2023 Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools
Identifying High-Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
It's not easy to decide which nursing program to enroll in when you have so many options available. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school or bootcamp to be a better alternative for you.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Nursing Degree Search has created its Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 840 schools in the United States to see which associate degree 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.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
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Top Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the United States
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named New Mexico Junior College the best value school in the United States for nursing students working on their associate degree. Hobbs, New Mexico is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 27 students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at New Mexico Junior College are $2,280 a year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $12,285 in student loans.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since New Mexico Junior College does offer online classes for certain majors. During the 2019-2020 year, about 81% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Coahoma Community College is a great place for nursing students working on their associate degree who want the most bang for their educational buck. Coahoma Community College is a public institution located in Clarksdale, Mississippi. The school has a small population, and it awarded 20 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Coahoma Community College are $3,003 a year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $12,935 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Coahoma Community College is primarily an online school, so it is a great choice for returning adults and students who work full time.
The excellent associate degree programs at Oglala Lakota College helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best value nursing schools in the United States. Kyle, South Dakota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 14 students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Oglala Lakota College are $2,684 per year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $9,769 in student loans.
Oglala Lakota College is one of the schools on our list that is primarily online. Each undergraduate student at the school took at least one class online.
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Clovis Community College is a great place for nursing students working on their associate degree who want the most bang for their educational buck. Clovis, New Mexico is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 50 students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Clovis Community College are $2,984 per year. On average, associate degree students take out $13,448 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Clovis Community College. 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.
The excellent associate degree programs at Southeast Community College Area helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best value nursing schools in the United States. Located in Lincoln, Nebraska, the medium-sized public school awarded 61 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Southeast Community College are $3,780 a year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $17,475 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Southeast Community College. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 42% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Seattle Central College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools ranking. Seattle Central College is a small public school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 145 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Seattle Central are $4,670 per year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $13,671 in student loans.
Seattle Central 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 69% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
In addition to its great value ranking, Seattle Central is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools list.
With a ranking of #7, Highline College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Highline is a small public school situated in Des Moines, Washington. It awarded 142 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Highline undergraduate students pay an average of $4,813 in tuition and fees each year. On average, associate degree students take out $14,827 in loans while pursuing their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Highline does offer online classes in some areas. During the 2019-2020 year, about 75% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Highline excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools list.
Central Arizona College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for nursing students to get an associate degree. It came in at #8 on the list. Pinal County Community College is a public institution located in Coolidge, Arizona. The school has a small population, and it awarded 53 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Pinal County Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,160 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $15,315 in student loans.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Pinal County Community College does offer online classes for certain majors. In fact, around 96% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Pinal County Community College also did well on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Panola College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools ranking. Panola College is a small public school located in Carthage, Texas that handed out 43 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Panola College are $4,680 per year.
Online courses are available at Panola 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 72% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Panola College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools list.
Amarillo College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools list. Amarillo, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 204 students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Amarillo College are $4,704 a year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $18,641 in student loans.
Online courses are available at Amarillo College, 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 57% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
In addition to its great value ranking, Amarillo College is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools list.
With a ranking of #11, Arkansas State University - Newport did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. This small public school is located in Newport, Arkansas, and it awarded 65 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
ASUN undergraduate students pay an average of $4,320 in tuition and fees each year. On average, associate degree students take out $15,938 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at ASUN. During the 2019-2020 year, about 62% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
ASUN also claimed a spot on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
With a ranking of #12, College of the Mainland did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Located in Texas City, Texas, the small public school awarded 81 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at COM are $3,873 a year. On average, associate degree students take out $16,500 in loans while pursuing their degree.
One thing to take note of is that COM does offer online classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 77% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Neosho County Community College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools ranking. This small public school is located in Chanute, Kansas, and it awarded 90 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Neosho County Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,000 in tuition and fees each year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $14,072 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Neosho County Community College. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 42% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Cloud County Community College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools ranking. Cloud County Community College is a small public school situated in Concordia, Kansas. It awarded 36 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Cloud County Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $3,570 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $16,410 in student loans.
Cloud County Community College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 39% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
South Plains College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for nursing students to get an associate degree. It came in at #15 on the list. South Plains College is a medium-sized public school situated in Levelland, Texas. It awarded 83 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at South Plains College are $4,276 per year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $16,112 in student loans.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since South Plains College does offer online classes for certain majors. During the 2019-2020 year, about 65% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Wayne County Community College District landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree nursing programs. WCCCD is a fairly large public school situated in Detroit, Michigan. It awarded 81 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at WCCCD are $3,998 a year. On average, associate degree students take out $23,369 in loans while pursuing their degree.
WCCCD 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, 32% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Camden County College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools ranking. This medium-sized public school is located in Blackwood, New Jersey, and it awarded 93 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Camden County College undergraduate students pay an average of $3,744 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $14,871 in student loans.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Camden County College. In 2019-2020 about 95% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Rochester Community and Technical College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools list. Rochester Community and Technical College is a public institution located in Rochester, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 111 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Rochester Community and Technical College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,372 in tuition and fees each year. On average, associate degree students take out $22,180 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Rochester Community and Technical 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.
In addition to its great value ranking, Rochester Community and Technical College is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools list.
Southern Regional Technical College landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree nursing programs. Located in Thomasville, Georgia, the small public school handed out 105 associate degree awards in 2020-2021.
Southwest Georgia Technical College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,402 in tuition and fees each year. On average, associate degree students take out $13,212 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Southwest Georgia Technical College. During the 2019-2020 year, about 62% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
In addition to its great value ranking, Southwest Georgia Technical College is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools list.
South Louisiana Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for nursing students to get an associate degree. It came in at #20 on the list. Located in Lafayette, Louisiana, the medium-sized public school handed out 76 associate degree awards in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at South Louisiana Community College are $4,205 a year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $16,545 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Online courses are available at South Louisiana 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 29% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #21, University of Arkansas Community College - Batesville did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. This small public school is located in Batesville, Arkansas, and it awarded 64 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UACCB are $3,438 per year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $12,191 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at UACCB. During the 2019-2020 year, about 53% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Alvin Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for nursing students to get an associate degree. It came in at #22 on the list. This small public school is located in Alvin, Texas, and it awarded 61 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Alvin undergraduate students pay an average of $4,010 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $11,951 in student loans.
Alvin does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 44% took at least some of their classes online.
Centralia College landed the #23 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree nursing programs. Centralia College is a small public school situated in Centralia, Washington. It awarded 23 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Centralia College are $5,239 a year. On average, associate degree students take out $12,250 in loans while pursuing their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Centralia College does offer online classes for certain majors. In 2019-2020 about 66% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Centralia College also is in the top 10% of our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools ranking.
With a ranking of #24, Wenatchee Valley College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Wenatchee Valley College is a small public school located in Wenatchee, Washington that handed out 52 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at WVC are $4,734 a year. On average, associate degree students take out $15,116 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Online courses are available at WVC, 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 48% took at least some of their classes online.
Metropolitan Community College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools list. MCC is a fairly large public school situated in Omaha, Nebraska. It awarded 58 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at MCC are $4,680 a year. On average, associate degree students take out $13,886 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Online courses are available at MCC, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 68% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Rest of the Top 50 Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the United States
Not only did these schools make the list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
Narrow Schools by Region
Rest of the Top Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the United States
To learn more about the schools below, just click on their names:
Honorable Mentions
These schools also performed well in our best nursing schools ranking:
More Nationwide Rankings
Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
References
- 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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