by our College Data Analytics TeamIn 2024, College Factual analyzed 119 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 8,726 associate degrees in nursing during the 2020-2021 academic year.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
Your choice of nursing for getting your associate degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To account for this we consider a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a combination of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their associate degree from the school. After all, your associate degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for nursing students working on their associate degree.
When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region list to help you make the college decision.
Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing an associate degree in nursing. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
Pacific College is a wonderful choice for students pursuing an associate degree in nursing. Located in the midsize city of Costa Mesa, Pacific College is a private for-profit college with a small student population.More information about a associate in nursing from Pacific College
Mount Saint Mary's University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting an associate degree in nursing. MSMU is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles.
After graduating, nursing associate recipients usually make an average of $67,666 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a associate in nursing from Mount Saint Mary’s University
Any student who is interested in an associate degree in nursing needs to look into San Joaquin Delta College. Located in the large city of Stockton, Delta is a public college with a fairly large student population.More information about a associate in nursing from San Joaquin Delta College
Pacific Union College is a good option for students interested in an associate degree in nursing. Located in the rural area of Angwin, PUC is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.More information about a associate in nursing from Pacific Union College
Located in the city of Los Angeles, L.A. County School of Nursing is a public college with a small student population.
Those nursing students who get their associate degree from Los Angeles County College of Nursing and Allied Health earn $5,512 more than the typical nursing grad.
More information about a associate in nursing from Los Angeles County College of Nursing and Allied Health
Located in the large city of Fresno, Fresno City College is a public college with a very large student population.
Nursing associate degree recipients from Fresno City College receive an earnings boost of approximately $5,135 over the average earnings of nursing graduates.
More information about a associate in nursing from Fresno City College
Carrington College, Sacramento is a small private for-profit college located in the suburb of Sacramento.
Nursing associate degree recipients from Carrington College, Sacramento earn a boost of about $20,618 over the average earnings of nursing majors.
More information about a associate in nursing from Carrington College, Sacramento
Located in the medium-sized city of Santa Rosa, SRJC is a public college with a large student population.
Those nursing students who get their associate degree from Santa Rosa Junior College receive $25,485 more than the typical nursing grad.
More information about a associate in nursing from Santa Rosa Junior College
Butte College is a medium-sized public college located in the rural area of Oroville.
Those nursing students who get their associate degree from Butte College earn $16,975 more than the typical nursing grad.
More information about a associate in nursing from Butte College
Located in the midsize city of Bellevue, BC is a public college with a large student population.
After graduating, nursing associate recipients typically earn around $69,807 in their early careers.
More information about a associate in nursing from Bellevue College
Seattle Central is a small public college located in the city of Seattle.
After graduation, nursing associate recipients typically earn around $72,169 in their early careers.
More information about a associate in nursing from Seattle Central College
Located in the medium-sized city of Ontario, is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
Associate recipients from the nursing major at San Joaquin Valley College-Ontario get $9,012 above the standard graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a associate in nursing from San Joaquin Valley College-Ontario
Riverside City College is a fairly large public college located in the large city of Riverside.
Nursing associate degree recipients from Riverside City College earn a boost of about $2,416 over the average income of nursing graduates.
More information about a associate in nursing from Riverside City College
Located in the large city of Las Vegas, CSN is a public college with a very large student population.
Students who graduate with their associate from the nursing program report average early career income of $66,521.
More information about a associate in nursing from College of Southern Nevada
Located in the rural area of Newport, Oregon Coast Community College is a public college with a fairly small student population.More information about a associate in nursing from Oregon Coast Community College
Saddleback College is a fairly large public college located in the large suburb of Mission Viejo.
Associate graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program earn around $73,348 for their early career.
More information about a associate in nursing from Saddleback College
Merced Community College District is a fairly large public college located in the city of Merced.
Those nursing students who get their associate degree from Merced College make $26,045 more than the typical nursing grad.
More information about a associate in nursing from Merced CollegeThese are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | Highline College | Des Moines, WA |
| 19 | Modesto Junior College | Modesto, CA |
| 20 | College of the Canyons | Santa Clarita, CA |
| 21 | Pasadena City College | Pasadena, CA |
| 22 | San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia | Visalia, CA |
| 23 | Yakima Valley College | Yakima, WA |
| 24 | Shoreline Community College | Shoreline, WA |
| 25 | Glendale Community College | Glendale, CA |
Explore the best nursing colleges for a specific state in the Far Western US Region .
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| California | 192 | 5,581 |
| Oregon | 147 | 608 |
| Washington | 131 | 1,825 |
| Nevada | 112 | 533 |
| Hawaii | 59 | 135 |
Nursing is one of 34 different types of Health Professions programs to choose from.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | 8,712 |
| Nursing Practice | 14 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Allied Health Professions | 3,927 |
| Health Sciences & Services | 3,917 |
| Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services | 2,485 |
| Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants | 1,168 |
| Dental Support Services | 1,155 |
| Health & Medical Administrative Services | 1,046 |
| Mental & Social Health Services | 581 |
| Health/Medical Prep Programs | 499 |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science | 160 |
| Communication Sciences | 110 |
