Oklahoma·Healthcare Support Occupations·SOC 31-1131

Best Nursing Assistant programs in Oklahoma, ranked by enrollment

Provide or assist with basic care or support under the direction of onsite licensed nursing staff.

27 schools in Oklahoma run programs that feed this job, graduating 1,888 people a year. The job pays a median of $35,930 in Oklahoma across about 19,410 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Also calledNursing AssistantCertified Nurses Aide (CNA)Patient Care Assistant (PCA)Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)Ward AideNurse AideHealth AideWard Helper
Graduates / yr
1,888
in Oklahoma
Median pay · Oklahoma
$35,930
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
19,410
people employed
Schools
27
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
73%
across those schools
Median net price
$24,282
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in Oklahoma that lead to this job

Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.

1 programs in Oklahoma that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in Oklahoma (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Oklahoma page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#ProgramGraduates / yrShare of pipelineSchoolsGrad earnings (1 yr)Median debt
1
CIP 51.3902In Oklahoma
1,888
100.0%
27$44,377$15,018

Top 25 schools in Oklahoma

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 14 of the 27 schools in this state.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad earnings (1 yr)Grad rateNet priceAcceptance
1Northeast Technology Center
Pryor, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
215Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide$45,09197%
2Indian Capital Technology Center - Muskogee
Muskogee, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
165Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide$42,822100%
3Kiamichi Technology Center - McAlester
McAlester, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
165Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide$41,02545%
4Francis Tuttle Technology Center
Oklahoma City, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
151Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide$41,10652%
5Gordon Cooper Technology Center
Shawnee, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
101Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide$47,57390%
6Moore Norman Technology Center
Norman, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
96Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide91%
7Tulsa Technology Center
Tulsa, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
92Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide$44,59481%
8Metro Technology Centers
Oklahoma City, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
91Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide35%
9Central Technology Center
Drumright, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
89Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide85%
10Mid - America Technology Center
Wayne, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
89Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide100%
11Northwest Technology Center - Alva
Alva, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
80Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide77%
12Canadian Valley Technology Center
El Reno, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
77Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide$46,77771%
13Southern Oklahoma Technology Center
Ardmore, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
66Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide83%
14Connors State College
Warner, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
55Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide36%
15Red River Technology Center
Duncan, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
53Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide$40,02953%
16Green Country Technology Center
Okmulgee, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
49Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide$51,60167%
17Pontotoc Technology Center
Ada, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
38Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide$44,84683%
18Meridian Technology Center
Stillwater, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
37Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide48%
19Autry Technology Center
Enid, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
34Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide75%71%
20Eastern Oklahoma County Technology Center
Choctaw, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
31Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide92%
21Southwest Technology Center
Altus, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
27Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide$39,52778%
22Chisholm Trail Technology Center
Omega, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
25Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide71%
23Western Technology Center
Burns Flat, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
22Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide$40,26474%
24Pioneer Technology Center
Ponca City, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
19Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide$46,30573%
25Caddo Kiowa Technology Center
Fort Cobb, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
18Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide68%

All 27 schools in Oklahoma

Every school in Oklahoma with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.

All schools in Oklahoma that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
Northeast Technology CenterPryorPublic2151
Indian Capital Technology Center - MuskogeeMuskogeePublic1651
Kiamichi Technology Center - McAlesterMcAlesterPublic1651
Francis Tuttle Technology CenterOklahoma CityPublic1511
Gordon Cooper Technology CenterShawneePublic1011
Moore Norman Technology CenterNormanPublic961
Tulsa Technology CenterTulsaPublic921
Metro Technology CentersOklahoma CityPublic911
Central Technology CenterDrumrightPublic891
Mid - America Technology CenterWaynePublic891
Northwest Technology Center - AlvaAlvaPublic801
Canadian Valley Technology CenterEl RenoPublic771
Southern Oklahoma Technology CenterArdmorePublic661
Connors State CollegeWarnerPublic551
Red River Technology CenterDuncanPublic531

What nursing assistants earn in Oklahoma

What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.

Median annual in Oklahoma
$35,930
Mean annual
$35,920
Jobs in state
19,410
What the range looks like
10th pct$29,630Median$35,93090th pct$42,870
Versus the national median
-15.0%

U.S. median $42,260. Oklahoma pays below the national figure.

Job concentration
1.22×

Concentrated here: Oklahoma employs more of this job per worker than the U.S. average.

Metro areas in Oklahoma

Lawton, OK
$35,190median
490 jobs
Oklahoma City, OK
$36,560median
6,150 jobs
Tulsa, OK
$36,720median
5,420 jobs
Enid, OK
$34,250median
270 jobs

Job outlook

Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.

Projected growth 2024–34
+2.3%
About as fast as average
Openings per year
204,100
new jobs plus replacements
Employment change
32,600
1,441,500 → 1,474,000
Typical entry education
Postsecondary nondegree award

Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.

How to get in

The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Nursing Assistants page.

How to become a Nursing Assistant

Job zone 3 of 5 · SVP 6.0 to < 7.0
Typical entry education
Postsecondary nondegree award

Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.

Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Top skills

Active ListeningMonitoringCritical ThinkingSpeakingReading ComprehensionActive Learning

The same job in other states

Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.

Related careers in Oklahoma

Every major mapped to this job

The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.

All 3 majors mapped to Nursing Assistants3 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
  • 51.2601Health Aide
  • 51.3902Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide
  • 51.3999Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants, Other

Common questions

Answers for people weighing nursing assistants programs in Oklahoma.

What degree do you need to become a Nursing Assistant?+

Postsecondary nondegree award is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide, which awarded 1,888 degrees in Oklahoma in 2024-25, 100.0% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.

Which college majors lead to becoming a Nursing Assistant?+

The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 1 programs to this occupation. The largest are Practical Nursing. Together they graduate about 1,888 people a year in Oklahoma.

How much do nursing assistants earn in Oklahoma?+

The median is $35,930 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 15.0% below the U.S. median of $42,260. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.

Is demand for nursing assistants growing?+

BLS projects a +2.3% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 204,100 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.

How many schools offer programs for this career in Oklahoma?+

27 institutions in Oklahoma reported graduates from at least one of the 1 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.

What other job titles do nursing assistants work under?+

Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Nursing Assistant, Certified Nurses Aide (CNA), Patient Care Assistant (PCA), Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 31-1131.

About the data on this page

Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).

  • BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics

    May 2025

    Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.

  • BLS Employment Projections

    2024–34

    Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.

  • IPEDS Completions

    2024-25 (provisional)

    Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.

  • College Scorecard, Field of Study

    2020-21 cohorts

    Median graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.

  • Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes

    latest available

    Graduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.

  • NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk

    CIP 2020 / SOC 2018

    Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.

  • O*NET Database 30.3

    30.3

    Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.

    Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA

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