2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools
Finding the Best Nursing Associate Degree School for You
With 322,592 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, nursing is the #3 most popular major in the United States.
With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.
The Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 960 schools in the United States to see which associate degree programs offered the best educational experiences for students. Factors related to overall quality of the school, post-graduation earnings, average student debt, and more accumulated were considered when coming up with this list.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the United States
Check out the nursing associate degree programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.
Top 25 Top Schools for an Associate in Nursing
Our analysis found Helene Fuld College of Nursing to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a associate degree in the United States. HFCN is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at HFCN take out while working on their Associate Degree is $27,942.
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Out of the 960 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Saint Michael College of Allied Health landed the # 2 spot on the list. Saint Michael College of Allied Health is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Alexandria.
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Arnot Ogden Medical Center is a great place for nursing students working on their associate degree. Located in the small city of Elmira, Arnot Ogden Medical Center is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools list. Located in the city of San Mateo, Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
Nursing majors at Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts take out an average of $20,947 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Stanbridge University. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools list. Stanbridge is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Irvine.
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Los Angeles County College of Nursing and Allied Health landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree nursing programs. Located in the city of Los Angeles, L.A. County School of Nursing is a public school with a small student population.
On average, nursing graduates from L.A. County School of Nursing take out $21,695 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
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Standard Healthcare Services - College of Nursing came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools ranking. Standard College of Nursing is a small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Falls Church.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Standard College of Nursing take out while working on their Associate Degree is $30,701.
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Excelsior College landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree nursing programs. Located in the small city of Albany, Excelsior College is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.
Nursing majors at Excelsior College take out an average of $23,429 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
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Best Care College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools ranking. Best Care College is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the suburb of East Orange.
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Cochran School of Nursing landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree nursing programs. Located in the suburb of Yonkers, Cochran School of Nursing is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Cochran School of Nursing take out while working on their Associate Degree is $29,255.
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Ohio Medical Career College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools ranking. Located in the city of Dayton, Ohio Medical Career College is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
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St. Joseph’s College of Nursing ranked #12 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools list. Located in the medium-sized city of Syracuse, St Joseph's College of Nursing is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from St Joseph's College of Nursing carry an average student debtload of $24,061. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $380.
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St Paul’s School of Nursing - Queens ranked #13 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools list. Located in the city of Rego Park, St Paul's School of Nursing - Queens is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from St Paul's School of Nursing - Queens carry an average student debtload of $32,985. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $191.
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Unitek College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a associate degree. It came in at #14 on the list. Located in the suburb of Fremont, Unitek College is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Unitek College accumulate an average of around $26,043 in student debt.
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Baptist Health System School of Health Professions came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools ranking. Baptist Health System School of Health Professions is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the city of San Antonio.
While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Baptist Health System School of Health Professions accumulate an average of around $27,515 in student debt. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $110.
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Jersey College landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree nursing programs. Located in the large suburb of Teterboro, Jersey College is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
Nursing majors at Jersey College take out an average of $35,837 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $89.
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With a ranking of #17, Delaware Technical Community College - Terry did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Located in the small city of Dover, Delaware Tech is a public school with a large student population.
While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Delaware Tech accumulate an average of around $18,104 in student debt.
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With a ranking of #18, Trident Technical College did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Located in the medium-sized city of Charleston, Trident Technical College is a public college with a large student population.
Nursing majors at Trident Technical College take out an average of $29,278 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
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Merced College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a associate degree. It came in at #19 on the list. Merced Community College District is a moderately-sized public school located in the small city of Merced.
On average, nursing graduates from Merced Community College District take out $12,152 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
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St. Peter’s Hospital College of Nursing came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools ranking. St. Peter's Hospital College of Nursing is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Albany.
Nursing majors at St. Peter's Hospital College of Nursing take out an average of $27,313 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
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With a ranking of #21, Rasmussen University - Minnesota did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Rasmussen University - Minnesota is a small private for-profit school located in the city of St. Cloud.
After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from Rasmussen University - Minnesota carry an average student debtload of $32,326. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $175.
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With a ranking of #22, Rasmussen University - Florida did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Rasmussen University - Florida is a moderately-sized private for-profit school located in the city of Ocala.
While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Rasmussen University - Florida accumulate an average of around $32,326 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $175.
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Ambria College of Nursing ranked #23 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools list. Located in the small city of Hoffman Estates, Ambria College of Nursing is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Ambria College of Nursing take out while working on their Associate Degree is $32,601.
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With a ranking of #24, Rasmussen University - Illinois did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Rasmussen University - Illinois is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Rockford.
After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from Rasmussen University - Illinois carry an average student debtload of $32,326. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $175.
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Columbia Gorge Community College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools list. Located in the remote town of The Dalles, Columbia Gorge Community College is a public college with a fairly small student population.
On average, nursing graduates from Columbia Gorge Community College take out $29,728 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
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Remaining Award Winners
This section shows the remainder of the colleges awarded a Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 960 different United States nursing schools we analyzed.
Additional Noteworthy Schools
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools award.
Nursing by Region
View the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Nursing Rankings
Nursing Related Rankings by Major
Nursing is one of 30 different types of programs to choose from.
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Health & Medical Administrative Services | 89,359 |
| Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services | 84,492 |
| Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants | 84,274 |
| Allied Health Professions | 82,308 |
| Public Health | 40,596 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- 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 the rest 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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Aleksahgabrielle.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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