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Most Popular Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region

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2023 Most Popular Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region

101 Colleges
$57,601 Avg Salary
$21,889 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Nursing Associate Degree School for You

Nursing is the most popular major in the United States with 31,555 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021.

There are so many nursing programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Nursing Degree Search has created the Most Popular Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 101 schools in the Plains States Region to see which ones were the most popular associate degree programs for nursing students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Nursing program at each school on the list.

The colleges and universities below are the most popular for nursing majors pursuing a associate degree.

Our 2023 rankings named Rasmussen University - Minnesota the most popular school in the Plains States Region for nursing students working on their associate degree. Rasmussen University - Minnesota is a small private for-profit school located in the small city of St. Cloud.

Of the 674 students majoring in nursing at Rasmussen University - Minnesota, 13% are male and 87% are female.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Rasmussen University - Minnesota take out while working on their Associate Degree is $32,326. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $175.

Full Nursing at Rasmussen University - Minnesota Report

#2

Saint Louis Community College

Saint Louis, MO

The in-demand associate degree programs at Saint Louis Community College helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular nursing schools in the Plains States Region . Saint Louis Community College is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of Saint Louis.

Women make up 86% of the nursing majors at the school.

After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from Saint Louis Community College carry an average student debt load of $19,692.

Full Nursing at Saint Louis Community College Report

The in-demand associate degree programs at Des Moines Area Community College helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular nursing schools in the Plains States Region . DMACC is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Ankeny.

Women make up 90% of the nursing majors at the school.

After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from DMACC carry an average student debt load of $23,473.

Read full report on Nursing at Des Moines Area Community College

Out of the 101 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Rasmussen University - Kansas landed the # 4 spot on the list. Rasmussen University - Kansas is a small private for-profit school located in the rural area of Topeka.

About 94% of the students majoring in nursing at the school are women while 6% are male.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Rasmussen University - Kansas take out while working on their Associate Degree is $32,326. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $175.

Read More…

Out of the 101 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Anoka-Ramsey Community College landed the # 5 spot on the list. Anoka-Ramsey Community College-Coon Rapids Campus is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Coon Rapids.

Of the 151 students majoring in nursing at Anoka-Ramsey Community College-Coon Rapids Campus, 17% are male and 83% are female.

While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Anoka-Ramsey Community College-Coon Rapids Campus accumulate an average of around $28,625 in student debt.

Full Nursing at Anoka-Ramsey Community College Report

#6

Iowa Western Community College

Council Bluffs, IA

Iowa Western Community College landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular associate degree nursing programs. Iowa Western Community College is a medium-sized public school located in the small city of Council Bluffs.

Of the 146 students majoring in nursing at Iowa Western Community College, 10% are male and 90% are female.

On average, nursing graduates from Iowa Western Community College take out $27,290 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Full Nursing at Iowa Western Community College Report

With a ranking of #7, Southwest Baptist University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Southwest Baptist University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the distant town of Bolivar.

Of the 133 students majoring in nursing at Southwest Baptist University, 10% are male and 90% are female.

On average, nursing graduates from Southwest Baptist University take out $31,891 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Read full report on Nursing at Southwest Baptist University

#8

Crowder College

Neosho, MO

Crowder College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Crowder College is a small public school located in the town of Neosho.

Women make up 88% of the nursing majors at the school.

Nursing majors at Crowder College take out an average of $17,349 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Read full report on Nursing at Crowder College

#9

Butler Community College

El Dorado, KS

Butler Community College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in the town of El Dorado, Butler CC is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

Of the 122 students majoring in nursing at Butler CC, 12% are male and 88% are female.

While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Butler CC accumulate an average of around $28,628 in student debt.

Full Nursing at Butler Community College Report

#10

Lake Superior College

Duluth, MN

With a ranking of #10, Lake Superior College did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. LSC is a small public school located in the city of Duluth.

Women make up 81% of the nursing majors at the school.

While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at LSC accumulate an average of around $34,246 in student debt.

Read More…

Rochester Community and Technical College ranked #11 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Rochester Community and Technical College is a small public school located in the medium-sized city of Rochester.

Women make up 74% of the nursing majors at the school.

Nursing majors at Rochester Community and Technical College take out an average of $27,212 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Read More…

#12

Century College

White Bear Lake, MN

With a ranking of #12, Century College did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Located in the suburb of White Bear Lake, Century College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

Women make up 87% of the nursing majors at the school.

Nursing majors at Century College take out an average of $30,422 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Read full report on Nursing at Century College

Rasmussen University - North Dakota landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular associate degree nursing programs. Located in the midsize city of Fargo, Rasmussen University - North Dakota is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

Women make up 86% of the nursing majors at the school.

While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Rasmussen University - North Dakota accumulate an average of around $32,326 in student debt. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $175.

Read full report on Nursing at Rasmussen University - North Dakota

#14

Kirkwood Community College

Cedar Rapids, IA

Kirkwood Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for nursing students to get a associate degree. It came in at #14 on the list. Kirkwood Community College is a fairly large public school located in the city of Cedar Rapids.

About 84% of the students majoring in nursing at the school are women while 16% are male.

Nursing majors at Kirkwood Community College take out an average of $27,483 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Read More…

#15

Ridgewater College

Willmar, MN

Ridgewater College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for nursing students to get a associate degree. It came in at #15 on the list. Located in the remote town of Willmar, Ridgewater College is a public college with a small student population.

Of the 93 students majoring in nursing at Ridgewater College, 8% are male and 92% are female.

While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Ridgewater College accumulate an average of around $27,352 in student debt.

Full Nursing at Ridgewater College Report

Additional Noteworthy Schools

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also popular but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Most Popular Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region award.

Rank College Location
16 Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City Kansas City, MO
17 Minneapolis Community and Technical College Minneapolis, MN
17 Neosho County Community College Chanute, KS
17 North Central Missouri College Trenton, MO
17 Northeast Iowa Community College Calmar, IA

Best Nursing Colleges by State

Explore the best nursing schools for a specific state in the Plains States region.

State Degrees Awarded
Nebraska 1,908
Minnesota 14,890
South Dakota 1,022
North Dakota 976
Iowa 2,966
Missouri 6,840
Kansas 2,633

Nursing Focus Areas

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 26 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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