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Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region

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2023 Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

139 Colleges
$6,718 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$57,601 Avg Salary

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.

Today's healthcare students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Healthcare Degree Search has created its Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 139 schools in the Great Lakes Region 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. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.

In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

Top 15% Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools

Our analysis found Wayne County Community College District to be the best value school for nursing students who want to pursue a associate degree in the Great Lakes Region . Located in the city of Detroit, WCCCD is a public school with a large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at WCCCD are $3,998 a year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at WCCCD take out while working on their Associate Degree is $23,759.

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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Madison Area Technical College. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Madison College is a large public school located in the city of Madison.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Madison College are $6,769 per year. On average, nursing graduates from Madison College take out $26,980 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Madison College did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.

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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Washington State Community College. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the rural area of Marietta, WSCC is a public school with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at WSCC are $4,032 a year. Nursing majors at WSCC take out an average of $24,191 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

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#4

Oakland Community College

Bloomfield Hills, MI

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Oakland Community College is a great value for nursing students working on their associate degree. Oakland Community College is a large public school located in the suburb of Bloomfield Hills.

Oakland Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,200 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Oakland Community College accumulate an average of around $20,606 in student debt.

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Out of the 139 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Northcentral Technical College landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the small city of Wausau, North Central Technical College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at North Central Technical College are $5,415 per year. While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at North Central Technical College accumulate an average of around $17,785 in student debt.

North Central Technical College also claimed a spot on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.

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Chippewa Valley Technical College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. CVTC is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Eau Claire.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at CVTC are $6,683 a year. On average, nursing graduates from CVTC take out $24,781 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

On top of its placing in our value ranking, CVTC also did well on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.

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Southwest Wisconsin Technical College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the rural area of Fennimore, Southwest Tech is a public school with a small student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Southwest Tech are $6,683 per year. While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Southwest Tech accumulate an average of around $20,050 in student debt.

In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Southwest Tech is ranked #5 for overall quality for nursing in the Great Lakes Region .

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#8

Schoolcraft College

Livonia, MI

With a ranking of #8, Schoolcraft College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Schoolcraft College is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Livonia.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Schoolcraft College are $7,574 per year. After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from Schoolcraft College carry an average student debtload of $24,773.

On top of its placing in our value ranking, Schoolcraft College also did well on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.

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#9

Western Technical College

La Crosse, WI

Western Technical College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Western Technical College is a small public school located in the city of La Crosse.

Western Technical College undergraduate students pay an average of $6,687 in tuition and fees each year. Nursing majors at Western Technical College take out an average of $21,920 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Western Technical College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.

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Gateway Technical College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Kenosha, Gateway Technical College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Gateway Technical College are $6,803 per year. After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from Gateway Technical College carry an average student debtload of $19,670.

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#11

Blackhawk Technical College

Janesville, WI

Blackhawk Technical College landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree nursing programs. Located in the suburb of Janesville, BTC is a public college with a small student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at BTC are $6,683 per year. Nursing majors at BTC take out an average of $23,834 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

BTC also claimed a spot on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.

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Northeast Wisconsin Technical College landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree nursing programs. Located in the medium-sized city of Green Bay, NWTC is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at NWTC are $6,849 per year. While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at NWTC accumulate an average of around $21,872 in student debt.

NWTC also claimed a spot on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.

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#13

Moraine Park Technical College

Fond du Lac, WI

Moraine Park 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 #13 on the list. Located in the small city of Fond du Lac, Moraine Park Technical College is a public college with a small student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Moraine Park Technical College are $6,683 per year. Nursing majors at Moraine Park Technical College take out an average of $19,237 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Moraine Park Technical College also is in the top 20% of our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking.

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Fox Valley Technical College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Appleton, FVTC is a public college with a large student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at FVTC are $6,861 per year. After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from FVTC carry an average student debtload of $20,405.

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#14

Delta College

University Center, MI

Delta 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 #14 on the list. Delta College is a medium-sized public school located in the rural area of University Center.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Delta College are $7,100 a year. While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Delta College accumulate an average of around $21,140 in student debt.

Delta College also claimed a spot on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.

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With a ranking of #16, Waukesha County Technical College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. WCTC is a medium-sized public school located in the large suburb of Pewaukee.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at WCTC are $6,603 per year. While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at WCTC accumulate an average of around $24,515 in student debt.

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James A Rhodes State College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Rhodes State College is a small public school located in the suburb of Lima.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Rhodes State College are $8,721 per year. On average, nursing graduates from Rhodes State College take out $23,078 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Rhodes State College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.

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#18

Ivy Tech Community College

Indianapolis, IN

Ivy Tech Community College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the large city of Indianapolis, Ivy Tech Community College is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Ivy Tech Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $8,927 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Ivy Tech Community College take out while working on their Associate Degree is $20,860.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Ivy Tech Community College also is in the top 10% of our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking.

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Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree nursing programs. Located in the rural area of Shell Lake, WITC is a public college with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at WITC are $6,960 a year. Nursing majors at WITC take out an average of $18,721 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

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#20

Henry Ford College

Dearborn, MI

Henry Ford 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 #20 on the list. Located in the midsize city of Dearborn, Henry Ford College is a public school with a large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Henry Ford College are $7,192 a year. On average, nursing graduates from Henry Ford College take out $27,674 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

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Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional great value schools for Nursing students in the Great Lakes Region seeking value that almost earned our Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.

Rank College Location
21 Mid-State Technical College Wisconsin Rapids, WI
22 Washtenaw Community College Ann Arbor, MI
23 Lakeshore Technical College Cleveland, WI
24 Macomb Community College Warren, MI
25 Milwaukee Area Technical College Milwaukee, WI
26 Central Ohio Technical College Newark, OH
27 Southwestern Illinois College Belleville, IL

Best Nursing Colleges by State

Explore the best nursing schools for a specific state in the Great Lakes region.

State Degrees Awarded
Illinois 21,938
Ohio 13,973
Michigan 7,345
Indiana 7,922
Wisconsin 5,410

Nursing is one of 30 different types of healthcare programs to choose from.

Nursing Focus Areas

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 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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