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Best Value Nursing & Nursing Assistants Undergraduate Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region

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2023 Best Value Nursing & Nursing Assistants Undergraduate Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

92 Colleges
$5,087 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$36,841 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Undergraduate Certificate School for You

In 2020-2021, 84,274 practical nursing and nursing assistants students received a degree or certificate, making the major the #2 most popular in the country.

It's not easy to decide which nursing program to enroll in when you have so many options available. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Nursing Degree Search has created its Best Value Nursing & Nursing Assistants Undergraduate Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 92 schools in the Plains States Region to see which undergraduate certificate programs offered the best value experiences for practical 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. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.

In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

Top 15% Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Undergraduate Certificate Schools

Our 2023 rankings named Southeast Community College Area the best value school in the Plains States Region for practical nursing and nursing assistants students working on their undergraduate certificate. Southeast Community College is a medium-sized public school located in the large city of Lincoln.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Southeast Community College are $3,780 per year. Practical Nursing majors at Southeast Community College take out an average of $21,264 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate.

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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Cloud County Community College. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Nursing & Nursing Assistants Undergraduate Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region list. Cloud County Community College is a small public school located in the rural area of Concordia.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Cloud County Community College are $3,570 a year.

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#3

Central Community College

Grand Island, NE

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Central Community College is a great value for practical nursing and nursing assistants students working on their undergraduate certificate. Located in the small city of Grand Island, Central Community College is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Central Community College are $4,590 per year. The average amount in student loans that practical nursing majors at Central Community College take out while working on their Undergraduate Certificate is $12,675.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Central Community College also is in the top 15% of our Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Undergraduate Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region ranking.

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Metropolitan Community College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Nursing & Nursing Assistants Undergraduate Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region list. MCC is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Omaha.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at MCC are $4,680 a year.

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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Neosho County Community College. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Nursing & Nursing Assistants Undergraduate Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the town of Chanute, Neosho County Community College is a public school with a small student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Neosho County Community College are $4,000 per year. Practical Nursing majors at Neosho County Community College take out an average of $14,677 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate.

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Western Iowa Tech Community College landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value undergraduate certificate practical nursing and nursing assistants programs. Located in the small city of Sioux City, Western Iowa Tech Community College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Western Iowa Tech Community College are $4,826 per year. While working on their Undergraduate Certificate, practical nursing majors at Western Iowa Tech Community College accumulate an average of around $17,333 in student debt.

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Northland Community and Technical College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing & Nursing Assistants Undergraduate Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in the remote town of Thief River Falls, Northland Community and Technical College is a public school with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Northland Community and Technical College are $6,052 a year. The average amount in student loans that practical nursing majors at Northland Community and Technical College take out while working on their Undergraduate Certificate is $24,495.

Northland Community and Technical College also took the #3 spot in our Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Undergraduate Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region rankings.

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Alexandria Technical & Community College 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 #7 on the list. Located in the remote town of Alexandria, ATCC is a public school with a small student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at ATCC are $5,910 per year. While working on their Undergraduate Certificate, practical nursing majors at ATCC accumulate an average of around $14,767 in student debt.

ATCC excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Undergraduate Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region list.

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Hutchinson Community College landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value undergraduate certificate practical nursing and nursing assistants programs. Located in the distant town of Hutchinson, Hutchinson Community College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Hutchinson Community College are $4,470 a year. On average, practical nursing graduates from Hutchinson Community College take out $17,190 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate.

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#10

Lake Region State College

Devils Lake, ND

Lake Region State College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Nursing & Nursing Assistants Undergraduate Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region list. Lake Region State College is a small public school located in the remote town of Devils Lake.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Lake Region State College are $5,000 per year.

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#11

Garden City Community College

Garden City, KS

Garden City Community College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing & Nursing Assistants Undergraduate Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in the town of Garden City, Garden City Community College is a public school with a small student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Garden City Community College are $4,020 per year. On average, practical nursing graduates from Garden City Community College take out $14,974 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate.

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#12

Mid-Plains Community College

North Platte, NE

With a ranking of #12, Mid-Plains Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for practical nursing and nursing assistants students working on their undergraduate certificate. Located in the remote town of North Platte, Mid-Plains Community College is a public school with a small student population.

Mid-Plains Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,320 in tuition and fees each year.

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#13

Hennepin Technical College

Brooklyn Park, MN

Hennepin Technical College 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 #13 on the list. Located in the suburb of Brooklyn Park, Hennepin Technical College is a public college with a small student population.

Hennepin Technical College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,741 in tuition and fees each year. Practical Nursing majors at Hennepin Technical College take out an average of $16,764 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate.

Hennepin Technical College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Undergraduate Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region list.

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Additional Noteworthy Schools

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

Rank College Location
14 St Cloud Technical and Community College Saint Cloud, MN
15 Lake Area Technical Institute Watertown, SD
16 Southeastern Community College West Burlington, IA
17 Rochester Community and Technical College Rochester, MN
18 Dakota County Technical College Rosemount, MN
18 Anoka Technical College Anoka, MN

Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Colleges by State

Explore the best practical nursing and nursing assistants colleges for a specific state in the Plains States region.

State Degrees Awarded
Minnesota 22
South Dakota 0
North Dakota 70
Nebraska 0

Practical Nursing Concentrations

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

Majors Similar to Practical Nursing

Related Major Annual Graduates
Nursing 322,592

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).

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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