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Best Value Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools in California

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2023 Best Value Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools in California

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

22 Colleges
$2,201 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$41,222 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree 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.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Nursing Degree Search has created the Best Value Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools in California to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 22 schools in California to see which ones offered the best value associate degree programs for practical nursing students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.

This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.

For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

2023 Best Value Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools in California

The colleges and universities below are the best value schools for practical nursing majors pursuing a associate degree.

Top 10 Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools

#1

Merced College

Merced, CA

Our analysis found Merced College to be the best value school for practical nursing and nursing assistants students who want to pursue a associate degree in California. Merced Community College District is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Merced.

Merced Community College District undergraduate students pay an average of $1,180 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Merced Community College District not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #1 on our Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools in California list.

Full Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Merced College Report

#2

Cuesta College

San Luis Obispo, CA

The excellent associate degree programs at Cuesta College helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best value practical nursing and nursing assistants schools in California. Cuesta College is a moderately-sized public school located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Cuesta College are $1,338 a year.

On top of its placing in our value ranking, Cuesta College also did well on our Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools in California list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.

Read More…

#3

Sacramento City College

Sacramento, CA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Sacramento City College. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools in California list. Sacramento City is a large public school located in the city of Sacramento.

Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Sacramento City College

#4

Riverside City College

Riverside, CA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Riverside City College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools in California list. Located in the city of Riverside, Riverside City College is a public school with a large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Riverside City College are $1,420 a year. The average amount in student loans that practical nursing majors at Riverside City College take out while working on their Associate Degree is $7,686.

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#5

Santa Barbara City College

Santa Barbara, CA

The excellent associate degree programs at Santa Barbara City College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best value practical nursing and nursing assistants schools in California. SBCC is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Santa Barbara.

SBCC undergraduate students pay an average of $1,232 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

SBCC excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools in California list.

Read More…

#6

Butte College

Oroville, CA

With a ranking of #6, Butte College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for practical nursing and nursing assistants students working on their associate degree. Butte College is a medium-sized public school located in the rural area of Oroville.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Butte College are $1,368 a year. The average amount in student loans that practical nursing majors at Butte College take out while working on their Associate Degree is $18,505.

Butte College not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #4 on our Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools in California list.

Full Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Butte College Report

Napa Valley College landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree practical nursing and nursing assistants programs. Located in the small city of Napa, Napa Valley College is a public school with a small student population.

Napa Valley College undergraduate students pay an average of $1,150 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Napa Valley College

#8

Santa Rosa Junior College

Santa Rosa, CA

Santa Rosa Junior College landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree practical nursing and nursing assistants programs. SRJC is a large public school located in the medium-sized city of Santa Rosa.

SRJC undergraduate students pay an average of $1,328 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

In addition to its great value ranking, SRJC is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools in California list.

Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Santa Rosa Junior College

With a ranking of #9, College of the Redwoods did quite well on this year’s best value schools for practical nursing and nursing assistants students working on their associate degree. Located in the rural area of Eureka, College of the Redwoods is a public college with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at College of the Redwoods are $1,147 per year.

Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at College of the Redwoods

#10

College of the Desert

Palm Desert, CA

College of the Desert ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools in California list. Located in the small city of Palm Desert, College of the Desert is a public college with a large student population.

College of the Desert undergraduate students pay an average of $1,326 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Full Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at College of the Desert Report

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

Explore all the Best Value 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 22 schools only.

  • 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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