In 2024, reports predicted that by 2026, Pennsylvania would have the largest nursing shortage in the country. While the state is facing a real shortage today, the predictions of the worst in the nation haven't materialized. In fact, several reports from the past year rank Pennsylvania as 6th in new registered nurse positions, 12th in Nurse-to-State Population ratio, and among the best statewide health systems.
Officials say disaster was avoided largely thanks to the 43 nursing schools under the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania (AICUP). These schools, including Cedar Crest College, DeSales University, and Moravian University, account for 69% of the state’s four-year nursing degrees. Additionally, 75% of minority nursing students earn their degrees at AICUP schools.
Since 2024, at least six new nursing programs and nursing school expansions have been announced by AICUP schools. Several also integrated dual enrollment, college classes for high schoolers, and accelerated bachelor’s degrees for working nurses.
AICUP increased its recruitment efforts in K-12 schools and launched a Nurse Emeritus Program for retired nurses. Multiple schools have reduced their tuition, with some even creating no-tuition programs for eligible nursing students.
Partnerships have also played a key role in the progress, like the physician pipeline created between The University of Scranton and Geisinger College of Health Sciences, or the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine’s introduction of a medical school branch on Seton Hill’s campus.
AICUP President Tom Foley expressed hope that other states would learn from Pennsylvania’s model, which integrates educators, employers, and legislators, saying, “there is no time for silos or egos.”
Pennsylvania’s 2026 budget continues efforts to address the nursing shortage, including a $2.5 million investment in tuition and student loan assistance for nursing students.
