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Nursing Associate Degrees

There are 2,114 colleges and universities across the nation that offer aassociate degree in Nursing. Among those who recently graduated from the schools offering this degree, the majority were women, and47% were students from underrepresented racial-ethnic groups. Also, 0.9% of Nursing graduates were international students.

Education Levels of Nursing Majors

In the most recent reporting year, 311,372 students earned theirNursing majors across all award levels. The following table shows the number of diplomas awarded in Nursing at each degree level.

Education Level Number of Grads
Certificate 2,663
Associate’s Degree (this page) 85,232
Bachelor’s Degree 153,340
Master’s Degree 56,706
Doctor’s Degree 13,391

Earnings of Nursing Majors With Associate Degrees (All Award Levels)

The U.S. Department of Education reports a median salary for graduates with aassociate degree in Nursing of $80,149 four years after graduation. These figures are reported program-wide, across all award levels.

This number may vary for many reasons. For instance, you may move to a location where people with your degree are rare and make more money.

Years After Graduation Median Earnings
1 year $83,453
4 years $80,149
5 years $90,156

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker (program-wide, all award levels).

Student Debt (All Award Levels)

The data on debt ranges for Nursing majors who have their associate degree is not currently available.

Student Diversity

This degree is more popular with female students. About 86.0% of graduates with this degree are women.

Gender Number of Grads
Men 11,973
Women 73,259
Gender Diversity of Associate Degrees in Nursing

The racial-ethnic distribution of Nursing graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity Number of Grads Share
White 44,263 51.9%
Asian 4,479 5.3%
Hispanic or Latino 15,904 18.7%
Black or African American 13,450 15.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 611 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 201 0.2%
Two or More Races 2,982 3.5%
Race Unknown 2,563 3.0%
International Students 779 0.9%
Racial-Ethnic Diversity of Nursing Associate Degree Students

This degree is not very popular with international students. Only 0.9% of graduates fall into this category.

See the minority definition in the References below.

There are 2,207 colleges that offer a associate degree in Nursing. Learn more about the most popular below:

Chamberlain University-Illinois tops the list of the most popular schools in the U.S. for Nursing majors seeking their associate degree. This school awarded 13,367 associate degrees in Nursing in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their associate degree in Nursing here go on to a median salary of $40,669.

#2

Capella University

Minneapolis, MN

Capella University comes in at #2 on our list of the most popular colleges offering associate degrees in Nursing. This school awarded 8,953 associate degrees in Nursing in the most recent reporting year. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.

#3

Western Governors University

Salt Lake City, UT

Western Governors University is a popular choice for Nursing majors seeking their associate degree. This school awarded 7,799 associate degrees in Nursing in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their associate degree in Nursing here go on to a median salary of $40,669.

#4

Grand Canyon University

Phoenix, AZ

Grand Canyon University is a popular choice for Nursing majors seeking their associate degree. During the most recent year for which we have data, 5,116 people received their associate degree in Nursing from this school. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.

#5

Walden University

Minneapolis, MN

Walden University is a popular choice for Nursing majors seeking their associate degree. This school awarded 4,948 associate degrees in Nursing in the most recent reporting year. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.

The University of Texas at Arlington is a popular choice for Nursing majors seeking their associate degree. This school awarded 3,485 associate degrees in Nursing in the most recent reporting year. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.

#7

Aspen University

Phoenix, AZ

Aspen University is a popular choice for Nursing majors seeking their associate degree. During the most recent year for which we have data, 1,999 people received their associate degree in Nursing from this school. Graduates who complete their associate degree in Nursing here go on to a median salary of $40,669.

West Coast University-Orange County comes in at #8 on our list of the most popular colleges offering associate degrees in Nursing. During the most recent year for which we have data, 1,760 people received their associate degree in Nursing from this school. Graduates who complete their associate degree in Nursing here go on to a median salary of $40,669.

Galen College of Nursing-Louisville comes in at #9 on our list of the most popular colleges offering associate degrees in Nursing. During the most recent year for which we have data, 1,491 people received their associate degree in Nursing from this school. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.

#10

Ivy Tech Community College

Indianapolis, IN

Ivy Tech Community College is a popular choice for Nursing majors seeking their associate degree. This school awarded 1,481 associate degrees in Nursing in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their associate degree in Nursing here go on to a median salary of $40,669.

University of South Alabama comes in at #11 on our list of the most popular colleges offering associate degrees in Nursing. This school awarded 1,440 associate degrees in Nursing in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their associate degree in Nursing here go on to a median salary of $40,669.

Ohio University-Main Campus comes in at #12 on our list of the most popular colleges offering associate degrees in Nursing. This school awarded 1,401 associate degrees in Nursing in the most recent reporting year. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.

#13

NUC University

Bayamon, PR

NUC University comes in at #13 on our list of the most popular colleges offering associate degrees in Nursing. This school awarded 1,335 associate degrees in Nursing in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their associate degree in Nursing here go on to a median salary of $40,669.

#14

Purdue University Global

West Lafayette, IN

Purdue University Global comes in at #14 on our list of the most popular colleges offering associate degrees in Nursing. This school awarded 1,160 associate degrees in Nursing in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their associate degree in Nursing here go on to a median salary of $40,669.

#15

Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale, FL

Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale is a popular choice for Nursing majors seeking their associate degree. This school awarded 1,154 associate degrees in Nursing in the most recent reporting year. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center is a popular choice for Nursing majors seeking their associate degree. This school awarded 1,142 associate degrees in Nursing in the most recent reporting year. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.

Rasmussen University-Florida is a popular choice for Nursing majors seeking their associate degree. This school awarded 1,063 associate degrees in Nursing in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their associate degree in Nursing here go on to a median salary of $40,669.

University of Alabama at Birmingham is a popular choice for Nursing majors seeking their associate degree. This school awarded 1,053 associate degrees in Nursing in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their associate degree in Nursing here go on to a median salary of $40,669.

#19

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, KY

Northern Kentucky University comes in at #19 on our list of the most popular colleges offering associate degrees in Nursing. During the most recent year for which we have data, 1,035 people received their associate degree in Nursing from this school. Data shows that graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669.

#20

Frontier Nursing University

Versailles, KY

Frontier Nursing University is a popular choice for Nursing majors seeking their associate degree. This school awarded 1,021 associate degrees in Nursing in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who complete their associate degree in Nursing here go on to a median salary of $40,669.

Nursing Majors to Study

Major Annual Degrees Awarded
Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse 256,965
Family Practice Nurse/Nursing 14,847
Nursing Practice 9,206
Nursing Administration 7,911
Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing 4,379

Below are some popular majors similar to Nursing that also offer associate degrees.

Major Annual Degrees Awarded
Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants 99,987
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions 90,379
Health and Medical Administrative Services 90,166
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services 80,693
Public Health 41,086

References

The racial-ethnic minority student count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the percentage of racial-ethnic minorities.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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