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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
$40,989 Avg Salary
$16,762 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants School for You

In 2021-2022, 85,339 practical nursing & nursing assistants students received a degree or certificate, making the major the #2 most popular in the country.

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 2023 rankings named Unitek College the best school in the Far Western US Region for practical nursing & nursing assistants students. Unitek College is a small private for-profit school located in the city of South San Francisco.

Practical Nursing majors at Unitek College take out an average of $16,973 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $254.

Full Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Unitek College Report

#2

Unitek College

Hayward, CA

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Unitek College is a great place for practical nursing & nursing assistants students. Unitek College is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Hayward.

Practical Nursing majors at Unitek College take out an average of $16,973 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $254.

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

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts is a great place for practical nursing & nursing assistants students. Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts is a small private for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of San Mateo.

On average, practical nursing graduates from Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts take out $17,548 in student loans while working on their degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $181, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts Report

#4

Blake Austin College

Vacaville, CA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Blake Austin College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Blake Austin College is a small private for-profit school located in the small 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 city of Stockton, Xavier College School of Nursing is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that practical nursing majors at Xavier College School of Nursing take out is $16,687.

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 & nursing assistants students. Unitek College is a small private for-profit school located in the large suburb of Fremont.

The average amount in student loans that practical nursing majors at Unitek College take out is $14,567. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $226, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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

Marian College School of Nursing did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for practical nursing & nursing assistants students. It came in at #7 on the list. Marian College Van Nuys is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Van Nuys.

After completing their degree, practical nursing graduates from Marian College Van Nuys carry an average student debtload of $10,897.

Read More…

#8

Homestead Schools

Torrance, CA

With a ranking of #8, Homestead Schools did quite well on this year’s best schools for practical nursing & nursing assistants students. Located in the city of Torrance, Homestead Schools is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly 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 came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Marian College Los Angeles is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles.

After completing their degree, practical nursing graduates from Marian College Los Angeles carry an average student debtload of $10,897.

Read More…

#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 city of Irvine, Stanbridge is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

After completing their degree, practical nursing graduates from Stanbridge carry an average student debtload of $19,996. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $170.

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Career Development Institute Inc ranked #11 on this year’s Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Career Development Institute Inc is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the 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.

Read More…

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

The average amount in student loans that practical nursing majors at Institute of Technology take out is $12,667.

Full Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Institute of Technology Report

California Career Institute ranked #13 on this year’s Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in the Far Western US Region list. California Career Institute is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the city of Anaheim.

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

Read More…

#14

Pacific College

Costa Mesa, CA

Pacific College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Located in the midsize city of Costa Mesa, Pacific College is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

Read More…

#15

Sumner College

Portland, OR

Sumner College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Located in the city of Portland, Sumner College is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

Practical Nursing majors at Sumner College take out an average of $16,322 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $159, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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 Los Angeles, 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 & 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 45,031
Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide 35,655
Other Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants 4,653

Related Major Annual Graduates
Nursing 319,502

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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