by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 97 schools in the Southwest Region to determine which ones were the best for nursing students pursuing a associate degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 10,317 associate degrees in nursing during the 2020-2021 academic year.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
The nursing associate degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality nursing program can vary widely even among the top schools. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:
The overall quality of a associate degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
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.
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Our full 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 Southwest 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.
It's difficult to beat El Centro College if you wish to pursue an associate degree in nursing. El Centro College is a fairly large public college located in the city of Dallas.
Soon after graduation, nursing associate recipients usually earn an average of $59,159 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a associate in nursing from El Centro College
Any student who is interested in an associate degree in nursing has to take a look at South Texas College. South Texas College is a fairly large public college located in the medium-sized city of McAllen.
Those nursing students who get their associate degree from South Texas College make $2,379 more than the standard nursing student.
More information about a associate in nursing from South Texas College
Any student who is interested in an associate degree in nursing needs to check out Lone Star College System. North Harris Montgomery is a very large public college located in the midsize city of The Woodlands.
Associate recipients from the nursing program at Lone Star College System get $6,769 more than the typical college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a associate in nursing from Lone Star College System
Tarrant County College District is one of the finest schools in the country for getting an associate degree in nursing. Tarrant County College is a fairly large public college located in the large city of Fort Worth.
After graduation, nursing associate recipients typically make an average of $55,103 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a associate in nursing from Tarrant County College District
Located in the large city of Houston, Houston Community College is a public college with a fairly large student population.
After graduation, nursing associate recipients generally make an average of $61,208 in their early careers.
More information about a associate in nursing from Houston Community College
DMC is a medium-sized public college located in the large city of Corpus Christi.
Nursing associate degree recipients from Del Mar College receive an earnings boost of around $3,020 above the average earnings of nursing majors.
More information about a associate in nursing from Del Mar College
San Jacinto College is a fairly large public college located in the suburb of Pasadena.
Associate recipients from the nursing degree program at San Jacinto Community College earn $3,827 above the standard college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a associate in nursing from San Jacinto Community College
Located in the city of Phoenix, GateWay Community College is a public college with a small student population.
Students who graduate with their associate from the nursing program report average early career income of $61,551.
More information about a associate in nursing from GateWay Community College
Located in the medium-sized city of Richardson, Dallas Nursing Institute is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
Nursing associate degree recipients from Dallas Nursing Institute earn a boost of around $8,964 above the average income of nursing majors.
More information about a associate in nursing from Dallas Nursing Institute
Austin Community College District is a very large public college located in the city of Austin.
Students who graduate with their associate from the nursing program state that they receive average early career earnings of $58,158.
More information about a associate in nursing from Austin Community College District
Located in the large suburb of Alvin, Alvin is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
Associate graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program earn about $58,698 in the first couple years of working.
More information about a associate in nursing from Alvin Community College
Located in the fringe town of Weatherford, Weatherford College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
Nursing associate degree recipients from Weatherford College earn a boost of around $3,638 above the typical earnings of nursing majors.
More information about a associate in nursing from Weatherford College
Pinal County Community College is a small public college located in the rural area of Coolidge.More information about a associate in nursing from Central Arizona College
Located in the rural area of Denison, Grayson College is a public college with a small student population.
Nursing associate degree recipients from Grayson College get an earnings boost of approximately $2,043 above the typical earnings of nursing majors.
More information about a associate in nursing from Grayson 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 Southwest Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | San Antonio College | San Antonio, TX |
| 16 | Temple College | Temple, TX |
| 17 | Amarillo College | Amarillo, TX |
| 18 | Panola College | Carthage, TX |
| 19 | Oklahoma State University - Oklahoma City | Oklahoma City, OK |
| 20 | Central Texas College | Killeen, TX |
| 21 | Central New Mexico Community College | Albuquerque, NM |
| 22 | Collin County Community College District | McKinney, TX |
| 23 | College of the Mainland | Texas City, TX |
| 24 | Mesa Community College | Mesa, AZ |
Explore the best nursing schools for a specific state in the Southwest Region .
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 200 | 6,294 |
| Arizona | 169 | 2,133 |
| New Mexico | 140 | 543 |
| Oklahoma | 136 | 1,310 |
One of 34 majors within the Health Professions area of study, Nursing has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | 10,288 |
| Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 29 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Allied Health Professions | 3,762 |
| Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services | 2,201 |
| Health & Medical Administrative Services | 1,301 |
| Health Sciences & Services | 1,247 |
| Health/Medical Prep Programs | 720 |
| Dental Support Services | 686 |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science | 488 |
| Mental & Social Health Services | 432 |
| Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants | 211 |
| Public Health | 55 |
