2022 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Practical Nursing Schools for an Associate” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2019-2020, 86,912 people earned their degree in practical nursing and nursing assistants, making the major the 185th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, practical nursing and nursing assistants graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $33,439 and had an average of $12,589 in loans still to pay off.
At the associate degree level specifically, there were 1,693 practical nursing and nursing assistants graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,082 and $17,678 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Practical Nursing Schools for an Associate” ranking analyzed 43 colleges that offered a degree in practical nursing and nursing assistants. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great practical nursing and nursing assistants programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the practical nursing and nursing assistants program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Practical Nursing Schools for an Associate” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value Practical Nursing Schools for an Associate
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Practical Nursing Schools for an Associate.
Top 25 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend North Dakota State College of Science. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Practical Nursing Schools for an Associate. Located in Wahpeton, North Dakota, this small public school handed out 43 degrees to qualified associates’s practical nursing students in 2019-2020.
North Dakota State College of Science not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools” list. It costs about $10,940 for associate degree practical nursing students per year to attend North Dakota State College of Science.
Full North Dakota State College of Science Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Report
Out of the 43 schools in the Best Value Practical Nursing Schools for an Associate that were part of this year’s ranking, Del Mar College landed the #2 spot on the list. DMC is a fairly large public school situated in Corpus Christi, Texas. It awarded 68 associates’s practical nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
DMC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools” list. It costs about $5,738 for associate degree practical nursing students per year to attend DMC.
Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Del Mar College
Out of the 43 schools in the Best Value Practical Nursing Schools for an Associate that were part of this year’s ranking, Hennepin Technical College landed the #3 spot on the list. Hennepin Technical College is a small public school situated in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. It awarded 14 associates’s practical nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
Hennepin Technical College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Hennepin Technical College is $11,796 for Associate Degree Practical Nursing students.
Read more about Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Hennepin Technical College
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Santa Barbara City College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Practical Nursing Schools for an Associate. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s practical nursing degrees to 22 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SBCC, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SBCC is $7,556 for Associate Degree Practical Nursing students.
Read more about Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at SBCC
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Merced College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Practical Nursing Schools for an Associate. This fairly large school is located in Merced, California, and it awarded 27 associates’s practical nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
Merced Community College District also took the #11 spot in our “Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Merced College is $10,565 for Associate Degree Practical Nursing students.
Full Merced College Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Report
Dickinson State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Practical Nursing Schools for an Associate list. Dickinson, North Dakota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s practical nursing degrees to 28 students in 2019-2020.
DSU also took the #15 spot in our “Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Dickinson State University is $10,855 for associate degree practical nursing students.
Read more about Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Dickinson State University
With a ranking of #7, Butte College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Practical Nursing Schools for an Associate list. Oroville, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s practical nursing degrees to 22 students in 2019-2020.
Butte College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools” list. It costs about $5,070 for Associate Degree Practical Nursing students per year to attend Butte College.
Full Butte College Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Report
Coconino Community College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Practical Nursing Schools for an Associate ranking. Coconino Community College is a public institution located in Flagstaff, Arizona. The school has a small population, and it awarded 53 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Coconino Community College also took the #13 spot in our “Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,835 for associate degree practical nursing students per year to attend Coconino Community College.
Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Coconino Community College
With a ranking of #9, Citrus College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Practical Nursing Schools for an Associate list. Citrus College is a fairly large school located in Glendora, California that handed out 24 associates’s practical nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
Citrus College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Citrus College is $2,751 for Associate Degree Practical Nursing students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Citrus College
With a ranking of #10, Long Beach City College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Practical Nursing Schools for an Associate list. Long Beach City College is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 25 associates’s practical nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
Long Beach City College also made our “Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend Long Beach City College is $3,066 for Associate Degree Practical Nursing students.
Full Long Beach City College Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Report
Sacramento City College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Practical Nursing Schools for an Associate ranking. Sacramento City is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 associates’s practical nursing degrees to qualified students.
Sacramento City also took the #9 spot in our “Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $4,835 for Associate Degree Practical Nursing students per year to attend Sacramento City.
