2023 Best Value Healthcare Associate Degree Schools in Texas
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Prices
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which healthcare program is right 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 or bootcamp to be a better alternative for you.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Healthcare Degree Search has created the Best Value Healthcare Associate Degree Schools in Texas to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 46 schools in Texas to see which ones offered the best value associate degree programs for healthcare students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
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.
Featured schools near , edit
Top Value Healthcare Associate Degree Schools in Texas
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named Lamar State College - Port Arthur the best value school in Texas for healthcare students working on their associate degree. Lamar State College - Port Arthur is a public institution located in Port Arthur, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 71 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Lamar State College - Port Arthur are $7,890 per year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $23,273 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Lamar State College - Port Arthur. In 2019-2020 about 88% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Out of the 46 schools in Texas that were part of this year’s value ranking, Galveston College landed the # 2 spot on the list. Galveston College is a public institution located in Galveston, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 125 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Galveston College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,200 in tuition and fees each year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $17,605 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Galveston College does offer online classes in some areas. In fact, around 84% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Alvin Community College. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Healthcare Associate Degree Schools in Texas list. Alvin, Texas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 190 students in 2020-2021.
Alvin undergraduate students pay an average of $4,010 in tuition and fees each year. On average, associate degree students take out $11,951 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Alvin. In 2019-2020 about 44% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Out of the 46 schools in Texas that were part of this year’s value ranking, Amarillo College landed the # 4 spot on the list. Amarillo College is a public institution located in Amarillo, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 323 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Amarillo College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,704 in tuition and fees each year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $18,641 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Amarillo College. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 57% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Out of the 46 schools in Texas that were part of this year’s value ranking, Collin County Community College District landed the # 5 spot on the list. Collin County Community College District is a public institution located in McKinney, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 240 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Collin County Community College District undergraduate students pay an average of $5,104 in tuition and fees each year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $17,379 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Collin County Community College District does offer online classes in some areas. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 95% took at least some of their classes online.
Panola College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Healthcare Associate Degree Schools in Texas list. This small public school is located in Carthage, Texas, and it awarded 81 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Panola College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,680 in tuition and fees each year.
Panola College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 72% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Panola College did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our Best Healthcare Associate Degree Schools in Texas list.
With a ranking of #7, San Jacinto Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for healthcare students working on their associate degree. San Jacinto College is located in Pasadena, Texas and has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 605 associate degrees to qualified students.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at San Jacinto College are $5,040 per year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $13,960 in student loans.
Online courses are available at San Jacinto College, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2019-2020 about 95% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Tarrant County College District landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree healthcare programs. Tarrant County College is located in Fort Worth, Texas and has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 431 associate degrees to qualified students.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Tarrant County College are $8,235 per year. On average, associate degree students take out $17,198 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Tarrant County College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 97% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Tarrant County College also claimed a spot on our Best Healthcare Associate Degree Schools in Texas list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
College of the Mainland landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree healthcare programs. This small public school is located in Texas City, Texas, and it awarded 102 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
COM undergraduate students pay an average of $3,873 in tuition and fees each year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $16,500 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at COM. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 77% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
El Centro College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for healthcare students to get an associate degree. It came in at #9 on the list. El Centro College is a public institution located in Dallas, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 385 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at El Centro College are $6,000 a year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $18,961 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
One thing to take note of is that El Centro College does offer online classes in some areas. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 92% took at least some of their classes online.
El Centro College also took the #1 spot in our Best Healthcare Associate Degree Schools in Texas rankings.
Lamar Institute of Technology landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree healthcare programs. Located in Beaumont, Texas, the small public school handed out 103 associate degree awards in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Lamar Institute of Technology are $12,636 a year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $16,263 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Lamar Institute of Technology. In 2019-2020 about 61% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Wharton County Junior College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for healthcare students to get an associate degree. It came in at #12 on the list. Wharton County Junior College is a medium-sized public school situated in Wharton, Texas. It awarded 143 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Wharton County Junior College are $4,872 a year. On average, associate degree students take out $14,328 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Wharton County Junior College. In 2019-2020 about 84% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
South Texas College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Healthcare Associate Degree Schools in Texas ranking. Located in McAllen, Texas, the large public school awarded 451 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2020-2021.
