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Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region

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2023 Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

139 Colleges
$6,718 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$57,601 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Nursing Associate Degree School for You

Nursing is the most popular major in the United States with 57,106 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for nursing students. 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 Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This report analyzed 139 schools in the Great Lakes Region to see which ones offered the best value associate degree programs for nursing students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.

This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.

For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.

2023 Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region

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

Top 15% Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools

Our 2023 rankings named Wayne County Community College District the best value school in the Great Lakes Region for nursing students working on their associate degree. WCCCD is a fairly large public school located in the city of Detroit.

WCCCD undergraduate students pay an average of $3,998 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at WCCCD take out while working on their Associate Degree is $23,759.

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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Madison Area Technical College. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the large city of Madison, Madison College is a public college with a large student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Madison College are $6,769 per year. On average, nursing graduates from Madison College take out $26,980 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Madison College also made our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list, coming in at #2.

Read full report on Nursing at Madison Area Technical College

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington State Community College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. WSCC is a small public school located in the rural area of Marietta.

WSCC undergraduate students pay an average of $4,032 in tuition and fees each year. Nursing majors at WSCC take out an average of $24,191 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

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#4

Oakland Community College

Bloomfield Hills, MI

Out of the 139 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Oakland Community College landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the suburb of Bloomfield Hills, Oakland Community College is a public college with a large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Oakland Community College are $5,200 a year. While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Oakland Community College accumulate an average of around $20,606 in student debt.

Read full report on Nursing at Oakland Community College

Out of the 139 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Northcentral Technical College landed the # 5 spot on the list. North Central Technical College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Wausau.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at North Central Technical College are $5,415 a year. While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at North Central Technical College accumulate an average of around $17,785 in student debt.

Read full report on Nursing at Northcentral Technical College

Chippewa Valley Technical College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the city of Eau Claire, CVTC is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CVTC are $6,683 per year. On average, nursing graduates from CVTC take out $24,781 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

On top of its placing in our value ranking, CVTC also did well on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.

Full Nursing at Chippewa Valley Technical College Report

Southwest Wisconsin Technical College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Southwest Tech is a small public school located in the rural area of Fennimore.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Southwest Tech are $6,683 per year. While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Southwest Tech accumulate an average of around $20,050 in student debt.

Southwest Tech also claimed a spot on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.

Full Nursing at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College Report

#8

Schoolcraft College

Livonia, MI

Schoolcraft College landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree nursing programs. Located in the small city of Livonia, Schoolcraft College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Schoolcraft College are $7,574 a year. After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from Schoolcraft College carry an average student debtload of $24,773.

In addition to its great value ranking, Schoolcraft College is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.

Read full report on Nursing at Schoolcraft College

#9

Western Technical College

La Crosse, WI

Western Technical College landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree nursing programs. Located in the small city of La Crosse, Western Technical College is a public college with a small student population.

Western Technical College undergraduate students pay an average of $6,687 in tuition and fees each year. Nursing majors at Western Technical College take out an average of $21,920 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Western Technical College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.

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Gateway Technical 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. Gateway Technical College is a moderately-sized public school located in the medium-sized suburb of Kenosha.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Gateway Technical College are $6,803 a year. After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from Gateway Technical College carry an average student debtload of $19,670.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Gateway Technical College also is in the top 15% of our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking.

Read full report on Nursing at Gateway Technical College

#11

Blackhawk Technical College

Janesville, WI

Blackhawk Technical College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. BTC is a small public school located in the suburb of Janesville.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at BTC are $6,683 per year. Nursing majors at BTC take out an average of $23,834 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

BTC also claimed a spot on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.

Full Nursing at Blackhawk Technical College Report

Northeast Wisconsin Technical College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. NWTC is a large public school located in the city of Green Bay.

NWTC undergraduate students pay an average of $6,849 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at NWTC accumulate an average of around $21,872 in student debt.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, NWTC also is in the top 15% of our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking.

Read More…

#13

Moraine Park Technical College

Fond du Lac, WI

With a ranking of #13, Moraine Park Technical College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Moraine Park Technical College is a small public school located in the city of Fond du Lac.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Moraine Park Technical College are $6,683 per year. Nursing majors at Moraine Park Technical College take out an average of $19,237 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

On top of its placing in our value ranking, Moraine Park Technical College also did well on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.

Read More…

#14

Delta College

University Center, MI

With a ranking of #14, Delta College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Located in the rural area of University Center, Delta College is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Delta College are $7,100 per year. While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Delta College accumulate an average of around $21,140 in student debt.

In addition to its great value ranking, Delta College is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.

Full Nursing at Delta College Report

Fox Valley Technical College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. FVTC is a large public school located in the medium-sized suburb of Appleton.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at FVTC are $6,861 a year. After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from FVTC carry an average student debtload of $20,405.

FVTC excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.

Read full report on Nursing at Fox Valley Technical College

Waukesha County Technical College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the large suburb of Pewaukee, WCTC is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at WCTC are $6,603 a year. While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at WCTC accumulate an average of around $24,515 in student debt.

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With a ranking of #17, James A Rhodes State College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Located in the suburb of Lima, Rhodes State College is a public college with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Rhodes State College are $8,721 a year. On average, nursing graduates from Rhodes State College take out $23,078 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Rhodes State College is ranked #5 for overall quality for nursing in the Great Lakes Region .

Read full report on Nursing at James A Rhodes State College

#18

Ivy Tech Community College

Indianapolis, IN

Ivy Tech Community College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Ivy Tech Community College is a very large public school located in the city of Indianapolis.

Ivy Tech Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $8,927 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Ivy Tech Community College take out while working on their Associate Degree is $20,860.

Ivy Tech Community College also made our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list, coming in at #4.

Read More…

With a ranking of #19, Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. WITC is a small public school located in the rural area of Shell Lake.

WITC undergraduate students pay an average of $6,960 in tuition and fees each year. Nursing majors at WITC take out an average of $18,721 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Full Nursing at Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College Report

#20

Henry Ford College

Dearborn, MI

Henry Ford 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 #20 on the list. Henry Ford College is a large public school located in the city of Dearborn.

Henry Ford College undergraduate students pay an average of $7,192 in tuition and fees each year. On average, nursing graduates from Henry Ford College take out $27,674 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Full Nursing at Henry Ford College Report

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 Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.

Rank College Location
21 Mid-State Technical College Wisconsin Rapids, WI
22 Washtenaw Community College Ann Arbor, MI
23 Lakeshore Technical College Cleveland, WI
24 Macomb Community College Warren, MI
25 Milwaukee Area Technical College Milwaukee, WI
26 Central Ohio Technical College Newark, OH
27 Southwestern Illinois College Belleville, IL

Best Nursing Colleges by State

Explore the best nursing colleges for a specific state in the Great Lakes region.

State Degrees Awarded
Michigan 7,345
Ohio 13,973
Illinois 21,938
Indiana 7,922
Wisconsin 5,410

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

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

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

  • 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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