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Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in the Far Western US Region

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2023 Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in the Far Western US Region

106 Colleges
$41,012 Avg Salary
$17,391 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants School for You

With 84,274 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, practical nursing and nursing assistants is the #2 most popular major in the United States.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for nursing students. 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.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Nursing Degree Search has created the Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in the Far Western US Region to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 106 schools in the Far Western US Region to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for nursing students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in the Far Western US Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Colleges.

Top 15% Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools

#1

Unitek College

South San Francisco, CA

Our analysis found Unitek College to be the best school for practical nursing and nursing assistants students who want to pursue a degree in the Far Western US Region . Unitek College is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the city of South San Francisco.

While working on their degree, practical nursing majors at Unitek College accumulate an average of around $17,305 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $217.

Full Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Unitek College Report

#2

Unitek College

Hayward, CA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Unitek College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Unitek College is a small private for-profit school located in the large suburb of Hayward.

While working on their degree, practical nursing majors at Unitek College accumulate an average of around $17,305 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $217.

Full Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Unitek College Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts is a small private for-profit school located in the midsize city of San Mateo.

Practical Nursing majors at Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts take out an average of $17,317 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $152, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

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#4

Blake Austin College

Vacaville, CA

The excellent programs at Blake Austin College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best practical nursing and nursing assistants schools in the Far Western US Region . Blake Austin College is a small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Vacaville.

Practical Nursing majors at Blake Austin College take out an average of $17,900 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Blake Austin College

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Xavier College School of Nursing. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Located in the large city of Stockton, Xavier College School of Nursing is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

While working on their degree, practical nursing majors at Xavier College School of Nursing accumulate an average of around $16,757 in student debt.

Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Xavier College School of Nursing

#6

Unitek College

Fremont, CA

With a ranking of #6, Unitek College did quite well on this year’s best schools for practical nursing and nursing assistants students. Unitek College is a small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Fremont.

The average amount in student loans that practical nursing majors at Unitek College take out is $19,020. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $207.

Full Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Unitek College Report

Marian College School of Nursing landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best practical nursing and nursing assistants programs. Marian College Van Nuys is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the city of Van Nuys.

While working on their degree, practical nursing majors at Marian College Van Nuys accumulate an average of around $13,797 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $160.

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#8

Homestead Schools

Torrance, CA

Homestead Schools did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for practical nursing and nursing assistants students. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the midsize city of Torrance, Homestead Schools is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

After completing their degree, practical nursing graduates from Homestead Schools carry an average student debtload of $18,040.

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Marian College School of Nursing did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for practical nursing and nursing assistants students. It came in at #9 on the list. Marian College Los Angeles is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles.

The average amount in student loans that practical nursing majors at Marian College Los Angeles take out is $13,797. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $160.

Full Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Marian College School of Nursing Report

#10

Stanbridge University

Irvine, CA

Stanbridge University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Located in the large city of Irvine, Stanbridge is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

While working on their degree, practical nursing majors at Stanbridge accumulate an average of around $20,000 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $176, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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Career Development Institute Inc came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Career Development Institute Inc is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the large city of Los Angeles.

While working on their degree, practical nursing majors at Career Development Institute Inc accumulate an average of around $16,873 in student debt.

Full Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Career Development Institute Inc Report

Institute of Technology did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for practical nursing and nursing assistants students. It came in at #12 on the list. Located in the suburb of Salem, Institute of Technology is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

After completing their degree, practical nursing graduates from Institute of Technology carry an average student debtload of $15,833. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $201.

Full Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Institute of Technology Report

#13

California Career Institute

Garden Grove, CA

California Career Institute came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in the large city of Garden Grove, California Career Institute is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

Practical Nursing majors at California Career Institute take out an average of $17,363 in student loans while working on their egree.

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#14

Pacific College

Costa Mesa, CA

Pacific College landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best practical nursing and nursing assistants programs. Located in the midsize city of Costa Mesa, Pacific College is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

Practical Nursing majors at Pacific College take out an average of $20,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

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#15

Sumner College

Portland, OR

With a ranking of #15, Sumner College did quite well on this year’s best schools for practical nursing and nursing assistants students. Located in the large city of Portland, Sumner College is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

Practical Nursing majors at Sumner College take out an average of $16,500 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $167.

Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Sumner College

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great schools for Nursing & Nursing Assistants students in the Far Western US Region that almost earned our Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in the Far Western US Region award.

Rank College Location
16 American Career College - Ontario Ontario, CA
17 CES College Burbank, CA
18 West Coast Ultrasound Institute Beverly Hills, CA
19 Merced College Merced, CA
20 Carrington College, Sacramento Sacramento, CA
21 Integrity College of Health Pasadena, CA

Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Colleges by State

Explore the best practical nursing and nursing assistants colleges for a specific state in the Far Western US region.

State Degrees Awarded
Washington 113
California 1,055
Nevada 0

Practical Nursing Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training 44,900
Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide 34,557
Other Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants 4,817

Related Major Annual Graduates
Nursing 322,592

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).

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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