Find Nursing Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in New Mexico

Find Schools Near

2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in New Mexico

12 Colleges
$57,601 Avg Salary
$21,889 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 New Mexico. In total, 1,390 people earned a degree or certificate in the field from a school in New Mexico.

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. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.

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 New Mexico ranking. This report analyzed 12 schools in New Mexico 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 New Mexico

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

Top 10 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools

Our 2023 rankings named Carrington College, Albuquerque the best school in New Mexico for nursing students working on their associate degree. Located in the city of Albuquerque, Carrington College, Albuquerque is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Carrington College, Albuquerque take out while working on their Associate Degree is $34,990. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $212.

Read full report on Nursing at Carrington College, Albuquerque

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend New Mexico State University - Carlsbad. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in New Mexico list. Located in the rural area of Carlsbad, NMSU Carlsbad is a public college with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at NMSU Carlsbad take out while working on their Associate Degree is $21,758.

Read More…

Out of the 12 schools in New Mexico that were part of this year’s ranking, University of New Mexico - Gallup Campus landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the rural area of Gallup, UNM Gallup is a public college with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at UNM Gallup take out while working on their Associate Degree is $16,999.

Read full report on Nursing at University of New Mexico - Gallup Campus

Out of the 12 schools in New Mexico that were part of this year’s ranking, University of New Mexico - Taos Campus landed the # 4 spot on the list. UNM Taos is a small public school located in the rural area of Ranchos de Taos.

After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from UNM Taos carry an average student debtload of $16,999.

Read More…

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Clovis Community College is a great place for nursing students working on their associate degree. Located in the remote town of Clovis, Clovis Community College is a public school with a small student population.

While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Clovis Community College accumulate an average of around $13,864 in student debt.

Full Nursing at Clovis Community College Report

New Mexico State University - Dona Ana 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 rural area of Las Cruces, NMSU Dona Ana is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from NMSU Dona Ana carry an average student debtload of $21,758.

Full Nursing at New Mexico State University - Dona Ana Report

Central New Mexico Community College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in New Mexico list. CNM is a large public school located in the large city of Albuquerque.

After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from CNM carry an average student debtload of $19,004.

Full Nursing at Central New Mexico Community College Report

#8

San Juan College

Farmington, NM

With a ranking of #8, San Juan College did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. SJC is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Farmington.

After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from SJC carry an average student debtload of $19,188.

Read More…

With a ranking of #9, Santa Fe Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. SFCC is a small public school located in the suburb of Santa Fe.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at SFCC take out while working on their Associate Degree is $32,105.

Full Nursing at Santa Fe Community College Report

New Mexico Junior College landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree nursing programs. Located in the town of Hobbs, New Mexico Junior College is a public school with a small student population.

On average, nursing graduates from New Mexico Junior College take out $19,434 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Read More…

Best Nursing Colleges in the Southwest Region

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

State Degrees Awarded
Arizona 12,966
Texas 21,862
Oklahoma 3,009

Nursing Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Registered Nursing 266,651
Family Practice Nurse/Nursing 16,104
Nursing Administration 9,838
Nursing Practice 7,992
Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 5,092
Nursing Science 4,600
Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing 2,287
Adult Health Nurse/Nursing 2,021
Nurse Anesthetist 1,936
Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing 1,883
Critical Care Nursing 773
Geriatric Nurse/Nursing 563
School Nursing 553
Nurse Midwife/Nursing Midwifery 509
Clinical Nurse Leader 444
Clinical Nurse Specialist 419
Perioperative/Operating Room and Surgical Nurse/Nursing 331
Maternal/Child Health and Neonatal Nurse/Nursing 181
Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing 57
Emergency Room/Trauma Nursing 53
Palliative Care Nursing 14
Forensic Nursing 14

Related Major Annual Graduates
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants 84,274

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 12 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 matching tool for schools matches students with nursing schools across the U.S.