2023 Best Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Region
Finding the Best Nursing School for You
In 2021-2022, 319,502 degrees and certificates were awarded to nursing students, making the major the most popular in the country.
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which nursing program is right for you. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.
The Best Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking is one of many tools that Nursing Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 207 schools in the Far Western US Region to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for nursing students.
View our full ranking methodology.
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2023 Best Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Nursing Colleges.
Top 25 Top Far Western US Region Schools in Nursing
Our 2023 rankings named Samuel Merritt University the best school in the Far Western US Region for nursing students. Located in the large city of Oakland, Samuel Merritt University is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Nursing majors at Samuel Merritt University take out an average of $100,511 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $601, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Stanbridge University is a great place for nursing students. Located in the city of Irvine, Stanbridge is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Stanbridge take out is $35,329. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $428.
The excellent programs at Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in the Far Western US Region . Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts is a small private for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of San Mateo.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts carry an average student debtload of $21,000.
The excellent programs at Los Angeles County College of Nursing and Allied Health helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in the Far Western US Region . L.A. County School of Nursing is a small public school located in the city of Los Angeles.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from L.A. County School of Nursing carry an average student debtload of $10,500.
Read full report on Nursing at Los Angeles County College of Nursing and Allied Health
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Southern California. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at USC accumulate an average of around $96,260 in student debt.
Pacific College landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Located in the midsize city of Costa Mesa, Pacific College is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. USAHS is a moderately-sized private for-profit school located in the suburb of San Marcos.
Read full report on Nursing at University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences
Loma Linda University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Loma Linda University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Loma Linda.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at Loma Linda University accumulate an average of around $75,173 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $383, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Touro University California came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. TUC is a small private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Vallejo.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at TUC accumulate an average of around $45,630 in student debt.
West Coast University - Ontario ranked #12 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Located in the midsize city of Ontario, West Coast University - Ontario is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
On average, nursing graduates from West Coast University - Ontario take out $34,145 in student loans while working on their degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $742, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
West Coast University - Los Angeles came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in the large city of North Hollywood, West Coast University - Los Angeles is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at West Coast University - Los Angeles accumulate an average of around $34,858 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $742, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
California State University - Monterey Bay came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in the suburb of Seaside, CSUMB is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
On average, nursing graduates from CSUMB take out $5,500 in student loans while working on their degree.
With a ranking of #15, West Coast University - Orange County did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. West Coast University - Orange County is a small private for-profit school located in the large city of Anaheim.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at West Coast University - Orange County take out is $34,858. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $742, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Read full report on Nursing at West Coast University - Orange County
American University of Health Sciences did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #16 on the list. AUHS Signal Hill is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the large suburb of Signal Hill.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from AUHS Signal Hill carry an average student debtload of $37,584. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $420, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Nursing at American University of Health Sciences Report
Bushnell University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in the medium-sized city of Eugene, Bushnell University is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
University of California - San Francisco landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Located in the large city of San Francisco, UCSF is a public college with a small student population.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from UCSF carry an average student debtload of $77,233.
Oregon Health & Science University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. OHSU is a small public school located in the city of Portland.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from OHSU carry an average student debtload of $60,355. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $249.
Unitek College landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Unitek College is a small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Fremont.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Unitek College carry an average student debtload of $18,594. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $284.
Chamberlain University - California came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Chamberlain - California is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Rancho Cordova.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at Chamberlain - California accumulate an average of around $22,213 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $283, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Read full report on Nursing at Chamberlain University - California
University of California - Davis came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. UC Davis is a very large public school located in the suburb of Davis.
On average, nursing graduates from UC Davis take out $50,303 in student loans while working on their degree.
Read full report on Nursing at University of California - Davis
Sonoma State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #23 on the list. SSU is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Rohnert Park.
Nursing majors at SSU take out an average of $26,750 in student loans while working on their egree.
Gonzaga University landed the #24 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Located in the city of Spokane, Gonzaga is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.
Nursing majors at Gonzaga take out an average of $53,347 in student loans while working on their egree.
With a ranking of #25, University of Portland did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Located in the city of Portland, University of Portland is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from University of Portland carry an average student debtload of $27,000. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $749, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Rest of the Top Best Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Region
Honorable Mentions
Here are some additional great schools for Nursing students in the Far Western US Region that almost earned our Best Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 32 | Dominican University of California | San Rafael, CA |
| 33 | University of San Francisco | San Francisco, CA |
| 34 | California State University - Sacramento | Sacramento, CA |
| 35 | Mount Saint Mary’s University | Los Angeles, CA |
| 36 | California State University - Channel Islands | Camarillo, CA |
| 37 | Merced College | Merced, CA |
| 38 | Touro University Nevada | Henderson, NV |
| 39 | University of Washington - Tacoma Campus | Tacoma, WA |
| 40 | Azusa Pacific University | Azusa, CA |
| 41 | Point Loma Nazarene University | San Diego, CA |
Best Nursing Colleges by State
Explore the best nursing colleges for a specific state in the Far Western US region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Washington | 3,851 |
| California | 18,329 |
| Nevada | 2,015 |
| Alaska | 177 |
| Hawaii | 535 |
| Oregon | 1,502 |
Rankings in Majors Related to Nursing
Nursing Concentrations
| 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 |
Majors Similar 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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