2023 Best Value Colleges for Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region
19
Ranked Colleges
9,835
Degrees Awarded
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Practical Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking.
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants is the 187th most popular major in the country with 84,274 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, practical nursing and nursing assistants graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $36,863 and had an average of $15,708 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Far Western US region, there were 9,835 practical nursing and nursing assistants graduates with average earnings and debt of $41,012 and $17,391 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Practical Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 19 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in practical nursing and nursing assistants. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality practical nursing and nursing assistants programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the practical nursing and nursing assistants program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
The practical 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 “Best Value Practical Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k”.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Practical Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Practical Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k.
Top 19 Best Value Colleges for Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Reedley College. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Practical Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Reedley College is a medium-sized school located in Reedley, California that handed out 16 ’s practical nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
Reedley College also took the #11 spot in our “Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking.
Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Reedley College
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Sacramento City College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Practical Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Sacramento, California, this fairly large public school awarded 41 diplomas to qualified ’s practical nursing students in 2020-2021.
Sacramento City did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Sacramento City College is $8,205 for far western us region practical nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.
Full Sacramento City Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Imperial Valley College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Practical Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Imperial Valley College is located in Imperial, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 ’s practical nursing degrees to qualified students.
IVC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $5,004 for Far Western US Region Practical Nursing students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend IVC.
Read more about Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at IVC
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Practical Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Mission College landed the #4 spot on the list. Mission College is a medium-sized public school situated in Santa Clara, California. It awarded 64 ’s practical nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mission College, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $6,619 for Far Western US Region Practical Nursing students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Mission College.
Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Mission College
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Practical Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, College of the Redwoods landed the #5 spot on the list. This small school is located in Eureka, California, and it awarded 42 ’s practical nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
College of the Redwoods did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend College of the Redwoods is $6,900 for Far Western US Region Practical Nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.
Read more about Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at College of the Redwoods
Cuesta College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Practical Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 58 degrees to qualified ’s practical nursing students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cuesta College, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cuesta College is $13,636 for Far Western US Region Practical Nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.
Full Cuesta College Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Report
Merced College landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Practical Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Merced College is located in Merced, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s practical nursing degrees to qualified students.
Merced Community College District not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $13,396 for far western us region practical nursing students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Merced Community College District.
Full Merced Community College District Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Report
Butte College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Practical Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Oroville, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 78 diplomas to qualified ’s practical nursing students in 2020-2021.
Butte College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $9,372 for Far Western US Region Practical Nursing students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Butte College.
Read more about Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Butte College
Santa Rosa Junior College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Practical Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. SRJC is located in Santa Rosa, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 107 ’s practical nursing degrees to qualified students.
SRJC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend SRJC is $8,738 for Far Western US Region Practical Nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.
Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Santa Rosa Junior College
With a ranking of #10, Rio Hondo College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Practical Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Rio Hondo College is a public institution located in Whittier, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 18 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at RHCCD, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Rio Hondo College is $7,491 for Far Western US Region Practical Nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.
Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at RHCCD
With a ranking of #11, College of the Desert did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Practical Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Palm Desert, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s practical nursing degrees to 41 students in 2020-2021.
College of the Desert also made our “Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $14,851 for Far Western US Region Practical Nursing students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend College of the Desert.
Read more about Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at College of the Desert
With a ranking of #12, Santa Barbara City College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Practical Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s practical nursing degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.
SBCC also took the #16 spot in our “Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Santa Barbara City College is $8,417 for far western us region practical nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.
Read more about Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at SBCC
Carrington College, Sacramento landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Practical Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Carrington College, Sacramento is located in Sacramento, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 213 ’s practical nursing degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our far western us region practical nursing students whose families make $48-$75k list, Carrington College, Sacramento has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $35,959 for far western us region practical nursing students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Carrington College, Sacramento.
Read more about Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Carrington College, Sacramento
College of the Siskiyous came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Practical Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Weed, California, and it awarded 2 ’s practical nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
College of the Siskiyous not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for College of the Siskiyous is $10,039 for far western us region practical nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.
Full College of the Siskiyous Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Report
Pacific College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Practical Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Pacific College is a small private for-profit school situated in Costa Mesa, California. It awarded 80 ’s practical nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
Pacific College also made our “Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for Pacific College is $34,053 for Far Western US Region Practical Nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Pacific College
With a ranking of #16, San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Practical Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia is a private for-profit institution located in Visalia, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 28 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in the Far Western US Region” list.
Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia
Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Practical Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. San Mateo, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s practical nursing degrees to 876 students in 2020-2021.
Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts also made our “Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts is $28,280 for Far Western US Region Practical Nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Report
Platt College - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Practical Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. Platt College - Los Angeles is a private for-profit institution located in Alhambra, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 30 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Platt College - Los Angeles, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Platt College - Los Angeles is $26,915 for Far Western US Region Practical Nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Platt College - Los Angeles
Unitek College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Practical Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. Fremont, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s practical nursing degrees to 1,162 students in 2020-2021.
Unitek College also took the #3 spot in our “Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $55,359 for far western us region practical nursing students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Unitek College.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Unitek College Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Report
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Notes and References
References
- 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 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
