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2025 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools

954 Colleges in the United States
82,967 Associate Degrees
$69,287 Avg Early-Career Salary
Nursing is of the hottest associate degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #2 most popular major in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 954 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 82,967 associate degrees in nursing during the <nil> academic year.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Nursing School for Your Associate Degree

Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools 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:

Overall Quality Is a Must

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To take this into account 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.

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

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.

More Ways to Rank Nursing Schools

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

The nursing school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools.

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

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 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools for an Associate in Nursing

1
507 Annual Graduates
$67,368 Median Starting Salary
$13,869 Median Student Debt

It's hard to beat Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale if you want to pursue an associate degree in nursing. Located in the city of Fort Lauderdale, Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.

Students who graduate with their associate from the nursing program report average early career income of $67,368.

More information about a associate in nursing from Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale

2
711 Annual Graduates
$68,119 Median Starting Salary
$17,700 Median Student Debt

Rasmussen University - Minnesota is one of the best schools in the United States for getting an associate degree in nursing. Located in the city of St. Cloud, Rasmussen University - Minnesota is a private for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.

Students who graduate with their associate from the nursing program report average early career earnings of $68,119.

More information about a associate in nursing from Rasmussen University - Minnesota

3
327 Annual Graduates
$68,114 Median Starting Salary
$12,422 Median Student Debt

It is difficult to beat Galen College of Nursing - Louisville if you want to pursue an associate degree in nursing. Galen College of Nursing - Louisville is a small private for-profit college located in the city of Louisville.

After graduating, nursing associate recipients usually earn about $68,114 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a associate in nursing from Galen College of Nursing - Louisville

4
Valencia College crest
Valencia College
Orlando, FL

Any student pursuing a degree in an associate degree in nursing has to take a look at Valencia College. Valencia College is a fairly large public college located in the city of Orlando.

Students who graduate with their associate from the nursing program state that they receive average early career income of $70,422.

More information about a associate in nursing from Valencia College

5
234 Annual Graduates
$74,676 Median Starting Salary
$28,677 Median Student Debt

PA College is a small private not-for-profit college located in the rural area of Lancaster.

Associate recipients from the nursing program at Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences get $5,389 more than the average college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a associate in nursing from Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences

6

Southwest Georgia Technical College is a medium-sized public college located in the town of Thomasville.

Associate graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program make an average of $69,971 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a associate in nursing from Southern Regional Technical College

7
38 Annual Graduates
$64,968 Median Starting Salary
$29,061 Median Student Debt

MSMU is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles.

After graduating, nursing associate recipients generally earn about $64,968 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a associate in nursing from Mount Saint Mary’s University

8
1,113 Annual Graduates
$68,119 Median Starting Salary
$17,700 Median Student Debt

Located in the small city of Ocala, Rasmussen University - Florida is a private for-profit university with a small student population.

Students who graduate with their associate from the nursing program report average early career earnings of $68,119.

More information about a associate in nursing from Rasmussen University - Florida

9
BC crest
Broward College
Fort Lauderdale, FL

Located in the city of Fort Lauderdale, BC is a public college with a very large student population.

Nursing associate degree recipients from Broward College earn a boost of approximately $3,704 over the average income of nursing majors.

More information about a associate in nursing from Broward College

10

Located in the midsize city of Modesto, MJC is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Those nursing students who get their associate degree from Modesto Junior College make $30,052 more than the typical nursing graduate.

More information about a associate in nursing from Modesto Junior College

11
Merced Community College District crest
Merced College
Merced, CA

Merced Community College District is a large public college located in the small city of Merced.

Nursing associate degree recipients from Merced College receive an earnings boost of around $37,737 above the typical earnings of nursing majors.

More information about a associate in nursing from Merced College

12

Carrington College, Sacramento is a small private for-profit college located in the large suburb of Sacramento.

Those nursing students who get their associate degree from Carrington College, Sacramento make $35,136 more than the typical nursing student.

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

13
ECPI University crest
ECPI University
Virginia Beach, VA
678 Annual Graduates
$71,146 Median Starting Salary
$13,242 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of Virginia Beach, ECPI University is a private for-profit university with a large student population.

