Home Spotlight Best Nursing Schools for Hispanic Students

Best Online Schools for Hispanic & Latino Nursing Students

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Author: Angela Myers, BA
Editor: Karen A. Brudnak

As 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.

Two people greet each other enthusiastically outside on a sunny day. One, wearing a yellow sweater, holds notebooks and smiles while the other, in a blue jacket, raises a hand in greeting. As Latino nursing students, they share stories of their studies at one of the best online schools. Blurred trees and buildings are in the background.

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.

2-year Schools 4-year Schools
1

CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College

New York, New York

Public

2

Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell Campus

Roswell, New Mexico

Public

3

CUNY Bronx Community College

Bronx, New York

Public

4

Amarillo College

Amarillo, Texas

Public

5

Panola College

Carthage, Texas

Public

6

CUNY LaGuardia Community College

Long Island City, New York

Public

7

CUNY Queensborough Community College

Bayside, New York

Public

8

National Park College

Hot Springs, Arkansas

Public

9

Holmes Community College

Goodman, Mississippi

Public

10

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College

Perkinston, Mississippi

Public

11

Kansas City Kansas Community College

Kansas City, Kansas

Public

12

Northwood Technical College

Shell Lake, Wisconsin

Public

13

Hinds Community College

Raymond, Mississippi

Public

14

Bossier Parish Community College

Bossier City, Louisiana

Public

15

Mesa Community College

Mesa, Arizona

Public

16

Missouri State University-West Plains

West Plains, Missouri

Public

17

Roane State Community College

Harriman, Tennessee

Public

18

Mt Hood Community College

Gresham, Oregon

Public

19

Lakeshore Technical College

Cleveland, Wisconsin

Public

20

Pratt Community College

Pratt, Kansas

Public

21

Allegany College of Maryland

Cumberland, Maryland

Public

22

Chandler-Gilbert Community College

Chandler, Arizona

Public

23

Northwest Technical College

Bemidji, Minnesota

Public

24

John A Logan College

Carterville, Illinois

Public

2-year Schools 4-year Schools
1

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Edinburg, Texas

Public

2

Florida International University

Miami, Florida

Public

3

The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, Texas

Public

4

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

Public

5

Texas A & M International University

Laredo, Texas

Public

6

California State University-Dominguez Hills

Carson, California

Public

7

CUNY Lehman College

Bronx, New York

Public

8

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida

Public

9

California State University-Stanislaus

Turlock, California

Public

10

University of New Mexico-Main Campus

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Public

11

South Florida State College

Avon Park, Florida

Public

12

University of Florida-Online

Gainesville, Florida

Public

13

Texas A & M University-College Station

College Station, Texas

Public

14

Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, Florida

Public

15

Western New Mexico University

Silver City, New Mexico

Public

16

University of Illinois Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Public

17

Florida SouthWestern State College

Fort Myers, Florida

Public

18

Indian River State College

Fort Pierce, Florida

Public

19

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, North Carolina

Public

20

Fayetteville State University

Fayetteville, North Carolina

Public

21

Sam Houston State University

Huntsville, Texas

Public

22

Daytona State College

Daytona Beach, Florida

Public

23

Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus

Portales, New Mexico

Public

24

Lake-Sumter State College

Leesburg, Florida

Public

25

California State University-San Marcos

San Marcos, California

Public

26

California State University-East Bay

Hayward, California

Public

27

Texas Woman’s University

Denton, Texas

Public

28

St Petersburg College

St. Petersburg, Florida

Public

29

University of North Florida

Jacksonville, Florida

Public

30

The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, Texas

Public

31

Ohio State University-Main Campus

Columbus, Ohio

Public

32

University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus

Denver, Colorado

Public

33

The University of Texas at Arlington

Arlington, Texas

Public

34

North Carolina Central University

Durham, North Carolina

Public

35

Clarkson College

Omaha, Nebraska

Private

36

North Carolina A & T State University

Greensboro, North Carolina

Public

37

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Charlotte, North Carolina

Public

38

Saint Peter’s University

Jersey City, New Jersey

Private

39

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Public

40

Oklahoma Panhandle State University

Goodwell, Oklahoma

Public

41

Baptist Health Sciences University

Memphis, Tennessee

Private

42

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Madison, Wisconsin

Public

43

East Carolina University

Greenville, North Carolina

Public

44

University of Nevada-Las Vegas

Las Vegas, Nevada

Public

45

Eastern Florida State College

Cocoa, Florida

Public

46

Norfolk State University

Norfolk, Virginia

Public

47

Lamar University

Beaumont, Texas

Public

48

Mercy College

Dobbs Ferry, New York

Private

49

Florida State College at Jacksonville

Jacksonville, Florida

Public

50

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Public

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:

  1. Average amount of grant aid awarded to undergraduates.
  2. In-state tuition and fees.
  3. Total price for in-state students living off campus, not with family.
  4. Total price for in-state students living off campus, with family.
  5. 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:

  1. Hispanic student graduation rate.
  2. 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:

  1. Percent of undergraduates who are Hispanic/Latino.
  2. 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:

  1. Percent of undergraduate students enrolled exclusively in distance education courses.
  2. 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.

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A woman with long, ombré hair and a floral dress smiling warmly, surrounded by shelves filled with colorful books.

Angela Myers, BA AUTHOR

Angela Myers is a freelance writer covering health, health tech, and education. Her work has appeared in Forbes Health, Healthline, and others. Before starting her writing career, she conducted award-winning research on how to better communicate about sexual violence prevention on college campuses. When not writing, she can be found doing yoga, running, or buying too many books.

Read More

Karen A. Brudnak EDITOR

Karen has been a magazine editor for 30 years. Starting out as a copy editor at Nursing magazine, she then moved into the education arena and eventually became Managing Editor of Learning magazine. Karen also served as Director of Custom Publishing for The Education Center. Karen now manages marketing and fundraising for a nonprofit focused on feeding hungry children and families in Greensboro, NC. She has one daughter in college now and one in high school, so she particularly enjoys editing articles about scholarships, success strategies, and standout programs.

Read More

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