2023 Most Popular Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Pennsylvania
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for nursing students. 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 assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Nursing Degree Search has created its Most Popular Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Our analysis looked at 28 schools in Pennsylvania to see which associate degree programs were the most popular for nursing students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from each school on the list.
Most Popular Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Pennsylvania
Learn more about these popular schools below:
Our analysis found Harrisburg Area Community College to be the most popular school for nursing students who want to pursue a associate degree in Pennsylvania. Located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the fairly large public school handed out 1,788 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at HACC is $8,565. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $10,148. On average, associate degree students take out $19,208 in loans while pursuing their degree. Around 68% of those degree recipients were women.
HACC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2020-2021 year, about 52% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
You’ll be in good company if you attend Community College of Allegheny County. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Pennsylvania list. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the fairly large public school handed out 2,027 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from Pennsylvania pay an average of $8,563 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend CCAC. Out-of-state students pay an average of $12,223. On average, associate degree students take out $14,588 in loans while pursuing their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 64% were women.
CCAC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 44% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences is a great place for nursing students working on their associate degree. Located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 279 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $30,821 to cover tuition and fees at PA College. The school does not offer an in-state discount. Associate Degree recipients from PA College accumulate an average of $16,144 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Around 88% of those degree recipients were women.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at PA College. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 60% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
You’ll be in good company if you attend Delaware County Community College. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Pennsylvania list. Located in Media, Pennsylvania, the medium-sized public school awarded 1,176 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
Students from Pennsylvania who attend Delaware County Community College full time pay an average of $10,410 in tuition and fees. Out-of-state students pay an average of $14,400. On average, associate degree students take out $14,635 in loans while pursuing their degree. Around 61% of those degree recipients were women.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Delaware County Community College does offer online classes for certain majors. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 82% took at least some of their classes online.
The excellent associate degree programs at Luzerne County Community College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular nursing schools in Pennsylvania. Luzerne County Community College is a small public school located in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania that handed out 473 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Students from Pennsylvania who attend Luzerne County Community College full time pay an average of $10,330 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $15,060. Associate Degree recipients from Luzerne County Community College accumulate an average of $11,191 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Around 66% of those degree recipients were women.
Luzerne County 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 2020-2021 year, about 48% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #6, Lehigh Carbon Community College did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. LCCC is located in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania and has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 853 associate degrees to qualified students.
In-state students pay an average of $9,030 in tuition and fees if they attend LCCC full time. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $12,960. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $12,247 in student loans. Around 71% of those degree recipients were women.
LCCC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In 2020-2021 about 73% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Community College of Philadelphia did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for nursing students to get an associate degree. It came in at #7 on the list. Community College of Philadelphia is a public institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1,815 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Community College of Philadelphia is $8,688. Out-of-state students pay an average of $12,744. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $12,811 in student loans. Around 70% of those degree recipients were women.
Community College of Philadelphia 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 2020-2021 about 97% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Westmoreland County Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for nursing students to get an associate degree. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in Youngwood, Pennsylvania, the small public school awarded 455 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
Students from Pennsylvania who attend Westmoreland College full time pay an average of $10,324 in tuition and fees. Out-of-state students pay an average of $14,464. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $14,834 in student loans. Around 67% of those degree recipients were women.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Westmoreland College. In 2020-2021 about 55% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Northampton County Area Community College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Northampton Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. It awarded 1,168 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Northampton Community College is $10,650. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $14,820. On average, associate degree students take out $16,905 in loans while pursuing their degree. Around 63% of those degree recipients were women.
Northampton 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 2020-2021 academic year, around 62% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #10, Mount Aloysius College did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Mount Aloysius is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Cresson, Pennsylvania. It awarded 132 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
If you want to attend Mount Aloysius, expect to pay an average of $25,510 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid. On average, associate degree students take out $19,624 in loans while pursuing their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 86% were women.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Mount Aloysius. In fact, around 31% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Community College of Beaver County did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for nursing students to get an associate degree. It came in at #10 on the list. CCBC is located in Monaca, Pennsylvania and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 255 associate degrees to qualified students.
