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2022 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Registered Nursing in the Southwest Region

90 Ranked Colleges
10,133 Degrees Awarded
$6,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 259,493 registered nursing students received their degree, making the major the 3rd most popular in the country.

Across the Southwest region, there were 32,398 registered nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the associate degree level specifically, there were 10,133 registered nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,605 and $16,886 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region” ranking looked at 90 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in registered nursing. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent registered nursing programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the registered nursing program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Registered Nursing Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region associate degree registered nursing students.

Top 25 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Registered Nursing in the Southwest Region

#1

South Texas College

McAllen, Texas
#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend South Texas College. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region. South Texas College is a large school located in McAllen, Texas that handed out 244 associates’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region associate degree registered nursing students list, South Texas College has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $1,174 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Registered Nursing students per year to attend South Texas College.

Full South Texas College Registered Nursing Report

#2

College of the Mainland

Texas City, Texas
#10 in overall quality

Out of the 90 schools in the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region that were part of this year’s ranking, College of the Mainland landed the #2 spot on the list. COM is a small public school situated in Texas City, Texas. It awarded 83 associates’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

COM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $2,036 for southwest region associate degree registered nursing students per year to attend COM.

Full COM Registered Nursing Report

#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend San Jacinto Community College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region. San Jacinto College is a large public school situated in Pasadena, Texas. It awarded 220 associates’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jacinto College also made our “Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend San Jacinto Community College is $8,692 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Registered Nursing students.

Read more about Registered Nursing at San Jacinto College

#4

Amarillo College

Amarillo, Texas
#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Amarillo College. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region list. Amarillo College is located in Amarillo, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 202 associates’s registered nursing degrees to qualified students.

Amarillo College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Amarillo College is $5,578 for southwest region associate degree registered nursing students.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at Amarillo College

#11 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Alvin Community College. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region list. Located in Alvin, Texas, this medium-sized public school handed out 126 degrees to qualified associates’s registered nursing students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region associate degree registered nursing students list, Alvin has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Alvin is $9,913 for southwest region associate degree registered nursing students.

Full Alvin Registered Nursing Report

#6

Lee College

Baytown, Texas
#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Lee College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region list. Lee College is located in Baytown, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 62 associates’s registered nursing degrees to qualified students.

Lee College also made our “Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $7,732 for southwest region associate degree registered nursing students per year to attend Lee College.

Full Lee College Registered Nursing Report

#7

Galveston College

Galveston, Texas
#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Galveston College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region list. This small school is located in Galveston, Texas, and it awarded 59 associates’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region associate degree registered nursing students list, Galveston College has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Galveston College is $3,446 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Registered Nursing students.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at Galveston College

#8

Lone Star College System

The Woodlands, Texas
#2 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Lone Star College System did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region list. Lone Star College System is located in The Woodlands, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 383 associates’s registered nursing degrees to qualified students.

North Harris Montgomery did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Lone Star College System is $8,016 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Registered Nursing students.

Full North Harris Montgomery Registered Nursing Report

#9

Del Mar College

Corpus Christi, Texas
#13 in overall quality

Del Mar College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region ranking. Del Mar College is located in Corpus Christi, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 147 associates’s registered nursing degrees to qualified students.

DMC also made our “Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for Del Mar College is $5,738 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Registered Nursing students.

Read more about Registered Nursing at DMC

#10

South Plains College

Levelland, Texas
Top 25% in overall quality

South Plains College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #10. South Plains College is a medium-sized public school situated in Levelland, Texas. It awarded 68 associates’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for South Plains College is $7,600 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Registered Nursing students.

Full South Plains College Registered Nursing Report

#25 in overall quality

Wharton County Junior College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #11. Wharton County Junior College is a medium-sized public school situated in Wharton, Texas. It awarded 57 associates’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region associate degree registered nursing students list, Wharton County Junior College has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wharton County Junior College is $5,334 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Registered Nursing students.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at Wharton County Junior College

#12

Weatherford College

Weatherford, Texas
#7 in overall quality

Weatherford College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #12. This medium-sized school is located in Weatherford, Texas, and it awarded 162 associates’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region associate degree registered nursing students list, Weatherford College has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $7,863 for southwest region associate degree registered nursing students per year to attend Weatherford College.

