2027 Best Value Critical Care Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region

[Critical Care Nursing](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/critical-care-nursing/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong critical care nursing education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 3 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value critical care nursing schools.
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2027 Best Value Critical Care Nursing Schools in the Southwest Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the critical care nursing degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Critical Care Nursing Schools
The University Of Texas At Tyler tops our 2027 list of the best value critical care nursing schools in the Southwest Region. The University Of Texas At Tyler is a large public school located in the city of Tyler. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,512, with out-of-state students paying around $24,512. Students borrow a median of $24,356 to complete the critical care nursing program here. Soon after graduation, critical care nursing degree recipients from The University Of Texas At Tyler generally make around $55,134. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The University Of Texas At Tyler admits about 94% of applicants.
University Of Arizona is a great value for students pursuing a degree in critical care nursing, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Tucson, University Of Arizona is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,573, while out-of-state students pay about $39,903. Critical Care Nursing graduates carry a median of $21,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, critical care nursing degree recipients from University Of Arizona generally make around $96,470. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Arizona admits about 86% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in critical care nursing will find it at Grand Canyon University, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Phoenix, Grand Canyon University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $18,508. Critical Care Nursing graduates carry a median of $25,500 in student loans. Critical Care Nursing graduates of Grand Canyon University earn a median of $115,226 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 79% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked 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 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.