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Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Pennsylvania

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2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Pennsylvania

23 Colleges
$57,601 Avg Salary
$21,889 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Nursing Associate Degree School for You

Out of the majors we analyze each year, nursing was the most popular one in Pennsylvania. In total, 11,477 people earned a degree or certificate in the field from a school in Pennsylvania.

Today's nursing students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. 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 Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. This report analyzed 23 schools in Pennsylvania to see which ones offered the best associate degree programs for nursing students. To come up with a school's ranking, we analyzed numerous factors related to post-graduation wages, the quality of education offered by the school, average accumulated student debt, and more.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Pennsylvania

The colleges and universities below are the best for nursing majors pursuing a associate degree.

Top 10 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools

Our analysis found Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a associate degree in Pennsylvania. PA College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Lancaster.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at PA College take out while working on their Associate Degree is $30,149. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $324, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Nursing at Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences Report

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means University of Pittsburgh - Titusville is a great place for nursing students working on their associate degree. Located in the distant town of Titusville, Pitt Titusville is a public school with a fairly small student population.

Nursing majors at Pitt Titusville take out an average of $23,541 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 $270.

Full Nursing at University of Pittsburgh - Titusville Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harrisburg Area Community College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Pennsylvania list. Located in the city of Harrisburg, HACC is a public college with a large student population.

On average, nursing graduates from HACC take out $31,597 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Read More…

#4

La Roche University

Pittsburgh, PA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend La Roche University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Pennsylvania list. Located in the suburb of Pittsburgh, La Roche is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Read full report on Nursing at La Roche University

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Pennsylvania College of Technology is a great place for nursing students working on their associate degree. Located in the small city of Williamsport, Penn College is a public college with a small student population.

While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Penn College accumulate an average of around $38,675 in student debt.

Read More…

#6

Lock Haven University

Lock Haven, PA

Lock Haven University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree nursing programs. LHU is a small public school located in the town of Lock Haven.

On average, nursing graduates from LHU take out $28,436 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Read More…

Luzerne County Community 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 #7 on the list. Luzerne County Community College is a small public school located in the suburb of Nanticoke.

While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Luzerne County Community College accumulate an average of around $26,721 in student debt.

Full Nursing at Luzerne County Community College Report

Mercyhurst University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Pennsylvania list. Located in the small city of Erie, Mercyhurst is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

On average, nursing graduates from Mercyhurst take out $29,183 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Read full report on Nursing at Mercyhurst University

Clarion University of Pennsylvania came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Located in the town of Clarion, Clarion University is a public school with a small student population.

On average, nursing graduates from Clarion University take out $30,813 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Full Nursing at Clarion University of Pennsylvania Report

University of Pittsburgh - Bradford landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree nursing programs. Located in the remote town of Bradford, Pitt Bradford is a public college with a small student population.

After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from Pitt Bradford carry an average student debtload of $23,541. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $270.

Read full report on Nursing at University of Pittsburgh - Bradford

Best Nursing Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region

Explore all the Best Nursing Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
New York 17,708
New Jersey 5,648
Maryland 4,104
Delaware 1,267
District of Columbia 990

Nursing Focus Areas

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

Majors Similar to Nursing

Related Major Annual Graduates
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants 84,274

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 23 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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