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Best Value Health/Medical Prep Programs Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region

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2023 Best Value Health/Medical Prep Programs Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

6 Colleges
$21,276 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$27,283 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Health/Medical Prep Programs Associate Degree School for You

Health/Medical Prep Programs is the #14 most popular major in the country with 9,210 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

It's not easy to decide which healthcare program to enroll in when you have so many options available. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Healthcare Degree Search has developed this Best Value Health/Medical Prep Programs Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 6 schools in the Far Western US Region to see which associate degree programs offered the best value experiences for medical prep students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.

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 Health/Medical Prep Programs Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region

The colleges and universities below are the best value schools for medical prep majors pursuing a associate degree.

Best Far Western US Region Schools for Affordable Quality for an Associate in Health/Medical Prep Programs

#1

Merced College

Merced, CA

Our 2023 rankings named Merced College the best value school in the Far Western US Region for health/medical prep programs students working on their associate degree. Merced Community College District is a moderately-sized public school located in the small city of Merced.

Merced Community College District undergraduate students pay an average of $7,444 in tuition and fees each year.

Merced Community College District did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our Best Health/Medical Prep Programs Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region list.

Full Health/Medical Prep Programs at Merced College Report

#2

Mendocino College

Ukiah, CA

Out of the 6 schools in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Mendocino College landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the rural area of Ukiah, Mendocino College is a public college with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Mendocino College are $8,443 a year. The average amount in student loans that medical prep majors at Mendocino College take out while working on their Associate Degree is $13,311.

Mendocino College did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our Best Health/Medical Prep Programs Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region list.

Full Health/Medical Prep Programs at Mendocino College Report

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Truckee Meadows Community College is a great value for health/medical prep programs students working on their associate degree. Located in the large city of Reno, Truckee Meadows Community College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

Truckee Meadows Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $10,620 in tuition and fees each year.

Full Health/Medical Prep Programs at Truckee Meadows Community College Report

Out of the 6 schools in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Alaska Anchorage landed the # 4 spot on the list. UAA is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Anchorage.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UAA are $25,228 a year. Medical Prep majors at UAA take out an average of $27,300 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

On top of its placing in our value ranking, UAA also did well on our Best Health/Medical Prep Programs Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.

Full Health/Medical Prep Programs at University of Alaska Anchorage Report

#5

Walla Walla University

College Place, WA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Walla Walla University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Health/Medical Prep Programs Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Walla Walla U is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of College Place.

Walla Walla U undergraduate students pay an average of $30,531 in tuition and fees each year.

Full Health/Medical Prep Programs at Walla Walla University Report

#6

Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA

Mount Saint Mary’s University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Health/Medical Prep Programs Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. MSMU is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Los Angeles.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at MSMU are $45,388 per year. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $172, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, MSMU also is in the top 10% of our Best Health/Medical Prep Programs Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking.

Full Health/Medical Prep Programs at Mount Saint Mary’s University Report

Best Health/Medical Prep Programs Colleges by State

Explore the best health/medical prep programs colleges for a specific state in the Far Western US region.

State Degrees Awarded
Oregon 161
California 563
Washington 144
Nevada 11
Hawaii 0
Alaska 109

Health/Medical Prep Programs is one of 30 different types of healthcare programs to choose from.

Medical Prep Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Other Health/Medical Preparatory Programs 4,010
Pre-Nursing Studies 2,489
Pre-Medicine/Pre-Medical Studies 2,010
Pre-Physical Therapy Studies 257
Pre-Pharmacy Studies 167
Pre-Occupational Therapy Studies 108
Pre-Dentistry Studies 85
Pre-Physician Assistant 76
Pre-Art Therapy 4
Pre-Optometry Studies 3
Pre-Chiropractic Studies 1

Majors Similar to Medical Prep

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 6 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).

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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