Find Healthcare Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Most Popular Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools

Find Schools Near

2023 Most Popular Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools

108 Colleges
$41,222 Avg Salary
$20,983 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree School for You

Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants is the #21 most popular major in the country with 84,274 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for healthcare students. 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.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Healthcare Degree Search has created the Most Popular Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 108 schools in the United States to see which ones were the most popular associate degree programs for healthcare students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants program at each school on the list.

The colleges and universities below are the most popular for practical nursing majors pursuing a associate degree.

#1

Unitek College

Fremont, CA

Our analysis found Unitek College to be the most popular school for practical nursing and nursing assistants students who want to pursue a associate degree in the United States. Unitek College is a small private for-profit school located in the large suburb of Fremont.

About 82% of the students majoring in practical nursing at the school are women while 18% are male.

The average amount in student loans that practical nursing majors at Unitek College take out while working on their Associate Degree is $20,602. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $184.

Full Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Unitek College Report

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts is a great place for practical nursing and nursing assistants students working on their associate degree. Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts is a small private for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of San Mateo.

Women make up 91% of the practical nursing majors at the school.

After completing their Associate Degree, practical nursing graduates from Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts carry an average student debt load of $18,804.

Read More…

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Carrington College, Sacramento is a great place for practical nursing and nursing assistants students working on their associate degree. Located in the large suburb of Sacramento, Carrington College, Sacramento is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

Women make up 92% of the practical nursing majors at the school.

The average amount in student loans that practical nursing majors at Carrington College, Sacramento take out while working on their Associate Degree is $31,342.

Read More…

#4

Del Mar College

Corpus Christi, TX

Out of the 108 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Del Mar College landed the # 4 spot on the list. DMC is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Corpus Christi.

About 92% of the students majoring in practical nursing at the school are women while 8% are male.

Read More…

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bates Technical College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Popular Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools list. Bates Technical College is a small public school located in the medium-sized city of Tacoma.

Women make up 90% of the practical nursing majors at the school.

Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Bates Technical College

#6

Pacific College

Costa Mesa, CA

Pacific College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools ranking. Located in the medium-sized city of Costa Mesa, Pacific College is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

Women make up 96% of the practical nursing majors at the school.

After completing their Associate Degree, practical nursing graduates from Pacific College carry an average student debt load of $20,773.

Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Pacific College

Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Metro landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular associate degree practical nursing and nursing assistants programs. Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Metro is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of San Juan.

About 82% of the students majoring in practical nursing at the school are women while 18% are male.

Full Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Metro Report

With a ranking of #8, Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Arecibo did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for practical nursing and nursing assistants students working on their associate degree. Located in the city of Arecibo, Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Arecibo is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Of the 64 students majoring in practical nursing at Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Arecibo, 16% are male and 84% are female.

The average amount in student loans that practical nursing majors at Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Arecibo take out while working on their Associate Degree is $7,633.

Read More…

#9

Coconino Community College

Flagstaff, AZ

Coconino Community College ranked #9 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools list. Coconino Community College is a small public school located in the rural area of Flagstaff.

Of the 57 students majoring in practical nursing at Coconino Community College, 16% are male and 84% are female.

After completing their Associate Degree, practical nursing graduates from Coconino Community College carry an average student debt load of $18,392.

Full Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Coconino Community College Report

#10

PITC Institute

Wyncote, PA

PITC Institute ranked #10 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools list. PITC Institute is a small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Wyncote.

About 96% of the students majoring in practical nursing at the school are women while 4% are male.

Full Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at PITC Institute Report

#11

ATA College

Louisville, KY

ATA College ranked #11 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools list. Located in the large suburb of Louisville, ATA College is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

Of the 47 students majoring in practical nursing at ATA College, 4% are male and 96% are female.

Full Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at ATA College Report

With a ranking of #12, Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Aguadilla did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for practical nursing and nursing assistants students working on their associate degree. Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Aguadilla is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Aguadilla.

About 78% of the students majoring in practical nursing at the school are women while 23% are male.

Read More…

North Dakota State College of Science came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools ranking. Located in the town of Wahpeton, North Dakota State College of Science is a public school with a small student population.

Women make up 89% of the practical nursing majors at the school.

The average amount in student loans that practical nursing majors at North Dakota State College of Science take out while working on their Associate Degree is $23,924.

Read More…

#14

Green River College

Auburn, WA

With a ranking of #14, Green River College did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for practical nursing and nursing assistants students working on their associate degree. GRC is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Auburn.

About 89% of the students majoring in practical nursing at the school are women while 11% are male.

Practical Nursing majors at GRC take out an average of $18,657 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Full Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Green River College Report

#15

Long Beach City College

Long Beach, CA

Long Beach City College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for practical nursing and nursing assistants students to get a associate degree. It came in at #15 on the list. Located in the city of Long Beach, Long Beach City College is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Women make up 86% of the practical nursing majors at the school.

Full Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Long Beach City College Report

Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Guayama ranked #16 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools list. Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Guayama is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Guayama.

Of the 34 students majoring in practical nursing at Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Guayama, 21% are male and 79% are female.

Practical Nursing majors at Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Guayama take out an average of $7,154 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Read More…

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also popular but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Most Popular Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools award.

Rank College Location
17 Platt College - Tulsa Tulsa, OK
18 Citrus College Glendora, CA
19 Arkansas Tech University Russellville, AR
20 Riverside City College Riverside, CA
21 Dickinson State University Dickinson, ND

Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants by Region

View the Most Popular Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Great Lakes

Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants is one of 30 different types of healthcare programs to choose from.

Practical Nursing Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training 44,900
Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide 34,557
Other Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants 4,817

Related Major Annual Graduates
Nursing 322,592
Health & Medical Administrative Services 89,359
Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services 84,492
Allied Health Professions 82,308
Public Health 40,596

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).

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Featured Schools

Find Healthcare Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited healthcare schools across the U.S.