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2023 Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Trade Schools

961 Colleges
$36,863 Avg Salary
$15,708 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants School for You

In 2020-2021, 84,270 practical nursing and nursing assistants students received their degrees and certificates, making the major the #2 most popular in the country.

Today's trade school students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Trade College Search has created the Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Trade Schools to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 961 schools in the United States to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for trade school students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in the United States

The colleges and universities below are the best for practical nursing majors pursuing a .

Top 25 Top Trade Schools in Nursing & Nursing Assistants

Our 2023 rankings named Eastern Center for Arts and Technology the best school in the United States for practical nursing and nursing assistants students. Eastern Center for Arts and Technology is a fairly small public school located in the suburb of Willow Grove.

Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Eastern Center for Arts and Technology

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Harmony Health Care Institute. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Trade Schools list. Harmony Health Care Institute is a small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Merrimack.

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#3

Unitek College

South San Francisco, CA

The excellent programs at Unitek College helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best practical nursing and nursing assistants schools in the United States. Unitek College is a small private for-profit school located in the small city of South San Francisco.

Full Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Unitek College Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Shawsheen Valley School of Practical Nursing. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Trade Schools list. Shawsheen Valley School of Practical Nursing is a small public school located in the large suburb of Billerica.

Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Shawsheen Valley School of Practical Nursing

Out of the 961 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Greater Lowell Technical School landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the large suburb of Tyngsboro, Greater Lowell Technical School is a public college with a small student population.

Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Greater Lowell Technical School

With a ranking of #6, Dutchess BOCES-Practical Nursing Program did quite well on this year’s best schools for practical nursing and nursing assistants students. Located in the suburb of Poughkeepsie, Dutchess BOCES-Practical Nursing Program is a public college with a fairly small student population.

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#7

Unitek College

Hayward, CA

Unitek College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Trade Schools list. Unitek College is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the large suburb of Hayward.

Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Unitek College

#8

Cass Career Center

Harrisonville, MO

Cass Career Center came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Trade Schools ranking. Located in the fringe town of Harrisonville, Cass RIX School District is a public college with a fairly small student population.

Full Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Cass Career Center Report

Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Trade Schools ranking. Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts is a small private for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of San Mateo.

Full Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts Report

Veeb Nassau County School of Practical Nursing landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best practical nursing and nursing assistants programs. Located in the large suburb of Hicksville, Veeb Nassau County School of Practical Nursing is a public school with a fairly small student population.

Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Veeb Nassau County School of Practical Nursing

#11

Southeastern Technical Institute

South Easton, MA

With a ranking of #11, Southeastern Technical Institute did quite well on this year’s best schools for practical nursing and nursing assistants students. Southeastern Technical Institute is a small public school located in the rural area of South Easton.

Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Southeastern Technical Institute

Saint Michael College of Allied Health ranked #12 on this year’s Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Trade Schools list. Located in the city of Alexandria, Saint Michael College of Allied Health is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

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#13

Verve College

Oak Brook, IL

Verve College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Trade Schools list. Verve College is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Oak Brook.

Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Verve College

With a ranking of #14, Franklin County Career and Technology Center did quite well on this year’s best schools for practical nursing and nursing assistants students. Franklin County Career and Technology Center is a fairly small public school located in the rural area of Chambersburg.

Full Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Franklin County Career and Technology Center Report

#15

Blake Austin College

Vacaville, CA

With a ranking of #15, Blake Austin College did quite well on this year’s best schools for practical nursing and nursing assistants students. Blake Austin College is a small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Vacaville.

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With a ranking of #16, Southern Worcester County Regional Voc School District did quite well on this year’s best schools for practical nursing and nursing assistants students. Located in the rural area of Charlton, Southern Worcester County Regional Voc School District is a public school with a small student population.

Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Southern Worcester County Regional Voc School District

#17

Monty Tech

Fitchburg, MA

Monty Tech did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for practical nursing and nursing assistants students. It came in at #17 on the list. Monty Tech is a small public school located in the suburb of Fitchburg.

Full Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Monty Tech Report

Xavier College School of Nursing did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for practical nursing and nursing assistants students. It came in at #18 on the list. Located in the large city of Stockton, Xavier College School of Nursing is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

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#19

PITC Institute

Wyncote, PA

With a ranking of #19, PITC Institute did quite well on this year’s best schools for practical nursing and nursing assistants students. PITC Institute is a small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Wyncote.

Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at PITC Institute

#20

Lex La-Ray Technical Center

Lexington, MO

Lex La-Ray Technical Center did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for practical nursing and nursing assistants students. It came in at #20 on the list. LLRTC is a fairly small public school located in the town of Lexington.

Full Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Lex La-Ray Technical Center Report

#21

Unitek College

Fremont, CA

Unitek College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Trade Schools ranking. Unitek College is a small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Fremont.

Full Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Unitek College Report

Marian College School of Nursing ranked #22 on this year’s Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Trade Schools list. Marian College Van Nuys is a small private for-profit school located in the large city of Van Nuys.

Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Marian College School of Nursing

Western Area Career & Technology Center ranked #23 on this year’s Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Trade Schools list. Western Area Career & Technology Center is a fairly small public school located in the rural area of Canonsburg.

Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Western Area Career & Technology Center

With a ranking of #24, AMG School of Licensed Practical Nursing did quite well on this year’s best schools for practical nursing and nursing assistants students. Located in the large city of Brooklyn, AMG School of Licensed Practical Nursing is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

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#25

Homestead Schools

Torrance, CA

Homestead Schools did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for practical nursing and nursing assistants students. It came in at #25 on the list. Located in the city of Torrance, Homestead Schools is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Homestead Schools

Rest of the Top 50 Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Trade Schools

#28

Applied Technology Services

Sunset Hills, MO
#34

Ohio Institute of Allied Health

Huber Heights, OH
#36

Universal Training Institute

Perth Amboy, NJ
#37

Best Care College

East Orange, NJ
#38

Stanbridge University

Irvine, CA
#39

Eastern Suffolk BOCES

Brentwood, NY
#44

Polytech Adult Education

Woodside, DE
#45

Hazleton Area Career Center

Hazle TWP., PA
#46

Ambria College of Nursing

Hoffman Estates, IL
#48

Jersey College

Teterboro, NJ
#49

Access Careers

Hempstead, NY

Additional Award Winners

This section represents the rest of the colleges awarded a Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Trade Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 961 different United States practical nursing and nursing assistants schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 Institute of Technology Salem, OR
52 Cayuga Onondaga BOCES - Practical Nursing Program Auburn, NY
53 California Career Institute Garden Grove, CA
54 Saline County Career Center Marshall, MO
55 Broome Delaware Tioga BOCES-Practical Nursing Program Binghamton, NY
56 Madison Area Technical College Madison, WI
57 Washington Saratoga Warren Hamilton Essex BOCES-Practical Nursing Program Hudson Falls, NY
58 Orange Ulster BOCES-Practical Nursing Program Goshen, NY
59 Lincoln Technical Institute - Shelton Shelton, CT
60 MDT College of Health Sciences Highland Heights, OH
61 Dixie Technical College Saint George, UT
62 Texas Health School Houston, TX
63 North Shore Community College Danvers, MA
64 Lincoln Technical Institute - New Britain New Britain, CT
65 Greene County Career and Technology Center Waynesburg, PA
66 Pacific College Costa Mesa, CA
67 Career Center of Southern Illinois Red Bud, IL
68 Moraine Park Technical College Fond du Lac, WI
69 Huntingdon County Career and Technology Center Mill Creek, PA
70 Suncoast Technical College Sarasota, FL
71 Sumner College Portland, OR
72 Central School of Practical Nursing Independence, OH
73 Carthage Technical Center Carthage, MO
74 Clinton Technical School Clinton, MO
75 Mount Wachusett Community College Gardner, MA
76 Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County Scranton, PA
77 Lincoln Technical Institute - Lincoln Lincoln, RI
78 Roane-Jackson Technical Center Leroy, WV
79 ATA College Louisville, KY
80 Monongalia County Technical Education Center Morgantown, WV
81 Galen College of Nursing - San Antonio San Antonio, TX
82 Herkimer County BOCES-Practical Nursing Program Ilion, NY
83 American Career College - Ontario Ontario, CA
84 Washburn Institute of Technology Topeka, KS
85 Mercy Hospital School of Practical Nursing-Plantation General Hospital Miami, FL
86 Northern Tier Career Center Towanda, PA
87 Miami Valley Career Technology Center Englewood, OH
88 Lincoln Technical Institute - Iselin Iselin, NJ
89 Eastwick College - Hackensack Hackensack, NJ
90 Susquehanna County Career and Technology Center Springville, PA
91 North Florida Technical College Starke, FL
92 CES College Burbank, CA
93 Greenfield Community College Greenfield, MA
94 Lincoln Technical Institute - Moorestown Moorestown, NJ
95 Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis, IN
96 Fayette County Career & Technical Institute Practical Nursing Program Uniontown, PA
97 Cape Coral Technical College Cape Coral, FL
98 Rasmussen University - Florida Ocala, FL
99 Fox Valley Technical College Appleton, WI
100 Oakton Community College Des Plaines, IL
101 Prism Career Institute, Cherry Hill Cherry Hill, NJ
102 Samaritan Hospital School of Nursing Troy, NY
103 Mercer County Career Center Mercer, PA
104 Blackhawk Technical College Janesville, WI
105 Schuyler Steuben Chemung Tioga Allegany BOCES Elmira, NY
106 John D Rockefeller IV Career Center New Cumberland, WV
107 Red Rocks Community College Lakewood, CO
108 Northern Career Institute Eastlake, OH
109 Herzing University - Birmingham Birmingham, AL
110 Delaware Technical Community College - Terry Dover, DE
111 Herzing University - Brookfield Brookfield, WI
112 Chippewa Valley Technical College Eau Claire, WI
113 Lincoln Technical Institute - Allentown Allentown, PA
114 Academy for Careers and Technology Mullins, SC
115 Prism Career Institute, West Atlantic City West Atlantic City, NJ
116 Eastern Virginia Career College Fredericksburg, VA
117 Four Rivers Career Center Washington, MO
118 Venango County Area Vocational Technical School Oil City, PA
119 North Dakota State College of Science Wahpeton, ND
120 Greater Altoona Career & Technology Center Altoona, PA
121 York County School of Technology-Adult & Continuing Education York, PA
122 West Coast Ultrasound Institute Beverly Hills, CA
123 Lancaster County Career and Technology Center Willow Street, PA
124 College of Lake County Grayslake, IL
125 Concorde Career College - Aurora Aurora, CO
126 Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology Pleasant Gap, PA
127 Merced College Merced, CA
128 Medical Institute of Palm Beach Greenacres, FL
129 Carrington College, Sacramento Sacramento, CA
130 Lincoln Technical Institute - Paramus Paramus, NJ
131 Integrity College of Health Pasadena, CA
132 Autry Technology Center Enid, OK
133 William Rainey Harper College Palatine, IL
134 Porter and Chester Institute of Hamden Hamden, CT
135 Angeles College Los Angeles, CA
136 Stone Academy-West Haven West Haven, CT
137 Tri-Rivers Career Center Marion, OH
138 Orange Technical College - Orlando Campus Orlando, FL
139 Pinellas Technical College-Clearwater Clearwater, FL
140 Rasmussen University - Minnesota St. Cloud, MN
141 Herzing University - Kenosha Kenosha, WI
142 Kellogg Community College Battle Creek, MI
143 Western Suffolk BOCES Northport, NY
144 East Valley Institute of Technology Mesa, AZ

