2023 Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
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.
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which healthcare program is right for you. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Healthcare Degree Search has developed this Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 960 schools in the United States to see which associate degree programs offered the best value experiences for nursing students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
Top 25 Best Schools for Affordable Quality for an Associate in Nursing
Our analysis found New Mexico Junior College to be the best value school for nursing students who want to pursue a associate degree in the United States. New Mexico Junior College is a small public school located in the remote town of Hobbs.
New Mexico Junior College undergraduate students pay an average of $2,280 in tuition and fees each year. Nursing majors at New Mexico Junior College take out an average of $19,434 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
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The excellent associate degree programs at Coahoma Community College helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best value nursing schools in the United States. Located in the rural area of Clarksdale, Coahoma Community College is a public school with a small student population.
Coahoma Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $3,003 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Coahoma Community College take out while working on their Associate Degree is $21,203.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Oglala Lakota College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools list. Oglala Lakota College is a small public school located in the rural area of Kyle.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Oglala Lakota College are $2,684 per year. Nursing majors at Oglala Lakota College take out an average of $11,529 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
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The excellent associate degree programs at Clovis Community College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best value nursing schools in the United States. Clovis Community College is a small public school located in the town of Clovis.
Clovis Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $2,984 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from Clovis Community College carry an average student debtload of $13,864.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Los Angeles County College of Nursing and Allied Health. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools list. L.A. County School of Nursing is a small public school located in the large city of Los Angeles.
After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from L.A. County School of Nursing carry an average student debtload of $21,695.
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Southeast Community College Area came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools ranking. Located in the city of Lincoln, Southeast Community College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Southeast Community College are $3,780 a year. On average, nursing graduates from Southeast Community College take out $27,526 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
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Seattle Central College landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree nursing programs. Seattle Central is a small public school located in the city of Seattle.
Seattle Central undergraduate students pay an average of $4,670 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Seattle Central take out while working on their Associate Degree is $23,418.
In addition to its great value ranking, Seattle Central is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools list.
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Highline 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 #8 on the list. Located in the large suburb of Des Moines, Highline is a public school with a small student population.
Highline undergraduate students pay an average of $4,813 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Highline accumulate an average of around $17,371 in student debt.
Highline excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools list.
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Central Arizona College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools ranking. Located in the rural area of Coolidge, Pinal County Community College is a public college with a small student population.
Pinal County Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,160 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from Pinal County Community College carry an average student debtload of $19,049.
Pinal County Community College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools list.
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Panola College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools list. Located in the town of Carthage, Panola College is a public college with a small student population.
Panola College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,680 in tuition and fees each year.
Panola College also claimed a spot on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
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With a ranking of #11, Amarillo College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Amarillo College is a moderately-sized public school located in the medium-sized city of Amarillo.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Amarillo College are $4,704 a year. On average, nursing graduates from Amarillo College take out $22,468 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
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With a ranking of #12, Arkansas State University - Newport did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Located in the rural area of Newport, ASUN is a public school with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at ASUN are $4,320 a year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at ASUN take out while working on their Associate Degree is $20,883.
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College of the Mainland did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a associate degree. It came in at #13 on the list. COM is a small public school located in the medium-sized suburb of Texas City.
COM undergraduate students pay an average of $3,873 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at COM take out while working on their Associate Degree is $24,607.
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Neosho County Community College landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree nursing programs. Neosho County Community College is a small public school located in the town of Chanute.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Neosho County Community College are $4,000 per year. After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from Neosho County Community College carry an average student debtload of $20,150.
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Cloud County Community College landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree nursing programs. Located in the rural area of Concordia, Cloud County Community College is a public school with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Cloud County Community College are $3,570 per year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Cloud County Community College take out while working on their Associate Degree is $22,223.
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SOWELA Technical Community 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 #16 on the list. SOWELA is a small public school located in the city of Lake Charles.
SOWELA undergraduate students pay an average of $4,265 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from SOWELA carry an average student debtload of $15,984.
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South Plains College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools list. Located in the distant town of Levelland, South Plains College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
South Plains College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,276 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at South Plains College accumulate an average of around $19,364 in student debt.
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Wayne County Community College District ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools list. WCCCD is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Detroit.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at WCCCD are $3,998 a year. After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from WCCCD carry an average student debtload of $23,759.
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With a ranking of #19, Camden County College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Located in the suburb of Blackwood, Camden County College is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
Camden County College undergraduate students pay an average of $3,744 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Camden County College take out while working on their Associate Degree is $24,067.
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Rochester Community and Technical College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools ranking. Located in the city of Rochester, Rochester Community and Technical College is a public college with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Rochester Community and Technical College are $5,372 per year. While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Rochester Community and Technical College accumulate an average of around $27,212 in student debt.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Rochester Community and Technical College also did well on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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Southern Regional Technical 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 #21 on the list. Southwest Georgia Technical College is a small public school located in the town of Thomasville.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Southwest Georgia Technical College are $5,402 per year. On average, nursing graduates from Southwest Georgia Technical College take out $13,212 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Southwest Georgia Technical College also is in the top 20% of our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools ranking.
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South Louisiana Community College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools list. Located in the midsize city of Lafayette, South Louisiana Community College is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
South Louisiana Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,205 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at South Louisiana Community College take out while working on their Associate Degree is $23,640.
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University of Arkansas Community College - Batesville did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a associate degree. It came in at #23 on the list. Located in the town of Batesville, UACCB is a public school with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UACCB are $3,438 per year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at UACCB take out while working on their Associate Degree is $15,732.
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With a ranking of #24, Alvin Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Alvin is a small public school located in the large suburb of Alvin.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Alvin are $4,010 a year. On average, nursing graduates from Alvin take out $18,713 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
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With a ranking of #25, Centralia College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Centralia College is a small public school located in the town of Centralia.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Centralia College are $5,239 a year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Centralia College take out while working on their Associate Degree is $12,250.
In addition to its great value ranking, Centralia College is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools list.
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Additional Award Winners
This section represents the rest of the schools awarded a Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 960 different United States nursing schools we analyzed.
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 Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools award.
Nursing by Region
View the Best Value Nursing 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 |
More Nursing Rankings
Nursing Related Majors for Nursing
One of 30 majors within the healthcare area of study, nursing has other similar majors worth exploring.
Nursing Concentrations
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.
- 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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