After graduating, nursing associate recipients usually earn about $71,146 in their early careers.

More information about a associate in nursing from ECPI University

14

Located in the town of Thatcher, Eastern Arizona College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

Associate students who receive their degree from the nursing program make around $70,074 in their early career salary.

More information about a associate in nursing from Eastern Arizona College

15

Located in the medium-sized city of McAllen, South Texas College is a public college with a very large student population.

Nursing associate degree recipients from South Texas College get an earnings boost of around $6,446 above the average income of nursing graduates.

More information about a associate in nursing from South Texas College

16
El Centro College crest
El Centro College
Dallas, TX

Located in the city of Dallas, El Centro College is a public college with a very large student population.

After graduation, nursing associate recipients typically make about $70,630 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a associate in nursing from El Centro College

17
770 Annual Graduates
$68,119 Median Starting Salary
$17,700 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of Rockford, Rasmussen University - Illinois is a private for-profit university with a small student population.

Students who graduate with their associate from the nursing program state that they receive average early career earnings of $68,119.

More information about a associate in nursing from Rasmussen University - Illinois

18

MDC is a very large public college located in the city of Miami.

Soon after graduation, nursing associate recipients generally make an average of $64,608 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a associate in nursing from Miami Dade College

19

Located in the city of Fort Worth, Tarrant County College is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Associate recipients from the nursing major at Tarrant County College District make $2,782 more than the typical college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a associate in nursing from Tarrant County College District

20

Located in the city of Hartford, Capital Community College is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Nursing associate degree recipients from Capital Community College earn a boost of approximately $7,077 above the typical earnings of nursing graduates.

More information about a associate in nursing from Capital Community College

21

Located in the suburb of Fairfield, Sacred Heart is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.

Nursing associate degree recipients from Sacred Heart University earn a boost of approximately $15,612 over the typical earnings of nursing graduates.

More information about a associate in nursing from Sacred Heart University

22
49 Annual Graduates

SUNY Westchester Community College is a medium-sized public college located in the large suburb of Valhalla.More information about a associate in nursing from SUNY Westchester Community College

23

Located in the rural area of Madison, NFC is a public college with a small student population.

After graduating, nursing associate recipients usually make around $67,263 in their early careers.

More information about a associate in nursing from North Florida College

24

Located in the city of Las Vegas, CSN is a public college with a very large student population.

Those nursing students who get their associate degree from College of Southern Nevada make $7,795 more than the typical nursing graduate.

More information about a associate in nursing from College of Southern Nevada

25

Located in the midsize city of Santa Rosa, SRJC is a public college with a large student population.

Nursing associate degree recipients from Santa Rosa Junior College receive an earnings boost of approximately $31,513 above the average earnings of nursing graduates.

More information about a associate in nursing from Santa Rosa Junior College

Rest of the Top 50 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools

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27
Pacific College crest
Pacific College
Costa Mesa, CA
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33
Nassau Community College crest
Nassau Community College
Garden City, NY

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35
36
37
Ivy Tech Community College crest
Ivy Tech Community College
Indianapolis, IN
38
SWC Chula Vista crest
Southwestern College
Chula Vista, CA
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41

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50
Regis College crest
Regis College
Weston, MA

