With all of the options you have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take when you want to pursue a college degree. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our Top Nevada Colleges for an Associate ranking - to help you make that decision.
We analyzed 5 colleges and universities across Nevada to determine which ones have the best associate degree programs. Instead of depending on subjective information to rank the best schools, we focus on objective factors in our analysis. More specifically, the following explains what we consider and why.
Higher Than Average Earnings
The average early-career salary of those graduating with a associate degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. While associate degree recipients from schools in Nevada earn an average starting salary of $37,756, those from the top 5 school on this list made an average of $38,583.
Starting Salary ( 28231 to 43946 )
Taking Out Student Loans
Another factor that we look at to determine a school's ranking is the average debt load that students take on while they are working on their associate degree.
During their time at college, associate degree seekers from schools in Nevada take out an average of $17,303.
The average debt load at a particular school may not be bad, but it's an important thing to consider in conjunction with post-graduation earnings.
More Ranking Factors That Are Important
Our Best Associate Degree Schools considers other factors in addition to average post-graduation earnings and average student debt.
On a broad level, other factors that go into our rankings include such things as the demand of the school, the student body caliber, if the school has online options, and the educational resources provided by the school.
You may also want to narrow this list by location to find the best associate degree schools nearest you. In addition, we've put together a number of other college rankings that may help you in your search.
College of Southern Nevada tops this year’s ranking as the best school for associate degrees in Nevada for overall quality. Located in Las Vegas, Nevada, the large public school handed out 3,360 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Upon graduation, associate degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $34,877 during the early years of their career. Associate students leave the school with an average of $10,984 in student loans.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Western Nevada College. It ranked #2 on our 2024 Best Associate Degree Schools in Nevada list. WNC is a public institution located in Carson City, Nevada. The school has a small population, and it awarded 630 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Upon graduation, associate degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $49,309 during the early years of their career. The average amount of student debt accumulated by associate students is $16,522.
A rank of #3 on our Best Associate Degree in Nevada list means Truckee Meadows Community College is a great place for students working on their degree. Truckee Meadows Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Reno, Nevada. It awarded 1,505 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Graduates with a associate degree from Truckee Meadows Community College make an average of $43,454 per year during the early years of their career. Associate students carry an average student debt load of about $11,644 after getting their degree.
The excellent associate degree programs at Great Basin College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools in Nevada. Located in Elko, Nevada, the small public school awarded 350 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2020-2021.
Upon graduation, associate degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $29,188 during the early years of their career. Associate students carry an average student debt load of about $17,258 after getting their degree.
A rank of #5 on our Best Associate Degree in Nevada list means Career College of Northern Nevada is a great place for students working on their degree. Career College of Northern Nevada is located in Sparks, Nevada and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 93 associate degrees to qualified graduate students.
Those who receive a associate degree from Career College of Northern Nevada go into careers with an average salary of $36,089 during the early years of their career. Associate students leave the school with an average of $18,110 in student loans.
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%.
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