2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region
Finding the Best Nursing Associate Degree School for You
Nursing is the most popular major in the United States with 26,717 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021.
With all the healthcare programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Healthcare Degree Search has created its Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. This report analyzed 118 schools in the Far Western US Region to see which ones offered the best associate degree programs for healthcare students. The factors used to develop this ranking include those related to how in-demand the school is, the overall quality of the school, and post-graduation wages, and more.
View our full ranking methodology.
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2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Colleges.
Top 15% Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts the best school in the Far Western US Region for nursing students working on their associate degree. Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts is a small private for-profit school located in the city of San Mateo.
After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts carry an average student debtload of $20,947.
Read full report on Nursing at Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts
Out of the 118 schools in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanbridge University landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the large city of Irvine, Stanbridge is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Los Angeles County College of Nursing and Allied Health. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region list. L.A. County School of Nursing is a fairly small public school located in the city of Los Angeles.
While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at L.A. County School of Nursing accumulate an average of around $21,695 in student debt.
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Unitek College is a great place for nursing students working on their associate degree. Unitek College is a small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Fremont.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Unitek College take out while working on their Associate Degree is $26,043.
Out of the 118 schools in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Merced College landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the small city of Merced, Merced Community College District is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Merced Community College District accumulate an average of around $12,152 in student debt.
Columbia Gorge Community College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Columbia Gorge Community College is a small public school located in the town of The Dalles.
While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Columbia Gorge Community College accumulate an average of around $29,728 in student debt.
Modesto Junior College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a associate degree. It came in at #7 on the list. MJC is a large public school located in the medium-sized city of Modesto.
Nursing majors at MJC take out an average of $16,015 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
With a ranking of #8, Glendale Career College - Brightwood-Teachout did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Glendale Career College - Brightwood-Teachout is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the large city of San-Diego.
After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from Glendale Career College - Brightwood-Teachout carry an average student debtload of $33,520.
Read full report on Nursing at Glendale Career College - Brightwood-Teachout
Pacific Union College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region list. PUC is a small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Angwin.
After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from PUC carry an average student debtload of $29,980. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $222, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Butte College landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree nursing programs. Located in the rural area of Oroville, Butte College is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Butte College accumulate an average of around $19,826 in student debt.
Mount Saint Mary’s University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, MSMU is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at MSMU accumulate an average of around $24,268 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $187, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Read full report on Nursing at Mount Saint Mary’s University
San Joaquin Delta College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in the city of Stockton, Delta is a public school with a large student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Delta take out while working on their Associate Degree is $15,248.
Cabrillo College landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree nursing programs. Cabrillo College is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Aptos.
Carrington College, Reno came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Carrington College, Reno is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the city of Reno.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Carrington College, Reno take out while working on their Associate Degree is $30,485.
Cuesta College landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree nursing programs. Located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cuesta College is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Cuesta College accumulate an average of around $14,937 in student debt.
West Hills College-Lemoore landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree nursing programs. Located in the rural area of Lemoore, West Hills College-Lemoore is a public school with a small student population.
Nursing majors at West Hills College-Lemoore take out an average of $15,061 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
With a ranking of #17, Yuba College did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Yuba College is a medium-sized public school located in the medium-sized suburb of Marysville.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Yuba College take out while working on their Associate Degree is $11,836.
Honorable Mentions
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | Santa Rosa Junior College | Santa Rosa, CA |
| 19 | Sumner College | Portland, OR |
| 20 | Sacramento City College | Sacramento, CA |
| 21 | Santa Barbara City College | Santa Barbara, CA |
| 22 | Ventura College | Ventura, CA |
| 23 | Oregon Coast Community College | Newport, OR |
Best Nursing Colleges by State
Explore the best nursing schools for a specific state in the Far Western US region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Oregon | 1,502 |
| California | 18,329 |
| Washington | 3,851 |
| Nevada | 2,015 |
| Hawaii | 535 |
| Alaska | 177 |
More Nursing Rankings in the Far Western US Region
Rankings in Majors Related to Nursing
One of 30 majors within the healthcare area of study, nursing has other similar majors worth exploring.
Nursing Concentrations
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | 266,651 |
| Family Practice Nurse/Nursing | 16,104 |
| Nursing Administration | 9,838 |
| Nursing Practice | 7,992 |
| Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 5,092 |
| Nursing Science | 4,600 |
| Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing | 2,287 |
| Adult Health Nurse/Nursing | 2,021 |
| Nurse Anesthetist | 1,936 |
| Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing | 1,883 |
| Critical Care Nursing | 773 |
| Geriatric Nurse/Nursing | 563 |
| School Nursing | 553 |
| Nurse Midwife/Nursing Midwifery | 509 |
| Clinical Nurse Leader | 444 |
| Clinical Nurse Specialist | 419 |
| Perioperative/Operating Room and Surgical Nurse/Nursing | 331 |
| Maternal/Child Health and Neonatal Nurse/Nursing | 181 |
| Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing | 57 |
| Emergency Room/Trauma Nursing | 53 |
| Palliative Care Nursing | 14 |
| Forensic Nursing | 14 |
Most Popular Majors Related to Nursing
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Health & Medical Administrative Services | 89,359 |
| Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services | 84,492 |
| Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants | 84,274 |
| Allied Health Professions | 82,308 |
| Public Health | 40,596 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- 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 Aleksahgabrielle.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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