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Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Virginia

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2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Virginia

28 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 Virginia. In total, 6,775 people earned a degree or certificate in the field from a school in Virginia.

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. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.

The Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Virginia ranking is one of many tools that Nursing Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 28 schools in Virginia 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 Virginia

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

Top 10 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools

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 Virginia. Standard College of Nursing is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the large suburb of Falls Church.

Read full report on Nursing at Standard Healthcare Services - College of Nursing

#2

Eastern Virginia Career College

Fredericksburg, VA

Out of the 28 schools in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, Eastern Virginia Career College landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Fredericksburg, Eastern Virginia Career College is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

On average, nursing graduates from Eastern Virginia Career College take out $13,406 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Read full report on Nursing at Eastern Virginia Career College

#3

Centra College of Nursing

Lynchburg, VA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Centra College of Nursing. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Virginia list. Located in the small city of Lynchburg, Centra College of Nursing is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

Nursing majors at Centra College of Nursing take out an average of $15,390 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Read More…

The excellent associate degree programs at Riverside College of Health Careers helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in Virginia. Located in the midsize city of Newport News, Riverside College of Health Careers is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from Riverside College of Health Careers carry an average student debtload of $16,027.

Read full report on Nursing at Riverside College of Health Careers

#5

Southside College of Health Sciences

Colonial Heights, VA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southside College of Health Sciences. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Virginia list. Southside College of Health Sciences is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Colonial Heights.

While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Southside College of Health Sciences accumulate an average of around $12,324 in student debt.

Read More…

#6

ECPI University

Virginia Beach, VA

ECPI University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Virginia list. ECPI University is a large private for-profit school located in the city of Virginia Beach.

On average, nursing graduates from ECPI University take out $27,876 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 $157.

Full Nursing at ECPI University Report

Northern Virginia Community College landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree nursing programs. Located in the large suburb of Annandale, Northern Virginia Community College is a public school with a very large student population.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Northern Virginia Community College take out while working on their Associate Degree is $18,392.

Read full report on Nursing at Northern Virginia Community College

Rappahannock Community College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Virginia list. Located in the rural area of Glenns, RCC is a public college with a small student population.

Full Nursing at Rappahannock Community College Report

With a ranking of #9, Thomas Nelson Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. TNCC is a moderately-sized public school located in the midsize city of Hampton.

While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at TNCC accumulate an average of around $14,766 in student debt.

Read More…

#10

Germanna Community College

Locust Grove, VA

Germanna Community College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Virginia ranking. Located in the rural area of Locust Grove, Germanna Community College is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from Germanna Community College carry an average student debtload of $14,371.

Full Nursing at Germanna Community 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
Florida 21,209
North Carolina 7,425
West Virginia 1,771
South Carolina 3,296
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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