Additional Award Winners

This list represents the remainder of the colleges awarded a Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 20% of the 954 different United States nursing schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 Florida State College at Jacksonville Jacksonville, FL
52 Chippewa Valley Technical College Eau Claire, WI
53 Suffolk County Community College Selden, NY
54 Lone Star College System The Woodlands, TX
55 Union County College Cranford, NJ
56 Butte College Oroville, CA
57 Quinsigamond Community College Worcester, MA
58 SOWELA Technical Community College Lake Charles, LA
59 Central New Mexico Community College Albuquerque, NM
60 Helene Fuld College of Nursing New York, NY
61 Austin Community College District Austin, TX
62 St Petersburg College St. Petersburg, FL
63 Baltimore City Community College Baltimore, MD
64 San Jacinto Community College Pasadena, TX
65 Mt. San Jacinto College San Jacinto, CA
66 Athens Technical College Athens, GA
67 Shoreline Community College Shoreline, WA
68 Rasmussen University - Wisconsin Green Bay, WI
69 Laboure College Milton, MA
70 Sampson Community College Clinton, NC
71 Yuba College Marysville, CA
72 Lanier Technical College Gainesville, GA
73 Seattle Central College Seattle, WA
74 Western Technical College La Crosse, WI
75 Purdue University Global West Lafayette, IN
76 Eastern Florida State College Melbourne, FL
77 Santa Fe College Gainesville, FL
78 Monroe College Bronx, NY
79 Milwaukee Area Technical College Milwaukee, WI
80 Herzing University - Birmingham Birmingham, AL
81 Community College of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA
82 Herzing University - Akron Akron, OH
83 Essex County College Newark, NJ
84 Bryant & Stratton College - Virginia Beach Virginia Beach, VA
85 San Joaquin Delta College Stockton, CA
86 Community College of Allegheny County Pittsburgh, PA
87 Goodwin College East Hartford, CT
88 Borough of Manhattan Community College New York, NY
89 Bryant & Stratton College - Wauwatosa Wauwatosa, WI
90 Bergen Community College Paramus, NJ
91 New England Institute of Technology East Greenwich, RI
92 Santa Barbara City College Santa Barbara, CA
93 College of the Canyons Santa Clarita, CA
94 Pasco-Hernando State College New Port Richey, FL
95 Gadsden State Community College Gadsden, AL
96 Lurleen B Wallace Community College Andalusia, AL
97 Daytona State College Daytona Beach, FL
98 Gwinnett Technical College Lawrenceville, GA
99 Del Mar College Corpus Christi, TX
100 Chattahoochee Technical College Marietta, GA
101 Herzing University - Winter Park Winter Park, FL
102 Virginia Highlands Community College Abingdon, VA
103 Florida SouthWestern State College Fort Myers, FL
104 Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Green Bay, WI
105 San Joaquin Valley College-Ontario Ontario, CA
106 University of Hawaii Maui College Kahului, HI
107 Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, KY
108 Pueblo Community College Pueblo, CO
109 Arkansas State University - Main Campus Jonesboro, AR
110 Rappahannock Community College Glenns, VA
111 Excelsior University Albany, NY
112 Mercy College of Ohio Toledo, OH
113 Kapiolani Community College Honolulu, HI
114 Lake Washington Institute of Technology Kirkland, WA
115 Rochester Community and Technical College Rochester, MN
116 Northland Pioneer College Holbrook, AZ
