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Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California

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2023 Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California

65 Colleges
$36,841 Avg Salary
$15,480 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Undergraduate Certificate School for You

In 2020-2021, practical nursing and nursing assistants students earned 1,055 degrees and certificates from a California school, making the subject the 2nd in the state.

There are so many nursing programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.

The Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California ranking is one of many tools that Nursing Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 65 schools in California to see which ones offered the best undergraduate certificate programs for nursing students. The factors used to develop this ranking include those related to how in-demand the school is, the overall quality of the school, and post-graduation wages, and more.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California

Check out the practical nursing undergraduate certificate programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.

Top 10 Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Undergraduate Certificate Schools

#1

Unitek College

South San Francisco, CA

Our 2023 rankings named Unitek College the best school in California for practical nursing and nursing assistants students working on their undergraduate certificate. Located in the city of South San Francisco, Unitek College is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

After completing their Undergraduate Certificate, practical nursing graduates from Unitek College carry an average student debtload of $18,219. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $217.

Full Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Unitek College Report

#2

Unitek College

Hayward, CA

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Unitek College is a great place for practical nursing and nursing assistants students working on their undergraduate certificate. Located in the suburb of Hayward, Unitek College is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

After completing their Undergraduate Certificate, practical nursing graduates from Unitek College carry an average student debtload of $18,219. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $217.

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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts is a great place for practical nursing and nursing assistants students working on their undergraduate certificate. Located in the city of San Mateo, Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

On average, practical nursing graduates from Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts take out $18,229 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $152.

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

#4

Blake Austin College

Vacaville, CA

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Blake Austin College is a great place for practical nursing and nursing assistants students working on their undergraduate certificate. Located in the suburb of Vacaville, Blake Austin College is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

On average, practical nursing graduates from Blake Austin College take out $18,496 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate.

Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Blake Austin College

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Xavier College School of Nursing is a great place for practical nursing and nursing assistants students working on their undergraduate certificate. Xavier College School of Nursing is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the city of Stockton.

The average amount in student loans that practical nursing majors at Xavier College School of Nursing take out while working on their Undergraduate Certificate is $16,458.

Full Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Xavier College School of Nursing Report

With a ranking of #6, Marian College School of Nursing did quite well on this year’s best schools for practical nursing and nursing assistants students working on their undergraduate certificate. Located in the large city of Van Nuys, Marian College Van Nuys is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

On average, practical nursing graduates from Marian College Van Nuys take out $14,515 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $160.

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

#7

Homestead Schools

Torrance, CA

Homestead Schools did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for practical nursing and nursing assistants students to get a undergraduate certificate. It came in at #7 on the list. Homestead Schools is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Torrance.

On average, practical nursing graduates from Homestead Schools take out $19,480 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate.

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

Marian College School of Nursing ranked #8 on this year’s Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California list. Located in the city of Los Angeles, Marian College Los Angeles is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

On average, practical nursing graduates from Marian College Los Angeles take out $14,515 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $160.

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

#9

Unitek College

Fremont, CA

With a ranking of #9, Unitek College did quite well on this year’s best schools for practical nursing and nursing assistants students working on their undergraduate certificate. Located in the large suburb of Fremont, Unitek College is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

Practical Nursing majors at Unitek College take out an average of $18,263 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $230.

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#10

Stanbridge University

Irvine, CA

Stanbridge University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for practical nursing and nursing assistants students to get a undergraduate certificate. It came in at #10 on the list. Stanbridge is a small private for-profit school located in the large city of Irvine.

Practical Nursing majors at Stanbridge take out an average of $20,606 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $176, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Stanbridge University

Additional Noteworthy Schools

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 & Nursing Assistants Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California award.

Rank College Location
11 Career Development Institute Inc Los Angeles, CA
12 California Career Institute Garden Grove, CA
13 American Career College - Ontario Ontario, CA

Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Washington 113
Nevada 0

Practical Nursing Concentrations

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 4,817

Related Major Annual Graduates
Nursing 322,592

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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