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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.

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

#1

Merced College

Merced, CA

Our analysis found Merced College to be the best value school for health/medical prep programs students who want to pursue a associate degree in the Far Western US Region . Merced Community College District is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Merced.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Merced Community College District are $7,444 per year.

Merced Community College District not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #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

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#2

Mendocino College

Ukiah, CA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Mendocino College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Health/Medical Prep Programs Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Located in the rural area of Ukiah, Mendocino College is a public school with a small student population.

Mendocino College undergraduate students pay an average of $8,443 in tuition and fees each 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 also took the #4 spot in our Best Health/Medical Prep Programs Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region rankings.

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Truckee Meadows Community College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Health/Medical Prep Programs Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Located in the large city of Reno, Truckee Meadows Community College is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Truckee Meadows Community College are $10,620 a year.

Read full report on Health/Medical Prep Programs at Truckee Meadows Community College

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Alaska Anchorage. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Health/Medical Prep Programs Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region list. UAA is a large public school located in the city of Anchorage.

UAA undergraduate students pay an average of $25,228 in tuition and fees each year. Medical Prep majors at UAA take out an average of $27,300 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

UAA excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Health/Medical Prep Programs Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region list.

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#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 small suburb of College Place.

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

Read full report on Health/Medical Prep Programs at Walla Walla University

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#6

Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA

Mount Saint Mary’s University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree health/medical prep programs programs. 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.

In addition to its great value ranking, MSMU is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Health/Medical Prep Programs Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region list.

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

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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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