2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region
Finding the Best Nursing Associate Degree School for You
In 2020-2021, 322,592 degrees and certificates were awarded to nursing students, making the major the most popular in the country.
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for healthcare students. 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.
The Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking is one of many tools that Healthcare Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 89 schools in the Plains States Region to see which associate degree programs offered the best educational experiences for healthcare students. To come up with a school's ranking, we analyzed numerous factors related to post-graduation wages, the quality of education offered by the school, average accumulated student debt, and more.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for nursing majors pursuing a associate degree.
Top 15% Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Rasmussen University - Minnesota the best school in the Plains States Region for nursing students working on their associate degree. Located in the city of St. Cloud, Rasmussen University - Minnesota is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Rasmussen University - Minnesota take out while working on their Associate Degree is $32,326. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $175.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Northwest Technical College. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. NTC is a small public school located in the town of Bemidji.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at NTC take out while working on their Associate Degree is $32,265.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Rasmussen University - Kansas. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the rural area of Topeka, Rasmussen University - Kansas is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Rasmussen University - Kansas take out while working on their Associate Degree is $32,326. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $175.
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The excellent associate degree programs at Rasmussen University - North Dakota helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in the Plains States Region . Rasmussen University - North Dakota is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Fargo.
While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Rasmussen University - North Dakota accumulate an average of around $32,326 in student debt. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $175.
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Out of the 89 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas County Technical College landed the # 5 spot on the list. Bolivar Technical College is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the remote area of Houston.
On average, nursing graduates from Bolivar Technical College take out $26,671 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
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Rochester Community and Technical College landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree nursing programs. Located in the midsize city of Rochester, Rochester Community and Technical College is a public college with a small student population.
On average, nursing graduates from Rochester Community and Technical College take out $27,212 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
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State Technical College of Missouri ranked #7 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. STC is a small public school located in the rural area of Linn.
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With a ranking of #8, North Dakota State College of Science did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Located in the distant town of Wahpeton, North Dakota State College of Science is a public school with a small student population.
On average, nursing graduates from North Dakota State College of Science take out $29,618 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
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St Luke’s 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 #9 on the list. St Luke's College is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Sioux City.
After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from St Luke's College carry an average student debtload of $23,684.
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Northeast Iowa Community College landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree nursing programs. NICC is a small public school located in the rural area of Calmar.
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Lake Area Technical Institute came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in the remote town of Watertown, LATI is a public college with a small student population.
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Inver Hills Community College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the large suburb of Inver Grove Heights, IHCC is a public school with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at IHCC take out while working on their Associate Degree is $27,410.
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Southeast Missouri Hospital College of Nursing and Health Sciences ranked #13 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the city of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Health is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
On average, nursing graduates from Southeast Health take out $26,508 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
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Here are some additional great schools for Nursing students in the Plains States Region that almost earned our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 14 | Southeast Technical College | Sioux Falls, SD |
| 15 | Anoka-Ramsey Community College | Coon Rapids, MN |
| 16 | Columbia College | Columbia, MO |
| 17 | Minnesota West Community and Technical College | Granite Falls, MN |
Best Nursing Colleges by State
Explore the best nursing colleges for a specific state in the Plains States region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Minnesota | 14,890 |
| Iowa | 2,966 |
| Missouri | 6,840 |
| Nebraska | 1,908 |
| Kansas | 2,633 |
| South Dakota | 1,022 |
| North Dakota | 976 |
More Nursing Rankings in the Plains States 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 |
Majors Similar 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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