by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 300 schools in the Southeast Region to determine which ones were the best for nursing students pursuing a associate degree. Combined, these schools handed out 25,522 associate degrees in nursing to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
Your choice of nursing for getting your associate degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To take this into account we consider a school's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a combination of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of associate graduates during the early years of their career. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their associate degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for nursing students working on their associate degree.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing an associate degree in nursing. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
It is hard to beat Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale if you wish to pursue an associate degree in nursing. Located in the midsize city of Fort Lauderdale, Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Associate students who receive their degree from the nursing program earn an average of $67,368 in the first couple years of their career.
More information about a associate in nursing from Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale
It's difficult to beat Galen College of Nursing - Louisville if you want to pursue an associate degree in nursing. Galen College of Nursing - Louisville is a small private for-profit college located in the city of Louisville.
Associate recipients from the nursing degree program at Galen College of Nursing - Louisville get $2,181 above the typical college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a associate in nursing from Galen College of Nursing - Louisville
Every student pursuing a degree in an associate degree in nursing has to take a look at Valencia College. Valencia College is a very large public college located in the large city of Orlando.
Associate recipients from the nursing degree program at Valencia College get $4,489 above the average college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a associate in nursing from Valencia College
It is difficult to beat Southern Regional Technical College if you want to pursue an associate degree in nursing. Southwest Georgia Technical College is a moderately-sized public college located in the town of Thomasville.
Associate recipients from the nursing degree program at Southern Regional Technical College earn $4,038 above the standard college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a associate in nursing from Southern Regional Technical College
Located in the small city of Ocala, Rasmussen University - Florida is a private for-profit university with a small student population.
Nursing associate degree recipients from Rasmussen University - Florida receive an earnings boost of approximately $2,186 over the average income of nursing majors.
More information about a associate in nursing from Rasmussen University - Florida
Located in the midsize city of Fort Lauderdale, BC is a public college with a very large student population.
Nursing associate degree recipients from Broward College earn a boost of approximately $7,058 above the average earnings of nursing graduates.
More information about a associate in nursing from Broward College
Located in the large city of Virginia Beach, ECPI University is a private for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Nursing associate degree recipients from ECPI University earn a boost of around $5,213 over the typical earnings of nursing majors.
More information about a associate in nursing from ECPI University
MDC is a very large public college located in the large city of Miami.
Students who graduate with their associate from the nursing program state that they receive average early career income of $64,608.
More information about a associate in nursing from Miami Dade College
Located in the rural area of Madison, NFC is a public college with a small student population.
Students who graduate with their associate from the nursing program state that they receive average early career wages of $67,263.
More information about a associate in nursing from North Florida College
Palm Beach State College is a very large public college located in the suburb of Lake Worth.
Soon after graduation, nursing associate recipients generally make about $67,495 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a associate in nursing from Palm Beach State College
Seminole State is a large public college located in the small city of Sanford.
Those nursing students who get their associate degree from Seminole State College of Florida receive $4,119 more than the standard nursing graduate.
More information about a associate in nursing from Seminole State College of Florida
Located in the suburb of Collegedale, Southern Adventist is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.
Soon after graduation, nursing associate recipients usually make an average of $61,225 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a associate in nursing from Southern Adventist University
Southside Virginia Community College is a small public college located in the remote area of Alberta.
Associate graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program make around $66,693 in their early career salary.
More information about a associate in nursing from Southside Virginia Community College
HCC is a very large public college located in the large city of Tampa.
Soon after graduating, nursing associate recipients generally make about $64,429 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a associate in nursing from Hillsborough Community College
Wallace, Dothan is a small public college located in the small city of Dothan.
Soon after graduation, nursing associate recipients typically earn an average of $59,653 in their early careers.
More information about a associate in nursing from Wallace Community College, Dothan
FSCJ is a very large public college located in the city of Jacksonville.
After graduating, nursing associate recipients usually make about $62,019 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a associate in nursing from Florida State College at Jacksonville
Located in the city of Lake Charles, SOWELA is a public college with a small student population.
Associate recipients from the nursing degree program at SOWELA Technical Community College earn $6,757 above the average college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a associate in nursing from SOWELA Technical Community College
SPC is a very large public college located in the city of St. Petersburg.
Soon after graduating, nursing associate recipients generally make an average of $67,220 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a associate in nursing from St Petersburg College
Located in the city of Athens, Athens Technical College is a public college with a small student population.
Associate recipients from the nursing major at Athens Technical College make $6,890 more than the average college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a associate in nursing from Athens Technical College
Sampson Community College is a small public college located in the distant town of Clinton.
Associate recipients from the nursing degree program at Sampson Community College earn $3,107 more than the standard college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a associate in nursing from Sampson Community College
Located in the small city of Gainesville, Lanier Technical College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a associate in nursing from Lanier Technical College
EFSC is a fairly large public college located in the small city of Melbourne.
Students who graduate with their associate from the nursing program state that they receive average early career income of $62,725.
More information about a associate in nursing from Eastern Florida State College
Located in the midsize suburb of Gainesville, Santa Fe College is a public college with a large student population.
Nursing associate degree recipients from Santa Fe College receive an earnings boost of approximately $2,678 over the typical income of nursing graduates.
More information about a associate in nursing from Santa Fe College
Herzing University - Birmingham is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Birmingham.
Those nursing students who get their associate degree from Herzing University - Birmingham receive $7,409 more than the typical nursing student.
More information about a associate in nursing from Herzing University - Birmingham
Located in the large city of Virginia Beach, Bryant & Stratton College - Virginia Beach is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Nursing associate degree recipients from Bryant & Stratton College - Virginia Beach earn a boost of around $3,050 over the average income of nursing majors.
More information about a associate in nursing from Bryant & Stratton College - Virginia Beach
This list shows the rest of the schools awarded a Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 20% of the 300 different Southeast nursing schools we analyzed.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Gaston College | Dallas, NC |
| 52 | Coastal Pines Technical College | Waycross, GA |
| 53 | Arkansas Northeastern College | Blytheville, AR |
| 54 | Mississippi Delta Community College | Moorhead, MS |
| 55 | College of Central Florida | Ocala, FL |
| 56 | Columbus Technical College | Columbus, GA |
| 57 | Indian River State College | Fort Pierce, FL |
| 58 | Cabarrus College of Health Sciences | Concord, NC |
| 59 | Greenville Technical College | Greenville, SC |
| 60 | Southwest Mississippi Community College | Summit, MS |
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region award.
Explore the best nursing schools for a specific state in the Southeast Region .
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | 143 | 1,269 |
| Georgia | 121 | 1,473 |
| Florida | 121 | 9,083 |
| North Carolina | 120 | 2,538 |
| Arkansas | 105 | 1,212 |
| Tennessee | 102 | 1,235 |
| Virginia | 97 | 2,569 |
| West Virginia | 92 | 813 |
| Kentucky | 90 | 1,848 |
| Louisiana | 80 | 966 |
| South Carolina | 77 | 1,223 |
| Alabama | 69 | 2,116 |
Nursing is one of 34 different types of Health Professions programs to choose from.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | 25,394 |
| Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 128 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Health & Medical Administrative Services | 9,068 |
| Allied Health Professions | 8,723 |
| Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services | 4,946 |
| Dental Support Services | 1,671 |
| Health/Medical Prep Programs | 1,636 |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science | 982 |
| Health Sciences & Services | 923 |
| Other Health Professions | 734 |
| Mental & Social Health Services | 730 |
| Public Health | 237 |
