2023 Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Washington
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Nursing Associate Degree School for You
Nursing is one of the most popular subjects to study in Washington. With 3,851 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, it ranked 3rd out of all the majors we track in the state.
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for 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 that offer fast-track entry to many fields.
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 Washington ranking. This report analyzed 25 schools in Washington 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.
This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. 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.
For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Top 10 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Bellevue College the best value school in Washington for nursing students working on their associate degree. Located in the city of Bellevue, BC is a public school with a large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at BC are $4,057 per year. On average, nursing graduates from BC take out $18,995 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
BC did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Washington list.
Full Nursing at Bellevue College Report
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Out of the 25 schools in Washington that were part of this year’s ranking, Highline College landed the # 2 spot on the list. Highline is a small public school located in the suburb of Des Moines.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Highline are $4,344 per year. On average, nursing graduates from Highline take out $17,371 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
Highline also made our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Washington list, coming in at #3.
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The excellent associate degree programs at Everett Community College helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best value nursing schools in Washington. Everett Community College is a medium-sized public school located in the medium-sized city of Everett.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Everett Community College are $4,062 per year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Everett Community College take out while working on their Associate Degree is $18,827.
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Shoreline Community College is a great value for nursing students working on their associate degree. Located in the suburb of Shoreline, Shoreline Community College is a public school with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Shoreline Community College are $4,166 a year. On average, nursing graduates from Shoreline Community College take out $19,705 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
Shoreline Community College not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #4 on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Washington list.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Seattle Central College. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Washington list. Located in the large city of Seattle, Seattle Central is a public school with a small student population.
Seattle Central undergraduate students pay an average of $4,670 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Seattle Central accumulate an average of around $23,418 in student debt.
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Spokane Community College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Washington list. Located in the midsize city of Spokane, Spokane Community College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Spokane Community College are $3,826 per year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Spokane Community College take out while working on their Associate Degree is $23,946.
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With a ranking of #7, Centralia College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Located in the distant town of Centralia, Centralia College is a public college with a small student population.
Centralia College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,770 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Centralia College accumulate an average of around $12,250 in student debt.
Centralia College not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #5 on our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Washington list.
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Wenatchee Valley College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Washington ranking. WVC is a small public school located in the city of Wenatchee.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at WVC are $4,320 per year. While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at WVC accumulate an average of around $20,904 in student debt.
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With a ranking of #9, Lower Columbia College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Located in the small city of Longview, LCC is a public college with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at LCC are $4,182 a year. While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at LCC accumulate an average of around $21,451 in student debt.
Full Nursing at Lower Columbia College Report
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Olympic College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Washington ranking. Located in the city of Bremerton, OC is a public college with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at OC are $4,101 a year. On average, nursing graduates from OC take out $21,970 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
Full Nursing at Olympic College Report
Request InformationBest Value Nursing Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Value Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| California | 18,329 |
| Oregon | 1,502 |
| Nevada | 2,015 |
| Hawaii | 535 |
| Alaska | 177 |
More Nursing Rankings in Washington
Majors Related to Nursing
Nursing is one of 30 different types of programs to choose from.
Most Popular Majors Related to Nursing
| 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.
- 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.