2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region
Finding the Best Nursing Associate Degree School for You
In 2021-2022, 319,502 degrees and certificates were awarded to nursing students, making the major the most popular in the country.
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 Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 305 schools in the Southeast Region to see which associate degree 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 Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Colleges.
Top 25 Top Southeast Region Schools for an Associate in Nursing
Our analysis found Standard Healthcare Services - College of Nursing to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a associate degree in the Southeast Region . Located in the large suburb of Falls Church, Standard College of Nursing is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
Read full report on Nursing at Standard Healthcare Services - College of Nursing
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Trident Technical College. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list. Trident Technical College is a large public school located in the city of Charleston.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Trident Technical College take out while working on their Associate Degree is $22,030.
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Rasmussen University - Florida is a great place for nursing students working on their associate degree. Located in the small city of Ocala, Rasmussen University - Florida is a private for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.
After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from Rasmussen University - Florida carry an average student debtload of $20,731. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $210.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Cabarrus College of Health Sciences. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list. Cabarrus College of Health Sciences is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Concord.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Cabarrus College of Health Sciences take out while working on their Associate Degree is $18,461.
Out of the 305 schools in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Eastern Virginia Career College landed the # 5 spot on the list. Eastern Virginia Career College is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the medium-sized suburb of Fredericksburg.
Nursing majors at Eastern Virginia Career College take out an average of $13,406 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
Read full report on Nursing at Eastern Virginia Career College
With a ranking of #6, Galen College of Nursing - Tampa Bay did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Located in the city of Saint Petersburg, Galen College of Nursing - Tampa Bay is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
On average, nursing graduates from Galen College of Nursing - Tampa Bay take out $25,516 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 $148.
Read full report on Nursing at Galen College of Nursing - Tampa Bay
Carolinas College of Health Sciences came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in the large city of Charlotte, Carolinas College of Health Sciences is a public college with a small student population.
After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from Carolinas College of Health Sciences carry an average student debtload of $16,907.
Centra College of Nursing came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Centra College of Nursing is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Lynchburg.
While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Centra College of Nursing accumulate an average of around $15,390 in student debt.
Herzing University - Birmingham ranked #9 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list. Herzing University - Birmingham is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Birmingham.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Herzing University - Birmingham take out while working on their Associate Degree is $19,909. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $163.
Baptist Health College - Little Rock did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a associate degree. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the city of Little Rock, BHCLR is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at BHCLR accumulate an average of around $12,957 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $121, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Read full report on Nursing at Baptist Health College - Little Rock
Galen College of Nursing - Louisville ranked #11 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list. Galen College of Nursing - Louisville is a small private for-profit school located in the large city of Louisville.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Galen College of Nursing - Louisville take out while working on their Associate Degree is $25,516. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $148.
Riverside College of Health Careers ranked #12 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list. Riverside College of Health Careers is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Newport News.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Riverside College of Health Careers take out while working on their Associate Degree is $16,027.
Herzing University - Winter Park did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a associate degree. It came in at #13 on the list. Located in the large suburb of Winter Park, Herzing University - Winter Park is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
Nursing majors at Herzing University - Winter Park take out an average of $19,909 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $163.
Read full report on Nursing at Herzing University - Winter Park
Polk State 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 #14 on the list. Polk State is a moderately-sized public school located in the small city of Winter Haven.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Polk State take out while working on their Associate Degree is $11,926.
Academy for Nursing and Health Occupations 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. ANHO is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of West Palm Beach.
Full Nursing at Academy for Nursing and Health Occupations Report
Southside College of Health Sciences landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree nursing programs. Located in the large suburb of Colonial Heights, Southside College of Health Sciences is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from Southside College of Health Sciences carry an average student debtload of $12,324.
Southern Regional Technical College landed the #17 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree nursing programs. Southwest Georgia Technical College is a small public school located in the distant town of Thomasville.
