2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
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 Value Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 181 schools in the Southwest Region to see which programs offered the best value experiences for nursing students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. 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.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
Top 25 Best Southwest Region Schools for Affordable Quality in Nursing
Our 2023 rankings named New Mexico Junior College the best value school in the Southwest Region for nursing students. New Mexico Junior College is a small public school located in the town of Hobbs.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at New Mexico Junior College are $2,280 per year. After completing their degree, nursing graduates from New Mexico Junior College carry an average student debtload of $17,000.
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The excellent programs at Aspen University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in the Southwest Region . Aspen University is a medium-sized private for-profit school located in the city of Denver.
Aspen University undergraduate students pay an average of $5,170 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Aspen University take out is $35,922.
Aspen University also made our Best Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region list, coming in at #3.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Clovis Community College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region list. Clovis Community College is a small public school located in the town of Clovis.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Clovis Community College are $2,984 per year. Nursing majors at Clovis Community College take out an average of $11,473 in student loans while working on their egree.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Central Arizona College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region list. Located in the rural area of Coolidge, Pinal County Community College is a public school with a small student population.
Pinal County Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,160 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, nursing majors at Pinal County Community College accumulate an average of around $15,679 in student debt.
Pinal County Community College also claimed a spot on our Best Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Panola College. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region list. Located in the town of Carthage, Panola College is a public college with a small student population.
Panola College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,680 in tuition and fees each year.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Panola College also did well on our Best Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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With a ranking of #6, Amarillo College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students. Amarillo College is a moderately-sized public school located in the medium-sized city of Amarillo.
Amarillo College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,704 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, nursing majors at Amarillo College accumulate an average of around $21,240 in student debt.
Amarillo College also claimed a spot on our Best Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
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College of the Mainland ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region list. COM is a small public school located in the medium-sized suburb of Texas City.
COM undergraduate students pay an average of $3,873 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, nursing graduates from COM carry an average student debtload of $20,290.
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With a ranking of #8, South Plains College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students. Located in the town of Levelland, South Plains College is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at South Plains College are $4,276 per year. While working on their degree, nursing majors at South Plains College accumulate an average of around $12,750 in student debt.
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Alvin Community College landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value nursing programs. Alvin is a small public school located in the suburb of Alvin.
Alvin undergraduate students pay an average of $4,010 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Alvin take out is $15,511.
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New Mexico State University - Carlsbad did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for nursing students. It came in at #10 on the list. NMSU Carlsbad is a small public school located in the rural area of Carlsbad.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at NMSU Carlsbad are $4,008 per year. While working on their degree, nursing majors at NMSU Carlsbad accumulate an average of around $17,900 in student debt.
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Tyler Junior College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for nursing students. It came in at #11 on the list. Located in the medium-sized city of Tyler, Tyler Junior College is a public school with a large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Tyler Junior College are $4,440 per year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Tyler Junior College take out is $18,814.
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With a ranking of #12, Clarendon College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students. Clarendon College is a small public school located in the remote area of Clarendon.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Clarendon College are $4,176 a year. On average, nursing graduates from Clarendon College take out $20,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
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With a ranking of #13, Lee College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students. Located in the small city of Baytown, Lee College is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
Lee College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,302 in tuition and fees each year. Nursing majors at Lee College take out an average of $14,500 in student loans while working on their egree.
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With a ranking of #14, Wharton County Junior College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students. Located in the distant town of Wharton, Wharton County Junior College is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
Wharton County Junior College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,872 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Wharton County Junior College carry an average student debtload of $14,006.
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San Jacinto Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for nursing students. It came in at #15 on the list. Located in the suburb of Pasadena, San Jacinto College is a public school with a very large student population.
San Jacinto College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,040 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at San Jacinto College take out is $12,750.
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With a ranking of #16, El Centro College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students. Located in the large city of Dallas, El Centro College is a public college with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at El Centro College are $6,000 a year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at El Centro College take out is $18,559.
El Centro College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region list.
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Northeast Texas Community College landed the #17 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value nursing programs. Located in the rural area of Mount Pleasant, NTCC is a public school with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at NTCC are $6,449 a year. While working on their degree, nursing majors at NTCC accumulate an average of around $20,000 in student debt.
In addition to its great value ranking, NTCC is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region list.
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Lone Star College System ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region list. North Harris Montgomery is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of The Woodlands.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at North Harris Montgomery are $6,168 a year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at North Harris Montgomery take out is $13,797.
In addition to its great value ranking, North Harris Montgomery is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region list.
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Collin County Community College District came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. Collin County Community College District is a very large public school located in the medium-sized suburb of McKinney.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Collin County Community College District are $5,104 a year. While working on their degree, nursing majors at Collin County Community College District accumulate an average of around $14,970 in student debt.
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Houston Community College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. Houston Community College is a fairly large public school located in the city of Houston.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Houston Community College are $5,460 a year. While working on their degree, nursing majors at Houston Community College accumulate an average of around $21,000 in student debt.
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Victoria College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for nursing students. It came in at #21 on the list. Victoria College is a small public school located in the city of Victoria.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Victoria College are $4,872 per year. Nursing majors at Victoria College take out an average of $18,507 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Del Mar College landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value nursing programs. DMC is a large public school located in the city of Corpus Christi.
DMC undergraduate students pay an average of $5,930 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, nursing majors at DMC accumulate an average of around $10,429 in student debt.
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University of New Mexico - Gallup Campus landed the #23 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value nursing programs. UNM Gallup is a small public school located in the rural area of Gallup.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UNM Gallup are $4,708 a year. Nursing majors at UNM Gallup take out an average of $14,796 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Galveston College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for nursing students. It came in at #24 on the list. Galveston College is a small public school located in the town of Galveston.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Galveston College are $5,200 a year. While working on their degree, nursing majors at Galveston College accumulate an average of around $17,757 in student debt.
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Odessa College landed the #25 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value nursing programs. Odessa College is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Odessa.
Odessa College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,398 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Odessa College carry an average student debtload of $11,875.
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Honorable Mentions
Here are some additional great value schools for Nursing students in the Southwest Region seeking value that almost earned our Best Value Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 28 | San Juan College | Farmington, NM |
| 29 | South Texas College | McAllen, TX |
| 30 | Laredo College | Laredo, TX |
| 30 | Temple College | Temple, TX |
| 32 | El Paso Community College | El Paso, TX |
| 33 | Howard College | Big Spring, TX |
| 34 | Angelina College | Lufkin, TX |
| 35 | Grayson College | Denison, TX |
| 36 | Weatherford College | Weatherford, TX |
| 36 | Vernon College | Vernon, 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 |
More Nursing Rankings in the Southwest Region
Nursing Related Majors for Nursing
Nursing Concentrations
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.
- 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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