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Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Connecticut

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2023 Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Connecticut

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

8 Colleges
$11,721 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$57,601 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Nursing Associate Degree School for You

Nursing is one of the most popular subjects to study in Connecticut. With 3,058 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, it ranked 2nd out of all the majors we track in the state.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. 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.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Connecticut to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 8 schools in Connecticut to see which associate degree programs offered the best value experiences for nursing students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.

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.

2023 Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Connecticut

The following schools top our list of the Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Colleges.

Best Connecticut Schools for Affordable Quality for an Associate in Nursing

#1

Gateway Community College

New Haven, CT

Our analysis found Gateway Community College to be the best value school for nursing students who want to pursue a associate degree in Connecticut. Gateway Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of New Haven.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Gateway Community College are $4,496 a year. After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from Gateway Community College carry an average student debtload of $15,460.

In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Gateway Community College is ranked #2 for overall quality for nursing in Connecticut.

Full Nursing at Gateway Community College Report

Out of the 8 schools in Connecticut that were part of this year’s ranking, Capital Community College landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the midsize city of Hartford, Capital Community College is a public college with a small student population.

Capital Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,596 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from Capital Community College carry an average student debtload of $20,559.

Full Nursing at Capital Community College Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Naugatuck Valley Community College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Connecticut list. Naugatuck Valley Community College is a small public school located in the medium-sized suburb of Waterbury.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Naugatuck Valley Community College are $4,516 per year. Nursing majors at Naugatuck Valley Community College take out an average of $18,245 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Full Nursing at Naugatuck Valley Community College Report

The excellent associate degree programs at Norwalk Community College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best value nursing schools in Connecticut. Located in the city of Norwalk, NCC is a public college with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at NCC are $4,586 a year. While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at NCC accumulate an average of around $20,514 in student debt.

Read full report on Nursing at Norwalk Community College

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Three Rivers Community College. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Connecticut list. Three Rivers Community College is a small public school located in the small city of Norwich.

Three Rivers Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,596 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Three Rivers Community College take out while working on their Associate Degree is $15,961.

Full Nursing at Three Rivers Community College Report

Northwestern Connecticut Community College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Connecticut ranking. NCCC is a small public school located in the fringe town of Winsted.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at NCCC are $4,556 per year. While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at NCCC accumulate an average of around $15,473 in student debt.

Read full report on Nursing at Northwestern Connecticut Community College

#7

Goodwin College

East Hartford, CT

Goodwin 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 #7 on the list. Located in the small city of East Hartford, Goodwin is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Goodwin are $21,188 per year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Goodwin take out while working on their Associate Degree is $48,917. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $191.

Read More…

#8

Sacred Heart University

Fairfield, CT

Sacred Heart University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a associate degree. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the large suburb of Fairfield, Sacred Heart is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Sacred Heart are $45,230 per year. While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Sacred Heart accumulate an average of around $33,830 in student debt.

Sacred Heart also made our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Connecticut list, coming in at #3.

Read More…

Best Value Nursing Colleges in the New England Region

Explore all the Best Value Nursing Schools in the New England Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Massachusetts 6,626
New Hampshire 2,129
Maine 1,262
Rhode Island 1,091
Vermont 390

Nursing is one of 30 different types of programs to choose from.

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 8 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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