Read more about Registered Nursing at Weatherford College

#13

El Centro College

Dallas, Texas
#6 in overall quality

El Centro College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #13. El Centro College is located in Dallas, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 229 associates’s registered nursing degrees to qualified students.

El Centro College also took the #6 spot in our “Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for El Centro College is $4,373 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Registered Nursing students.

Full El Centro College Registered Nursing Report

#14

Midland College

Midland, Texas

Midland College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region ranking. This small school is located in Midland, Texas, and it awarded 58 associates’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Midland College is $4,745 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Registered Nursing students.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at Midland College

#15

Victoria College

Victoria, Texas
#21 in overall quality

Victoria College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region list. Victoria College is a small public school situated in Victoria, Texas. It awarded 88 associates’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

Victoria College also took the #21 spot in our “Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Victoria College is $5,629 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Registered Nursing students.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at Victoria College

#16

Central New Mexico Community College

Albuquerque, New Mexico
#20 in overall quality

Central New Mexico Community College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region ranking. CNM is a public institution located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The school has a large population, and it awarded 278 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CNM, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CNM is $3,429 for southwest region associate degree registered nursing students.

Full CNM Registered Nursing Report

#17

Houston Community College

Houston, Texas
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, Houston Community College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region list. Houston Community College is a public institution located in Houston, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 147 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Houston Community College, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Houston Community College is $5,272 for southwest region associate degree registered nursing students.

Full Houston Community College Registered Nursing Report

#18

Grayson College

Denison, Texas

Grayson College landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region ranking. Denison, Texas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s registered nursing degrees to 133 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Grayson College is $7,877 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Registered Nursing students.

Read more about Registered Nursing at Grayson College

#19

Howard College

Big Spring, Texas

Howard College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region ranking. Howard County Junior College is a small school located in Big Spring, Texas that handed out 73 associates’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,644 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Registered Nursing students per year to attend Howard College.

Full Howard County Junior College Registered Nursing Report

#20

Tarrant County College District

Fort Worth, Texas
#8 in overall quality

Tarrant County College District came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region ranking. Located in Fort Worth, Texas, this large public school handed out 245 degrees to qualified associates’s registered nursing students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Tarrant County College, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Tarrant County College District is $5,434 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Registered Nursing students.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at Tarrant County College District

#21

Vernon College

Vernon, Texas

Vernon College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region ranking. Vernon Regional Junior College is located in Vernon, Texas and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 90 associates’s registered nursing degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $5,604 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Registered Nursing students per year to attend Vernon College.

Read more about Registered Nursing at Vernon College

#24 in overall quality

Collin County Community College District ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region list. Collin County Community College District is a public institution located in McKinney, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 190 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Collin County Community College District also made our “Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #24. The yearly cost to attend Collin County Community College District is $6,293 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Registered Nursing students.

Full Collin County Community College District Registered Nursing Report

#22

Angelina College

Lufkin, Texas

Angelina College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Lufkin, Texas, this small public school awarded 64 diplomas to qualified associates’s registered nursing students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Angelina College is $8,478 for southwest region associate degree registered nursing students.

Read more about Registered Nursing at Angelina College

#24

GateWay Community College

Phoenix, Arizona
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #24, GateWay Community College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region list. Phoenix, Arizona is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s registered nursing degrees to 219 students in 2019-2020.

GateWay Community College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for GateWay Community College is $10,315 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Registered Nursing students.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at GateWay Community College

#25

Odessa College

Odessa, Texas

Odessa College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region list. Odessa College is located in Odessa, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 61 associates’s registered nursing degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Odessa College is $5,963 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Registered Nursing students.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at Odessa College

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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).
  • 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

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • 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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