2023 Best Surgical Technology Associate Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Southwest Region
24
Ranked Colleges
593
Degrees Awarded
When it comes to choosing a college, veterans have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Surgical Technology/Technologist for an Associate” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
Surgical Technology is the 169th most popular major in the country with 7,583 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
Across the Southwest region, there were 1,081 surgical technology/technologist graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the associate degree level specifically, there were 593 surgical technology/technologist graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,810 and $18,681 respectively.
This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Surgical Technology/Technologist for an Associate” ranking looked at 24 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in surgical technology/technologist. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great surgical technology/technologist programs and a strong support system for veterans and active service members.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the surgical technology/technologist program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Surgical Technology Schools
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Surgical Technology/Technologist for an Associate” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Surgical Technology/Technologist for an Associate
The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region associate degree vets studying surgical technology/technologist.
Top 24 Best Surgical Technology Associate Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Southwest Region
Out of the 24 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Surgical Technology/Technologist for an Associate that were part of this year’s ranking, St Philip’s College landed the #1 spot on the list. St Philip’s College is a fairly large school located in San Antonio, Texas that handed out 14 associates’s surgical technology/technologist degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southwest region associate degree vets studying surgical technology/technologist list, St Philip’s College has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Surgical Technology Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Of the 12,696 students enrolled at St Philip’s College, 1,363 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,105 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $1,089. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. St Philip’s College offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Full St Philip’s College Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Austin Community College District. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Surgical Technology/Technologist for an Associate list. Austin Community College District is a large public school situated in Austin, Texas. It awarded 31 associates’s surgical technology/technologist degrees in 2020-2021.
Austin Community College District also took the #5 spot in our “Best Surgical Technology Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 2,473 of the 39,896 students enrolled at Austin Community College District were GI Bill® students, of which 59 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $735. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full Austin Community College District Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Tarrant County College District. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Surgical Technology/Technologist for an Associate list. Tarrant County College District is located in Fort Worth, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 20 associates’s surgical technology/technologist degrees to qualified students.
Tarrant County College also took the #4 spot in our “Best Surgical Technology Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Of the 43,000 students enrolled at Tarrant County College, 1,862 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,172 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,319. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lone Star College System. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Surgical Technology/Technologist for an Associate list. Lone Star College System is a large public school situated in The Woodlands, Texas. It awarded 23 associates’s surgical technology/technologist degrees in 2020-2021.
North Harris Montgomery not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Surgical Technology Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 1,932 of the 70,109 students enrolled at North Harris Montgomery were GI Bill® students, of which 1,202 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,042. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. North Harris Montgomery offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Full Lone Star College System Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Jacinto Community College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Surgical Technology/Technologist for an Associate list. Pasadena, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s surgical technology/technologist degrees to 42 students in 2020-2021.
San Jacinto College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Surgical Technology Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 862 of the 31,110 students enrolled at San Jacinto Community College were GI Bill® students, of which 635 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $1,772. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
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GateWay Community College landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Surgical Technology/Technologist for an Associate ranking. Located in Phoenix, Arizona, this small public school handed out 17 diplomas to qualified associates’s surgical technology/technologist students in 2020-2021.
GateWay Community College also made our “Best Surgical Technology Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #6.Of the 4,670 students enrolled at GateWay Community College, 28 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 25 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,355. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Full GateWay Community College Veteran Student Life Report
Collin County Community College District did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Surgical Technology/Technologist for an Associate ranking, coming in at #7. This large school is located in McKinney, Texas, and it awarded 23 associates’s surgical technology/technologist degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southwest region associate degree vets studying surgical technology/technologist list, Collin County Community College District has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Surgical Technology Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Among the 35,390 students enrolled at Collin County Community College District, 994 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 606 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $1,042. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Collin County Community College District does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
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Del Mar College ranked #8 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Surgical Technology/Technologist for an Associate list. DMC is a fairly large public school situated in Corpus Christi, Texas. It awarded 10 associates’s surgical technology/technologist degrees in 2020-2021.
DMC also made our “Best Surgical Technology Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #9.Our most recent data shows that 628 of the 10,678 students enrolled at DMC were GI Bill® students, of which 339 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $1,882. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. DMC does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Del Mar College]](/colleges/del-mar-college/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #9, El Paso Community College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Surgical Technology/Technologist for an Associate list. El Paso Community College is a large school located in El Paso, Texas that handed out 14 associates’s surgical technology/technologist degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at El Paso Community College, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Surgical Technology Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, El Paso Community College supports 26,034 students, and 1,324 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 511 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,459. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full El Paso Community College Veteran Student Life Report
Tyler Junior College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Surgical Technology/Technologist for an Associate ranking. Located in Tyler, Texas, this fairly large public school awarded 12 diplomas to qualified associates’s surgical technology/technologist students in 2020-2021.
Tyler Junior College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Surgical Technology Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list.According to our most recent data, Tyler Junior College supports 11,749 students, and 416 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 173 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,366. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
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South Plains College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Surgical Technology/Technologist for an Associate ranking, coming in at #11. Levelland, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s surgical technology/technologist degrees to 18 students in 2020-2021.
