Nursing is one of the fastest growing careers in the United States. Unfortunately, there has been a shortage of nurses in the country for decades. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be 1.2 million vacancies for registered nurses between 2014 and 2022.
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In fact, the BLS says that the current rate of job growth for registered nurses (16%) is "Much faster than average."
The median annual salary for a registered nurse in 2015 was $67,490, while some earn as much as $100,000 and more, making nursing a tough but lucrative field.
If you're interested in entering the nursing field, one of the top programs is right here in Atlanta. Emory University ranks No. 4 among nursing programs, according to U.S. News & World Report.
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Below are the top 15 nursing programs in the United States:
1. Duke University, Durham, N.C.
2. Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md.
3. University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa.
4. Emory University, Atlanta, Ga.
5. Ohio State University, Columbus, Oh.
6T. University of Washington, Seattle Wa.
6T. Yale University, New Haven, Ct.
8T. Columbia University New York, N.Y.
8T. University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa.
10. University of Maryland-Baltimore, Baltimore, Md.
11T. Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
11T. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, Mi.
13T. New York University (Meyers), New York, N.Y.
13T. University of Alabama-Birmingham, Birmingham, Ala.
15T. University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, Ca.
15T. Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn.