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

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

80 Colleges
$36,841 Avg Salary
$15,480 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Undergraduate Certificate 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.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Nursing Degree Search has created its Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Undergraduate Certificate Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 80 schools in the Far Western US Region to see which undergraduate certificate programs offered the best educational experiences for nursing students. The factors used to develop this ranking include those related to how in-demand the school is, the overall quality of the school, and post-graduation wages, and more.

View our full ranking methodology.

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

Check out the practical nursing undergraduate certificate programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.

Top 15% Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Undergraduate Certificate 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 undergraduate certificate in the Far Western US Region . Unitek College is a small private for-profit school located in the city of South San Francisco.

While working on their Undergraduate Certificate, practical nursing majors at Unitek College accumulate an average of around $18,219 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $217.

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

#2

Unitek College

Hayward, CA

Out of the 80 schools in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Unitek College landed the # 2 spot on the list. Unitek College is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Hayward.

While working on their Undergraduate Certificate, practical nursing majors at Unitek College accumulate an average of around $18,219 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $217.

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

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Undergraduate Certificate Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts is a small private for-profit school located in the city of San Mateo.

The average amount in student loans that practical nursing majors at Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts take out while working on their Undergraduate Certificate is $18,229. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $152, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read More…

#4

Blake Austin College

Vacaville, CA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Blake Austin College. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Undergraduate Certificate Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Blake Austin College is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the small suburb of Vacaville.

The average amount in student loans that practical nursing majors at Blake Austin College take out while working on their Undergraduate Certificate is $18,496.

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

The excellent undergraduate certificate programs at Xavier College School of Nursing helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best practical nursing and nursing assistants schools in the Far Western US Region . Located in the large city of Stockton, Xavier College School of Nursing is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

After completing their Undergraduate Certificate, practical nursing graduates from Xavier College School of Nursing carry an average student debtload of $16,458.

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

Marian College School of Nursing did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for practical nursing and nursing assistants students to get a undergraduate certificate. It came in at #6 on the list. Marian College Van Nuys is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the city of Van Nuys.

The average amount in student loans that practical nursing majors at Marian College Van Nuys take out while working on their Undergraduate Certificate is $14,515. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $160.

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

#7

Homestead Schools

Torrance, CA

Homestead Schools ranked #7 on this year’s Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Undergraduate Certificate Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Located in the medium-sized city of Torrance, Homestead Schools is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

The average amount in student loans that practical nursing majors at Homestead Schools take out while working on their Undergraduate Certificate is $19,480.

Full Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Homestead Schools Report

Marian College School of Nursing landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best undergraduate certificate practical nursing and nursing assistants programs. 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 while working on their Undergraduate Certificate is $14,515. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $160.

Read More…

#9

Unitek College

Fremont, CA

Unitek College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Undergraduate Certificate Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Unitek College is a small private for-profit school located in the large suburb of Fremont.

On average, practical nursing graduates from Unitek College take out $18,263 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $230, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read More…

#10

Stanbridge University

Irvine, CA

Stanbridge University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Undergraduate Certificate Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in the city of Irvine, Stanbridge is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

On average, practical nursing graduates from Stanbridge take out $20,606 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $176, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Stanbridge University Report

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

After completing their Undergraduate Certificate, practical nursing graduates from Career Development Institute Inc carry an average student debtload of $19,440.

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

#12

California Career Institute

Garden Grove, CA

California Career Institute ranked #12 on this year’s Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Undergraduate Certificate Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Located in the city of Garden Grove, California Career Institute is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

On average, practical nursing graduates from California Career Institute take out $19,736 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate.

Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at California Career Institute

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Undergraduate Certificate Schools in the Far Western US Region award.

Rank College Location
13 Institute of Technology Salem, OR
14 Sumner College Portland, OR
15 American Career College - Ontario Ontario, CA
16 CES College Burbank, 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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