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Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in California

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2023 Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in California

54 Colleges
$64,238 Avg Salary
$28,730 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Nursing Bachelor's 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.

The Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in California ranking is one of many tools that Nursing Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 54 schools in California to see which bachelor's 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.

2023 Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California

The following schools top our list of the Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Colleges.

Top 10 Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools

Our 2023 rankings named Samuel Merritt University the best school in California for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Samuel Merritt University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Oakland.

Nursing majors at Samuel Merritt University take out an average of $28,570 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $551.

Read full report on Nursing at Samuel Merritt University

#2

Stanbridge University

Irvine, CA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanbridge University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list. Stanbridge is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Irvine.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from Stanbridge carry an average student debtload of $32,734.

Full Nursing at Stanbridge University Report

#3

Pacific College

Costa Mesa, CA

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Pacific College is a great place for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Pacific College is a small private for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Costa Mesa.

While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at Pacific College accumulate an average of around $15,905 in student debt.

Read full report on Nursing at Pacific College

#4

Loma Linda University

Loma Linda, CA

The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Loma Linda University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in California. Located in the large suburb of Loma Linda, Loma Linda University is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Loma Linda University take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $34,125. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $416, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Nursing at Loma Linda University

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend West Coast University - Orange County. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list. Located in the large city of Anaheim, West Coast University - Orange County is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from West Coast University - Orange County carry an average student debtload of $38,539. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $665.

Read full report on Nursing at West Coast University - Orange County

West Coast University - Ontario came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California ranking. West Coast University - Ontario is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Ontario.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from West Coast University - Ontario carry an average student debtload of $38,539. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $665.

Full Nursing at West Coast University - Ontario Report

#7

West Coast University - Los Angeles

North Hollywood, CA

West Coast University - Los Angeles ranked #7 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list. West Coast University - Los Angeles is a small private for-profit school located in the large city of North Hollywood.

While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at West Coast University - Los Angeles accumulate an average of around $38,539 in student debt. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $665.

Read full report on Nursing at West Coast University - Los Angeles

Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree nursing programs. Located in the midsize city of San Mateo, Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

Read More…

California State University - Monterey Bay came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California ranking. CSUMB is a moderately-sized public school located in the midsize suburb of Seaside.

While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at CSUMB accumulate an average of around $16,909 in student debt.

Full Nursing at California State University - Monterey Bay Report

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #10 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public college with a very large student population.

Read More…

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

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

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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