2023 Best Value Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in California
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants 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.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Nursing Degree Search has developed this Best Value Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in California ranking. This report analyzed 76 schools in California to see which ones offered the best value 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.
Top 15% Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Merced College the best value school in California for practical nursing and nursing assistants students. 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 also claimed a spot on our Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in California list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
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Out of the 76 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Butte College landed the # 2 spot on the list. Butte College is a moderately-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.
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Out of the 76 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Cuesta College landed the # 3 spot on the list. Cuesta College is a moderately-sized public school located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo.
Cuesta College undergraduate students pay an average of $1,338 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
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The excellent programs at College of the Sequoias helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best practical nursing and nursing assistants schools in California. College of the Sequoias is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Visalia.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at College of the Sequoias are $1,394 per year.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Santa Rosa Junior College. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in California list. SRJC is a large public school located in the midsize city of Santa Rosa.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at SRJC are $1,328 a year.
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Napa Valley College landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value practical nursing and nursing assistants programs. Located in the small city of Napa, Napa Valley College is a public college with a small student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Napa Valley College are $1,150 per year.
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Sacramento City College landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value practical nursing and nursing assistants programs. Sacramento City is a fairly large public school located in the city of Sacramento.
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With a ranking of #8, Santa Barbara City College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for practical nursing and nursing assistants students. SBCC is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Santa Barbara.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SBCC are $1,232 per year.
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With a ranking of #9, Riverside City College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for practical nursing and nursing assistants students. Located in the city of Riverside, Riverside City College is a public school with a fairly large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Riverside City College are $1,420 per year. After completing their degree, practical nursing graduates from Riverside City College carry an average student debtload of $9,750.
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Modesto Junior College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in California list. Located in the midsize city of Modesto, MJC is a public college with a large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at MJC are $1,274 per year. While working on their degree, practical nursing majors at MJC accumulate an average of around $8,407 in student debt.
In addition to its great value ranking, MJC is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in California list.
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American River College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in California list. Located in the suburb of Sacramento, American River is a public school with a very large student population.
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These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Value Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in California award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | College of the Redwoods | Eureka, CA |
| 13 | Imperial Valley College | Imperial, CA |
| 14 | College of the Desert | Palm Desert, CA |
| 15 | Bakersfield College | Bakersfield, CA |
Best Value Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Value Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Washington | 113 |
| Nevada | 0 |
More Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Rankings in California
Majors Related to Practical Nursing
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 |
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Nursing | 322,592 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 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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