2023 Best Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region
Finding the Best Nursing School for You
Nursing is the most popular major in the United States with 39,944 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021.
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which healthcare program is right for you. 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 Schools in the Southwest Region ranking is one of many tools that Healthcare Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 181 schools in the Southwest Region to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for healthcare students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for nursing majors pursuing a .
Top 25 Top Southwest Region Schools in Nursing
Our analysis found Midwestern University - Glendale to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a degree in the Southwest Region . Midwestern University - Glendale is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Glendale.
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The excellent programs at Baylor College of Medicine helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in the Southwest Region . Located in the city of Houston, Baylor College of Medicine is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ottawa University - Phoenix. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region list. Ottawa University - Phoenix is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Phoenix.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Ottawa University - Phoenix take out is $26,768.
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Out of the 181 schools in the Southwest Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas Wesleyan University landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the city of Fort Worth, Texas Wesleyan is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Chamberlain University - Arizona. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region list. Chamberlain - Arizona is a small private for-profit school located in the large city of Phoenix.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Chamberlain - Arizona take out is $38,460. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $256, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. TTUHSC is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Lubbock.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from TTUHSC carry an average student debtload of $22,250. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $242.
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Aspen University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Aspen University is a moderately-sized private for-profit school located in the large city of Denver.
Nursing majors at Aspen University take out an average of $35,922 in student loans while working on their egree.
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The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston ranked #8 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region list. UTHealth is a moderately-sized public school located in the large city of Houston.
On average, nursing graduates from UTHealth take out $21,000 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $203, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Texas A&M University - College Station came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. Located in the city of College Station, Texas A&M College Station is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Nursing majors at Texas A&M College Station take out an average of $21,625 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $232, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Chamberlain University - Texas landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Located in the city of Houston, Chamberlain - Texas is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at Chamberlain - Texas accumulate an average of around $38,460 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $256, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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West Coast University - Dallas did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #11 on the list. West Coast University - Dallas is a small private for-profit school located in the large city of Dallas.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at West Coast University - Dallas accumulate an average of around $38,146 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 $665.
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Baptist Health System School of Health Professions came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. Located in the large city of San Antonio, Baptist Health System School of Health Professions is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Baptist Health System School of Health Professions carry an average student debtload of $28,978. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $110, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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With a ranking of #13, Texas Christian University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Located in the large city of Fort Worth, TCU is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.
On average, nursing graduates from TCU take out $25,000 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $559.
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The University of Texas Medical Branch ranked #14 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region list. UTMB Galveston is a small public school located in the town of Galveston.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at UTMB Galveston take out is $21,463. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $215.
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Texas A & M University - Central Texas landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Texas A & M University - Central Texas is a small public school located in the rural area of Killeen.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Texas A & M University - Central Texas carry an average student debtload of $19,825.
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The University of Texas at Austin came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. UT Austin is a very large public school located in the city of Austin.
On average, nursing graduates from UT Austin take out $20,840 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $222, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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With a ranking of #17, Galen College of Nursing - San Antonio did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Galen College of Nursing - San Antonio is a small private for-profit school located in the city of San Antonio.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at Galen College of Nursing - San Antonio accumulate an average of around $41,365 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $117, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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With a ranking of #18, Arizona State University - Skysong did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. ASU - Skysong is a fairly large public school located in the city of Scottsdale.
Nursing majors at ASU - Skysong take out an average of $25,937 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $264.
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The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. UT Health San Antonio is a small public school located in the large city of San Antonio.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at UT Health San Antonio take out is $25,000.
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With a ranking of #20, South Texas College did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Located in the city of McAllen, South Texas College is a public college with a very large student population.
On average, nursing graduates from South Texas College take out $9,273 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Grand Canyon University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. Located in the large city of Phoenix, Grand Canyon University is a private for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Grand Canyon University carry an average student debtload of $24,999. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $198, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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With a ranking of #22, Central Arizona College did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Located in the rural area of Coolidge, Pinal County Community College is a public college with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Pinal County Community College take out is $15,679.
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Northeast Texas Community College landed the #23 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Located in the rural area of Mount Pleasant, NTCC is a public school with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at NTCC take out is $20,000.
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With a ranking of #24, Sam Houston State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. SHSU is a very large public school located in the distant town of Huntsville.
On average, nursing graduates from SHSU take out $26,000 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $172.
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University of Oklahoma - Health Sciences Center ranked #25 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region list. Located in the large city of Oklahoma City, UOHSC is a public school with a small student population.
Nursing majors at UOHSC take out an average of $26,980 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $318, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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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 Schools in the Southwest Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 28 | Carrington College, Mesquite | Mesquite, TX |
| 29 | El Centro College | Dallas, TX |
| 30 | Oklahoma State University - Main Campus | Stillwater, OK |
| 31 | Weatherford College | Weatherford, TX |
| 32 | Lone Star College System | The Woodlands, TX |
| 33 | Lubbock Christian University | Lubbock, TX |
| 34 | University of Central Oklahoma | Edmond, OK |
| 35 | Northeastern State University | Tahlequah, OK |
| 36 | Arizona State University - Tempe | Tempe, AZ |
Best Nursing Colleges by State
Explore the best nursing schools for a specific state in the Southwest region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Texas | 21,862 |
| Arizona | 12,966 |
| Oklahoma | 3,009 |
| New Mexico | 1,390 |
More Nursing Rankings in the Southwest 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 Related Majors
| 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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