2026 Best Value Perioperative/Operating Room and Surgical Nurse/Nursing Schools
[Perioperative/Operating Room and Surgical Nurse/Nursing](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/perioperative-operating-room-and-surgical-nurse-nursing/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 15 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for perioperative/operating room and surgical nurse/nursing students.
What’s on this page:
Finding the Best Value Perioperative/Operating Room and Surgical Nurse/Nursing School for You
The perioperative/operating room and surgical nurse/nursing program you select can have a big impact on your finances and your future. To help, we created our Best Value Perioperative/Operating Room and Surgical Nurse/Nursing Schools ranking. We score each school on the balance of tuition, student debt, and post-graduation earnings to surface the best value.
Read more about our methodology
Customize Your Rankings
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we offer several rankings, including this Best Value Perioperative/Operating Room and Surgical Nurse/Nursing Schools list, to help you choose. Want schools in a particular part of the country? Narrow the list by region or state.
To further help you make the college decision, we have developed a unique tool called College Combat that lets you compare schools on the factors that matter most to you.
See how we build our rankings
2026 Best Value Perioperative/Operating Room and Surgical Nurse/Nursing Schools in the United States
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in perioperative/operating room and surgical nurse/nursing, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Perioperative/Operating Room and Surgical Nurse/Nursing Schools
For return on investment in perioperative/operating room and surgical nurse/nursing, no school beat El Centro College this year. Set in the city of Dallas, El Centro College is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $2,730 in tuition and fees, compared with $6,900 for out-of-state students. Perioperative/operating Room And Surgical Nurse/nursing graduates carry a median of $17,187 in student loans. Early-career perioperative/operating room and surgical nurse/nursing graduates make about $41,295. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Sinclair Community College came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value perioperative/operating room and surgical nurse/nursing schools. Located in the city of Dayton, Sinclair Community College is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,675, while out-of-state students pay about $8,556. Perioperative/operating Room And Surgical Nurse/nursing graduates carry a median of $21,667 in student loans. Early-career perioperative/operating room and surgical nurse/nursing graduates make about $35,348. Set against $21,667 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #3 makes Oakton Community College one of the best values for perioperative/operating room and surgical nurse/nursing. Located in the city of Des Plaines, Oakton Community College is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,985, while out-of-state students pay about $12,462. Students borrow a median of $10,000 to complete the perioperative/operating room and surgical nurse/nursing program here. Early-career perioperative/operating room and surgical nurse/nursing graduates make about $69,434. Set against $10,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Delaware County Community College earned it the #4 place for perioperative/operating room and surgical nurse/nursing. Set in the suburb of Media, Delaware County Community College is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $6,930, compared with $15,540 for out-of-state students. Perioperative/operating Room And Surgical Nurse/nursing graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Early-career perioperative/operating room and surgical nurse/nursing graduates make about $72,491. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Inter American University Of Puerto Rico Barranquitas earned it the #5 place for perioperative/operating room and surgical nurse/nursing. Inter American University Of Puerto Rico Barranquitas is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Barranquitas. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,742. Perioperative/operating Room And Surgical Nurse/nursing graduates carry a median of $5,850 in student loans. Perioperative/operating Room And Surgical Nurse/nursing graduates of Inter American University Of Puerto Rico Barranquitas earn a median of $12,170 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 86%.
Quinsigamond Community College ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value perioperative/operating room and surgical nurse/nursing schools. Set in the city of Worcester, Quinsigamond Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $6,262 in tuition and fees, compared with $11,206 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for perioperative/operating room and surgical nurse/nursing graduates is $26,789. Perioperative/operating Room And Surgical Nurse/nursing graduates of Quinsigamond Community College earn a median of $46,631 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Inter American University Of Puerto Rico Aguadilla placed #7 among the best values for perioperative/operating room and surgical nurse/nursing. Set in the suburb of Aguadilla, Inter American University Of Puerto Rico Aguadilla is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $5,742 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for perioperative/operating room and surgical nurse/nursing graduates is $8,500. Perioperative/operating Room And Surgical Nurse/nursing graduates of Inter American University Of Puerto Rico Aguadilla earn a median of $12,797 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 42%.
Inter American University Of Puerto Rico Guayama earned the #8 position for value in perioperative/operating room and surgical nurse/nursing this year. Inter American University Of Puerto Rico Guayama is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Guayama. In-state tuition and fees average $5,780. Students borrow a median of $12,718 to complete the perioperative/operating room and surgical nurse/nursing program here. Early-career perioperative/operating room and surgical nurse/nursing graduates make about $26,771. Set against $12,718 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 36%.
Gateway Community College Phoenix placed #9 among the best values for perioperative/operating room and surgical nurse/nursing. Gateway Community College Phoenix is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Phoenix. Students from in state pay about $2,358 in tuition and fees, compared with $8,959 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $21,225 to complete the perioperative/operating room and surgical nurse/nursing program here. Soon after graduation, perioperative/operating room and surgical nurse/nursing degree recipients from Gateway Community College Phoenix generally make around $74,062. That is a strong return on a $21,225 median debt.
Pontifical Catholic University Of Puerto Rico Ponce ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best value perioperative/operating room and surgical nurse/nursing schools. Pontifical Catholic University Of Puerto Rico Ponce is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Ponce. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,650. Students borrow a median of $19,000 to complete the perioperative/operating room and surgical nurse/nursing program here. Soon after graduation, perioperative/operating room and surgical nurse/nursing degree recipients from Pontifical Catholic University Of Puerto Rico Ponce generally make around $12,033. Set against $19,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 98% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the best value perioperative/operating room and surgical nurse/nursing schools. Located in the city of Pittsburgh, University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $21,926, compared with $41,430 for out-of-state students. Perioperative/operating Room And Surgical Nurse/nursing graduates carry a median of $25,500 in student loans. Perioperative/operating Room And Surgical Nurse/nursing graduates of University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus earn a median of $98,377 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 58% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Pennsylvania came in at #12 for value in perioperative/operating room and surgical nurse/nursing this year. University Of Pennsylvania is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Philadelphia. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $68,686. Students borrow a median of $22,410 to complete the perioperative/operating room and surgical nurse/nursing program here. Soon after graduation, perioperative/operating room and surgical nurse/nursing degree recipients from University Of Pennsylvania generally make around $137,262. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Pennsylvania admits about 5% of applicants.
Hofstra University ranked #13 on our 2026 list of the best value perioperative/operating room and surgical nurse/nursing schools. Hofstra University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Hempstead. Students from in state pay about $57,660 in tuition and fees. Perioperative/operating Room And Surgical Nurse/nursing graduates carry a median of $24,848 in student loans. Early-career perioperative/operating room and surgical nurse/nursing graduates make about $132,442. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 68%.
Narrow Perioperative/Operating Room and Surgical Nurse/Nursing Schools by Region
View All Rankings >
Explore other best-value rankings in majors related to Perioperative/Operating Room and Surgical Nurse/Nursing. See all related rankings.
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 15 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.
