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Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Florida

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2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Florida

59 Colleges
$57,700 Avg Salary
$16,287 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 Florida. In total, 21,209 people earned a degree or certificate in the field from a school in Florida.

There are so many nursing programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. 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 help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Nursing Degree Search has developed this Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Florida ranking. Our analysis looked at 59 schools in Florida 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 Florida

The following schools top our list of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Colleges.

Top 10 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools

Our analysis found Rasmussen University - Florida to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a associate degree in Florida. Rasmussen University - Florida is a medium-sized private for-profit school located in the small city of Ocala.

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.

Full Nursing at Rasmussen University - Florida Report

#2

Galen College of Nursing - Tampa Bay

Saint Petersburg, FL

The excellent associate degree programs at Galen College of Nursing - Tampa Bay helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in Florida. Galen College of Nursing - Tampa Bay is a small private for-profit school located in the large city of Saint Petersburg.

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

The excellent associate degree programs at Herzing University - Winter Park helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in Florida. Herzing University - Winter Park is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Winter Park.

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.

Full Nursing at Herzing University - Winter Park Report

#4

Polk State College

Winter Haven, FL

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Polk State College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Florida list. Located in the city of Winter Haven, Polk State is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Polk State take out while working on their Associate Degree is $11,926.

Read full report on Nursing at Polk State College

The excellent associate degree programs at Academy for Nursing and Health Occupations helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in Florida. Located in the large suburb of West Palm Beach, ANHO is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

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West Coast University-Miami ranked #6 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Florida list. West Coast University-Miami is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Doral.

Read full report on Nursing at West Coast University-Miami

#7

Miami Dade College

Miami, FL

Miami Dade College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Florida ranking. MDC is a very large public school located in the city of Miami.

On average, nursing graduates from MDC take out $10,854 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

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#8

Valencia College

Orlando, FL

Valencia 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 #8 on the list. Valencia College is a very large public school located in the large city of Orlando.

After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from Valencia College carry an average student debtload of $14,335.

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#9

Santa Fe College

Gainesville, FL

Santa Fe College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Florida list. Santa Fe College is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Gainesville.

On average, nursing graduates from Santa Fe College take out $15,208 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Read More…

Florida SouthWestern State College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Florida list. FSW is a large public school located in the large suburb of Fort Myers.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at FSW take out while working on their Associate Degree is $11,009.

Full Nursing at Florida SouthWestern State College Report

Best Nursing Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Nursing Schools 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
Arkansas 2,882
Tennessee 6,004
North Carolina 7,425
West Virginia 1,771
South Carolina 3,296
Virginia 6,775
Georgia 7,112

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 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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