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Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Minnesota

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2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Minnesota

21 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 Minnesota with 14,890 degrees and certificates handed out in 2021-2022.

It's not easy to decide which nursing program to enroll in when you have so many options available. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.

The Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Minnesota ranking is one of many tools that Nursing Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 21 schools in Minnesota to see which ones offered the best associate degree programs for nursing students. Factors related to overall quality of the school, post-graduation earnings, average student debt, and more accumulated were considered when coming up with this list.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Minnesota

Check out the nursing associate degree programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.

Top 10 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 Minnesota. Rasmussen University - Minnesota is a small private for-profit school located in the city of St. Cloud.

On average, nursing graduates from Rasmussen University - Minnesota take out $20,731 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $210, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Nursing at Rasmussen University - Minnesota Report

Out of the 21 schools in Minnesota that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwest Technical College landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the town of Bemidji, NTC is a public school with a small student population.

On average, nursing graduates from NTC take out $17,448 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Read full report on Nursing at Northwest Technical College

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Rochester Community and Technical College is a great place for nursing students working on their associate degree. Rochester Community and Technical College is a small public school located in the medium-sized city of Rochester.

On average, nursing graduates from Rochester Community and Technical College take out $21,748 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Full Nursing at Rochester Community and Technical College Report

#4

Inver Hills Community College

Inver Grove Heights, MN

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Inver Hills Community College. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Minnesota list. IHCC is a small public school located in the suburb of Inver Grove Heights.

After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from IHCC carry an average student debtload of $18,147.

Read More…

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Anoka-Ramsey Community College is a great place for nursing students working on their associate degree. Anoka-Ramsey Community College-Coon Rapids Campus is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Coon Rapids.

After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from Anoka-Ramsey Community College-Coon Rapids Campus carry an average student debtload of $19,987.

Full Nursing at Anoka-Ramsey Community College Report

With a ranking of #6, Minnesota West Community and Technical College did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Minnesota West is a small public school located in the remote town of Granite Falls.

After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from Minnesota West carry an average student debtload of $15,321.

Read full report on Nursing at Minnesota West Community and Technical College

#7

Ridgewater College

Willmar, MN

With a ranking of #7, Ridgewater College did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Located in the remote town of Willmar, Ridgewater College is a public college with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Ridgewater College take out while working on their Associate Degree is $17,491.

Read More…

Alexandria Technical & Community College landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree nursing programs. Located in the town of Alexandria, ATCC is a public college with a small student population.

On average, nursing graduates from ATCC take out $17,119 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Read full report on Nursing at Alexandria Technical & Community College

#9

South Central College

North Mankato, MN

South Central 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 #9 on the list. Located in the small suburb of North Mankato, South Central College is a public college with a small student population.

While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at South Central College accumulate an average of around $18,674 in student debt.

Full Nursing at South Central College Report

Hibbing Community College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Minnesota list. Hibbing Community College is a small public school located in the remote town of Hibbing.

Nursing majors at Hibbing Community College take out an average of $17,259 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Read full report on Nursing at Hibbing Community College

Best Nursing Colleges in the Plains States Region

Explore all the Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
South Dakota 1,022
North Dakota 976
Nebraska 1,908
Kansas 2,633
Iowa 2,966
Missouri 6,840

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 21 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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