Full Sacramento City Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Report
With a ranking of #12, Arkansas Tech University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Practical Nursing Schools for an Associate list. ATU is a public institution located in Russellville, Arkansas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 36 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.
ATU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Arkansas Tech University is $10,772 for Associate Degree Practical Nursing students.
Read more about Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Arkansas Tech University
Riverside City College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Practical Nursing Schools for an Associate ranking. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s practical nursing degrees to 38 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our associate degree practical nursing students list, Riverside City College has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $4,620 for associate degree practical nursing students per year to attend Riverside City College.
Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Riverside City College
Cuesta College landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Practical Nursing Schools for an Associate ranking. This fairly large school is located in San Luis Obispo, California, and it awarded 8 associates’s practical nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
Cuesta College also took the #16 spot in our “Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cuesta College is $7,790 for associate degree practical nursing students.
Full Cuesta College Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Report
Quinsigamond Community College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Practical Nursing Schools for an Associate ranking, coming in at #15. Quinsigamond Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Worcester, Massachusetts. It awarded 5 associates’s practical nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
Quinsigamond Community College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Quinsigamond Community College is $7,528 for Associate Degree Practical Nursing students.
Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Quinsigamond Community College
Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Arecibo landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Practical Nursing Schools for an Associate ranking. This small school is located in Arecibo, , and it awarded 57 associates’s practical nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $8,003 for associate degree practical nursing students per year to attend Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Arecibo.
The low student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Rio Hondo College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Practical Nursing Schools for an Associate ranking. Rio Hondo College is located in Whittier, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 associates’s practical nursing degrees to qualified students.
RHCCD also took the #20 spot in our “Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Rio Hondo College is $5,487 for Associate Degree Practical Nursing students.
Read more about Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Rio Hondo College
College of the Redwoods did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Practical Nursing Schools for an Associate ranking, coming in at #18. This small school is located in Eureka, California, and it awarded 6 associates’s practical nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for College of the Redwoods is $4,773 for associate degree practical nursing students.
Read more about Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at College of the Redwoods
With a ranking of #19, Universidad del Turabo did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Practical Nursing Schools for an Associate list. Universidad del Turabo is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Gurabo, . It awarded 46 associates’s practical nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Universidad del Turabo is $6,588 for Associate Degree Practical Nursing students.
Full Universidad del Turabo Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Report
Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Guayama did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Practical Nursing Schools for an Associate ranking, coming in at #20. This small school is located in Guayama, , and it awarded 38 associates’s practical nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Guayama is $7,563 for Associate Degree Practical Nursing students.
The low student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Inter American University of Puerto Rico - San German landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Practical Nursing Schools for an Associate ranking. San German, is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out associates’s practical nursing degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $8,253 for associate degree practical nursing students per year to attend Inter American University of Puerto Rico - San German.
College of the Siskiyous came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Practical Nursing Schools for an Associate ranking. This small school is located in Weed, California, and it awarded 9 associates’s practical nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend College of the Siskiyous is $8,061 for associate degree practical nursing students.
Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at College of the Siskiyous
College of the Desert ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Practical Nursing Schools for an Associate list. College of the Desert is a public institution located in Palm Desert, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 9 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.
College of the Desert did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for College of the Desert is $9,654 for Associate Degree Practical Nursing students.
Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at College of the Desert
Bates Technical College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Practical Nursing Schools for an Associate ranking, coming in at #24. Bates Technical College is a small public school situated in Tacoma, Washington. It awarded 60 associates’s practical nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
Bates Technical College also made our “Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools” list, coming in at #21. The estimated yearly cost for Bates Technical College is $5,910 for associate degree practical nursing students.
Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Bates Technical College
With a ranking of #25, Allan Hancock College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Practical Nursing Schools for an Associate list. Allan Hancock College is a fairly large school located in Santa Maria, California that handed out 31 associates’s practical nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Allan Hancock College, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $3,810 for associate degree practical nursing students per year to attend Allan Hancock College.
Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Allan Hancock 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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