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2025 Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools

46 Colleges in the United States
85,339 Practical Nursing Degrees Awarded
$43,800 Avg Early-Career Salary
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants is about average in terms of popularity for degree programs. That is, it ranks #187 out of the 395 majors across the country that we analyze each year. So, it might take a little more work to find colleges and universities that offer the degree program.

For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 46 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for practical nursing & nursing assistants students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 85,339 degrees in practical nursing & nursing assistants annually.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants School

Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools Your choice of practical nursing & nursing assistants school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Practical Nursing
Bachelor's Degrees in Practical Nursing
Doctor's Degrees in Practical Nursing

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants in the United States

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the practical nursing degree levels they offer.

10 Top Schools in Practical Nursing

1
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
174 Practical Nursing Degrees Awarded
$63,264 Median Starting Salary

Any student pursuing a degree in practical nursing & nursing assistants has to take a look at Carrington College, Sacramento. Carrington College, Sacramento is a small private for-profit college located in the suburb of Sacramento.

There were about 174 practical nursing & nursing assistants students who graduated with this degree at Carrington College, Sacramento in the most recent year we have data available. Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants degree recipients from Carrington College, Sacramento get an earnings boost of around $19,464 above the typical earnings of practical nursing & nursing assistants majors.

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

2
SWC Chula Vista crest
Southwestern College
Chula Vista, CA
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
8th Most Popular In CA
90 Practical Nursing Degrees Awarded

Southwestern College is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in practical nursing & nursing assistants. SWC Chula Vista is a fairly large public college located in the large city of Chula Vista. A Best Colleges rank of #120 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means SWC Chula Vista is a great college overall.

There were about 90 practical nursing & nursing assistants students who graduated with this degree at SWC Chula Vista in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in practical nursing & nursing assistants from Southwestern College

Sponsored
Bachelors Degree Type
BS in Nursing - RN to BSN Program Name

With the affordable and transfer-friendly online RN to BSN program at Southern New Hampshire University, you can build upon your prior educational journey and enhance your professional experience in a program designed to fit around your schedule.

More information about a degree in BS in Nursing - RN to BSN from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

3
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
72 Practical Nursing Degrees Awarded
44.4% Growth in Graduates

SOWELA Technical Community College is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in practical nursing & nursing assistants. Located in the small city of Lake Charles, SOWELA is a public college with a small student population.

There were roughly 72 practical nursing & nursing assistants students who graduated with this degree at SOWELA in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the practical nursing program make about $43,365 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in practical nursing & nursing assistants from SOWELA Technical Community College

4
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
7th Most Popular In CA
200 Practical Nursing Degrees Awarded

Any student pursuing a degree in practical nursing & nursing assistants needs to take a look at Riverside City College. Riverside City College is a very large public college located in the large city of Riverside. This college ranks 71st out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 200 practical nursing & nursing assistants students who graduated with this degree at Riverside City College in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in practical nursing & nursing assistants from Riverside City College

5
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
91 Practical Nursing Degrees Awarded
11.0% Growth in Graduates

Quinsigamond Community College is a medium-sized public college located in the medium-sized city of Worcester. This college ranks 33rd out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were approximately 91 practical nursing & nursing assistants students who graduated with this degree at Quinsigamond Community College in the most recent data year. Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants degree recipients from Quinsigamond Community College earn a boost of around $10,829 above the average earnings of practical nursing & nursing assistants graduates.

More information about a degree in practical nursing & nursing assistants from Quinsigamond Community College

6
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
111 Practical Nursing Degrees Awarded
15.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Lafayette, South Louisiana Community College is a public college with a medium-sized student population. This college ranks 5th out of 30 colleges for overall quality in the state of Louisiana.

Soon after graduation, practical nursing degree recipients usually make an average of $40,153 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in practical nursing & nursing assistants from South Louisiana Community College

7
Allan Hancock College crest
Allan Hancock College
Santa Maria, CA
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
10th Most Popular In CA
124 Practical Nursing Degrees Awarded

Allan Hancock College is a fairly large public college located in the midsize city of Santa Maria. A Best Colleges rank of #307 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Allan Hancock College is a great college overall.

There were about 124 practical nursing & nursing assistants students who graduated with this degree at Allan Hancock College in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in practical nursing & nursing assistants from Allan Hancock College

Sponsored
Bachelors Degree Type
BS in Nursing - RN to BSN - Accelerated RN to MSN Program Name

At Southern New Hampshire University, we understand the demands placed on today's nursing professionals. When it comes to your education, consider saving money and time by electing the RN to MSN pathway. Eligible students will complete graduate courses within their undergraduate program. This pathway allows you to gain a BSN along the way and ultimately shorten your time within the MSN Nursing Education or Population Healthcare tracks.

More information about a degree in BS in Nursing - RN to BSN - Accelerated RN to MSN from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

8
Butte College crest
Butte College
Oroville, CA
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
145 Practical Nursing Degrees Awarded
46.2% Growth in Graduates

Butte College is a fairly large public college located in the rural area of Oroville. A Best Colleges rank of #475 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Butte College is a great college overall.

There were approximately 145 practical nursing & nursing assistants students who graduated with this degree at Butte College in the most recent data year. Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants degree recipients from Butte College receive an earnings boost of around $21,667 over the average earnings of practical nursing & nursing assistants graduates.

More information about a degree in practical nursing & nursing assistants from Butte College

9
Cuesta College crest
Cuesta College
San Luis Obispo, CA
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
23rd Most Popular In CA

Located in the rural area of San Luis Obispo, Cuesta College is a public college with a large student population. This college ranks 112th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 8 practical nursing & nursing assistants students who graduated with this degree at Cuesta College in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in practical nursing & nursing assistants from Cuesta College

10
DMC crest
Del Mar College
Corpus Christi, TX
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In TX
116 Practical Nursing Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Corpus Christi, DMC is a public college with a medium-sized student population. This college ranks 29th out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were roughly 116 practical nursing & nursing assistants students who graduated with this degree at DMC in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in practical nursing & nursing assistants from Del Mar College

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great schools for Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants students that almost earned our Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools award.

Rank College Location
11 Mission College Santa Clara, CA
12 Santa Barbara City College Santa Barbara, CA
13 Sacramento City College Sacramento, CA
14 Green River College Auburn, WA
15 Universidad del Turabo Gurabo, PR

Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants by Region

View the Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants 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

View All Rankings >

Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants is one of 34 different types of Health Professions programs to choose from.

Practical Nursing Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training 45,031
Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide 35,655
Other Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants 4,653

View All Practical Nursing Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Nursing 319,502
Health & Medical Administrative Services 88,600
Allied Health Professions 83,905
Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services 83,587
Public Health 41,651
Health Sciences & Services 36,762
Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions 30,594
Mental & Social Health Services 30,331
Medicine 29,089
Dental Support Services 26,024

View All Practical Nursing Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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