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Best Value Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region

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2023 Best Value Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

32 Colleges
$6,500 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$41,718 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science Associate Degree School for You

Out of all the majors we analyze each year, clinical/medical laboratory science was ranked #13 in the country. In fact 18,901 degrees and certificates were handed out in 2020-2021.

It's not easy to decide which healthcare program to enroll in when you have so many options available. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Healthcare Degree Search has created its Best Value Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. This report analyzed 32 schools in the Plains States Region to see which ones offered the best value associate degree programs for clinical laboratory science students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.

This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.

For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

2023 Best Value Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region

The colleges and universities below are the best value schools for clinical laboratory science majors pursuing a associate degree.

Top 10 Best Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science Associate Degree Schools

Our 2023 rankings named Barton County Community College the best value school in the Plains States Region for clinical/medical laboratory science students working on their associate degree. Barton Community College is a small public school located in the rural area of Great Bend.

Barton Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,544 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their Associate Degree, clinical laboratory science graduates from Barton Community College carry an average student debtload of $16,945.

Full Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science at Barton County Community College Report

#2

North Hennepin Community College

Brooklyn Park, MN

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend North Hennepin Community College. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the large suburb of Brooklyn Park, North Hennepin Community College is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at North Hennepin Community College are $4,882 a year. Clinical Laboratory Science majors at North Hennepin Community College take out an average of $23,627 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

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#3

Central Community College

Grand Island, NE

The excellent associate degree programs at Central Community College helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best value clinical/medical laboratory science schools in the Plains States Region . Located in the city of Grand Island, Central Community College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Central Community College are $4,590 per year. After completing their Associate Degree, clinical laboratory science graduates from Central Community College carry an average student debtload of $10,069.

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#4

Mid-Plains Community College

North Platte, NE

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Mid-Plains Community College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the remote town of North Platte, Mid-Plains Community College is a public school with a small student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Mid-Plains Community College are $4,320 per year.

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#5

Saint Paul College

Saint Paul, MN

The excellent associate degree programs at Saint Paul College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best value clinical/medical laboratory science schools in the Plains States Region . Located in the large city of Saint Paul, Saint Paul College is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Saint Paul College are $6,041 per year. Clinical Laboratory Science majors at Saint Paul College take out an average of $18,888 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

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Alexandria Technical & Community College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the remote town of Alexandria, ATCC is a public school with a small student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at ATCC are $5,910 per year.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, ATCC also is in the top 20% of our Best Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking.

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Rochester Community and Technical College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for clinical/medical laboratory science students to get a associate degree. It came in at #7 on the list. Rochester Community and Technical College is a small public school located in the medium-sized city of Rochester.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Rochester Community and Technical College are $5,372 per year.

Rochester Community and Technical College also claimed a spot on our Best Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.

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With a ranking of #8, Lake Area Technical Institute did quite well on this year’s best value schools for clinical/medical laboratory science students working on their associate degree. LATI is a small public school located in the town of Watertown.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at LATI are $6,718 per year. After completing their Associate Degree, clinical laboratory science graduates from LATI carry an average student debtload of $20,735.

On top of its placing in our value ranking, LATI also did well on our Best Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.

Read full report on Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science at Lake Area Technical Institute

Hibbing Community College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the remote town of Hibbing, Hibbing Community College is a public school with a small student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Hibbing Community College are $7,071 per year.

Full Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science at Hibbing Community College Report

#10

South Central College

North Mankato, MN

South Central College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the suburb of North Mankato, South Central College is a public college with a small student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at South Central College are $5,966 per year.

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Best Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science Colleges by State

Explore the best clinical/medical laboratory science schools for a specific state in the Plains States region.

State Degrees Awarded
Minnesota 192
Iowa 74
Nebraska 50
Missouri 78
Kansas 80
South Dakota 81
North Dakota 72

Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science is one of 30 different types of healthcare programs to choose from.

Clinical Laboratory Science Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Phlebotomy Technician/Phlebotomist 7,599
Laboratory Technician 4,185
Laboratory Sciences & Medical Technology 3,912
Sterile Processing Technology/Technician 1,108
Other Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science and Allied Professions 982
Blood Bank Technology Specialist 280
Histologic Technician 243
Renal/Dialysis Technologist/Technician 220
Histologic Technology/Histotechnologist 106
Cytotechnology/Cytotechnologist 101
Ophthalmic Laboratory Technology/Technician 78
Cytogenetics/Genetics/Clinical Genetics Technology/Technologist 46
Hematology Technology 41

Related Major Annual Graduates
Nursing 322,592
Health & Medical Administrative Services 89,359
Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services 84,492
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants 84,274
Allied Health Professions 82,308

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Staff Sgt. Jerilyn Quintanilla.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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