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Most Popular Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools in California

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2023 Most Popular Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools in California

42 Colleges
$41,222 Avg Salary
$20,983 Avg Student Debt

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.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Nursing Degree Search has developed this Most Popular Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools in California ranking. This report analyzed 42 schools in California to see which ones were the most popular associate degree programs for nursing students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants program at each school on the list.

The following schools top our list of the Most Popular Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Colleges.

#1

Unitek College

Fremont, CA

Our analysis found Unitek College to be the most popular school for practical nursing and nursing assistants students who want to pursue a associate degree in California. Located in the large suburb of Fremont, Unitek College is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

Of the 254 students majoring in practical nursing at Unitek College, 18% are male and 82% are female.

While working on their Associate Degree, practical nursing majors at Unitek College accumulate an average of around $20,602 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $184, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Popular Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools in California list. Located in the city of San Mateo, Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

About 91% of the students majoring in practical nursing at the school are women while 9% are male.

Practical Nursing majors at Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts take out an average of $18,804 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Carrington College, Sacramento is a great place for practical nursing and nursing assistants students working on their associate degree. Carrington College, Sacramento is a small private for-profit school located in the large suburb of Sacramento.

About 92% of the students majoring in practical nursing at the school are women while 8% are male.

While working on their Associate Degree, practical nursing majors at Carrington College, Sacramento accumulate an average of around $31,342 in student debt.

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#4

Pacific College

Costa Mesa, CA

Out of the 42 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Pacific College landed the # 4 spot on the list. Pacific College is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the midsize city of Costa Mesa.

About 96% of the students majoring in practical nursing at the school are women while 4% are male.

Practical Nursing majors at Pacific College take out an average of $20,773 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

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#5

Long Beach City College

Long Beach, CA

Out of the 42 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Long Beach City College landed the # 5 spot on the list. Long Beach City College is a very large public school located in the city of Long Beach.

About 86% of the students majoring in practical nursing at the school are women while 14% are male.

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#6

Citrus College

Glendora, CA

Citrus College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for practical nursing and nursing assistants students to get a associate degree. It came in at #6 on the list. Citrus College is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Glendora.

About 91% of the students majoring in practical nursing at the school are women while 9% are male.

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#7

Riverside City College

Riverside, CA

Riverside City College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for practical nursing and nursing assistants students to get a associate degree. It came in at #7 on the list. Located in the city of Riverside, Riverside City College is a public college with a large student population.

Of the 30 students majoring in practical nursing at Riverside City College, 3% are male and 97% are female.

After completing their Associate Degree, practical nursing graduates from Riverside City College carry an average student debt load of $7,686.

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San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia ranked #8 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools in California list. San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia is a small private for-profit school located in the rural area of Visalia.

Women make up 86% of the practical nursing majors at the school.

While working on their Associate Degree, practical nursing majors at San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia accumulate an average of around $22,435 in student debt.

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#8

Southwestern College

Chula Vista, CA

Southwestern College landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular associate degree practical nursing and nursing assistants programs. SWC Chula Vista is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Chula Vista.

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#10

Allan Hancock College

Santa Maria, CA

Allan Hancock College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for practical nursing and nursing assistants students to get a associate degree. It came in at #10 on the list. Allan Hancock College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Santa Maria.

About 96% of the students majoring in practical nursing at the school are women while 4% are male.

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

Explore all the Most Popular 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.

  • 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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