South Plains College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Surgical Technology Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list.Among the 8,880 students enrolled at South Plains College, 284 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 106 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,097. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
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With a ranking of #12, Mohave Community College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Surgical Technology/Technologist for an Associate list. Mohave Community College is a public institution located in Kingman, Arizona. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
MCC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Surgical Technology Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list.Of the 3,654 students enrolled at MCC, 180 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 83 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,090. To help with additional expenses, 2 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
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With a ranking of #13, Central New Mexico Community College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Surgical Technology/Technologist for an Associate list. This fairly large school is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and it awarded 8 associates’s surgical technology/technologist degrees in 2020-2021.
CNM not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Surgical Technology Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list.Among the 21,398 students enrolled at Central New Mexico Community College, 839 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 390 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,171. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
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Temple College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Surgical Technology/Technologist for an Associate ranking. Temple College is a small school located in Temple, Texas that handed out 6 associates’s surgical technology/technologist degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Temple College, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Surgical Technology Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Among the 4,940 students enrolled at Temple College, 619 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 257 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,238. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Temple College]](/colleges/temple-college/student-life/veterans/)
Amarillo College ranked #15 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Surgical Technology/Technologist for an Associate list. Amarillo, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s surgical technology/technologist degrees to 14 students in 2020-2021.
Amarillo College also made our “Best Surgical Technology Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #8.Our most recent data shows that 260 of the 9,079 students enrolled at Amarillo College were GI Bill® students, of which 141 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,795. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full Amarillo College Veteran Student Life Report
Vernon College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Surgical Technology/Technologist for an Associate ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Vernon, Texas, this small public school handed out 12 degrees to qualified associates’s surgical technology/technologist students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Vernon Regional Junior College, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Surgical Technology Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, Vernon Regional Junior College supports 2,773 students, and 179 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 86 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,971. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full Vernon Regional Junior College Veteran Student Life Report
San Juan College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Surgical Technology/Technologist for an Associate ranking. SJC is a medium-sized school located in Farmington, New Mexico that handed out 26 associates’s surgical technology/technologist degrees in 2020-2021.
SJC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Surgical Technology Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 197 of the 5,240 students enrolled at SJC were GI Bill® students, of which 119 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $1,226. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
[Read full report on veteran student life at San Juan College]](/colleges/san-juan-college/student-life/veterans/)
Odessa College landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Surgical Technology/Technologist for an Associate ranking. Odessa College is located in Odessa, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 associates’s surgical technology/technologist degrees to qualified students.
Odessa College also made our “Best Surgical Technology Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #20.Our most recent data shows that 84 of the 7,019 students enrolled at Odessa College were GI Bill® students, of which 49 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,687. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full Odessa College Veteran Student Life Report
North Central Texas College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Surgical Technology/Technologist for an Associate ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Gainesville, Texas, this medium-sized public school handed out 6 diplomas to qualified associates’s surgical technology/technologist students in 2020-2021.
NCTC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Surgical Technology Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list.Of the 8,352 students enrolled at NCTC, 230 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 117 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,756. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Read More…
New Mexico State University - Carlsbad landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Surgical Technology/Technologist for an Associate ranking. NMSU Carlsbad is a public institution located in Carlsbad, New Mexico. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Our most recent data shows that 46 of the 1,203 students enrolled at New Mexico State University - Carlsbad were GI Bill® students, of which 28 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $544. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full New Mexico State University - Carlsbad Veteran Student Life Report
Baptist Health System School of Health Professions came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Surgical Technology/Technologist for an Associate ranking. Baptist Health System School of Health Professions is located in San Antonio, Texas and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 22 associates’s surgical technology/technologist degrees to qualified students.
Baptist Health System School of Health Professions did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Surgical Technology Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list.Among the 567 students enrolled at Baptist Health System School of Health Professions, 79 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 42 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,899. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Baptist Health System School of Health Professions offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Baptist Health System School of Health Professions]](/colleges/baptist-health-system-school-of-health-professions/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #22, Lamar State College - Port Arthur did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Surgical Technology/Technologist for an Associate list. Port Arthur, Texas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s surgical technology/technologist degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.
Lamar State College - Port Arthur not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Surgical Technology Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list.Among the 2,485 students enrolled at Lamar State College - Port Arthur, 54 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 32 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,655. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Full Lamar State College - Port Arthur Veteran Student Life Report
Angelina College ranked #23 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Surgical Technology/Technologist for an Associate list. AC is located in Lufkin, Texas and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 associates’s surgical technology/technologist degrees to qualified students.
AC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Surgical Technology Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list.Among the 4,195 students enrolled at Angelina College, 126 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 70 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,128. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Angelina College offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Read More…
Trinity Valley Community College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Surgical Technology/Technologist for an Associate ranking, coming in at #24. TVCC is located in Athens, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 associates’s surgical technology/technologist degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at TVCC, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Surgical Technology Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 116 of the 5,600 students enrolled at Trinity Valley Community College were GI Bill® students, of which 54 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,871. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Full TVCC Veteran Student Life Report
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Notes and References
References
- 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 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).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- **GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
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