Academic Quality vs. PhD Pipeline: Top 100 Nursing Programs

X = Academic Rating  •  Y = PhD Productivity (NSF “Nursing science”)  •  Bubble = Earnings & ROI  •  Purple ring = Tier 2 C4  •  Hover/tap

Private University
Public University
Technical Institute
Liberal Arts College
Tier 2 C4

Source: College Transitions, 2026  |  Top 100 of 480 programs  |  Labeled: top 20