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Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Far Western US Region

2023 Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Far Western US Region

22 Colleges
$41,121 Avg Salary
$14,988 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree School for You

In 2021-2022, 85,339 practical nursing & nursing assistants students received a degree or certificate, 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 Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Far Western US Region to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 22 schools in the Far Western US Region to see which associate degree programs offered the best educational experiences for trade school students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Colleges.

Top 10 Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools

Our 2023 rankings named Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts the best school in the Far Western US Region for practical nursing & nursing assistants students working on their associate degree. Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts is a small private for-profit school located in the midsize city of San Mateo.

Practical Nursing majors at Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts take out an average of $18,427 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

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

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#2

Unitek College

Fremont, CA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Unitek College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Unitek College is a small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Fremont.

On average, practical nursing graduates from Unitek College take out $14,920 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $206.

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#3

Pacific College

Costa Mesa, CA

Out of the 22 schools in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Pacific College landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the midsize city of Costa Mesa, Pacific College is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

After completing their Associate Degree, practical nursing graduates from Pacific College carry an average student debtload of $11,750.

Full Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Pacific College Report

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Carrington College, Sacramento. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Located in the suburb of Sacramento, Carrington College, Sacramento is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

After completing their Associate Degree, practical nursing graduates from Carrington College, Sacramento carry an average student debtload of $20,195.

Full Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Carrington College, Sacramento Report

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#5

Merced College

Merced, CA

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Merced College is a great place for practical nursing & nursing assistants students working on their associate degree. Located in the small city of Merced, Merced Community College District is a public school with a large student population.

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Carrington College-San Jose ranked #6 on this year’s Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Located in the large city of San Jose, Western Career College-San Jose is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

Practical Nursing majors at Western Career College-San Jose take out an average of $20,195 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

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#7

Cuesta College

San Luis Obispo, CA

Cuesta College landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree practical nursing & nursing assistants programs. Located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cuesta College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

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#8

Sacramento City College

Sacramento, CA

With a ranking of #8, Sacramento City College did quite well on this year’s best schools for practical nursing & nursing assistants students working on their associate degree. Located in the city of Sacramento, Sacramento City is a public college with a fairly large student population.

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#9

Riverside City College

Riverside, CA

Riverside City College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for practical nursing & nursing assistants students to get a associate degree. It came in at #9 on the list. Riverside City College is a large public school located in the large city of Riverside.

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#10

Santa Barbara City College

Santa Barbara, CA

Santa Barbara City College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Located in the small city of Santa Barbara, SBCC is a public college with a large student population.

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Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Colleges by State

Explore the best practical nursing & nursing assistants colleges for a specific state in the Far Western US region.

State Degrees Awarded
Washington 649
California 8,037
Oregon 409
Nevada 622
Alaska 22
Hawaii 96

One of 11 majors within the trade school area of study, practical nursing & nursing assistants has other similar majors worth exploring.

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

Related Major Annual Graduates
Health & Medical Administrative Services 88,600
Allied Health Professions 83,905
Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services 83,587
Health Sciences & Services 36,762
Mental & Social Health Services 30,331

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 22 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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