2023 Best Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region
Finding the Best Nursing School for You
Nursing is the most popular major in the United States with 39,944 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021.
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.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Nursing Degree Search has developed this Best Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 181 schools in the Southwest Region to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for nursing students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Nursing Colleges.
Top 25 Top Southwest Region Schools in Nursing
Our 2023 rankings named Midwestern University - Glendale the best school in the Southwest Region for nursing students. Midwestern University - Glendale is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Glendale.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Baylor College of Medicine. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region list. Located in the city of Houston, Baylor College of Medicine is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
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The excellent programs at Ottawa University - Phoenix helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in the Southwest Region . Ottawa University - Phoenix is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Phoenix.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at Ottawa University - Phoenix accumulate an average of around $26,768 in student debt.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Texas Wesleyan University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region list. Located in the large city of Fort Worth, Texas Wesleyan is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
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Out of the 181 schools in the Southwest Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Chamberlain University - Arizona landed the # 5 spot on the list. Chamberlain - Arizona is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the city of Phoenix.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at Chamberlain - Arizona accumulate an average of around $38,460 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $256.
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Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. TTUHSC is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Lubbock.
Nursing majors at TTUHSC take out an average of $22,250 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $242.
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With a ranking of #7, Aspen University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Aspen University is a medium-sized private for-profit school located in the city of Denver.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Aspen University take out is $35,922.
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The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston ranked #8 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region list. UTHealth is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Houston.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from UTHealth carry an average student debtload of $21,000. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $203.
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With a ranking of #9, Texas A&M University - College Station did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Located in the medium-sized city of College Station, Texas A&M College Station is a public school with a very large student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Texas A&M College Station take out is $21,625. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $232.
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With a ranking of #10, Chamberlain University - Texas did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Located in the city of Houston, Chamberlain - Texas is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
On average, nursing graduates from Chamberlain - Texas take out $38,460 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $256.
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West Coast University - Dallas landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. West Coast University - Dallas is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Dallas.
On average, nursing graduates from West Coast University - Dallas take out $38,146 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $665.
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Baptist Health System School of Health Professions did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #12 on the list. Located in the large city of San Antonio, Baptist Health System School of Health Professions is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
Nursing majors at Baptist Health System School of Health Professions take out an average of $28,978 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $110.
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Texas Christian University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region list. Located in the large city of Fort Worth, TCU is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from TCU carry an average student debtload of $25,000. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $559, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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The University of Texas Medical Branch landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. UTMB Galveston is a small public school located in the town of Galveston.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at UTMB Galveston accumulate an average of around $21,463 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $215.
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Texas A & M University - Central Texas ranked #15 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region list. Texas A & M University - Central Texas is a small public school located in the rural area of Killeen.
Nursing majors at Texas A & M University - Central Texas take out an average of $19,825 in student loans while working on their egree.
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The University of Texas at Austin landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. UT Austin is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Austin.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from UT Austin carry an average student debtload of $20,840. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $222.
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With a ranking of #17, Galen College of Nursing - San Antonio did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Galen College of Nursing - San Antonio is a small private for-profit school located in the city of San Antonio.
On average, nursing graduates from Galen College of Nursing - San Antonio take out $41,365 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $117.
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Arizona State University - Skysong landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. ASU - Skysong is a very large public school located in the midsize city of Scottsdale.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at ASU - Skysong take out is $25,937. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $264, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #19 on the list. UT Health San Antonio is a small public school located in the large city of San Antonio.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at UT Health San Antonio accumulate an average of around $25,000 in student debt.
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With a ranking of #20, South Texas College did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Located in the city of McAllen, South Texas College is a public school with a very large student population.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from South Texas College carry an average student debtload of $9,273.
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Grand Canyon University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region list. Located in the large city of Phoenix, Grand Canyon University is a private for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
Nursing majors at Grand Canyon University take out an average of $24,999 in student loans while working on their egree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $198.
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Central Arizona College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. Located in the rural area of Coolidge, Pinal County Community College is a public school with a small student population.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at Pinal County Community College accumulate an average of around $15,679 in student debt.
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Northeast Texas Community College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. Located in the rural area of Mount Pleasant, NTCC is a public college with a small student population.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at NTCC accumulate an average of around $20,000 in student debt.
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Sam Houston State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. SHSU is a very large public school located in the distant town of Huntsville.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from SHSU carry an average student debtload of $26,000. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $172, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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University of Oklahoma - Health Sciences Center ranked #25 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region list. Located in the city of Oklahoma City, UOHSC is a public school with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at UOHSC take out is $26,980. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $318.
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Honorable Mentions
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 Schools in the Southwest Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 28 | Carrington College, Mesquite | Mesquite, TX |
| 29 | El Centro College | Dallas, TX |
| 30 | Oklahoma State University - Main Campus | Stillwater, OK |
| 31 | Weatherford College | Weatherford, TX |
| 32 | Lone Star College System | The Woodlands, TX |
| 33 | Lubbock Christian University | Lubbock, TX |
| 34 | University of Central Oklahoma | Edmond, OK |
| 35 | Northeastern State University | Tahlequah, OK |
| 36 | Arizona State University - Tempe | Tempe, AZ |
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 |
More Nursing Rankings in the Southwest Region
Rankings in Majors Related to Nursing
Nursing Concentrations
| 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 |
Majors Similar 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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