As states across the country struggle to address a shortage of healthcare providers, Washington has emerged as one of the best states for nursing students.

New data from Nursa, a health care staffing platform, place Washington eighth on its list, based on tuition costs and student retention rates.

Matt Jager, marketing manager for Nursa, said the data show more than 83% of Washington nursing students complete their programs.

“While Washington seems to be a little bit more expensive on average, it still has higher retention rates overall, which may indicate that students are a little bit more supported in terms of financial aid,” Jager reported.

The Tri-Cities is home to two-year and four-year nursing programs at Columbia Basin College and Washington State University (WSU) Tri-Cities. 

Despite the high ranking, Washington is still slated to have one of the highest nursing shortages in the nation by 2035, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration.

State leaders are well aware of the issue. The 2023 state legislative session invested more than $10 million in public university and community college nursing programs.

Jager noted barriers to nursing education are also coming from the federal level. This spring, the U.S. Department of Education excluded nursing from its “professional degree” category. The change capped federal nursing school loans at less than $21,000 per year, less than half of what officially named professional degrees are allowed. Jager stressed the financial limitations can affect retention.

“This can also place a lot of stress on mental health, drawing away students’ abilities to focus on their academics if they have to pick up jobs, if they have to supplement the high tuition costs in some way,” Jager explained.

Across the country, the research found average in-state tuition is more than $13,000 per year, while the average student retention rate is about 75%.

This story is republished from Public News Service, an independent, member-supported news organization and Certified B Corporation committed to increasing awareness of and engagement with critical public interest issues by reporting and delivering credible journalism and media packages through a network of independent state newswires.