Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the mediation effect of self-esteem between body image and depression in nursing students. Method: The design of this study was a descriptive correlational study. Two hundreds and seventy eight nursing students participated.. The instruments were Korean version of Body Image Scale(BIS-K), Korean version of Self-Esteem Scale(SES-K), and Korean version of Self-rating Depression Scale(SDS-K). Results: This study showed that body image had an influence on depression through self-esteem, indicating the negative perception of body image might result in depression through low self-esteem. Conclusion: It is suggested to develop an interventional strategy toward positive body image which will increase self-esteem, ultimately leading to prevent depression in nursing students..