Find Nursing Colleges

What Do You Want to Study?

Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Arkansas

Find Schools Near

2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Arkansas

19 Colleges
$57,700 Avg Salary
$16,287 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Nursing Associate Degree School for You

Nursing is the most popular major in Arkansas with 2,882 degrees and certificates handed out in 2021-2022.

It's not easy to decide which nursing program to enroll in when you have so many options available. 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 Arkansas ranking. Our analysis looked at 19 schools in Arkansas to see which associate degree programs offered the best educational experiences for nursing students. Factors related to overall quality of the school, post-graduation earnings, average student debt, and more accumulated were considered when coming up with this list.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Arkansas

Check out the nursing associate degree programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.

Top 10 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools

Our analysis found Baptist Health College - Little Rock to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a associate degree in Arkansas. BHCLR is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Little Rock.

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 More…

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Arkansas State University - Newport is a great place for nursing students working on their associate degree. ASUN is a small public school located in the rural area of Newport.

While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at ASUN accumulate an average of around $13,107 in student debt.

Full Nursing at Arkansas State University - Newport Report

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Jefferson Regional Medical Center School of Nursing is a great place for nursing students working on their associate degree. JRMC School of Nursing is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Pine Bluff.

On average, nursing graduates from JRMC School of Nursing take out $13,378 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Full Nursing at Jefferson Regional Medical Center School of Nursing Report

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Arkansas State University - Main Campus is a great place for nursing students working on their associate degree. A-State is a large public school located in the city of Jonesboro.

After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from A-State carry an average student debtload of $16,922.

Read full report on Nursing at Arkansas State University - Main Campus

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend NorthWest Arkansas Community College. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Arkansas list. NWACC is a moderately-sized public school located in the small city of Bentonville.

Nursing majors at NWACC take out an average of $15,556 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Read More…

#6

Arkansas Tech University

Russellville, AR

Arkansas Tech University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Arkansas ranking. ATU is a moderately-sized public school located in the remote town of Russellville.

While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at ATU accumulate an average of around $21,509 in student debt.

Full Nursing at Arkansas Tech University Report

With a ranking of #7, University of Arkansas at Little Rock did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Located in the medium-sized city of Little Rock, UA Little Rock is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from UA Little Rock carry an average student debtload of $19,173.

Full Nursing at University of Arkansas at Little Rock Report

University of Arkansas Community College - Morrilton did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a associate degree. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the distant town of Morrilton, UACCM is a public college with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at UACCM take out while working on their Associate Degree is $15,354.

Full Nursing at University of Arkansas Community College - Morrilton Report

Arkansas State University Three Rivers landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree nursing programs. Located in the town of Malvern, ASU Three Rivers is a public college with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at ASU Three Rivers take out while working on their Associate Degree is $15,455.

Read full report on Nursing at Arkansas State University Three Rivers

With a ranking of #10, University of Arkansas Community College - Batesville did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. UACCB is a small public school located in the town of Batesville.

On average, nursing graduates from UACCB take out $12,212 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Read More…

Best Nursing Colleges in the Southeast Region

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

State Degrees Awarded
Louisiana 3,502
Mississippi 2,838
Alabama 7,364
Kentucky 6,395
Tennessee 6,004
Florida 21,209
Georgia 7,112
North Carolina 7,425
West Virginia 1,771
South Carolina 3,296
Virginia 6,775

Nursing Focus Areas

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

Related Major Annual Graduates
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants 85,339

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 19 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.

Featured Schools

Find Nursing Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited nursing schools across the U.S.