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2024 Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools

43 Colleges in the United States
2,006 Associate Degrees
$41,222 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on getting your associate degree in practical nursing & nursing assistants, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #57 in the country in terms of popularity. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 43 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 2,006 associate degrees in practical nursing & nursing assistants to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants School for Your Associate Degree

Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools Your choice of practical nursing & nursing assistants 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:

Overall Quality Is a Must

The overall quality of a associate degree school is important to ensure a good 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.

Average Early-Career Salaries

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.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for practical nursing & nursing assistants students working on their associate degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Practical Nursing Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools list to help you make the college decision.

Best Schools for Associate Students to Study Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants in the United States

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing an associate degree in practical nursing & nursing assistants.

10 Top Schools for an Associate in Practical Nursing

1
Pacific College crest
Pacific College
Costa Mesa, CA
75 Annual Graduates
$41,294 Median Starting Salary
$16,125 Median Student Debt

Any student who is interested in an associate degree in practical nursing & nursing assistants has to take a look at Pacific College. Pacific College is a small private for-profit college located in the medium-sized city of Costa Mesa.

Associate graduates who receive their degree from the practical nursing program earn about $41,294 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a associate in practical nursing & nursing assistants from Pacific College

2
139 Annual Graduates
$49,054 Median Starting Salary
$32,832 Median Student Debt

Carrington College, Sacramento is a great option for individuals pursuing an associate degree in practical nursing & nursing assistants. Located in the suburb of Sacramento, Carrington College, Sacramento is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants associate degree recipients from Carrington College, Sacramento receive an earnings boost of around $7,832 above the typical income of practical nursing & nursing assistants majors.

More information about a associate in practical nursing & nursing assistants from Carrington College, Sacramento

3
DMC crest
Del Mar College
Corpus Christi, TX
97 Annual Graduates

Del Mar College is a great option for individuals interested in an associate degree in practical nursing & nursing assistants. DMC is a medium-sized public college located in the city of Corpus Christi.More information about a associate in practical nursing & nursing assistants from Del Mar College

4
Merced Community College District crest
Merced College
Merced, CA
8 Annual Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in an associate degree in practical nursing & nursing assistants has to check out Merced College. Located in the city of Merced, Merced Community College District is a public college with a fairly large student population.More information about a associate in practical nursing & nursing assistants from Merced College

5
5 Annual Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Worcester, Quinsigamond Community College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a associate in practical nursing & nursing assistants from Quinsigamond Community College

6
Butte College crest
Butte College
Oroville, CA
1 Annual Graduates
$13,382 Median Student Debt

Located in the rural area of Oroville, Butte College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a associate in practical nursing & nursing assistants from Butte College

7

South Louisiana Community College is a medium-sized public college located in the midsize city of Lafayette.More information about a associate in practical nursing & nursing assistants from South Louisiana Community College

8
16 Annual Graduates

SOWELA is a small public college located in the city of Lake Charles.More information about a associate in practical nursing & nursing assistants from SOWELA Technical Community College

9
$42,396 Median Starting Salary
$20,000 Median Student Debt

Located in the large city of Bakersfield, is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

After graduation, practical nursing associate recipients generally make about $42,396 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a associate in practical nursing & nursing assistants from San Joaquin Valley College-Bakersfield

10
Sacramento City crest
Sacramento City College
Sacramento, CA
20 Annual Graduates

Sacramento City is a fairly large public college located in the city of Sacramento.More information about a associate in practical nursing & nursing assistants from Sacramento City College

Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants by Region

View the Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

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One of 34 majors within the Health Professions area of study, Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants has other similar majors worth exploring.

Practical Nursing Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training 1,565
Other Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants 337
Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide 104

Majors Similar to Practical Nursing

Related Major Annual Graduates
Nursing 85,504
Allied Health Professions 27,677
Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services 20,673
Health & Medical Administrative Services 16,893
Health Sciences & Services 10,218
Dental Support Services 7,282
Mental & Social Health Services 3,976
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science 3,527
Health/Medical Prep Programs 2,905
Other Health Professions 1,296

Notes and References

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