2023 Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southwest Region
Finding the Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree School for You
Nursing is the most popular major in the United States with 42,378 degrees and certificates handed out in 2021-2022.
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which nursing program is right for you. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Nursing Degree Search has created the Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southwest Region to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 89 schools in the Southwest Region to see which bachelor's degree programs offered the best educational experiences for nursing students. To come up with a school's ranking, we analyzed numerous factors related to post-graduation wages, the quality of education offered by the school, average accumulated student debt, and more.
View our full ranking methodology.
Featured schools near , edit
2023 Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for nursing majors pursuing a bachelor's degree.
Top 15% Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools
Our analysis found Aspen University to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in the Southwest Region . Aspen University is a medium-sized private for-profit school located in the large city of Phoenix.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from Aspen University carry an average student debtload of $11,038.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ottawa University - Phoenix. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region list. Ottawa University - Phoenix is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Phoenix.
Nursing majors at Ottawa University - Phoenix take out an average of $20,101 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
Out of the 89 schools in the Southwest Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center landed the # 3 spot on the list. TTUHSC is a medium-sized public school located in the large city of Lubbock.
Nursing majors at TTUHSC take out an average of $12,237 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $343, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Nursing at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Chamberlain University - Arizona. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region list. Chamberlain - Arizona is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the city of Phoenix.
On average, nursing graduates from Chamberlain - Arizona take out $25,436 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $283, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Texas A&M University - College Station is a great place for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the midsize city of College Station, Texas A&M College Station is a public school with a fairly large student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Texas A&M College Station take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $18,757. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $302, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Read full report on Nursing at Texas A&M University - College Station
With a ranking of #6, West Coast University - Dallas did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the midsize city of Richardson, West Coast University - Dallas is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at West Coast University - Dallas take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $31,215. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $742.
Chamberlain University - Texas ranked #7 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region list. Located in the large city of Houston, Chamberlain - Texas is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at Chamberlain - Texas accumulate an average of around $25,436 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $283, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #8 on the list. UTHealth is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Houston.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from UTHealth carry an average student debtload of $14,564. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $214, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Baptist Health System School of Health Professions came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. Located in the city of San Antonio, Baptist Health System School of Health Professions is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
The University of Texas Medical Branch landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree nursing programs. UTMB Galveston is a small public school located in the fringe town of Galveston.
Nursing majors at UTMB Galveston take out an average of $14,097 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $271.
Full Nursing at The University of Texas Medical Branch Report
Texas A & M University - Central Texas did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #11 on the list. Texas A & M University - Central Texas is a small public school located in the rural area of Killeen.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at Texas A & M University - Central Texas accumulate an average of around $13,030 in student debt.
With a ranking of #12, The University of Texas at Austin did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. UT Austin is a very large public school located in the city of Austin.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from UT Austin carry an average student debtload of $18,598. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $255, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Arizona State University - Skysong ranked #13 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region list. ASU - Skysong is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Scottsdale.
Nursing majors at ASU - Skysong take out an average of $22,842 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $300.
Read full report on Nursing at Arizona State University - Skysong
Honorable Mentions
Here are some additional great schools for Nursing students in the Southwest Region that almost earned our Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southwest Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 14 | Grand Canyon University | Phoenix, AZ |
| 15 | Texas Christian University | Fort Worth, TX |
| 16 | The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio | San Antonio, TX |
| 17 | Hallmark University | San Antonio, TX |
Best Nursing Colleges by State
Explore the best nursing colleges for a specific state in the Southwest region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Arizona | 12,966 |
| Texas | 21,862 |
| New Mexico | 1,390 |
| Oklahoma | 3,009 |
Rankings in Majors Related to Nursing
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 |
Majors Similar to Nursing
| 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.