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Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Minnesota

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2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Minnesota

21 Colleges
$57,601 Avg Salary
$21,889 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Nursing Associate Degree School for You

Out of the majors we analyze each year, nursing was the most popular one in Minnesota. In total, 14,890 people earned a degree or certificate in the field from a school in Minnesota.

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 Minnesota ranking. Our analysis looked at 21 schools in Minnesota to see which associate degree programs offered the best educational experiences 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.

2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Minnesota

The following schools top our list of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Colleges.

Top 10 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools

Our analysis found Rasmussen University - Minnesota to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a associate degree in Minnesota. Located in the small city of St. Cloud, Rasmussen University - Minnesota is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

On average, nursing graduates from Rasmussen University - Minnesota take out $32,326 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $175, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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The excellent associate degree programs at Northwest Technical College helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in Minnesota. NTC is a fairly small public school located in the remote town of Bemidji.

On average, nursing graduates from NTC take out $32,265 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Read full report on Nursing at Northwest Technical College

The excellent associate degree programs at Rochester Community and Technical College helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in Minnesota. Located in the city of Rochester, Rochester Community and Technical College is a public college with a small student population.

Nursing majors at Rochester Community and Technical College take out an average of $27,212 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

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#4

Inver Hills Community College

Inver Grove Heights, MN

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Inver Hills Community College is a great place for nursing students working on their associate degree. Located in the large suburb of Inver Grove Heights, IHCC is a public college with a small student population.

On average, nursing graduates from IHCC take out $27,410 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Anoka-Ramsey Community College is a great place for nursing students working on their associate degree. Located in the large suburb of Coon Rapids, Anoka-Ramsey Community College-Coon Rapids Campus is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

On average, nursing graduates from Anoka-Ramsey Community College-Coon Rapids Campus take out $28,625 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

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With a ranking of #6, Minnesota West Community and Technical College did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Located in the town of Granite Falls, Minnesota West is a public school with a small student population.

Full Nursing at Minnesota West Community and Technical College Report

#7

Ridgewater College

Willmar, MN

Ridgewater College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Minnesota list. Ridgewater College is a small public school located in the remote town of Willmar.

After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from Ridgewater College carry an average student debtload of $27,352.

Full Nursing at Ridgewater College Report

With a ranking of #8, Alexandria Technical & Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. ATCC is a small public school located in the town of Alexandria.

After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from ATCC carry an average student debtload of $22,681.

Read full report on Nursing at Alexandria Technical & Community College

#9

South Central College

North Mankato, MN

South Central College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Minnesota ranking. South Central College is a small public school located in the small suburb of North Mankato.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at South Central College take out while working on their Associate Degree is $29,249.

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Hibbing Community College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Minnesota list. Hibbing Community College is a fairly small public school located in the remote town of Hibbing.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Hibbing Community College take out while working on their Associate Degree is $26,020.

Read full report on Nursing at Hibbing Community College

Best Nursing Colleges in the Plains States Region

Explore all the Best Nursing Colleges in the Plains States Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Iowa 2,966
Missouri 6,840
Nebraska 1,908
Kansas 2,633
South Dakota 1,022
North Dakota 976

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

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 21 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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