South Texas College undergraduate students pay an average of $7,920 in tuition and fees each year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $8,401 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at South Texas College. In 2019-2020 about 94% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, South Texas College is ranked #3 for overall quality in Texas.
The University of Texas at Brownsville came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Healthcare Associate Degree Schools in Texas ranking. Located in Brownsville, Texas, the medium-sized public school awarded 60 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at The University of Texas at Brownsville are $4,948 per year. On average, associate degree students take out $13,381 in loans while pursuing their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since The University of Texas at Brownsville does offer online classes for certain majors. During the 2019-2020 year, about 10% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
El Paso Community College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Healthcare Associate Degree Schools in Texas list. Located in El Paso, Texas, the large public school handed out 260 associate degree awards in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at El Paso Community College are $5,314 a year. On average, associate degree students take out $10,989 in loans while pursuing their degree.
One thing to take note of is that El Paso Community College does offer online classes in some areas. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 97% took at least some of their classes online.
Houston Community College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Healthcare Associate Degree Schools in Texas ranking. This large public school is located in Houston, Texas, and it awarded 435 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Houston Community College are $5,460 a year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $23,597 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Houston Community College. During the 2019-2020 year, about 88% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Houston Community College also did well on our Best Healthcare Associate Degree Schools in Texas list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
With a ranking of #17, South Plains College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for healthcare students working on their associate degree. South Plains College is a medium-sized public school located in Levelland, Texas that handed out 152 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at South Plains College are $4,276 per year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $16,112 in student loans.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at South Plains College. In 2019-2020 about 65% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Northeast Texas Community College landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree healthcare programs. NTCC is a public institution located in Mount Pleasant, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 79 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at NTCC are $6,449 a year. On average, associate degree students take out $18,637 in loans while pursuing their degree.
NTCC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 67% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
NTCC did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our Best Healthcare Associate Degree Schools in Texas list.
Victoria College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Healthcare Associate Degree Schools in Texas list. Victoria College is a small public school situated in Victoria, Texas. It awarded 89 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Victoria College are $4,872 per year. On average, associate degree students take out $14,992 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Victoria College. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 97% took at least some of their classes online.
Tyler Junior College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Healthcare Associate Degree Schools in Texas list. Tyler Junior College is a public institution located in Tyler, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 423 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Tyler Junior College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,440 in tuition and fees each year. On average, associate degree students take out $17,044 in loans while pursuing their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Tyler Junior College does offer online classes in some areas. In fact, around 64% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Lone Star College System ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Healthcare Associate Degree Schools in Texas list. The Woodlands, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 683 students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at North Harris Montgomery are $6,168 per year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $15,481 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at North Harris Montgomery. During the 2019-2020 year, about 72% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
North Harris Montgomery also claimed a spot on our Best Healthcare Associate Degree Schools in Texas list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
Temple College landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree healthcare programs. Temple College is a small public school located in Temple, Texas that handed out 175 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Temple College are $6,432 a year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $18,360 in student loans.
Temple College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 88% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Central Texas College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Healthcare Associate Degree Schools in Texas list. This medium-sized public school is located in Killeen, Texas, and it awarded 142 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Central Texas College are $7,440 a year. On average, associate degree students take out $11,657 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Central Texas College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 74% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Lee College landed the #24 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree healthcare programs. This medium-sized public school is located in Baytown, Texas, and it awarded 45 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Lee College are $4,302 per year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $15,284 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Online courses are available at Lee College, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2019-2020 about 49% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Odessa College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for healthcare students to get an associate degree. It came in at #25 on the list. This medium-sized public school is located in Odessa, Texas, and it awarded 116 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Odessa College are $4,398 per year. On average, associate degree students take out $11,199 in loans while pursuing their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Odessa College does offer online classes for certain majors. During the 2019-2020 year, about 68% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Best Value Healthcare Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region
View Best Value Healthcare Associate Degree Schools Nationwide >
More Texas Rankings
Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
References
- 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 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Featured Schools
![]() |
Southern New Hampshire University You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs. Learn More > |