2023 Best Nursing Doctor's Degree Schools in California
Finding the Best Nursing Doctor'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 Doctor's Degree Schools in California ranking is one of many tools that Nursing Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 18 schools in California to see which ones offered the best doctor's degree programs 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 Doctor’s Degree Schools in California
The following schools top our list of the Best Nursing Doctor's Degree Colleges.
Top 10 Best Nursing Doctor's Degree Schools
Our 2023 rankings named University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences the best school in California for nursing students working on their doctor’s degree. Located in the large suburb of San Marcos, USAHS is a private for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.
Request Information
The excellent doctor’s degree programs at Samuel Merritt University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in California. Samuel Merritt University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Oakland.
Read full report on Nursing at Samuel Merritt University
Request Information
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Point Loma Nazarene University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in California list. Located in the large city of San Diego, PLNU is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Request Information
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in California list. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public school with a very large student population.
Full Nursing at University of California - Los Angeles Report
Request Information
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Touro University California. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in California list. Located in the midsize city of Vallejo, TUC is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Request Information
University of California - Davis ranked #6 on this year’s Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in California list. Located in the small suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public school with a very large student population.
Request Information
California State University - Fresno landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best doctor’s degree nursing programs. Fresno State is a very large public school located in the city of Fresno.
Request Information
With a ranking of #8, University of San Francisco did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their doctor’s degree. USFCA is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of San Francisco.
Request Information
Loma Linda University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best doctor’s degree nursing programs. Located in the suburb of Loma Linda, Loma Linda University is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Read full report on Nursing at Loma Linda University
Request Information
Western University of Health Sciences landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best doctor’s degree nursing programs. Western University of Health Sciences is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Pomona.
Request InformationBest 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 18 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.
NursingDegreeSearch.com provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© NursingDegreeSearch.com – All Rights Reserved.