2023 Best Nursing Schools in California
Finding the Best Nursing 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 help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Nursing Degree Search has developed this Best Nursing Schools in California ranking. This report analyzed 124 schools in California to see which ones offered the best programs for nursing students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Nursing Schools in California
Check out the nursing programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.
Top 15% Best Nursing Schools
Our analysis found Samuel Merritt University to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a degree in California. Samuel Merritt University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Oakland.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Samuel Merritt University take out is $100,511. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $601.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanbridge University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Nursing Schools in California list. Stanbridge is a small private for-profit school located in the large city of Irvine.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at Stanbridge accumulate an average of around $35,329 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $428.
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts is a great place for nursing students. Located in the medium-sized city of San Mateo, Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
Nursing majors at Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts take out an average of $21,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
Read full report on Nursing at Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Los Angeles County College of Nursing and Allied Health. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Nursing Schools in California list. 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 $10,500 in student loans while working on their egree.
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 University of Southern California. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in California list. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles.
On average, nursing graduates from USC take out $96,260 in student loans while working on their degree.
Read full report on Nursing at University of Southern California
Pacific College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in California list. Pacific College is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Costa Mesa.
University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in California ranking. Located in the suburb of San Marcos, USAHS is a private for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.
Full Nursing at University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences Report
Loma Linda University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Located in the large suburb of Loma Linda, Loma Linda University is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
On average, nursing graduates from Loma Linda University take out $75,173 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $383.
With a ranking of #9, Touro University California did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Located in the city of Vallejo, TUC is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
On average, nursing graduates from TUC take out $45,630 in student loans while working on their degree.
West Coast University - Ontario did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #10 on the list. West Coast University - Ontario is a small private for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Ontario.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from West Coast University - Ontario carry an average student debtload of $34,145. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $742.
Read full report on Nursing at West Coast University - Ontario
West Coast University - Los Angeles landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. West Coast University - Los Angeles is a small private for-profit school located in the large city of North Hollywood.
On average, nursing graduates from West Coast University - Los Angeles take out $34,858 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $742.
California State University - Monterey Bay landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. CSUMB is a medium-sized public school located in the midsize suburb of Seaside.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from CSUMB carry an average student debtload of $5,500.
Read full report on Nursing at California State University - Monterey Bay
West Coast University - Orange County did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #13 on the list. Located in the large city of Anaheim, West Coast University - Orange County is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at West Coast University - Orange County accumulate an average of around $34,858 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 $742.
Read full report on Nursing at West Coast University - Orange County
With a ranking of #14, American University of Health Sciences did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Located in the suburb of Signal Hill, AUHS Signal Hill is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
Nursing majors at AUHS Signal Hill take out an average of $37,584 in student loans while working on their egree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $420.
Full Nursing at American University of Health Sciences Report
With a ranking of #15, University of California - San Francisco did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. UCSF is a small public school located in the city of San Francisco.
Nursing majors at UCSF take out an average of $77,233 in student loans while working on their egree.
With a ranking of #16, Unitek College did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Located in the suburb of Fremont, Unitek College is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
Nursing majors at Unitek College take out an average of $18,594 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $284.
With a ranking of #17, Chamberlain University - California did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Located in the city of Rancho Cordova, Chamberlain - California is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
On average, nursing graduates from Chamberlain - California take out $22,213 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $283.
University of California - Davis came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in California ranking. Located in the small suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public college with a fairly large student population.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from UC Davis carry an average student debtload of $50,303.
Additional Noteworthy Schools
Here are some additional great schools for Nursing students in the state of California that almost earned our Best Nursing Schools in California award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 19 | Sonoma State University | Rohnert Park, CA |
| 20 | California State University - Dominguez Hills | Carson, CA |
| 21 | Western University of Health Sciences | Pomona, CA |
| 22 | California State University - Stanislaus | Turlock, CA |
| 23 | University of California - Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA |
| 24 | Dominican University of California | San Rafael, CA |
Best Nursing Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Nursing Colleges 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 Related Rankings by Major
Nursing Focus Areas
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | 262,974 |
| Family Practice Nurse/Nursing | 16,647 |
| Nursing Practice | 8,862 |
| Nursing Administration | 8,663 |
| Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 4,717 |
| Nursing Science | 4,701 |
| Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing | 2,895 |
| Adult Health Nurse/Nursing | 2,075 |
| Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing | 2,011 |
| Nurse Anesthetist | 1,768 |
| Critical Care Nursing | 747 |
| Geriatric Nurse/Nursing | 622 |
| Nurse Midwife/Nursing Midwifery | 567 |
| School Nursing | 539 |
| Clinical Nurse Leader | 502 |
| Clinical Nurse Specialist | 340 |
| Perioperative/Operating Room and Surgical Nurse/Nursing | 269 |
| Women’s Health Nurse/Nursing | 262 |
| Maternal/Child Health and Neonatal Nurse/Nursing | 192 |
| Emergency Room/Trauma Nursing | 87 |
| Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing | 26 |
| Forensic Nursing | 23 |
| Palliative Care Nursing | 13 |
Most Popular Majors Related to Nursing
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants | 85,339 |
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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