Honorable Mentions

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

Rank College Location
145 Jefferson Community and Technical College Louisville, KY
146 Baptist Health College - Little Rock Little Rock, AR
147 Platt College - Tulsa Tulsa, OK
148 Hannibal - LaGrange University Hannibal, MO
149 Oregon Coast Community College Newport, OR
150 Carrington College-San Jose San Jose, CA
151 Stone Academy-East Hartford East Hartford, CT
152 Century College White Bear Lake, MN
153 Apollo Career Center Lima, OH
154 Jefferson Lewis BOCES-Practical Nursing Program Watertown, NY
155 Somerset County Technology Center Somerset, PA
156 Gateway Technical College Kenosha, WI
157 Herzing University - Winter Park Winter Park, FL
158 Universidad del Turabo Gurabo, PR
159 Athena Career Academy Toledo, OH
160 Pennsylvania Institute of Technology Media, PA
161 Northern Essex Community College Haverhill, MA
162 Mountainland Technical College Lehi, UT
163 Regional Center for Border Health Yuma, AZ
164 Lake Area Technical Institute Watertown, SD
165 Ohio Medical Career College Dayton, OH
166 Clearfield County Career and Technology Center Clearfield, PA
167 Butte College Oroville, CA
168 First Coast Technical College Saint Augustine, FL
169 Galen College of Nursing - Louisville Louisville, KY
170 Texas County Technical College Houston, MO
171 Technical College of the Rockies Delta, CO
172 Sandusky Career Center Sandusky, OH
173 Centra College of Nursing Lynchburg, VA
174 Pioneer Technology Center Ponca City, OK
175 Southeast Technical College Sioux Falls, SD
176 Stone Academy-Waterbury Waterbury, CT
177 El Centro College Dallas, TX
178 American Career College - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
179 Rolla Technical Institute/Center Rolla, MO
180 Mercer County Technical Education Center Princeton, WV
181 Otsego Area BOCES-Practical Nursing Program Oneonta, NY
182 Wayne County Schools Career Center Smithville, OH
183 Upper Valley Career Center Piqua, OH
184 Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Green Bay, WI
185 Alexandria Technical & Community College Alexandria, MN
186 Concorde Career College - Portland Portland, OR
187 Fayette Institute of Technology Oak Hill, WV
188 Baptist Health System School of Health Professions San Antonio, TX
189 Beaumont Adult School Beaumont, CA
190 Cuesta College San Luis Obispo, CA
191 Collins Career Technical Center Chesapeake, OH
192 College of the Sequoias Visalia, CA

Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants by Region

View the Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Trade Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Great Lakes

Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants is one of 11 different types of trade school programs to choose from.

Practical Nursing Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training 44,900
Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide 34,557
Other Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants 4,813

Related Major Annual Graduates
Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services 84,030
Health & Medical Administrative Services 72,024
Allied Health Professions 69,358
Health Sciences & Services 34,199
Dental Support Services 26,277

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • 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).

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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