2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California
Finding the Best Nursing Associate Degree School for You
Out of the majors we analyze each year, nursing was the most popular one in California. In total, 18,329 people earned a degree or certificate in the field from a school in California.
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. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Nursing Degree Search has created its Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California ranking. Our analysis looked at 69 schools in California to see which associate degree programs offered the best educational experiences 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.
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2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California
The following schools top our list of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Colleges.
Top 10 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts the best school in California for nursing students working on their associate degree. Located in the midsize city of San Mateo, Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts accumulate an average of around $20,947 in student debt.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Stanbridge University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California list. Stanbridge is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Irvine.
The excellent associate degree programs at Los Angeles County College of Nursing and Allied Health helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in California. Located in the city of Los Angeles, L.A. County School of Nursing is a public college with a small student population.
Nursing majors at L.A. County School of Nursing take out an average of $21,695 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
Read full report on Nursing at Los Angeles County College of Nursing and Allied Health
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Unitek College. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California list. Located in the large suburb of Fremont, Unitek College is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from Unitek College carry an average student debtload of $26,043.
Out of the 69 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Merced College landed the # 5 spot on the list. Merced Community College District is a medium-sized public school located in the small city of Merced.
Nursing majors at Merced Community College District take out an average of $12,152 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
Modesto Junior College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a associate degree. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the city of Modesto, MJC is a public college with a large student population.
On average, nursing graduates from MJC take out $16,015 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
Glendale Career College - Brightwood-Teachout landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree nursing programs. Located in the city of San-Diego, Glendale Career College - Brightwood-Teachout is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Glendale Career College - Brightwood-Teachout accumulate an average of around $33,520 in student debt.
Full Nursing at Glendale Career College - Brightwood-Teachout Report
Pacific Union College landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree nursing programs. Located in the rural area of Angwin, PUC is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at PUC accumulate an average of around $29,980 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $222, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Butte College landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree nursing programs. Butte College is a medium-sized public school located in the rural area of Oroville.
Nursing majors at Butte College take out an average of $19,826 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
Mount Saint Mary’s University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California ranking. MSMU is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles.
Nursing majors at MSMU take out an average of $24,268 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $187.
Additional Noteworthy Schools
Here are some additional great schools for Nursing students in the state of California that almost earned our Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | San Joaquin Delta College | Stockton, CA |
| 12 | Cabrillo College | Aptos, CA |
| 13 | Cuesta College | San Luis Obispo, CA |
Best Nursing Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Washington | 3,851 |
| Nevada | 2,015 |
| Alaska | 177 |
| Hawaii | 535 |
| Oregon | 1,502 |
More Nursing Rankings in California
Nursing Related Rankings by Major
Nursing Focus Areas
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | 266,651 |
| Family Practice Nurse/Nursing | 16,104 |
| Nursing Administration | 9,838 |
| Nursing Practice | 7,992 |
| Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 5,092 |
| Nursing Science | 4,600 |
| Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing | 2,287 |
| Adult Health Nurse/Nursing | 2,021 |
| Nurse Anesthetist | 1,936 |
| Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing | 1,883 |
| Critical Care Nursing | 773 |
| Geriatric Nurse/Nursing | 563 |
| School Nursing | 553 |
| Nurse Midwife/Nursing Midwifery | 509 |
| Clinical Nurse Leader | 444 |
| Clinical Nurse Specialist | 419 |
| Perioperative/Operating Room and Surgical Nurse/Nursing | 331 |
| Maternal/Child Health and Neonatal Nurse/Nursing | 181 |
| Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing | 57 |
| Emergency Room/Trauma Nursing | 53 |
| Palliative Care Nursing | 14 |
| Forensic Nursing | 14 |
Most Popular Majors Related to Nursing
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants | 84,274 |
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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Aleksahgabrielle.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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