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.
For its 2022 ranking, College Factual looked at 112 schools in the Southwest Region to determine which ones were the most popular for nursing students pursuing a associate degree. Combined, these schools handed out 10,304 associate degrees in nursing to qualified students.
Choosing a Great Nursing School for Your Associate Degree
Your choice of school for getting your associate degree in nursing matters.
We created our Most Popular Associate Degree Colleges for Nursing in the Southwest Region ranking to make it a little easier to choose the right one for you.
Being popular does not always equate to overall quality, but a school with a large number of nursing students usually has them for a reason. Sometimes this is because the school offers a great educational experience, it is a good value, or it is highly focused on the program.
This ranking is just one of the many we have created.
First of all, if you are interested in other degree levels, you may want to take a look at one of the rankings highlighted above.
Also, if you are interested in attending school in a specific part of the country, see our rankings by location.
On top of that, you can visit our other rankings for nursing.
Most Popular Schools for Associate Students to Study Nursing in the Southwest Region
Below you'll see a list of the most popular 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.
16 Most Well Attended Schools for Nursing Students Working on Their Associate
Galen College of Nursing - San Antonio is one of the most popular schools in the country for getting an associate degree in nursing. Located in the city of San Antonio, Galen College of Nursing - San Antonio is a private for-profit college with a small student population. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #1 in quality for associate degrees in nursing in Texas.
There were approximately 474 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Galen College of Nursing - San Antonio in the most recent year we have data available.
Students who graduate with their associate from the nursing program state that they receive average early career wages of $56,700.
You'll be surrounded by many like-minded peers at Lone Star College System if you wish to pursue an associate degree in nursing. Located in the small city of The Woodlands, North Harris Montgomery is a public college with a fairly large student population. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #2 in quality for associate degrees in nursing in Texas.
There were approximately 383 nursing students who graduated with this degree at North Harris Montgomery in the most recent year we have data available.
Nursing associate degree recipients from Lone Star College System earn a boost of around $7,208 above the average earnings of nursing graduates.
Austin Community College District is a popular option for individuals pursuing an associate degree in nursing. Austin Community College District is a very large public college located in the large city of Austin. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #4 in quality for associate degrees in nursing in Texas.
There were about 298 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Austin Community College District in the most recent year we have data available.
Students who graduate with their associate from the nursing program report average early career earnings of $56,200.
Central New Mexico Community College is one of the most popular schools in the country for getting an associate degree in nursing. Located in the city of Albuquerque, CNM is a public college with a very large student population. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #1 in quality for associate degrees in nursing in New Mexico.
There were roughly 278 nursing students who graduated with this degree at CNM in the most recent year we have data available.
Students who graduate with their associate from the nursing program state that they receive average early career income of $60,300.
Located in the large city of Oklahoma City, OCCC is a public college with a large student population. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #1 in quality for associate degrees in nursing in Oklahoma.
There were approximately 267 nursing students who graduated with this degree at OCCC in the most recent year we have data available.
After graduation, nursing associate recipients generally earn around $55,200 in their early careers.
Tarrant County College is a very large public college located in the city of Fort Worth. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #8 in quality for associate degrees in nursing in Texas.
There were roughly 245 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Tarrant County College in the most recent year we have data available.
Students who graduate with their associate from the nursing program state that they receive average early career income of $56,000.
South Texas College is a very large public college located in the city of McAllen. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #3 in quality for associate degrees in nursing in Texas.
There were roughly 244 nursing students who graduated with this degree at South Texas College in the most recent data year.
Associate recipients from the nursing major at South Texas College make $3,708 more than the average college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
Baptist Health System School of Health Professions is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the large city of San Antonio.
There were roughly 234 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Baptist Health System School of Health Professions in the most recent data year.
Soon after graduation, nursing associate recipients typically earn an average of $58,300 in their early careers.
El Centro College is a fairly large public college located in the large city of Dallas. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #6 in quality for associate degrees in nursing in Texas.
There were about 229 nursing individuals who graduated with this degree at El Centro College in the most recent year we have data available.
Soon after graduation, nursing associate recipients generally earn an average of $57,200 in their early careers.
San Jacinto College is a very large public college located in the large suburb of Pasadena. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #5 in quality for associate degrees in nursing in Texas.
There were about 220 nursing students who graduated with this degree at San Jacinto College in the most recent data year.
Nursing associate degree recipients from San Jacinto Community College get an earnings boost of approximately $4,208 over the typical earnings of nursing majors.
Located in the city of Phoenix, GateWay Community College is a public college with a small student population. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #1 in quality for associate degrees in nursing in Arizona.
There were roughly 219 nursing individuals who graduated with this degree at GateWay Community College in the most recent year we have data available.
Students who graduate with their associate from the nursing program state that they receive average early career wages of $58,400.
Amarillo College is a medium-sized public college located in the midsize city of Amarillo. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #9 in quality for associate degrees in nursing in Texas.
There were roughly 202 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Amarillo College in the most recent year we have data available.
Associate graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program earn around $58,200 in the first couple years of working.
Located in the large city of Mesa, Mesa Community College is a public college with a fairly large student population. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #4 in quality for associate degrees in nursing in Arizona.
There were roughly 197 nursing individuals who graduated with this degree at Mesa Community College in the most recent year we have data available.
Associate graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program earn around $55,900 in the first couple years of working.
Located in the large suburb of Glendale, Glendale Community College is a public college with a fairly large student population. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #3 in quality for associate degrees in nursing in Arizona.
There were about 180 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Glendale Community College in the most recent data year.
Associate students who receive their degree from the nursing program make around $58,200 in the first couple years of their career.
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Most Popular Associate Degree Colleges for Nursing in the Southwest Region award.
The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
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 the rest 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).
Your choice of school for getting your associate degree in nursing matters.
We created our Most Popular Associate Degree Colleges for Nursing in the Southwest Region ranking to make it a little easier to choose the right one for you.
