2023 Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Arkansas
Identifying High-Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Today's nursing students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. 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 and bootcamps 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 Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Arkansas to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 17 schools in Arkansas 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.
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. 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.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
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Top Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Arkansas
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named Arkansas State University - Newport the best value school in Arkansas for nursing students working on their associate degree. Arkansas State University - Newport is a small public school located in Newport, Arkansas that handed out 65 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at ASUN are $4,320 a year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $15,938 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Online courses are available at ASUN, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2019-2020 about 62% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
ASUN not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #1 on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Arkansas list.
The excellent associate degree programs at Arkansas Northeastern College helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best value nursing schools in Arkansas. This small public school is located in Blytheville, Arkansas, and it awarded 24 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Arkansas Northeastern College are $4,138 a year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $11,336 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Arkansas Northeastern College. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 84% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Arkansas Community College - Batesville. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Arkansas list. UACCB is a public institution located in Batesville, Arkansas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 64 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at UACCB are $3,438 a year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $12,191 in student loans.
One thing to take note of is that UACCB does offer online classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 53% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Arkansas State University - Mountain Home. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Arkansas list. Located in Mountain Home, Arkansas, the small public school handed out 29 associate degree awards in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at ASUMH are $4,524 per year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $22,082 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at ASUMH. In fact, around 65% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Arkansas Community College - Morrilton. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Arkansas list. University of Arkansas Community College - Morrilton is a small public school located in Morrilton, Arkansas that handed out 37 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
UACCM undergraduate students pay an average of $4,128 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $19,183 in student loans.
Online courses are available at UACCM, 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, 47% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Full University of Arkansas Community College - Morrilton Report
With a ranking of #6, NorthWest Arkansas Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. NWACC is a medium-sized public school situated in Bentonville, Arkansas. It awarded 77 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at NWACC are $4,456 per year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $15,871 in student loans.
One thing to take note of is that NWACC does offer online classes in some areas. During the 2019-2020 year, about 79% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
NWACC did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Arkansas list.
With a ranking of #7, Arkansas State University Three Rivers did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. ASU Three Rivers is a public institution located in Malvern, Arkansas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 61 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at ASU Three Rivers are $5,882 per year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $30,774 in student loans.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since ASU Three Rivers does offer online classes for certain majors. In fact, around 27% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree nursing programs. This small public school is located in Helena, Arkansas, and it awarded 14 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Phillips County Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,910 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $10,650 in student loans.
Phillips County Community College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. 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.
Full Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas Report
University of Arkansas Rich Mountain came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Arkansas ranking. UA Rich Mountain is a very small public school situated in Mena, Arkansas. It awarded 22 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at UA Rich Mountain are $3,816 a year.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at UA Rich Mountain. In 2019-2020 about 70% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
South Arkansas 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 #10 on the list. SouthArk is a public institution located in El Dorado, Arkansas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 50 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SouthArk are $4,812 per year. On average, associate degree students take out $18,164 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at SouthArk. In 2019-2020 about 58% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
North Arkansas College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Arkansas ranking. Northark is a public institution located in Harrison, Arkansas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 54 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Northark are $5,940 a year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $15,802 in student loans.
One thing to take note of is that Northark does offer online classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 52% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Black River Technical College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Arkansas ranking. Black River Technical College is a public institution located in Pocahontas, Arkansas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 42 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Black River Technical College undergraduate students pay an average of $6,350 in tuition and fees each year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $16,606 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Black River 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. During the 2019-2020 year, about 65% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Arkansas State University - Main Campus landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree nursing programs. Jonesboro, Arkansas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 95 students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at A-State are $12,698 a year. On average, associate degree students take out $22,827 in loans while pursuing their degree.
A-State does offer online classes for certain degree levels. 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.
A-State also made our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Arkansas list, coming in at #2.
With a ranking of #14, National Park College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Hot Springs, Arkansas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 47 students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at National Park College are $6,230 per year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $18,521 in student loans.
Some students may be able to take online classes at National Park College. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 79% took at least some of their classes online.
Arkansas Tech University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Arkansas list. Russellville, Arkansas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 56 students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at ATU are $13,636 per year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $22,182 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at ATU. During the 2019-2020 year, about 78% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
ATU not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #3 on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Arkansas list.
University of Arkansas at Little Rock 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 #16 on the list. UA Little Rock is a medium-sized public school situated in Little Rock, Arkansas. It awarded 180 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at UA Little Rock are $21,767 a year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $31,418 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 UA Little Rock does offer online classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 87% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, UA Little Rock is ranked #5 for overall quality in Arkansas.
University of Arkansas at Monticello came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Arkansas ranking. University of Arkansas at Monticello is a small public school located in Monticello, Arkansas that handed out 5 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
UAM undergraduate students pay an average of $13,879 in tuition and fees each year. On average, associate degree students take out $14,111 in loans while pursuing their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since UAM does offer online classes for certain majors. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 52% took at least some of their classes online.
Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 17 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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