2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region
Finding the Best Nursing Associate Degree School for You
Nursing is the most popular major in the United States with 31,555 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021.
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.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Nursing Degree Search has created the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 89 schools in the Plains States Region 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 the Plains States Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Colleges.
Top 15% Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools
Our analysis found Rasmussen University - Minnesota to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a associate degree in the Plains States Region . Rasmussen University - Minnesota is a small private for-profit school located in the small city of St. Cloud.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Rasmussen University - Minnesota take out while working on their Associate Degree is $32,326. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $175.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwest Technical College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the remote town of Bemidji, NTC is a public school with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at NTC take out while working on their Associate Degree is $32,265.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Rasmussen University - Kansas. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Rasmussen University - Kansas is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the rural area of Topeka.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Rasmussen University - Kansas take out while working on their Associate Degree is $32,326. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $175.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Rasmussen University - North Dakota. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the city of Fargo, Rasmussen University - North Dakota is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Rasmussen University - North Dakota accumulate an average of around $32,326 in student debt. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $175.
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Texas County Technical College is a great place for nursing students working on their associate degree. Located in the rural area of Houston, Bolivar Technical College is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
On average, nursing graduates from Bolivar Technical College take out $26,671 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
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Rochester Community and Technical College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Rochester Community and Technical College is a small public school located in the midsize city of Rochester.
On average, nursing graduates from Rochester Community and Technical College take out $27,212 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
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With a ranking of #7, State Technical College of Missouri did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Located in the rural area of Linn, STC is a public college with a small student population.
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North Dakota State College of Science landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree nursing programs. North Dakota State College of Science is a small public school located in the town of Wahpeton.
On average, nursing graduates from North Dakota State College of Science take out $29,618 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
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With a ranking of #9, St Luke’s College did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Located in the city of Sioux City, St Luke's College is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from St Luke's College carry an average student debtload of $23,684.
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Northeast Iowa Community 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 #10 on the list. Located in the rural area of Calmar, NICC is a public school with a small student population.
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Lake Area Technical Institute came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. LATI is a small public school located in the remote town of Watertown.
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With a ranking of #12, Inver Hills Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. IHCC is a small public school located in the large suburb of Inver Grove Heights.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at IHCC take out while working on their Associate Degree is $27,410.
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Southeast Missouri Hospital College of Nursing and Health Sciences did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a associate degree. It came in at #13 on the list. Southeast Health is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Cape Girardeau.
On average, nursing graduates from Southeast Health take out $26,508 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
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These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 14 | Southeast Technical College | Sioux Falls, SD |
| 15 | Anoka-Ramsey Community College | Coon Rapids, MN |
| 16 | Columbia College | Columbia, MO |
| 17 | Minnesota West Community and Technical College | Granite Falls, MN |
Best Nursing Colleges by State
Explore the best nursing schools for a specific state in the Plains States region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Minnesota | 14,890 |
| South Dakota | 1,022 |
| North Dakota | 976 |
| Nebraska | 1,908 |
| Kansas | 2,633 |
| Iowa | 2,966 |
| Missouri | 6,840 |
More Nursing Rankings in the Plains States Region
Nursing Related Rankings by Major
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 |
Most Popular Majors Related to Nursing
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants | 84,274 |
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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