2023 Best Value Nursing Master's Degree Schools in the Southwest Region
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.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Nursing Degree Search has developed this Best Value Nursing Master's Degree Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. This report analyzed 44 schools in the Southwest Region to see which ones offered the best value master's 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 Master's Degree Schools in the Southwest Region of the U.S.
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Aspen University to be the best value school for nursing students who want to pursue a master’s degree in the Southwest Region . Aspen University is a medium-sized private for-profit school located in Denver, Arizona that handed out 455 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Aspen University graduate students pay an average of $4,357 in tuition and fees each year.
Since the graduate programs at Aspen University are primarily online, it is a great choice for returning adults and students who work full time.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Aspen University also did well on our Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
The excellent master’s degree programs at MSU Texas helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best value nursing schools in the Southwest Region . Located in Wichita Falls, Texas, the medium-sized public school awarded 24 diplomas to qualifed master’s degree students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at MSU Texas are $8,056 per year.
MSU Texas does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. During the 2019-2020 year, about 79% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Out of the 44 schools in the Southwest Region that were part of this year’s value ranking, Eastern New Mexico University - Main Campus landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in Portales, New Mexico, the small public school handed out 17 master’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
ENMU - Main Campus graduate students pay an average of $7,110 in tuition and fees each year.
One thing to take note of is that ENMU - Main Campus does offer online graduate classes in some areas. In fact, around 99% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Read full report on Eastern New Mexico University - Main Campus
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lubbock Christian University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region list. Lubbock, Texas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out master’s degrees to 44 students in 2020-2021.
LCU graduate students pay an average of $9,540 in tuition and fees each year.
One thing to take note of is that LCU does offer online graduate classes in some areas. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 46% took at least some of their classes online.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, LCU also did well on our Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
A rank of #5 on this year’s list means West Texas A&M University is a great place for nursing students working on their master’s degree who want the most bang for their educational buck. West Texas A&M University is a public institution located in Canyon, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 36 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
West Texas A&M University graduate students pay an average of $8,574 in tuition and fees each year.
Online graduate courses are available at West Texas A&M University, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 91% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Grand Canyon University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value master’s degree nursing programs. Located in Phoenix, Arizona, the large private for-profit school awarded 1,935 diplomas to qualifed master’s degree students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Grand Canyon University are $11,538 per year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Grand Canyon University does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 96% took at least some of their classes online.
In addition to its great value ranking, Grand Canyon University is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region list.
Texas Wesleyan University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Fort Worth, Texas, and it awarded 109 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Texas Wesleyan graduate students pay an average of $21,243 in tuition and fees each year.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Texas Wesleyan. During the 2019-2020 year, about 59% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Texas Wesleyan did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region list.
With a ranking of #8, Texas A&M International University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their master’s degree. Texas A&M International University is located in Laredo, Texas and has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 42 master’s degrees to qualified students.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Texas A&M International University are $15,405 per year.
Online graduate courses are available at Texas A&M International University, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 76% took at least some of their classes online.
Texas A&M International University also took the #4 spot in our Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region rankings.
Oklahoma City University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region list. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out master’s degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.
OCU graduate students pay an average of $13,410 in tuition and fees each year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since OCU does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. In 2019-2020 about 12% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #10, Houston Baptist University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their master’s degree. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Houston, Texas, and it awarded 64 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at HBU are $13,400 a year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at HBU. In fact, around 65% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Oklahoma Wesleyan University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for nursing students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #11 on the list. This very small private not-for-profit school is located in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and it awarded 15 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at OKWU or OWU are $10,645 a year.
One thing to take note of is that OKWU or OWU does offer online graduate classes in some areas. In fact, around 82% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. UT Rio Grande Valley is a large public school situated in Edinburg, Texas. It awarded 22 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at UT Rio Grande Valley are $15,677 per year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at UT Rio Grande Valley. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 92% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Texas Woman’s University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for nursing students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #13 on the list. Denton, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out master’s degrees to 127 students in 2020-2021.
TWU graduate students pay an average of $15,048 in tuition and fees each year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since TWU does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 88% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #14, Angelo State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their master’s degree. Located in San Angelo, Texas, the fairly large public school handed out 21 master’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
Angelo State graduate students pay an average of $14,590 in tuition and fees each year.
Angelo State does have options available for those who want to take online graduate 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, 88% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Hardin - Simmons University landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value master’s degree nursing programs. Located in Abilene, Texas, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 9 master’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Hardin - Simmons are $14,870 per year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Hardin - Simmons. During the 2019-2020 year, about 40% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Western New Mexico University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for nursing students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #16 on the list. Western New Mexico University is a small public school located in Silver City, New Mexico that handed out 4 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Western New Mexico University are $10,335 per year.
One thing to take note of is that Western New Mexico University does offer online graduate classes in some areas. In 2019-2020 about 95% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
The University of Texas at Tyler did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for nursing students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #17 on the list. The University of Texas at Tyler is a medium-sized public school located in Tyler, Texas that handed out 75 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at UT Tyler are $16,786 per year.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at UT Tyler. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 90% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
The University of Texas at El Paso landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value master’s degree nursing programs. El Paso, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out master’s degrees to 122 students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at UTEP are $16,621 a year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at UTEP. In 2019-2020 about 88% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
The University of Texas at Austin ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region list. Austin, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out master’s degrees to 70 students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at UT Austin are $22,944 a year.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at UT Austin. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 66% took at least some of their classes online.
UT Austin did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region list.
With a ranking of #20, University of Houston did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their master’s degree. Houston, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out master’s degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at UH are $18,871 per year.
One thing to take note of is that UH does offer online graduate classes in some areas. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 77% took at least some of their classes online.
Lamar University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for nursing students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #21 on the list. This fairly large public school is located in Beaumont, Texas, and it awarded 18 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Lamar University graduate students pay an average of $15,755 in tuition and fees each year.
One thing to take note of is that Lamar University does offer online graduate classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 95% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Southwestern Oklahoma State University landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value master’s degree nursing programs. SWOSU is a public institution located in Weatherford, Oklahoma. The school has a small population, and it awarded 32 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at SWOSU are $14,202 a year.
SWOSU does have options available for those who want to take online graduate 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, 84% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #22, University of Phoenix - Arizona did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their master’s degree. Tempe, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out master’s degrees to 436 students in 2020-2021.
UOPX - Arizona graduate students pay an average of $16,153 in tuition and fees each year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since UOPX - Arizona does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. In fact, around 99% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #24, Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their master’s degree. Texas A&M Corpus Christi is a public institution located in Corpus Christi, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 74 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Texas A&M Corpus Christi are $15,995 a year.
Online graduate courses are available at Texas A&M Corpus Christi, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2019-2020 about 86% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Texas A&M University - College Station came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. Located in College Station, Texas, the large public school awarded 26 diplomas to qualifed master’s degree students in 2020-2021.
Texas A&M College Station graduate students pay an average of $24,106 in tuition and fees each year.
Texas A&M College Station does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In 2019-2020 about 23% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Texas A&M College Station not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #2 on our Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region list.
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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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