117 Fresno City College Fresno, CA
118 Bishop State Community College Mobile, AL
119 Marshall University Huntington, WV
120 Mountain Empire Community College Big Stone Gap, VA
121 Delgado Community College New Orleans, LA
122 Shelton State Community College Tuscaloosa, AL
123 Ocean County College Toms River, NJ
124 Angelina College Lufkin, TX
125 Lincoln Memorial University Harrogate, TN
126 Pensacola State College Pensacola, FL
127 San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia Visalia, CA
128 Oklahoma City Community College Oklahoma City, OK
129 Cuyahoga Community College District Cleveland, OH
130 Vermont Technical College Randolph, VT
131 Sacramento City College Sacramento, CA
132 Richmond Community College Hamlet, NC
133 Mohave Community College Kingman, AZ
134 Mesa Community College Mesa, AZ
135 Victor Valley College Victorville, CA
136 Glendale Community College Glendale, AZ
137 College of the Desert Palm Desert, CA
138 Bevill State Community College Jasper, AL
139 Sinclair Community College Dayton, OH
140 Houston Community College Houston, TX
141 Trocaire College Buffalo, NY
142 Rockland Community College Suffern, NY
143 Harcum College Bryn Mawr, PA
144 Weatherford College Weatherford, TX
145 Lawson State Community College - Birmingham Campus Birmingham, AL
146 Brookdale Community College Lincroft, NJ
147 Mount Wachusett Community College Gardner, MA
148 Wake Technical Community College Raleigh, NC
149 Moorpark College Moorpark, CA
150 Albany State University Albany, GA
151 Wallace Community College, Selma Selma, AL
152 Walla Walla Community College Walla Walla, WA
153 Gaston College Dallas, NC
154 Denver College of Nursing Denver, CO
155 Coastal Pines Technical College Waycross, GA
156 Arkansas Northeastern College Blytheville, AR
157 Raritan Valley Community College Branchburg, NJ
158 Mississippi Delta Community College Moorhead, MS
159 College of Central Florida Ocala, FL
160 Pima Community College Tucson, AZ
161 Orange County Community College Middletown, NY
162 Ventura College Ventura, CA
163 Amarillo College Amarillo, TX
164 Henry Ford College Dearborn, MI
165 Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College Rice Lake, WI
166 Grossmont College El Cajon, CA
167 San Antonio College San Antonio, TX
168 Queensborough Community College Bayside, NY
169 College of San Mateo San Mateo, CA
170 Lansing Community College Lansing, MI
171 Rivier University Nashua, NH
172 Howard Community College Columbia, MD
173 Allegany College of Maryland Cumberland, MD
174 University of Saint Francis - Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, IN
175 Montgomery College Rockville, MD
176 Temple College Temple, TX
177 Prince George’s Community College Largo, MD
178 Columbus Technical College Columbus, GA
179 Lehigh Carbon Community College Schnecksville, PA
180 Wenatchee Valley College Wenatchee, WA
181 Lower Columbia College Longview, WA
182 Blackhawk Technical College Janesville, WI
183 Indian River State College Fort Pierce, FL
184 Cincinnati State Technical and Community College Cincinnati, OH
185 Maria College of Albany Albany, NY
186 Rio Hondo College Whittier, CA
187 Cabarrus College of Health Sciences Concord, NC
188 Good Samaritan College of Nursing & Health Science Cincinnati, OH
189 LaGuardia Community College Long Island City, NY
190 Minneapolis Community and Technical College Minneapolis, MN

