2023 Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Texas
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.
The Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Texas ranking is one of many tools that Nursing Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 48 schools in Texas 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 Texas
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named Lamar State College - Port Arthur the best value school in Texas for nursing students working on their associate degree. Located in Port Arthur, Texas, the small public school awarded 42 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Lamar State College - Port Arthur are $7,890 a year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $23,273 in student loans.
Lamar State College - Port Arthur 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 88% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
The excellent associate degree programs at Amarillo College helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best value nursing schools in Texas. This medium-sized public school is located in Amarillo, Texas, and it awarded 204 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Amarillo College are $4,704 a year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $18,641 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Amarillo College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2019-2020 year, about 57% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Amarillo College also claimed a spot on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Texas list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
The excellent associate degree programs at Collin County Community College District helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best value nursing schools in Texas. Located in McKinney, Texas, the large public school handed out 128 associate degree awards in 2020-2021.
Collin County Community College District undergraduate students pay an average of $5,104 in tuition and fees each year. On average, associate degree students take out $17,379 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Online courses are available at Collin County Community College District, 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 95% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Galveston College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Texas list. Galveston College is a public institution located in Galveston, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 55 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Galveston College are $5,200 a year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $17,605 in student loans.
Online courses are available at Galveston College, 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 84% took at least some of their classes online.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend San Jacinto Community College. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Texas list. This large public school is located in Pasadena, Texas, and it awarded 225 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
San Jacinto College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,040 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $13,960 in student loans.
San Jacinto College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 95% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #6, Alvin Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Alvin, Texas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 61 students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Alvin are $4,010 per year. On average, associate degree students take out $11,951 in loans while pursuing their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Alvin does offer online classes in some areas. In fact, around 44% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
College of the Mainland came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Texas ranking. COM is a public institution located in Texas City, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 81 associate degrees 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.
COM does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In 2019-2020 about 77% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Panola 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. Panola College is a small public school situated in Carthage, Texas. It awarded 43 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Panola College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,680 in tuition and fees each year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Panola College. During the 2019-2020 year, about 72% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Panola College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Texas list.
Tarrant County College District came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Texas ranking. Tarrant County College is a public institution located in Fort Worth, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 276 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Tarrant County College undergraduate students pay an average of $8,235 in tuition and fees each year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $17,198 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Tarrant County College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 97% took at least some of their classes online.
El Centro College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Texas list. El Centro College is a large public school situated in Dallas, Texas. It awarded 203 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at El Centro College are $6,000 a year. On average, associate degree students take out $18,961 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Online courses are available at El Centro College, 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 92% took at least some of their classes online.
El Centro College did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Texas list.
South Texas College landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree nursing programs. Located in McAllen, Texas, the large public school awarded 310 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2020-2021.
South Texas College undergraduate students pay an average of $7,920 in tuition and fees each year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $8,401 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Online courses are available at South Texas College, 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, 94% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
South Texas College also made our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Texas list, coming in at #1.
Wharton County Junior College landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree nursing programs. Wharton County Junior College is a medium-sized public school located in Wharton, Texas that handed out 49 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Wharton County Junior College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,872 in tuition and fees each year. On average, associate degree students take out $14,328 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Wharton County Junior 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 84% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #13, El Paso Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. El Paso Community College is located in El Paso, Texas and has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 136 associate degrees to qualified students.
El Paso Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,314 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $10,989 in student loans.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since El Paso Community College does offer online classes for certain majors. In 2019-2020 about 97% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Lamar State College - Orange came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Texas ranking. This small public school is located in Orange, Texas, and it awarded 34 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Lamar State College - Orange undergraduate students pay an average of $13,320 in tuition and fees each year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $16,237 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Lamar State College - Orange does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2019-2020 year, about 81% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
South Plains College landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree nursing programs. South Plains College is a medium-sized public school situated in Levelland, Texas. It awarded 83 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
South Plains College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,276 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $16,112 in student loans.
Some students may be able to take online classes at South Plains College. During the 2019-2020 year, about 65% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Clarendon College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Texas list. Located in Clarendon, Texas, the small public school handed out 36 associate degree awards in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Clarendon College are $4,176 per year. On average, associate degree students take out $17,226 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Clarendon College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2019-2020 year, about 80% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Northeast Texas Community College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Texas list. Located in Mount Pleasant, Texas, the small public school handed out 41 associate degree awards in 2020-2021.
NTCC undergraduate students pay an average of $6,449 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $18,637 in student loans.
Some students may be able to take online classes at NTCC. During the 2019-2020 year, about 67% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
NTCC also took the #2 spot in our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Texas rankings.
Tyler Junior College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Texas ranking. Tyler, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 206 students in 2020-2021.
Tyler Junior College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,440 in tuition and fees each year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $17,044 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Online courses are available at Tyler Junior 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 64% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Lone Star College System ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Texas list. Located in The Woodlands, Texas, the large public school handed out 380 associate degree awards in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at North Harris Montgomery are $6,168 per year. On average, associate degree students take out $15,481 in loans while pursuing their degree.
North Harris Montgomery 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 72% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
North Harris Montgomery did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Texas list.
Houston Community College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Texas list. Houston, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 154 students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Houston Community College are $5,460 a year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $23,597 in student loans.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Houston Community College. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 88% took at least some of their classes online.
Victoria College landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree nursing programs. This small public school is located in Victoria, Texas, and it awarded 68 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Victoria College are $4,872 a year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $14,992 in student loans.
Victoria College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In 2019-2020 about 97% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Grayson 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. Grayson College is a public institution located in Denison, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 117 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Grayson College are $5,482 a year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $16,017 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Grayson College does offer online classes in some areas. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 72% took at least some of their classes online.
Temple College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Texas list. Temple College is a public institution located in Temple, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 92 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Temple College are $6,432 a year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $18,360 in student loans.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Temple College. In 2019-2020 about 88% 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, Temple College also is in the top 20% of our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Texas ranking.
Lee College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Texas ranking. Baytown, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 34 students in 2020-2021.
Lee College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,302 in tuition and fees each year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $15,284 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Online courses are available at Lee 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 49% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #25, The University of Texas at Brownsville did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Brownsville, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at The University of Texas at Brownsville are $4,948 a year. On average, associate degree students take out $13,381 in loans while pursuing their degree.
One thing to take note of is that The University of Texas at Brownsville does offer online classes in some areas. In fact, around 10% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region
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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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