2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in North Carolina
With all the nursing programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools and bootcamp that offer fast-track entry to many fields.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Nursing Degree Search has developed this Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in North Carolina ranking. This report analyzed 50 schools in North Carolina to see which ones offered the best associate degree programs for nursing students. The factors used to develop this ranking include those related to how in-demand the school us, the overall quality of the school, and post-graduation wages, and more.
View our full ranking methodology.
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Top Nursing Associate Degree Schools in North Carolina
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Central Piedmont Community College to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a associate degree in North Carolina.
Students from North Carolina who attend Central Piedmont Community College full time pay an average of $2,792 in tuition and fees. Out-of-state students pay an average of $8,936. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $13,022 in student loans.
Central Piedmont Community College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 100% took at least some of their classes online.
Out of the 50 schools in North Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, College of the Albemarle landed the # 2 spot on the list.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at College of the Albemarle is $2,228. Out-of-state students pay an average of $7,346. On average, associate degree students take out $10,191 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Online courses are available at College of the Albemarle, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 94% took at least some of their classes online.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brunswick Community College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in North Carolina list.
In-state students pay an average of $2,532 in tuition and fees if they attend Brunswick Community College full time. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $8,676. On average, associate degree students take out $9,954 in loans while pursuing their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Brunswick Community College does offer online classes in some areas. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 99% took at least some of their classes online.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Surry Community College. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in North Carolina list.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Surry Community College is $2,663. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $8,807. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $12,403 in student loans.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Surry Community College does offer online classes for certain majors. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 95% took at least some of their classes online.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Forsyth Technical Community College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in North Carolina list.
Full-time students from North Carolina pay an average of $2,152 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Forsyth Tech. Out-of-state students pay an average of $7,168. On average, associate degree students take out $17,896 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Online courses are available at Forsyth Tech, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. During the 2019-2020 year, about 87% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Craven Community College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in North Carolina list.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Craven Community College is $2,022. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $6,630. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $13,946 in student loans.
Craven Community College does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In 2019-2020 about 83% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Richmond Community College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in North Carolina ranking.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Richmond Community College is $2,536. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $8,680. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $10,348 in student loans.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Richmond Community College. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 64% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Johnston Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get an associate degree. It came in at #8 on the list.
In-state students pay an average of $2,657 in tuition and fees if they attend Johnston Community College full time. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $8,801. Associate Degree recipients from Johnston Community College accumulate an average of $13,306 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Johnston Community College does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In 2019-2020 about 85% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
South Piedmont Community College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in North Carolina ranking.
Students from North Carolina who attend South Piedmont Community College full time pay an average of $2,015 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $6,623. Associate Degree recipients from South Piedmont Community College accumulate an average of $12,967 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since South Piedmont Community College does offer online classes for certain majors. In 2019-2020 about 83% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Rowan-Cabarrus Community College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in North Carolina ranking.
Full-time students from North Carolina pay an average of $2,626 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Rowan-Cabarrus Community College. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $8,770. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $12,398 in student loans.
Rowan-Cabarrus Community College does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 71% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Alamance Community College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in North Carolina ranking.
Students from North Carolina who attend ACC full time pay an average of $2,310 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $8,070. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $13,359 in student loans.
ACC does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In fact, around 99% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Sampson Community College landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree nursing programs.
Full-time students from North Carolina pay an average of $3,163 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Sampson Community College. Out-of-state students pay an average of $11,035. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $12,587 in student loans.
Sampson Community College does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 96% took at least some of their classes online.
Gardner - Webb University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get an associate degree. It came in at #13 on the list.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $32,200 to cover tuition and fees at Gardner - Webb. The school does not offer an in-state discount.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Gardner - Webb does offer online classes for certain majors. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 85% took at least some of their classes online.
Wake Technical Community College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in North Carolina ranking.
In-state students pay an average of $2,768 in tuition and fees if they attend Wake Technical Community College full time. Out-of-state students pay an average of $8,912. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $22,857 in student loans.
Wake Technical Community College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 94% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Pitt Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get an associate degree. It came in at #15 on the list.
In-state students pay an average of $1,940 in tuition and fees if they attend Pitt Community College full time. Out-of-state students pay an average of $6,548. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $24,602 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Pitt Community College. In 2019-2020 about 91% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #16, Gaston College did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their associate degree.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Gaston College is $2,862. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $9,006. On average, associate degree students take out $10,582 in loans while pursuing their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Gaston College. In fact, around 87% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Wilson Community College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in North Carolina ranking.
Full-time students from North Carolina pay an average of $2,572 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend WCC. Out-of-state students pay an average of $8,716. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $16,502 in student loans.
One thing to take note of is that WCC does offer online classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 90% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Cape Fear Community College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in North Carolina list.
Students from North Carolina who attend CFCC full time pay an average of $2,748 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $8,892. Associate Degree recipients from CFCC accumulate an average of $18,238 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at CFCC. In fact, around 100% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #19, Sandhills Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their associate degree.
Students from North Carolina who attend SCC full time pay an average of $2,764 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $8,908. On average, associate degree students take out $12,877 in loans while pursuing their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at SCC. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 89% took at least some of their classes online.
Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get an associate degree. It came in at #20 on the list.
In-state students pay an average of $2,632 in tuition and fees if they attend A-B Tech full time. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $8,776. On average, associate degree students take out $19,341 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at A-B Tech. In 2019-2020 about 62% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Davidson County Community College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in North Carolina ranking.
Students from North Carolina who attend DCCC full time pay an average of $2,226 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $7,658. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $20,103 in student loans.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at DCCC. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 63% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Guilford Technical Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get an associate degree. It came in at #22 on the list.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Guilford Technical Community College is $2,289. Out-of-state students pay an average of $7,665. On average, associate degree students take out $23,911 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Guilford Technical Community College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2019-2020 year, about 74% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #23, Southeastern Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their associate degree.
Full-time students from North Carolina pay an average of $2,600 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Southeastern Community College. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $8,744. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $15,066 in student loans.
Southeastern Community College does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. During the 2019-2020 year, about 85% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Cleveland Community College landed the #24 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree nursing programs.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Cleveland Community College is $2,602. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $8,746. Associate Degree recipients from Cleveland Community College accumulate an average of $12,302 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Cleveland Community College does offer online classes in some areas. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 99% took at least some of their classes online.
Lenoir Community College landed the #25 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree nursing programs.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Lenoir Community College is $2,568. Out-of-state students pay an average of $8,712. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $14,861 in student loans.
Online courses are available at Lenoir Community College, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2019-2020 about 96% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
References
- 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 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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