2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
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.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Healthcare Degree Search has developed this Best Value Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 181 schools in the Southwest Region to see which 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.
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2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region
Check out the nursing programs at these schools if you want to get the best value for your educational dollar.
Top 25 Best Southwest Region Schools for Affordable Quality in Nursing
Our 2023 rankings named New Mexico Junior College the best value school in the Southwest Region for nursing students. New Mexico Junior College is a small public school located in the remote town of Hobbs.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at New Mexico Junior College are $2,280 a year. On average, nursing graduates from New Mexico Junior College take out $17,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
The excellent programs at Aspen University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in the Southwest Region . Aspen University is a moderately-sized private for-profit school located in the large city of Denver.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Aspen University are $5,170 per year. Nursing majors at Aspen University take out an average of $35,922 in student loans while working on their egree.
Aspen University did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our Best Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region list.
The excellent programs at Clovis Community College helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in the Southwest Region . Clovis Community College is a small public school located in the remote town of Clovis.
Clovis Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $2,984 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Clovis Community College carry an average student debtload of $11,473.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Central Arizona College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region list. 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. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Pinal County Community College take out is $15,679.
In addition to its great value ranking, Pinal County Community College is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region list.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Panola College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region list. Located in the town of Carthage, Panola College is a public college with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Panola College are $4,680 per year.
In addition to its great value ranking, Panola College is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region list.
With a ranking of #6, Amarillo College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students. 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. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Amarillo College take out is $21,240.
With a ranking of #7, College of the Mainland did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students. COM is a small public school located in the suburb of Texas City.
COM undergraduate students pay an average of $3,873 in tuition and fees each year. On average, nursing graduates from COM take out $20,290 in student loans while working on their degree.
South Plains College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region 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. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at South Plains College take out is $12,750.
With a ranking of #9, Alvin Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students. Alvin is a small public school located in the suburb of Alvin.
Alvin undergraduate students pay an average of $4,010 in tuition and fees each year. Nursing majors at Alvin take out an average of $15,511 in student loans while working on their egree.
New Mexico State University - Carlsbad did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for nursing students. It came in at #10 on the list. NMSU Carlsbad is a small public school located in the rural area of Carlsbad.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at NMSU Carlsbad are $4,008 a year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at NMSU Carlsbad take out is $17,900.
Read full report on Nursing at New Mexico State University - Carlsbad
Tyler Junior College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for nursing students. It came in at #11 on the list. Located in the city of Tyler, Tyler Junior College is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Tyler Junior College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,440 in tuition and fees each year. Nursing majors at Tyler Junior College take out an average of $18,814 in student loans while working on their egree.
Clarendon College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for nursing students. It came in at #12 on the list. Clarendon College is a small public school located in the rural area of Clarendon.
Clarendon College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,176 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, nursing majors at Clarendon College accumulate an average of around $20,000 in student debt.
Lee College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for nursing students. It came in at #13 on the list. Located in the small city of Baytown, Lee College is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Lee College are $4,302 a year. After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Lee College carry an average student debtload of $14,500.
Wharton County Junior College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. Located in the town of Wharton, Wharton County Junior College is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
Wharton County Junior College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,872 in tuition and fees each year. On average, nursing graduates from Wharton County Junior College take out $14,006 in student loans while working on their degree.
Read full report on Nursing at Wharton County Junior College
San Jacinto Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for nursing students. It came in at #15 on the list. Located in the large suburb of Pasadena, San Jacinto College is a public college with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at San Jacinto College are $5,040 a year. Nursing majors at San Jacinto College take out an average of $12,750 in student loans while working on their egree.
El Centro College landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value nursing programs. Located in the city of Dallas, El Centro College is a public school with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at El Centro College are $6,000 a year. Nursing majors at El Centro College take out an average of $18,559 in student loans while working on their egree.
El Centro College also claimed a spot on our Best Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category.
Northeast Texas Community College landed the #17 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value nursing programs. Located in the rural area of Mount Pleasant, NTCC is a public college with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at NTCC are $6,449 a year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at NTCC take out is $20,000.
NTCC excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region list.
Read full report on Nursing at Northeast Texas Community College
Lone Star College System ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region list. North Harris Montgomery is a very large public school located in the midsize city of The Woodlands.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at North Harris Montgomery are $6,168 per year. Nursing majors at North Harris Montgomery take out an average of $13,797 in student loans while working on their egree.
Collin County Community College District did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for nursing students. It came in at #19 on the list. Collin County Community College District is a very large public school located in the medium-sized suburb of McKinney.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Collin County Community College District are $5,104 a year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Collin County Community College District take out is $14,970.
Full Nursing at Collin County Community College District Report
Houston Community College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. Houston Community College is a fairly large public school located in the city of Houston.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Houston Community College are $5,460 a year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Houston Community College take out is $21,000.
With a ranking of #21, Victoria College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students. Victoria College is a small public school located in the city of Victoria.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Victoria College are $4,872 per year. After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Victoria College carry an average student debtload of $18,507.
Del Mar College landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value nursing programs. DMC is a large public school located in the city of Corpus Christi.
DMC undergraduate students pay an average of $5,930 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at DMC take out is $10,429.
University of New Mexico - Gallup Campus came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. UNM Gallup is a small public school located in the rural area of Gallup.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UNM Gallup are $4,708 per year. After completing their degree, nursing graduates from UNM Gallup carry an average student debtload of $14,796.
Full Nursing at University of New Mexico - Gallup Campus Report
Galveston College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. Galveston College is a small public school located in the fringe town of Galveston.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Galveston College are $5,200 a year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Galveston College take out is $17,757.
Galveston College also claimed a spot on our Best Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
Odessa College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region list. Odessa College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Odessa.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Odessa College are $4,398 a year. On average, nursing graduates from Odessa College take out $11,875 in student loans while working on their degree.
Rest of the Top Best Value Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region
Honorable Mentions
Here are some additional great value schools for Nursing students in the Southwest Region seeking value that almost earned our Best Value Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 28 | San Juan College | Farmington, NM |
| 29 | South Texas College | McAllen, TX |
| 30 | Temple College | Temple, TX |
| 30 | Laredo College | Laredo, TX |
| 32 | El Paso Community College | El Paso, TX |
| 33 | Howard College | Big Spring, TX |
| 34 | Angelina College | Lufkin, TX |
| 35 | Grayson College | Denison, TX |
| 36 | Weatherford College | Weatherford, TX |
| 36 | Vernon College | Vernon, TX |
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
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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