Associate Degrees in Nursing
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Education Levels of Nursing Majors
During the 2020-2021 academic year, 85,504 students earned their associate degree in nursing. This makes it the 2nd most popular associate degree program in the country.
The following table shows the number of diplomas awarded in nursing at each degree level.
| Education Level | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 165,538 |
| Associate Degree | 85,504 |
| Master’s Degree | 51,608 |
| Doctor’s Degree | 10,943 |
| Graduate Certificate | 4,413 |
| Undergraduate Certificate | 2,494 |
| Basic Certificate | 2,092 |
Earnings of Nursing Majors With Associate Degrees
The median salary for graduates holding an associate degree in nursing is $57,442. A lot of factors can contribute to this number, such as the location of your workplace and the availability of other perks and bonuses. To get a better picture, earnings for this category of people can range from a low of $53,555 to a high of $61,208.
Student Debt
The median student debt for graduates holding an associate degree in nursing is $20,607. The school you go to and how long it takes you to graduate, among other things, can cause this number to vary. The chart below shows the range of accumulated debt loads. On the high side of the range, $27,657 is the debt load, and the debt load on the low side is $15,858.
The median monthly payment of a nursing graduate with a 10-year repayment plan is $171.
Student Diversity
More women than men pursue their associate degree in nursing. About 86.0% of graduates with this degree are female.
| Gender | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Men | 11,978 |
| Women | 73,526 |
The racial-ethnic distribution of nursing associate degree students is as follows:
| Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Asian | 4,086 |
| Black or African American | 11,255 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 13,610 |
| White | 49,715 |
| International Students | 706 |
| Other Races/Ethnicities | 6,132 |
Most Popular Nursing Programs for Associate Degrees
There are 1,123 colleges that offer an associate degree in nursing. Learn more about the most popular 20 below:
Excelsior College tops the list of the most popular school in the U.S. for nursing majors who are seeking their associate degree. Roughly 21,900 attend the school each year. The nursing program at Excelsior College awarded 1,522 associate degrees during the 2020-2021 school year. Of these students, 84% were women and 36% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
Ivy Tech Community College is the 2nd most popular school in the nation for students seeking an associate degree in nursing. Roughly 63,800 attend the school each year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 1,366 people received their associate degree in nursing from Ivy Tech Community College. Of these students, 89% were women and 15% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
Rasmussen University - Florida is the 3rd most popular school in the nation for students seeking an associate degree in nursing. Each year, around 9,000 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $11,694 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $4,567 per year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 1,084 people received their associate degree in nursing from Rasmussen University - Florida. About 89% of this group were women, and 39% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
Rasmussen University - Minnesota is the 4th most popular school in the nation for students seeking an associate degree in nursing. Each year, around 3,900 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $11,573 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $4,567 per year. The nursing program at Rasmussen University - Minnesota awarded 674 associate degrees during the 2020-2021 school year. Of these students, 87% were women and 35% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
The 5th most popular school in the country for nursing majors who are seeking their associate degree is Jersey College. Each year, around 3,500 students seeking various degrees attend the university. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 618 people received their associate degree in nursing from Jersey College. About 93% of this group were women, and 76% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.
The 6th most popular school in the country for nursing majors who are seeking their associate degree is Miami Dade College. Roughly 46,500 attend the school each year. The nursing program at Miami Dade College awarded 614 associate degrees during the 2020-2021 school year. Of these students, 79% were women and 89% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale is the 7th most popular school in the nation for students seeking an associate degree in nursing. Roughly 20,300 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $20,800 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $29,632 per year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 601 people received their associate degree in nursing from Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale. Of these students, 85% were women and 41% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
The 8th most popular school in the country for nursing majors who are seeking their associate degree is ECPI University. Each year, around 14,300 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $17,424 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $12,960 per year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 574 people received their associate degree in nursing from ECPI University. Around 53% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 91% were women.
Galen College of Nursing - San Antonio comes in at #9 on our list of the most popular colleges offering associate degrees in nursing. Roughly 2,500 attend the school each year. The nursing program at Galen College of Nursing - San Antonio awarded 502 associate degrees during the 2020-2021 school year. Around 59% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 88% were women.
Rasmussen University - Illinois comes in at #10 on our list of the most popular colleges offering associate degrees in nursing. Roughly 2,400 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $11,720 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $4,567 per year. The nursing program at Rasmussen University - Illinois awarded 450 associate degrees during the 2020-2021 school year. Of these students, 92% were women and 50% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
Galen College of Nursing - Tampa Bay is the 11th most popular school in the nation for students seeking an associate degree in nursing. Each year, around 2,200 students seeking various degrees attend the university. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 448 people received their associate degree in nursing from Galen College of Nursing - Tampa Bay. Of these students, 88% were women and 42% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
St Petersburg College is the 12th most popular school in the nation for students seeking an associate degree in nursing. Roughly 26,400 attend the school each year. For the 2020-2021 academic year, 446 associate degrees were handed out to nursing majors at SPC. Of these students, 81% were women and 38% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
Florida State College at Jacksonville is the 13th most popular school in the nation for students seeking an associate degree in nursing. Each year, around 22,300 students seeking various degrees attend the university. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 445 people received their associate degree in nursing from FSCJ. Of these students, 82% were women and 33% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
AmeriTech College - Draper comes in at #14 on our list of the most popular colleges offering associate degrees in nursing. Each year, around 1,400 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $12,068 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $13,469 per year. The nursing program at AmeriTech College - Draper awarded 400 associate degrees during the 2020-2021 school year. Around 13% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 82% were women.
Harrisburg Area Community College comes in at #15 on our list of the most popular colleges offering associate degrees in nursing. Roughly 15,300 attend the school each year. The nursing program at Harrisburg Area Community College awarded 395 associate degrees during the 2020-2021 school year. Of these students, 88% were women and 17% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
Lone Star College System is the 16th most popular school in the nation for students seeking an associate degree in nursing. Roughly 70,100 attend the school each year. For the 2020-2021 academic year, 380 associate degrees were handed out to nursing majors at North Harris Montgomery. Of these students, 85% were women and 56% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
The 17th most popular school in the country for nursing majors who are seeking their associate degree is Helene Fuld College of Nursing. Each year, around 500 students seeking various degrees attend the university. For the 2020-2021 academic year, 373 associate degrees were handed out to nursing majors at HFCN. Of these students, 93% were women and 87% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
Community College of Allegheny County comes in at #18 on our list of the most popular colleges offering associate degrees in nursing. Each year, around 13,200 students seeking various degrees attend the university. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 348 people received their associate degree in nursing from CCAC. Around 20% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 82% were women.
The 19th most popular school in the country for nursing majors who are seeking their associate degree is Weber State University. Each year, around 29,500 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $5,329 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $7,880 per year. The nursing program at Weber State University awarded 335 associate degrees during the 2020-2021 school year. Of these students, 81% were women and 12% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
Union County College is the 20th most popular school in the nation for students seeking an associate degree in nursing. Roughly 8,200 attend the school each year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 333 people received their associate degree in nursing from Union County College. Of these students, 86% were women and 72% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.
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Related Majors
Below are some popular majors that are similar to nursing that offer associate degrees.
| Major | Annual Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Allied Health Professions | 27,677 |
| Allied Health Services | 20,673 |
| Health/Medical Admin Services | 16,893 |
| Health Sciences & Services | 10,218 |
| Dental Support Services | 7,282 |
References
*The racial-ethnic minority student count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the percentage of racial-ethnic minorities.
- College Factual
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Image Credit: By Aleksahgabrielle under License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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