2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Finding the Best Nursing Associate Degree School for You
Nursing is the most popular major in the United States with 57,106 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021.
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for nursing students. 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.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Nursing Degree Search has created the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 139 schools in the Great Lakes Region to see which ones offered the best associate degree programs 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 Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Colleges.
Top 15% Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools
Our analysis found Ohio Medical Career College to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a associate degree in the Great Lakes Region . Ohio Medical Career College is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the midsize city of Dayton.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ambria College of Nursing. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Ambria College of Nursing is a small private for-profit school located in the small city of Hoffman Estates.
After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from Ambria College of Nursing carry an average student debtload of $32,601.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Rasmussen University - Illinois. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the midsize city of Rockford, Rasmussen University - Illinois is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Rasmussen University - Illinois accumulate an average of around $32,326 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $175.
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Madison Area Technical College is a great place for nursing students working on their associate degree. Located in the large city of Madison, Madison College is a public college with a fairly large student population.
On average, nursing graduates from Madison College take out $26,980 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
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Out of the 139 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Herzing University - Akron landed the # 5 spot on the list. Herzing Akron is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Akron.
On average, nursing graduates from Herzing Akron take out $35,162 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $107.
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Ivy Tech Community College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Ivy Tech Community College is a very large public school located in the large city of Indianapolis.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Ivy Tech Community College take out while working on their Associate Degree is $20,860.
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James A Rhodes State College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the suburb of Lima, Rhodes State College is a public college with a small student population.
On average, nursing graduates from Rhodes State College take out $23,078 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
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Rasmussen University - Wisconsin landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree nursing programs. Located in the city of Green Bay, Rasmussen University - Wisconsin is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Rasmussen University - Wisconsin accumulate an average of around $32,326 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $175.
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Galen College of Nursing - Cincinnati ranked #9 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Galen College of Nursing - Cincinnati is a small private for-profit school located in the large suburb of Cincinnati.
Nursing majors at Galen College of Nursing - Cincinnati take out an average of $35,636 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $111.
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Chippewa Valley Technical College landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree nursing programs. Located in the city of Eau Claire, CVTC is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
On average, nursing graduates from CVTC take out $24,781 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
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Schoolcraft College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the city of Livonia, Schoolcraft College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from Schoolcraft College carry an average student debtload of $24,773.
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Mercy College of Ohio landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree nursing programs. Located in the city of Toledo, Mercy College is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from Mercy College carry an average student debtload of $35,681. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $149, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Oakton Community College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the city of Des Plaines, Oakton Community College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
Nursing majors at Oakton Community College take out an average of $11,885 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
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With a ranking of #14, William Rainey Harper College did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Harper College is a large public school located in the suburb of Palatine.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Harper College take out while working on their Associate Degree is $19,644.
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Southwest Wisconsin Technical College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a associate degree. It came in at #15 on the list. Southwest Tech is a small public school located in the rural area of Fennimore.
While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Southwest Tech accumulate an average of around $20,050 in student debt.
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Ohio University - Southern Campus ranked #16 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the midsize suburb of Ironton, OHIO Southern is a public school with a small student population.
After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from OHIO Southern carry an average student debtload of $26,334.
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With a ranking of #17, Ohio University - Zanesville Campus did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. OHIO Zanesville is a small public school located in the town of Zanesville.
While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at OHIO Zanesville accumulate an average of around $26,334 in student debt.
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Felbry College School of Nursing ranked #18 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Felbry College School of Nursing is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Columbus.
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Delta College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the rural area of University Center, Delta College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Delta College accumulate an average of around $21,140 in student debt.
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Lansing Community College landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree nursing programs. Located in the midsize city of Lansing, LCC is a public school with a large student population.
While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at LCC accumulate an average of around $28,140 in student debt.
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Here are some additional great schools for Nursing students in the Great Lakes Region that almost earned our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | Gateway Technical College | Kenosha, WI |
| 22 | Parkland College | Champaign, IL |
| 23 | Hondros College of Nursing | Westerville, OH |
| 24 | Western Technical College | La Crosse, WI |
| 25 | Northeast Wisconsin Technical College | Green Bay, WI |
| 26 | University of Saint Francis - Fort Wayne | Fort Wayne, IN |
| 27 | Fox Valley Technical College | Appleton, WI |
Best Nursing Colleges by State
Explore the best nursing colleges for a specific state in the Great Lakes region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Michigan | 7,345 |
| Ohio | 13,973 |
| Illinois | 21,938 |
| Indiana | 7,922 |
| Wisconsin | 5,410 |
More Nursing Rankings in the Great Lakes Region
Rankings in Majors Related to Nursing
Nursing Concentrations
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | 266,651 |
| Family Practice Nurse/Nursing | 16,104 |
| Nursing Administration | 9,838 |
| Nursing Practice | 7,992 |
| Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 5,092 |
| Nursing Science | 4,600 |
| Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing | 2,287 |
| Adult Health Nurse/Nursing | 2,021 |
| Nurse Anesthetist | 1,936 |
| Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing | 1,883 |
| Critical Care Nursing | 773 |
| Geriatric Nurse/Nursing | 563 |
| School Nursing | 553 |
| Nurse Midwife/Nursing Midwifery | 509 |
| Clinical Nurse Leader | 444 |
| Clinical Nurse Specialist | 419 |
| Perioperative/Operating Room and Surgical Nurse/Nursing | 331 |
| Maternal/Child Health and Neonatal Nurse/Nursing | 181 |
| Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing | 57 |
| Emergency Room/Trauma Nursing | 53 |
| Palliative Care Nursing | 14 |
| Forensic Nursing | 14 |
Most Popular Majors Related to Nursing
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants | 84,274 |
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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Aleksahgabrielle.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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