bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree. ACI also offers an RN-to-BSN pathway for existing nurses as well as NCLEX preparation and remediation classes. Graduates consistently perform strongly on their licensure examinations. Since the college’s inception, BSN students have scored a 74% NCLEX-RN pass rate, ASN students have averaged a 78% NCLEX-RN pass rate, and LPN students have achieved an 87% NCLEX-PN pass rate.

With more than 92,000 students enrolled, Miami Dade College has the largest undergraduate enrollment of any college or university in the country. The school also confers more associate degrees than any other community college in the nation. MDC’s Leon School of Nursing offers an ADN program that focuses on hands-on training in state-of-the-art labs. Approximately 500 students graduate from the program annually. These students have averaged an 81% first-time pass rate on the NCLEX-RN licensure examination over the past decade. The college is fully accredited to offer baccalaureate degrees as well, including a BSN for Florida-licensed nurses who have already completed an ADN program.

American Medical Academy began as an EMS-focused institution in 2006. Today, AMA serves more than 400 students enrolled in over a dozen certificate, diploma, and degree programs. For aspiring nurses, the academy offers both traditional BSN and RN-to-BSN pathways. The RN-to-BSN curriculum focuses on traditional and emerging topics in nursing, including informatics, research, business concepts, and nursing education. This option may be completed online in less than two years. The traditional BSN is a three- to four-year program that covers a broad range of coursework, including health promotion, illness prevention and wellness, and diagnosis and therapeutic interventions. Upon completion of the traditional BSN program, graduates are prepared to sit for the NCLEX-RN licensure examination. American Medical Academy is nationally accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools.

Ana G. Mendez University is the largest private university in Puerto Rico, with three additional campuses in the state of Florida. AGMU awards the full gamut of diplomas and degrees at its campuses in Metro Orlando, South Florida, and Tampa Bay. The School of Nursing offers pathways both for individuals who are interested in becoming a nurse and for professional nurses seeking advancement in their careers. Available programs include a traditional ADN, two BSN pathways (prelicensure and RN-to-BSN), an MSN degree with an executive nursing specialization, and a DNP program. The graduate programs may be completed either on campus or online. AGMU is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and approved by the Florida Commission for Independent Education.

Homestead Senior High School is a unique institution that offers magnet programs designed to prepare students for immediate employment in industries ranging from culinary arts to nursing. The nursing magnet program offers practical nursing, medical assisting, and pharmacy technician pathways. Students in the LPN pathway may also complete dual enrollment coursework that leads to an associate of arts degree upon high school graduation. The curriculum provides extensive clinical hours at area hospitals and other healthcare environments. In addition to immediate employment in the healthcare industry, LPN graduates are prepared to sit for the NCLEX-PN licensure examination. Over the past decade, Homestead Senior High School students have achieved an impressive 88% first-time pass rate on the exam.

Robert Morgan Educational Center & Technical College operates across two campuses that provide GED preparation, English instruction for speakers of other languages, and career and technical education. Approved by the Florida Board of Nursing, the LPN program features instruction and clinical experience in acute and long-term care, nutrition, and basic nursing. At least 50% of the program is dedicated to clinical experience. While the program requires 1,350 hours of study, students are eligible to receive a certificate of completion after finishing two practical nursing foundations courses totaling 600 hours. LPN graduates are well prepared for the NCLEX-PN licensure examination, averaging an 86% first-time pass rate over the past decade.

Sheridan Technical College operates across campuses in Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, and Fort Lauderdale. Most of the school’s career and technical education programs are housed at the 18-acre main campus in Hollywood. Pathways are concentrated in clusters such as Business and Information Technology or Health Sciences Education. The college’s LPN program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. The curriculum explores nursing fundamentals and focused areas such as blood-borne diseases, infection control, and computer literacy. Hands-on clinical experiences take place at local hospitals, clinics, and healthcare facilities. Sheridan Technical College graduates 80-90 LPN students each year. Over the past decade, these graduates have averaged an 82% first-time pass rate on the NCLEX-PN licensure examination.

Florida National University is the first and only university in Hialeah. The university holds regional accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. FNU offers degree, diploma, and certificate programs in online, on-campus, and hybrid formats. Nursing programs include two prelicensure options (ADN and BSN) and an MSN with both traditional and RN-to-MSN pathways. The MSN curriculum has three concentrations: family nurse practitioner, nurse educator, and nurse leadership and management. The university’s nursing graduates have performed admirably on their certification and licensure examinations. For several years in a row, FNP graduates have scored a pass rate between 90% and 100% on the AANP certification exam. BSN graduates have averaged a 70% first-time pass rate on the NCLEX-RN licensure examination since the program’s inception.