2023 Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Nursing 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.
Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. 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 Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. This report analyzed 193 schools in the Plains States Region to see which ones offered the best value programs for nursing students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. 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.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
Top 25 Best Plains States Region Schools for Affordable Quality in Nursing
Our 2023 rankings named Oglala Lakota College the best value school in the Plains States Region for nursing students. Oglala Lakota College is a small public school located in the remote area of Kyle.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Oglala Lakota College are $2,684 a year.
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Out of the 193 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Southeast Community College Area landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the large city of Lincoln, Southeast Community College is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Southeast Community College are $3,780 a year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Southeast Community College take out is $28,750.
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Out of the 193 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Neosho County Community College landed the # 3 spot on the list. Neosho County Community College is a small public school located in the remote town of Chanute.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Neosho County Community College are $4,000 per year. Nursing majors at Neosho County Community College take out an average of $17,450 in student loans while working on their egree.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Cloud County Community College. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the rural area of Concordia, Cloud County Community College is a public college with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Cloud County Community College are $3,570 a year. On average, nursing graduates from Cloud County Community College take out $23,397 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Out of the 193 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Rochester Community and Technical College landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the midsize city of Rochester, Rochester Community and Technical College is a public school with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Rochester Community and Technical College are $5,372 a year. While working on their degree, nursing majors at Rochester Community and Technical College accumulate an average of around $23,562 in student debt.
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Lutheran School of Nursing landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value nursing programs. Located in the large city of Saint Louis, Lutheran School of Nursing is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
Lutheran School of Nursing undergraduate students pay an average of $10,620 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Lutheran School of Nursing carry an average student debtload of $18,110.
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Metropolitan Community College landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value nursing programs. Located in the large city of Omaha, MCC is a public school with a fairly large student population.
MCC undergraduate students pay an average of $4,680 in tuition and fees each year. On average, nursing graduates from MCC take out $21,350 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Hutchinson Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for nursing students. It came in at #8 on the list. Hutchinson Community College is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Hutchinson.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Hutchinson Community College are $4,470 per year. After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Hutchinson Community College carry an average student debtload of $23,665.
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Northwest Technical College landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value nursing programs. NTC is a fairly small public school located in the town of Bemidji.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at NTC are $6,380 a year. While working on their degree, nursing majors at NTC accumulate an average of around $31,500 in student debt.
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Central Methodist University - College of Graduate & Extended Studies did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for nursing students. It came in at #10 on the list. CMU CGES is a small private not-for-profit school located in the distant town of Fayette.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CMU CGES are $6,720 per year. On average, nursing graduates from CMU CGES take out $27,562 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Central Community College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Central Community College is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Grand Island.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Central Community College are $4,590 per year. Nursing majors at Central Community College take out an average of $11,250 in student loans while working on their egree.
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North Hennepin Community College landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value nursing programs. North Hennepin Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the large suburb of Brooklyn Park.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at North Hennepin Community College are $4,882 a year. After completing their degree, nursing graduates from North Hennepin Community College carry an average student debtload of $31,784.
North Hennepin Community College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region list.
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With a ranking of #13, Lake Region State College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students. Located in the town of Devils Lake, Lake Region State College is a public college with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Lake Region State College are $5,000 per year. On average, nursing graduates from Lake Region State College take out $22,813 in student loans while working on their degree.
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With a ranking of #14, Mid-Plains Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students. Mid-Plains Community College is a small public school located in the remote town of North Platte.
Mid-Plains Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,320 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, nursing majors at Mid-Plains Community College accumulate an average of around $15,858 in student debt.
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Anoka-Ramsey Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for nursing students. It came in at #15 on the list. Located in the suburb of Coon Rapids, Anoka-Ramsey Community College-Coon Rapids Campus is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Anoka-Ramsey Community College-Coon Rapids Campus are $5,515 a year. Nursing majors at Anoka-Ramsey Community College-Coon Rapids Campus take out an average of $27,066 in student loans while working on their egree.
In addition to its great value ranking, Anoka-Ramsey Community College-Coon Rapids Campus is in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region list.
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With a ranking of #16, Labette Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students. Labette Community College is a small public school located in the remote town of Parsons.
Labette Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,288 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Labette Community College take out is $18,102.
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With a ranking of #17, Western Iowa Tech Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students. Western Iowa Tech Community College is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Sioux City.
Western Iowa Tech Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,826 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, nursing majors at Western Iowa Tech Community College accumulate an average of around $21,962 in student debt.
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Inver Hills Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for nursing students. It came in at #18 on the list. Located in the suburb of Inver Grove Heights, IHCC is a public college with a small student population.
IHCC undergraduate students pay an average of $5,809 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, nursing graduates from IHCC carry an average student debtload of $24,929.
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Garden City Community College landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value nursing programs. Garden City Community College is a small public school located in the town of Garden City.
Garden City Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,020 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Garden City Community College carry an average student debtload of $13,000.
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Northeast Community College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region list. Northeast is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Norfolk.
Northeast undergraduate students pay an average of $5,010 in tuition and fees each year. On average, nursing graduates from Northeast take out $20,701 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Seward County Community College landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value nursing programs. Located in the town of Liberal, SCCC is a public college with a small student population.
SCCC undergraduate students pay an average of $4,832 in tuition and fees each year.
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Crowder College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in the distant town of Neosho, Crowder College is a public college with a small student population.
Crowder College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,088 in tuition and fees each year. Nursing majors at Crowder College take out an average of $14,930 in student loans while working on their egree.
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North Dakota State College of Science did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for nursing students. It came in at #23 on the list. Located in the distant town of Wahpeton, North Dakota State College of Science is a public college with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at North Dakota State College of Science are $6,606 per year. The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at North Dakota State College of Science take out is $27,445.
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Ridgewater College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for nursing students. It came in at #24 on the list. Ridgewater College is a small public school located in the remote town of Willmar.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Ridgewater College are $5,914 a year. On average, nursing graduates from Ridgewater College take out $25,534 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Alexandria Technical & Community College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. ATCC is a small public school located in the remote town of Alexandria.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at ATCC are $5,910 a year. Nursing majors at ATCC take out an average of $19,254 in student loans while working on their egree.
ATCC also claimed a spot on our Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
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Honorable Mentions
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Value Nursing Schools in the Plains States Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 29 | Northeast Iowa Community College | Calmar, IA |
| 30 | St Cloud Technical and Community College | Saint Cloud, MN |
| 31 | Lake Area Technical Institute | Watertown, SD |
| 32 | Mount Marty University | Yankton, SD |
| 33 | Johnson County Community College | Overland Park, KS |
| 34 | Lake Superior College | Duluth, MN |
| 35 | Dodge City Community College | Dodge City, KS |
| 36 | Central Lakes College - Brainerd | Brainerd, MN |
| 37 | Northland Community and Technical College | Thief River Falls, MN |
| 38 | Hawkeye Community College | Waterloo, IA |
Best Nursing Colleges by State
Explore the best nursing colleges for a specific state in the Plains States region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Missouri | 6,840 |
| Minnesota | 14,890 |
| Kansas | 2,633 |
| Iowa | 2,966 |
| Nebraska | 1,908 |
| North Dakota | 976 |
| South Dakota | 1,022 |
More Nursing Rankings in the Plains States Region
Nursing Related Majors for Nursing
One of 30 majors within the area of study, nursing has other similar majors worth exploring.
Majors Similar 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.
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