2025 Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Kentucky

Ranked #3 in popularity, registered nursing is one of the most sought-after associate degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

College Factual reviewed 28 schools in Kentucky to determine which ones were the best for associate degree seekers in the field of registered nursing. Combined, these schools handed out 1,937 associate degrees in registered nursing to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

• Best Associate Degree Schools List

Choosing a Great Registered Nursing School for Your Associate Degree

The registered nursing associate degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. 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:

Quality Overall Is Important

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To account for this we include 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.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

• Major Focus - How many resources a school devotes to registered nursing students as compared to other majors.
• Major Demand - The number of registered nursing students who choose to seek a associate degree at the school.
• Educational Resources - How many resources are allocated to students. These resources may include educational expenditures per student, number of students per instructor, and graduation rate among other things.
• Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized registered nursing related body.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for registered nursing students working on their associate degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Kentucky list, to help you choose the best school for you.

Best Schools for Associate Students to Study Registered Nursing in Kentucky

Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for registered nursing students seeking a an associate degree.

10 Top Kentucky Schools for an Associate in Registered Nursing

1

Galen College of Nursing - Louisville
Louisville, KY

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

327 Annual Graduates

It's difficult to beat Galen College of Nursing - Louisville if you wish to pursue an associate degree in registered nursing. Galen College of Nursing - Louisville is a small private for-profit college located in the city of Louisville.More information about a associate in registered nursing from Galen College of Nursing - Louisville

2

Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, KY

Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

96 Annual Graduates

Western Kentucky University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting an associate degree in registered nursing. WKU is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Bowling Green.More information about a associate in registered nursing from Western Kentucky University

3

Sullivan University
Louisville, KY

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

112 Annual Graduates

It is difficult to beat Sullivan University if you want to pursue an associate degree in registered nursing. Located in the city of Louisville, Sullivan University is a private for-profit university with a small student population.More information about a associate in registered nursing from Sullivan University

4

Jefferson Community and Technical College
Louisville, KY

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

91 Annual Graduates

It is hard to beat Jefferson Community and Technical College if you want to pursue an associate degree in registered nursing. Jefferson Community and Technical College is a fairly large public college located in the large city of Louisville.More information about a associate in registered nursing from Jefferson Community and Technical College

5

Eastern Kentucky University
Richmond, KY

Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

32 Annual Graduates

Located in the town of Richmond, Eastern is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a associate in registered nursing from Eastern Kentucky University

6

University of the Cumberlands
Williamsburg, KY

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

61 Annual Graduates

Located in the remote town of Williamsburg, Cumberlands is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a associate in registered nursing from University of the Cumberlands

7

Bluegrass Community and Technical College
Lexington, KY

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

114 Annual Graduates

Bluegrass Community and Technical College is a large public college located in the large city of Lexington.More information about a associate in registered nursing from Bluegrass Community and Technical College

8

University of Pikeville
Pikeville, KY

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

40 Annual Graduates

UPIKE is a small private not-for-profit university located in the town of Pikeville.More information about a associate in registered nursing from University of Pikeville

9

Morehead State University
Morehead, KY

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

49 Annual Graduates

Morehead State University is a moderately-sized public university located in the town of Morehead.More information about a associate in registered nursing from Morehead State University

10

Hopkinsville Community College
Hopkinsville, KY

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

52 Annual Graduates

Located in the town of Hopkinsville, Hopkinsville Community College is a public college with a small student population.More information about a associate in registered nursing from Hopkinsville Community College

Best Registered Nursing Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Registered Nursing Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State	Colleges	Degrees Awarded
Mississippi	272	1,269
Florida	232	9,011
North Carolina	231	2,538
Georgia	217	1,473
West Virginia	180	813
Tennessee	170	1,235
Arkansas	161	1,212
Virginia	158	2,569
Louisiana	124	966
Alabama	109	2,116
South Carolina	105	1,223

View All Rankings >

Rankings in Majors Related to Registered Nursing

Registered Nursing is one of 23 different types of Nursing programs to choose from.

Notes and References

• The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
• 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).
• Credit for the banner image above goes to Aleksahgabrielle. More about our data sources and methodologies.