Those working in healthcare fields are true heroes in the best of times. During the pandemic, however, they are true beacons of hope, health, and compassion. We wanted to salute our brave and dedicated healthcare workers and cheer on those studying to join them. This Hidden Gem list features the best colleges for healthcare majors.
To make this list, we created a calculated score consisting of the density of undergraduate healthcare majors at Hidden Gem-qualified schools and its College Raptor Ranking. We then limited the results to our top 500 overall College Raptor rankings. Schools with a higher calculated score are higher up on the list!
To qualify as a Hidden Gem, a school must meet the following requirements:
- Receive fewer than 5,000 applications per year
- Have fewer than 7,000 undergraduate students
- Offer 5 or more unique majors
- Have a 10% acceptance rate or higher
Hidden Gems for Healthcare Majors
Samford University accepts about 84% of students. Many will go on to major in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Registered Nursing, and Journalism. Originally known as Howard College, it was founded in 1841. It is affiliated with Christianity and was converted to a military hospital during the Civil War. 63% of the student body study at the undergraduate level.
Location
Birmingham, AL
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
5,692
Located near Lake Superior, the College of Saint Scholastica is a liberal arts school. Storm the St. Bernard is the school mascot, championing the Saints sports teams. The College of Saint Scholastica does not charge students application fees at the undergraduate or graduate level. Additionally, 99% of students receive institutional financial aid.
Location
Duluth, MN
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
3,906
“Sapientia Aedificavit Sibi Domum” or “Wisdom has built herself a home” is the motto of Rockhurst University. The school has a 73% acceptance rate and does not charge students application fees. Additionally, all Rockhurst students receive institutional financial aid to help cover costs. Rockhurst’s mascot is a hawk.
Location
Kansas City, MO
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
2,990
Though presently located in Denver, this school actually started over in Las Vegas, Nevada. It also went through quite a few name changes before settling on Regis University. Nowadays, there is a near 50/50 split between undergraduate and graduate students studying on campus. Blue and gold are the official school colors.
Location
Denver, CO
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
6,908
Popular majors at the University of Detroit Mercy include Dental Hygiene, Engineering, Architectural Sciences, and Economics among others. Also known as UDM, the school has an 80% acceptance rate and an 11 to 1 student to faculty ratio. 73% of students are expected to graduate within six years.
Location
Detroit, MI
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
5,080
The Simmons University Sharks compete in a variety of sports, including rowing, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, and volleyball. 56% of incoming students call Massachusetts home, though many others are from surrounding states. Alumni of Simmons have gone on to have impressive careers in literature, politics, the sciences, and academia.
Location
Boston, MA
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
6,535
"Teach me goodness, discipline, and knowledge" is the motto of Saint John Fisher College, an apt quote for a school. The mascot is a cardinal, a nod to their namesake’s former position in the Catholic church. There are over 35 undergraduate majors, the most popular of which are Registered Nursing, Biology, and Psychology.
Location
Rochester, NY
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
3,618
Maryville University of Saint Louis has a nearly even split between undergraduate and graduate students - 44.5% and 55.5% respectively. The campus is located just east of the state capital. A majority of first year students come from Missouri, though students come from all over the country to attend Maryville.
Location
St. Louis, MO
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
10,013
Blue and yellow are Misericordia University’s official school colors. 78.5% of the students there study at the undergraduate level, while the remaining 21.5% are graduate students. The doctor’s degree is the highest degree offered at Misericordia. There is a 10 to 1 student to faculty ratio and a first year retention rate of 82%.
Location
Dallas, PA
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
2,503
Springfield College is known as the birthplace of basketball. A teacher at the school was asked to create a less-accident prone sport than football to keep athletes trained in the winter. Nowadays, the Springfield sports teams are known as the Pride. 98% of Springfield students receive financial aid to help cover costs.
Location
Springfield, MA
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
3,110
Also known as USciences, this school has a focus on pharmacy and health-related studies. As such, the most popular majors are Pharmacy, Health Services, and Biomedical Science. 81% of USciences students graduate within six years. There is also an 85% first year retention rate. UScience’s colors are maroon and slate.
Location
Philadelphia, PA
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
2,285
“Veritas Fax Ardens” is the Latin motto of Dominican University of California, which means “Truth is a Flaming Torch.” That said, their mascot is a penguin named Chilly. Black, gold, and white are the official school colors. 78% of students receive financial aid from the school to help cover tuition costs.
