by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 123 schools in the Far Western US Region to determine which ones were the best for nursing students pursuing a associate degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 8,782 associate degrees in nursing during the 2022-2023 academic year.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
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:
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To account for this we include a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a combination of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
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.
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 schools for nursing students working on their associate degree.
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 Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region list to help you make the college decision.
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.
Mount Saint Mary's University is one of the best schools in the country for getting an associate degree in nursing. MSMU is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles.
After graduation, nursing associate recipients typically make an average of $64,968 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a associate in nursing from Mount Saint Mary’s University
Modesto Junior College is a wonderful decision for individuals pursuing an associate degree in nursing. Located in the midsize city of Modesto, MJC is a public college with a large student population.
Associate recipients from the nursing major at Modesto Junior College earn $10,045 above the average college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a associate in nursing from Modesto Junior College
Merced College is one of the best schools in the United States for getting an associate degree in nursing. Merced Community College District is a large public college located in the city of Merced.
Nursing associate degree recipients from Merced College get an earnings boost of approximately $17,730 above the average earnings of nursing majors.
More information about a associate in nursing from Merced College
It's difficult to beat Carrington College, Sacramento if you wish to pursue an associate degree in nursing. Carrington College, Sacramento is a small private for-profit college located in the suburb of Sacramento.
Nursing associate degree recipients from Carrington College, Sacramento receive an earnings boost of approximately $15,129 over the typical earnings of nursing majors.
More information about a associate in nursing from Carrington College, Sacramento
Located in the large city of Las Vegas, CSN is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Associate graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program earn an average of $77,082 in their early career salary.
More information about a associate in nursing from College of Southern Nevada
Located in the midsize city of Santa Rosa, SRJC is a public college with a large student population.
Associate recipients from the nursing degree program at Santa Rosa Junior College get $11,506 more than the average college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a associate in nursing from Santa Rosa Junior College
Riverside City College is a very large public college located in the city of Riverside.
Associate students who receive their degree from the nursing program make around $89,869 in the first couple years of working.
More information about a associate in nursing from Riverside City College
Located in the city of Costa Mesa, Pacific College is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.More information about a associate in nursing from Pacific College
City College of San Francisco is a large public college located in the city of San Francisco.
Nursing associate degree recipients from City College of San Francisco earn a boost of approximately $10,737 above the typical income of nursing graduates.
More information about a associate in nursing from City College of San Francisco
SWC Chula Vista is a fairly large public college located in the city of Chula Vista.More information about a associate in nursing from Southwestern College
Located in the rural area of Angwin, PUC is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
Those nursing students who get their associate degree from Pacific Union College receive $21,402 more than the typical nursing graduate.
More information about a associate in nursing from Pacific Union College
Butte College is a fairly large public college located in the rural area of Oroville.
Associate recipients from the nursing degree program at Butte College make $14,974 above the average graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a associate in nursing from Butte College
MSJC is a large public college located in the midsize suburb of San Jacinto.
Nursing associate degree recipients from Mt. San Jacinto College get an earnings boost of around $2,793 above the typical income of nursing graduates.
More information about a associate in nursing from Mt. San Jacinto College
Located in the suburb of Shoreline, Shoreline Community College is a public college with a small student population.
Students who graduate with their associate from the nursing program state that they receive average early career income of $78,850.
More information about a associate in nursing from Shoreline Community College
Located in the midsize suburb of Marysville, Yuba College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
Associate recipients from the nursing major at Yuba College earn $27,989 above the standard graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a associate in nursing from Yuba College
Located in the large city of Seattle, Seattle Central is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
After graduation, nursing associate recipients generally earn an average of $83,117 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a associate in nursing from Seattle Central College
Located in the large city of Stockton, Delta is a public college with a large student population.
Nursing associate degree recipients from San Joaquin Delta College receive an earnings boost of around $8,549 over the typical income of nursing majors.
More information about a associate in nursing from San Joaquin Delta College
Located in the small city of Santa Barbara, SBCC is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Associate recipients from the nursing program at Santa Barbara City College get $12,661 more than the standard graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a associate in nursing from Santa Barbara City College
Located in the suburb of Santa Clarita, College of the Canyons is a public college with a large student population.
Those nursing students who get their associate degree from College of the Canyons receive $8,163 more than the standard nursing grad.
More information about a associate in nursing from College of the Canyons
Located in the medium-sized city of Ontario, is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
Nursing associate degree recipients from San Joaquin Valley College-Ontario earn a boost of about $7,717 over the typical earnings of nursing graduates.
More information about a associate in nursing from San Joaquin Valley College-Ontario
UH Maui College is a small public university located in the small city of Kahului.
Those nursing students who get their associate degree from University of Hawaii Maui College earn $13,096 more than the typical nursing student.
More information about a associate in nursing from University of Hawaii Maui College
Located in the city of Honolulu, Kapiolani CC is a public college with a medium-sized student population.More information about a associate in nursing from Kapiolani Community College
Located in the suburb of Kirkland, LWTech is a public school with a small student population.
Associate students who receive their degree from the nursing program earn about $83,313 for their early career.
More information about a associate in nursing from Lake Washington Institute of Technology
Located in the large city of Fresno, Fresno City College is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Those nursing students who get their associate degree from Fresno City College earn $2,667 more than the standard nursing graduate.
More information about a associate in nursing from Fresno City CollegeThese are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia | Visalia, CA |
| 26 | Sacramento City College | Sacramento, CA |
| 27 | Victor Valley College | Victorville, CA |
| 28 | College of the Desert | Palm Desert, CA |
| 29 | Moorpark College | Moorpark, CA |
| 30 | Walla Walla Community College | Walla Walla, WA |
| 31 | Ventura College | Ventura, CA |
| 32 | Grossmont College | El Cajon, CA |
| 33 | College of San Mateo | San Mateo, CA |
| 34 | Wenatchee Valley College | Wenatchee, WA |
| 35 | Lower Columbia College | Longview, WA |
| 36 | Rio Hondo College | Whittier, CA |
| 37 | Evergreen Valley College | San Jose, CA |
| 38 | College of the Sequoias | Visalia, CA |
| 39 | Saddleback College | Mission Viejo, CA |
| 40 | Santa Ana College | Santa Ana, CA |
| 41 | Golden West College | Huntington Beach, CA |
Explore the best nursing colleges for a specific state in the Far Western US Region .
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| California | 192 | 5,581 |
| Oregon | 147 | 608 |
| Washington | 131 | 1,825 |
| Nevada | 112 | 533 |
| Hawaii | 59 | 135 |
Nursing is one of 34 different types of Health Professions programs to choose from.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | 8,670 |
| Nursing Practice | 112 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Allied Health Professions | 5,216 |
| Health Sciences & Services | 4,379 |
| Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services | 2,652 |
| Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants | 1,283 |
| Health & Medical Administrative Services | 1,166 |
| Dental Support Services | 1,014 |
| Mental & Social Health Services | 653 |
| Health/Medical Prep Programs | 252 |
| Public Health | 216 |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science | 141 |
