Inside Online Schools for Hispanic & Latino Nursing Students
The following professionals lent their expertise to this article:
HealthcareEditorialHealthcare Education
HealthcareMedical AssistingPre-NursingAs demand for nurses grows, online nursing programs are great for Hispanic and Latino students to achieve their career goals. Find the perfect school that suits your needs.
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In 2005, 1.2 million Hispanic students between 18 and 24 were enrolled in college. By 2021, that number had doubled to 2.4 million. The field of nursing is particularly appealing because it offers healthy salaries, the chance to help others, and opportunities for career growth. Plus, Hispanic and Latino nurses play a key role in improving patient education, advocacy, and communication with Spanish speakers. When nurses reflect the communities that they’re caring for, healthcare improves for everyone.
Once you’ve landed on nursing as your field of choice, your next challenge is to find the right program. Most rankings of the best nursing schools focus on affordability, curriculum, and accreditation. These factors are important, and ones you should consider; however, as a Hispanic or Latino student, you also want a school equipped to meet your unique needs. To help you zero in on top picks, we’ve compiled a list of schools that offer great Hispanic and Latino representation in their faculty and student body. Many also offer clubs or support groups for Hispanic and Latino students or provide guidance on how you can use your background to boost your post-graduation salary and better serve patients.
Top Schools for Online Hispanic & Latino Nursing Students
Whether you’re casually browsing or eagerly awaiting to start your nursing studies, it can be overwhelming to sort out which programs are the right fit for you. Keep reading to see which schools made it onto our list as the best choices for Hispanic & Latino nursing students.
Rankings Methodology
Reading a list of rankings and understanding how rankings were determined are two different, and equally important, tasks. To ensure you understand the “why” behind our rankings, let’s look at the four categories that comprise our methodology: affordability, outcomes, representation, and online learning options.
Affordability
College cost is a top concern for many students, and for good reason: The average degree cost $27,100 at a public university in 2023, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. To determine the most affordable nursing schools, we looked at:
- Average amount of grant aid awarded to undergraduates.
- In-state tuition and fees.
- Total price for in-state students living off campus, not with family.
- Total price for in-state students living off campus, with family.
- Percent of full-time, first-time undergraduates awarded Pell grants.
Some of the ranked schools offer scholarships specifically for Hispanic and Latino students; check this list of 20 scholarships for Hispanic and Latino students that you can apply for as well.
Outcomes
Getting a pricey education and taking on college loans is only worth it if your efforts result in a degree. With that nonnegotiable in mind, when ranking schools our team considered:
- Hispanic student graduation rate.
- Number of Hispanic/Latino students who completed a degree or certificate program.
By looking specifically at outcomes related to Hispanic/Latino students, these rankings more accurately reflect the school’s commitment to culturally inclusive resources and community building. Many of the programs also offer professional development resources to help Hispanic and Latino nursing students excel in their careers after graduation.
Representation
Nursing school is stressful enough; the last thing you need is to feel out of place because none of your classmates or professors understand your culture. To ensure a school has the representation and diversity you need, we looked at the:
- Percent of undergraduates who are Hispanic/Latino.
- Number of faculty members who are Hispanic/Latino.
Being bilingual is an in-demand skill for nurses. Being around others who speak Spanish can help you practice your language skills and better understand how to best serve Spanish-speaking patients during your nursing school clinicals and after graduating. Schools that rank high on representation may also have more career resources and connections with healthcare facilities that value diversity and bilingualism.
Online Learning
Whether you’re working while getting your degree or caring for family members, your studies may not be your only priority. Online learning enables you to get the same level of education without spending as much time commuting or on campus.
To determine if a school excels in providing online learning options, we looked at two statistics:
- Percent of undergraduate students enrolled exclusively in distance education courses.
- Percent of undergraduate students enrolled in some but not all distance education courses.
We also dove into what the online curriculum looked like and the online delivery methods to ensure they matched the rigor of the school’s in-person offerings.
