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Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Kentucky

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2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Kentucky

28 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 Kentucky with 6,395 degrees and certificates handed out in 2021-2022.

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 Kentucky ranking. This report analyzed 28 schools in Kentucky 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 Kentucky

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

Top 10 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools

Our 2023 rankings named Galen College of Nursing - Louisville the best school in Kentucky for nursing students working on their associate degree. Galen College of Nursing - Louisville is a small private for-profit school located in the 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.

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Out of the 28 schools in Kentucky that were part of this year’s ranking, Galen College of Nursing - ARH landed the # 2 spot on the list. 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.

Read full report on Nursing at Galen College of Nursing - ARH

#3

Western Kentucky University

Bowling Green, KY

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Western Kentucky University is a great place for nursing students working on their associate degree. Located in the small city of Bowling Green, WKU is a public school with a large student population.

After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from WKU carry an average student debtload of $13,689.

Full Nursing at Western Kentucky University Report

#4

Sullivan University

Louisville, KY

The excellent associate degree programs at Sullivan University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in Kentucky. Sullivan University is a small private for-profit school located in the large city of Louisville.

After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from Sullivan University carry an average student debtload of $24,779.

Full Nursing at Sullivan University Report

#5

Midway University

Midway, KY

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Midway University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Kentucky list. Located in the rural area of Midway, Midway is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

On average, nursing graduates from Midway take out $18,180 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

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#6

University of Pikeville

Pikeville, KY

University of Pikeville did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a associate degree. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the town of Pikeville, UPIKE is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at UPIKE accumulate an average of around $17,335 in student debt.

Read full report on Nursing at University of Pikeville

#7

ATA College

Louisville, KY

With a ranking of #7, ATA College did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Located in the suburb of Louisville, ATA College is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at ATA College accumulate an average of around $24,643 in student debt.

Read full report on Nursing at ATA College

Beckfield College - Florence 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 suburb of Florence, Beckfield College - Florence is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

On average, nursing graduates from Beckfield College - Florence take out $25,760 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Full Nursing at Beckfield College - Florence Report

Gateway Community and Technical College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Kentucky list. Gateway is a small public school located in the suburb of Florence.

Nursing majors at Gateway take out an average of $17,814 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

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Bluegrass Community and Technical College landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree nursing programs. Located in the city of Lexington, Bluegrass Community and Technical College is a public school with a fairly large student population.

On average, nursing graduates from Bluegrass Community and Technical College take out $19,152 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Read full report on Nursing at Bluegrass Community and Technical College

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
Mississippi 2,838
Alabama 7,364
Tennessee 6,004
Louisiana 3,502
Florida 21,209
Arkansas 2,882
West Virginia 1,771
Georgia 7,112
North Carolina 7,425
South Carolina 3,296
Virginia 6,775

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

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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