Students from Pennsylvania who attend CCBC full time pay an average of $13,350 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $19,350. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $16,127 in student loans. Of those students who received their degree, 60% were women.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at CCBC. In fact, around 60% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Bucks County Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for nursing students to get an associate degree. It came in at #12 on the list. This medium-sized public school is located in Newtown, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 823 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Bucks County Community College is $9,184. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $13,384. Associate Degree recipients from Bucks County Community College accumulate an average of $13,561 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Around 59% of those degree recipients were women.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Bucks County Community College. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 81% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Mercyhurst University ranked #13 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Pennsylvania list. Located in Erie, Pennsylvania, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 111 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
Mercyhurst does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $43,460. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $20,242 in student loans. Of those students who received their degree, 76% were women.
Mercyhurst 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 25% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Montgomery County Community College ranked #14 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Pennsylvania list. Montco is located in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1,253 associate degrees to qualified students.
In-state students pay an average of $10,650 in tuition and fees if they attend Montco full time. Out-of-state students pay an average of $15,390. On average, associate degree students take out $13,849 in loans while pursuing their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 63% were women.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Montco. In fact, around 75% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Pennsylvania College of Technology came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Penn College is located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 711 associate degrees to qualified students.
Full-time students from Pennsylvania pay an average of $17,940 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Penn College. Out-of-state students pay an average of $25,680. Associate Degree recipients from Penn College accumulate an average of $20,551 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Around 34% of those degree recipients were women.
One thing to take note of is that Penn College does offer online classes in some areas. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 47% took at least some of their classes online.
PITC Institute did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for nursing students to get an associate degree. It came in at #17 on the list. This very small private for-profit school is located in Wyncote, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 13 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Of those students who received their degree, 92% were women.
PITC Institute is primarily an online school, so it is a great choice for returning adults and students who work full time.
Pittsburgh Technical College ranked #18 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Pennsylvania list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Oakdale, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 520 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
If you want to attend Pittsburgh Technical College, expect to pay an average of $16,974 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid. Associate Degree recipients from Pittsburgh Technical College accumulate an average of $18,250 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Around 38% of those degree recipients were women.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Pittsburgh Technical College does offer online classes for certain majors. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 32% took at least some of their classes online.
Butler County Community College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. BC3 is located in Butler, Pennsylvania and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 417 associate degrees to qualified students.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at BC3 is $8,550. Out-of-state students pay an average of $11,550. Associate Degree recipients from BC3 accumulate an average of $9,104 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 68% were women.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at BC3. In 2020-2021 about 33% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
University of Pittsburgh - Bradford landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular associate degree nursing programs. University of Pittsburgh - Bradford is a small public school located in Bradford, Pennsylvania that handed out 38 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Pitt Bradford is $14,620. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $26,494. On average, associate degree students take out $22,479 in loans while pursuing their degree. Around 74% of those degree recipients were women.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Pitt Bradford does offer online classes for certain majors. In 2020-2021 about 18% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #22, Reading Area Community College did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Located in Reading, Pennsylvania, the small public school handed out 464 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $10,470 in tuition and fees if they attend RACC full time. Out-of-state students pay an average of $11,580. Associate Degree recipients from RACC accumulate an average of $16,472 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Around 68% of those degree recipients were women.
RACC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 51% took at least some of their classes online.
Harcum College landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular associate degree nursing programs. Harcum College is located in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania and has a very small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 363 associate degrees to qualified students.
Harcum College does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $28,240. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. On average, associate degree students take out $20,109 in loans while pursuing their degree. Around 86% of those degree recipients were women.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Harcum College. During the 2020-2021 year, about 64% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Fortis Institute - Scranton landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular associate degree nursing programs. Fortis Institute - Scranton is a very small private for-profit school located in Scranton, Pennsylvania that handed out 50 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
If you want to attend Fortis Institute - Scranton, expect to pay an average of $15,880 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $19,933 in student loans. Around 92% of those degree recipients were women.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Fortis Institute - Scranton does offer online classes for certain majors. During the 2020-2021 year, about 77% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
La Roche University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for nursing students to get an associate degree. It came in at #25 on the list.
The average tuition and fees at La Roche is $32,284. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid.
La Roche 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 2020-2021 academic year, around 64% took at least some of their classes online.
Most Popular Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic 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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