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great schools for Nursing students that almost earned our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools award.

Rank College Location
191 Evergreen Valley College San Jose, CA
192 College of the Sequoias Visalia, CA
193 Eastern International College - Jersey City Jersey City, NJ
194 Greenville Technical College Greenville, SC
195 Fox Valley Technical College Appleton, WI
196 Anne Arundel Community College Arnold, MD
197 Front Range Community College Westminster, CO
198 Saddleback College Mission Viejo, CA
199 Neosho County Community College Chanute, KS
200 Santa Ana College Santa Ana, CA
201 Community College of Rhode Island Warwick, RI
202 North Idaho College Coeur d’Alene, ID
203 Southwest Mississippi Community College Summit, MS
204 Jackson State Community College Jackson, TN
205 South Florida State College Avon Park, FL
206 New York City College of Technology Brooklyn, NY
207 Central Ohio Technical College Newark, OH
208 Golden West College Huntington Beach, CA
209 Florida National University - Main Campus Hialeah, FL
210 Bellevue College Bellevue, WA
211 Everett Community College Everett, WA
212 Highline College Des Moines, WA
213 County College of Morris Randolph, NJ
214 Northern Virginia Community College Annandale, VA
215 North Shore Community College Danvers, MA
216 Pasadena City College Pasadena, CA
217 Gardner - Webb University Boiling Springs, NC
218 Northcentral Technical College Wausau, WI
219 Mt. San Antonio College Walnut, CA
220 Gulf Coast State College Panama City, FL
221 Miami Regional University Miami Springs, FL
222 Texas State Technical College Waco, TX
223 Cuesta College San Luis Obispo, CA
224 University of Rio Grande Rio Grande, OH
225 Patrick Henry Community College Martinsville, VA
226 Allan Hancock College Santa Maria, CA
227 Grayson College Denison, TX
228 Cerritos College Norwalk, CA
229 Central Texas College Killeen, TX
230 Wallace State Community College, Hanceville Hanceville, AL
231 Tacoma Community College Tacoma, WA
232 Phoenix College Phoenix, AZ
233 College of Lake County Grayslake, IL
234 Northland Community and Technical College Thief River Falls, MN
235 Carolinas College of Health Sciences Charlotte, NC
236 Owens Community College Perrysburg, OH
237 Portland Community College Portland, OR
238 Southwest Tennessee Community College Memphis, TN
239 Brunswick Community College Bolivia, NC
240 Tulsa Community College Tulsa, OK
241 Lincoln Land Community College Springfield, IL
242 Shasta College Redding, CA
243 Los Angeles Harbor College Wilmington, CA
244 American River College Sacramento, CA
245 Elgin Community College Elgin, IL
246 Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny, IA
247 Western Nevada College Carson City, NV
248 Butler Community College El Dorado, KS
249 Springfield Technical Community College Springfield, MA
250 Century College White Bear Lake, MN
251 Schoolcraft College Livonia, MI
252 Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Tifton, GA
253 Tallahassee Community College Tallahassee, FL
254 West Georgia Technical College Waco, GA
255 Augusta Technical College Augusta, GA
256 Moraine Park Technical College Fond du Lac, WI
256 Trinidad State Junior College Trinidad, CO
258 Chabot College Hayward, CA
259 Yavapai College Prescott, AZ
260 Salem Community College Carneys Point, NJ
261 William Rainey Harper College Palatine, IL
262 Mercer County Community College West Windsor, NJ
263 SUNY Delhi Delhi, NY
264 John C Calhoun State Community College Tanner, AL
265 Clark College Vancouver, WA
266 River Valley Community College Claremont, NH
267 Clark State Community College Springfield, OH
268 Horry-Georgetown Technical College Conway, SC
269 Northwest Technical College Bemidji, MN
270 Alvin Community College Alvin, TX
271 Mississippi University for Women Columbus, MS
272 Murray State College Tishomingo, OK
273 Hagerstown Community College Hagerstown, MD
274 Louisiana Tech University Ruston, LA
275 Collin County Community College District McKinney, TX
276 Bryant & Stratton College - Parma Parma, OH
277 Polk State College Winter Haven, FL
278 Illinois Central College East Peoria, IL
279 University of Arkansas at Little Rock Little Rock, AR
280 Los Angeles County College of Nursing and Allied Health Los Angeles, CA
281 North Central State College Mansfield, OH
282 Santa Monica College Santa Monica, CA
283 Paris Junior College Paris, TX
284 Anoka-Ramsey Community College Coon Rapids, MN
285 Lake Area Technical Institute Watertown, SD
286 Kingsborough Community College Brooklyn, NY
287 Ridgewater College Willmar, MN
288 Pennsylvania College of Technology Williamsport, PA
289 Hudson Valley Community College Troy, NY
290 Southeast Technical College Sioux Falls, SD
291 Meridian Community College Meridian, MS
292 Vincennes University Vincennes, IN
293 North Hennepin Community College Brooklyn Park, MN
294 Spokane Community College Spokane, WA
295 Sullivan University Louisville, KY
296 Idaho State University Pocatello, ID
297 Saint Johns River State College Palatka, FL
298 Bunker Hill Community College Boston, MA
299 Los Angeles City College Los Angeles, CA
300 Salt Lake Community College Salt Lake City, UT
301 Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Perkinston, MS
302 Harford Community College Bel Air, MD
303 Marion Technical College Marion, OH
304 Montgomery County Community College Blue Bell, PA
305 Wor-Wic Community College Salisbury, MD
306 McLennan Community College Waco, TX
307 Passaic County Community College Paterson, NJ
308 Florida Gateway College Lake City, FL
309 Lee College Baytown, TX
310 Mission College Santa Clara, CA
311 Southern Crescent Technical College Griffin, GA
312 Atlantic Cape Community College Mays Landing, NJ
313 Delta College University Center, MI
314 Olympic College Bremerton, WA
315 Southeastern Community College West Burlington, IA
316 College of Marin Kentfield, CA
317 Hinds Community College Raymond, MS
318 Iowa Central Community College Fort Dodge, IA

Nursing by Region

View the Best Nursing 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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Nursing is one of 34 different types of Health Professions programs to choose from.

Nursing Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Registered Nursing 81,666
Nursing Science 836
Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 236
Nursing Practice 161
Adult Health Nurse/Nursing 68

Related Major Annual Graduates
Allied Health Professions 29,240
Health & Medical Administrative Services 17,166
Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services 16,805
Health Sciences & Services 10,346
Dental Support Services 7,002
Mental & Social Health Services 3,539
Health/Medical Prep Programs 3,280
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science 2,666
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants 2,219
Other Health Professions 1,316

Notes and References

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