Location
San Rafael, CA
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
1,878
Moravian College traces its start all the way back to 1742. It’s undergone a number of transformations over the years, and officially earned the title of university in 2021. The campus sits along Monocacy Creek. Moravian College established a partnership with Osaka Ohtani University in Tondabayashi, Japan. Moravian has an 80% acceptance rate.
Location
Bethlehem, PA
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
2,595
97% of the students at Nazareth College earn financial aid from the college to help cover costs. Also known as Naz, the school has over 60 undergraduate majors. Three very popular health-related programs are nursing, PT, and speech therapy. 78% of the first year class comes from New York state, though students come from all over the country to attend.
Location
Rochester, NY
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
2,979
Point Loma Nazarene University, also known as PLNU, is located by the ocean on California’s coast. As such, their sports teams are known as the Sea Lions. Green and gold are the school’s official colors. 88% of PLNU’s first-year students return to finish out their education with the school. 72% of the incoming class are California natives.
Location
San Diego, CA
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
4,567
In addition to cardinal and cream being the colors of the Union University Bulldogs, it serves as the name of the campus paper too. Registered Nursing is by far and away the most popular major at Union. Organizational Leadership, Social Work, and Marketing are also very popular. Though students come from all over the country to attend Union, 64% come from Tennessee.
Location
Jackson, TN
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
3,172
“In Veritatis Amore” is the motto of Bellarmine University, which means “In the Love of Truth.” Popular majors at Bellarmine include Registered Nursing, Psychology, Speech Communication, Business, and Kinesiology. Students can study up to the doctorate level at Bellarmine. That said, 77% of the students are undergraduates.
Location
Louisville, KY
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
3,331
Immaculata University was founded as a women's college in 1920 known as Villa Maria College. Nowadays, the school is coeducational, with 29% of the undergraduate class being men and 71% are women. Immaculata has a cozy 9 to 1 student to faculty ratio and an 86% first year retention rate. The school colors are blue and white.
Location
Immaculata, PA
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
2,479
Marywood University has, perhaps aptly given its name, a national arboretum. 100% of students receive institutional financial aid to help cover costs. Marywood has an impressive 86% first year retention rate. Registered Nursing is the most popular major, followed by Health Professions and Architecture.
Location
Scranton, PA
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
2,679
Wagner College accepts 71% of the students who apply to the school. 100% of those attending students receive financial aid from the college to help cover costs. Wagner’s campus has been featured in a number of films and TV shows including the Sopranos, School of Rock, and Law & Order: SVU. There is a 16 to 1 student to faculty ratio at the school.
Location
Staten Island, NY
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
2,159
Known also as SFU, Saint Francis University’s campus is on 600 acres. Red and white are the official school colors. 81% of the student body studies at the undergraduate level, and students can earn up to a doctor’s degree. Alumni of SFU have gone on to have notable careers in professional sports, politics, academics, literature, and the military.
Location
Loretto, PA
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
2,930
UW Bothell, as it’s often called, actually shares its campus with another school - Cascadia College. There is a near even split between male and female students attending UW Bothell at both the undergrad and graduate levels. The school offers up to the master’s degree level of education. Holly the Husky is UW Bothell’s mascot.
Location
Bothell, WA
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
5,913
The largest private university in Indiana, IWU’s school motto is “Character. Scholarship. Leadership.” In fact, 100% of IWU students receive financial aid from the school to help cover costs. Additionally, IWU accepts 92% of applicants and does not charge application fees. The official school colors are red and gray.
Location
Marion, IN
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
3,165
Carroll University has an interesting tradition involving bagpipes. During freshman convocation, a single bagpiper plays for the students; upon graduation a whole band of bagpipers play to congratulate the students. 66% of incoming students call Wisconsin home, many other students come from neighboring Illinois.
Location
Waukesha, WI
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
3,449
Blue and white are the colors of Oklahoma City University’s Stars. Their mascot is a ram named Starsky. There are more female students than male students at both the undergrad and graduate levels - 67% and 60% respectively. 98% of all students on campus receive institutional financial aid to help pay for college.
Location
Oklahoma City, OK
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
2,687
Interested in any of these schools? Check out College Raptor’s free match tool to see if they’re a good fit for you!
Methodology
Colleges are ranked based on a combination of factors, including graduation rates, campus diversity, endowment per student, and other data as reported via the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) for the most recently-available enrollment year. Some colleges may have been excluded from rankings based on certain criteria, including specialization and classification. Learn about our full methodology.