West Coast University-Miami did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a associate degree. It came in at #18 on the list. Located in the city of Doral, West Coast University-Miami is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
Galen College of Nursing - ARH came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Galen College of Nursing - ARH is a small private for-profit school located in the remote town of Hazard.
On average, nursing graduates from Galen College of Nursing - ARH take out $25,516 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 $148.
Albany State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list. Albany State is a medium-sized public school located in the small city of Albany.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Albany State take out while working on their Associate Degree is $19,573.
Western Kentucky University landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree nursing programs. Located in the city of Bowling Green, WKU is a public college with a fairly large student population.
After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from WKU carry an average student debtload of $13,689.
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the distant town of Tifton, ABAC Tifton is a public school with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at ABAC Tifton take out while working on their Associate Degree is $16,461.
Athens Technical College landed the #23 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree nursing programs. Athens Technical College is a small public school located in the midsize city of Athens.
Louisiana Tech University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Louisiana Tech is a fairly large public school located in the town of Ruston.
While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Louisiana Tech accumulate an average of around $19,920 in student debt.
Middle Georgia State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a associate degree. It came in at #25 on the list. Located in the midsize city of Macon, Middle Georgia State University is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from Middle Georgia State University carry an average student debtload of $18,633.
Read full report on Nursing at Middle Georgia State University
Rest of the Top Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region
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 Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 46 | Gwinnett Institute | Orlando, FL |
| 47 | Coastal Alabama Community College | Bay Minette, AL |
| 48 | SOWELA Technical Community College | Lake Charles, LA |
| 49 | Arkansas State University - Main Campus | Jonesboro, AR |
| 50 | Oconee Fall Line Technical College | Sandersville, GA |
| 51 | Central Piedmont Community College | Charlotte, NC |
| 52 | Southeastern College-West Palm Beach | West Palm Beach, FL |
| 53 | HCI College | West Palm Beach, FL |
| 54 | Rappahannock Community College | Glenns, VA |
| 55 | Palm Beach State College | Lake Worth, FL |
| 56 | St Petersburg College | St. Petersburg, FL |
| 57 | Florida State College at Jacksonville | Jacksonville, FL |
| 58 | Georgia Highlands College | Rome, GA |
| 59 | Miami Regional University | Miami Springs, FL |
| 60 | West Georgia Technical College | Waco, GA |
| 61 | Thomas Nelson Community College | Hampton, VA |
Best Nursing Colleges by State
Explore the best nursing schools for a specific state in the Southeast region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Louisiana | 3,502 |
| Mississippi | 2,838 |
| Alabama | 7,364 |
| Kentucky | 6,395 |
| Tennessee | 6,004 |
| Florida | 21,209 |
| Arkansas | 2,882 |
| Georgia | 7,112 |
| North Carolina | 7,425 |
| West Virginia | 1,771 |
| South Carolina | 3,296 |
| Virginia | 6,775 |
Rankings in Majors Related to Nursing
Nursing Concentrations
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | 262,974 |
| Family Practice Nurse/Nursing | 16,647 |
| Nursing Practice | 8,862 |
| Nursing Administration | 8,663 |
| Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 4,717 |
| Nursing Science | 4,701 |
| Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing | 2,895 |
| Adult Health Nurse/Nursing | 2,075 |
| Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing | 2,011 |
| Nurse Anesthetist | 1,768 |
| Critical Care Nursing | 747 |
| Geriatric Nurse/Nursing | 622 |
| Nurse Midwife/Nursing Midwifery | 567 |
| School Nursing | 539 |
| Clinical Nurse Leader | 502 |
| Clinical Nurse Specialist | 340 |
| Perioperative/Operating Room and Surgical Nurse/Nursing | 269 |
| Women’s Health Nurse/Nursing | 262 |
| Maternal/Child Health and Neonatal Nurse/Nursing | 192 |
| Emergency Room/Trauma Nursing | 87 |
| Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing | 26 |
| Forensic Nursing | 23 |
| Palliative Care Nursing | 13 |
Most Popular Majors Related to Nursing
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants | 85,339 |
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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