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Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region

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2023 Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

118 Colleges
$6,614 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$57,601 Avg Salary

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.

It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. This report analyzed 118 schools in the Far Western US Region 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.

Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.

In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.

2023 Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region

Check out the nursing associate degree programs at these schools if you want to get the best value for your educational dollar.

Top 15% Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools

Our 2023 rankings named Los Angeles County College of Nursing and Allied Health the best value school in the Far Western US Region for nursing students working on their associate degree. L.A. County School of Nursing is a small public school located in the large city of Los Angeles.

After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from L.A. County School of Nursing carry an average student debtload of $21,695.

Full Nursing at Los Angeles County College of Nursing and Allied Health Report

#2

Seattle Central College

Seattle, WA

Out of the 118 schools in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Seattle Central College landed the # 2 spot on the list. Seattle Central is a small public school located in the city of Seattle.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Seattle Central are $4,670 per year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Seattle Central take out while working on their Associate Degree is $23,418.

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#3

Highline College

Des Moines, WA

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Highline College is a great value for nursing students working on their associate degree. Located in the large suburb of Des Moines, Highline is a public school with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Highline are $4,813 a year. While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Highline accumulate an average of around $17,371 in student debt.

Highline also claimed a spot on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.

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#4

Centralia College

Centralia, WA

The excellent associate degree programs at Centralia College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best value nursing schools in the Far Western US Region . Centralia College is a small public school located in the town of Centralia.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Centralia College are $5,239 a year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Centralia College take out while working on their Associate Degree is $12,250.

Centralia College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region list.

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#5

Wenatchee Valley College

Wenatchee, WA

Out of the 118 schools in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Wenatchee Valley College landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the city of Wenatchee, WVC is a public college with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at WVC are $4,734 a year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at WVC take out while working on their Associate Degree is $20,904.

Full Nursing at Wenatchee Valley College Report

#6

Merced College

Merced, CA

Merced College landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree nursing programs. Located in the small city of Merced, Merced Community College District is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

Merced Community College District undergraduate students pay an average of $7,444 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from Merced Community College District carry an average student debtload of $12,152.

Merced Community College District also claimed a spot on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.

Full Nursing at Merced College Report

#7

Umpqua Community College

Roseburg, OR

Umpqua Community College landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree nursing programs. Located in the rural area of Roseburg, Umpqua Community College is a public school with a small student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Umpqua Community College are $5,945 per year. While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Umpqua Community College accumulate an average of around $21,230 in student debt.

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#8

Yakima Valley College

Yakima, WA

Yakima Valley College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in the small city of Yakima, YVC is a public college with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at YVC are $5,352 a year. On average, nursing graduates from YVC take out $21,518 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Full Nursing at Yakima Valley College Report

#9

Lower Columbia College

Longview, WA

Lower Columbia College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. LCC is a small public school located in the small city of Longview.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at LCC are $5,403 per year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at LCC take out while working on their Associate Degree is $21,451.

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Spokane Community College landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree nursing programs. Spokane Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the medium-sized city of Spokane.

Spokane Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,135 in tuition and fees each year. Nursing majors at Spokane Community College take out an average of $23,946 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Read full report on Nursing at Spokane Community College

#11

Butte College

Oroville, CA

Butte 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 #11 on the list. Located in the rural area of Oroville, Butte College is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Butte College are $7,848 a year. After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from Butte College carry an average student debtload of $19,826.

Read full report on Nursing at Butte College

#12

Yuba College

Marysville, CA

With a ranking of #12, Yuba College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Yuba College is a moderately-sized public school located in the midsize suburb of Marysville.

Yuba College undergraduate students pay an average of $7,488 in tuition and fees each year. On average, nursing graduates from Yuba College take out $11,836 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Yuba College also is in the top 10% of our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking.

Full Nursing at Yuba College Report

#13

Ventura College

Ventura, CA

Ventura 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 #13 on the list. Ventura College is a fairly large public school located in the city of Ventura.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Ventura College are $7,398 per year. On average, nursing graduates from Ventura College take out $18,169 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

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#14

Modesto Junior College

Modesto, CA

Modesto Junior 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. MJC is a large public school located in the medium-sized city of Modesto.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at MJC are $8,550 a year. While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at MJC accumulate an average of around $16,015 in student debt.

Full Nursing at Modesto Junior College Report

#15

Big Bend Community College

Moses Lake, WA

Big Bend Community College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Big Bend Community College is a small public school located in the remote town of Moses Lake.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Big Bend Community College are $5,098 per year.

Read full report on Nursing at Big Bend Community College

Southwestern Oregon Community College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. SWOCC is a small public school located in the town of Coos Bay.

SWOCC undergraduate students pay an average of $6,483 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at SWOCC accumulate an average of around $21,611 in student debt.

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#17

Antelope Valley College

Lancaster, CA

Antelope Valley College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Antelope Valley College is a large public school located in the large suburb of Lancaster.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Antelope Valley College are $6,980 per year. On average, nursing graduates from Antelope Valley College take out $15,472 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Read full report on Nursing at Antelope Valley College

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great value schools for Nursing students in the Far Western US Region seeking value that almost earned our Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region award.

Rank College Location
18 Cabrillo College Aptos, CA
19 Rogue Community College Grants Pass, OR
20 Glendale Community College Glendale, CA
21 Moorpark College Moorpark, CA
21 Cuesta College San Luis Obispo, CA
23 Columbia Gorge Community College The Dalles, OR

Best Nursing Colleges by State

Explore the best nursing colleges for a specific state in the Far Western US region.

State Degrees Awarded
California 18,329
Washington 3,851
Oregon 1,502
Nevada 2,015
Hawaii 535
Alaska 177

One of 30 majors within the area of study, nursing has other similar majors worth exploring.

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 26 schools only.

  • 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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