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Best Health Professions Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region

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2023 Best Health Professions Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region

155 Colleges
$43,116 Avg Salary
$21,919 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Health Professions Associate Degree School for You

In 2020-2021, 977,800 health professions students received a degree or certificate, making the major the #2 most popular in the country.

It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. 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 help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Health Professions Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. This report analyzed 155 schools in the Far Western US Region to see which ones offered the best associate degree programs 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 Health Professions Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Health Professions Associate Degree Colleges.

Top 15% Best Health Professions Associate Degree Schools

#1

Unitek College

Fremont, CA

Our 2023 rankings named Unitek College the best school in the Far Western US Region for health professions students working on their associate degree. Unitek College is a small private for-profit school located in the large suburb of Fremont.

Full Health Professions at Unitek College Report

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 #2 on this year’s Best Health Professions Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts is a small private for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of San Mateo.

Read full report on Health Professions at Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts

#3

Stanbridge University

Irvine, CA

Out of the 155 schools in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanbridge University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the large city of Irvine, Stanbridge is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means American College of Healthcare Sciences is a great place for health professions students working on their associate degree. American College of Healthcare Sciences is a small private for-profit school located in the large city of Portland.

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#5

Loma Linda University

Loma Linda, CA

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Loma Linda University is a great place for health professions students working on their associate degree. Loma Linda University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Loma Linda.

Full Health Professions at Loma Linda University Report

#7

Merced College

Merced, CA

Merced College landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree health professions programs. Located in the city of Merced, Merced Community College District is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

Read full report on Health Professions at Merced College

#8

Casa Loma College

Van Nuys, CA

With a ranking of #8, Casa Loma College did quite well on this year’s best schools for health professions students working on their associate degree. Located in the city of Van Nuys, Casa Loma College is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

Read full report on Health Professions at Casa Loma College

West Hills College-Lemoore did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for health professions students to get a associate degree. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the rural area of Lemoore, West Hills College-Lemoore is a public school with a small student population.

Full Health Professions at West Hills College-Lemoore Report

#10

Canada College

Redwood City, CA

Canada College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Health Professions Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Canada College is a small public school located in the suburb of Redwood City.

Read full report on Health Professions at Canada College

#11

Mendocino College

Ukiah, CA

With a ranking of #11, Mendocino College did quite well on this year’s best schools for health professions students working on their associate degree. Mendocino College is a small public school located in the rural area of Ukiah.

Read full report on Health Professions at Mendocino College

#12

CBD College

Los Angeles, CA

CBD College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for health professions students to get a associate degree. It came in at #12 on the list. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, Community Based Education and Development is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Full Health Professions at CBD College Report

#13

Foothill College

Los Altos Hills, CA

Foothill College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Health Professions Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Foothill College is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Los Altos Hills.

Full Health Professions at Foothill College Report

#14

Cuesta College

San Luis Obispo, CA

Cuesta College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Health Professions Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cuesta College is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

Full Health Professions at Cuesta College Report

#15

Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR

With a ranking of #15, Oregon Institute of Technology did quite well on this year’s best schools for health professions students working on their associate degree. Located in the remote town of Klamath Falls, OIT is a public college with a small student population.

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With a ranking of #16, University of Alaska Anchorage did quite well on this year’s best schools for health professions students working on their associate degree. Located in the large city of Anchorage, UAA is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Full Health Professions at University of Alaska Anchorage Report

#17

Pacific Union College

Angwin, CA

Pacific Union College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Health Professions Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. PUC is a small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Angwin.

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#18

Santa Barbara City College

Santa Barbara, CA

Santa Barbara City College landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree health professions programs. Located in the small city of Santa Barbara, SBCC is a public college with a large student population.

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#19

Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA

Mount Saint Mary’s University landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree health professions programs. Located in the city of Los Angeles, MSMU is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Read full report on Health Professions at Mount Saint Mary’s University

#20

San Joaquin Delta College

Stockton, CA

San Joaquin Delta College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Health Professions Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Located in the large city of Stockton, Delta is a public college with a large student population.

Read full report on Health Professions at San Joaquin Delta College

#21

Cabrillo College

Aptos, CA

With a ranking of #21, Cabrillo College did quite well on this year’s best schools for health professions students working on their associate degree. Cabrillo College is a medium-sized public school located in the midsize suburb of Aptos.

Read full report on Health Professions at Cabrillo College

#22

Butte College

Oroville, CA

Butte College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Health Professions Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Located in the rural area of Oroville, Butte College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

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#23

West Coast Ultrasound Institute

Beverly Hills, CA

With a ranking of #23, West Coast Ultrasound Institute did quite well on this year’s best schools for health professions students working on their associate degree. Located in the city of Beverly Hills, West Coast Ultrasound Institute is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

Full Health Professions at West Coast Ultrasound Institute Report

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 Health Professions Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region award.

Rank College Location
24 Gavilan College Gilroy, CA
25 Modesto Junior College Modesto, CA
26 Saddleback College Mission Viejo, CA
27 Yuba College Marysville, CA
28 Bellevue College Bellevue, WA
29 Mt. San Antonio College Walnut, CA
30 Santa Rosa Junior College Santa Rosa, CA
31 Carrington College, Sacramento Sacramento, CA

Best Health Professions Colleges by State

Explore the best health professions schools for a specific state in the Far Western US region.

State Degrees Awarded
California 54,872
Washington 10,021
Oregon 5,865
Hawaii 1,126
Nevada 4,207
Alaska 578

Health Professions Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Nursing 322,592
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
Health Sciences & Services 35,945
Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions 29,833
Mental & Social Health Services 29,053
Medicine 28,629
Dental Support Services 26,399
Communication Sciences 22,298
Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Sciences 20,393
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science 18,901
Somatic Bodywork & Therapeutic Services 10,751
Health/Medical Prep Programs 9,210
Other Health Professions 7,984
Dentistry 6,770
Dietetics & Clinical Nutrition Services 6,158
Bioethics/Medical Ethics 5,115
Alternative Medicine & Systems 3,564
Chiropractic 2,658
Health Aids/Attendants/Orderlies 2,374
Medical Illustration & Informatics 2,089
Optometry 1,822
Advanced Dentistry & Oral Sciences 1,775
Ophthalmic & Optometric Support Services 960
Medical Science 909
Movement & Mind-Body Therapies 294
Alternative Medical Support Services 227
Energy & Biologically Based Therapies 68

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).

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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