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Most Popular Online Nursing Schools in California

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2023 Most Popular Online Nursing Schools in California

19 Colleges
$90,600 Avg Salary
$21,020 Avg Student Debt

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 Most Popular Online Nursing Schools in California ranking. Our analysis looked at 19 schools in California to see which online programs were the most popular for nursing students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from schools with online programs.

The following schools top our list of the Most Popular Online Nursing Colleges.

#1

National University

La Jolla, CA

Our 2023 rankings named National University the most popular online school in California for nursing students. National University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of La Jolla.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from National University carry an average student debtload of $37,500. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $198, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

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The excellent online programs at California State University - Dominguez Hills helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in California. Located in the city of Carson, CSUDH is a public college with a large student population.

Nursing majors at CSUDH take out an average of $17,500 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Nursing at California State University - Dominguez Hills Report

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#3

Brandman University

Irvine, CA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brandman University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Popular Online Nursing Schools in California list. Located in the city of Irvine, Brandman is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.

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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts is a great place for nursing students pursuing an online degree. Located in the city of San Mateo, Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

On average, nursing graduates from Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts take out $18,603 in student loans while working on their degree.

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#5

Compton College

Compton, CA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Compton College. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Most Popular Online Nursing Schools in California list. Located in the suburb of Compton, Compton College is a public school with a small student population.

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#6

United States University

San Diego, CA

United States University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the large city of San Diego, USU is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

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University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Online Nursing Schools in California ranking. Located in the suburb of San Marcos, USAHS is a private for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.

Full Nursing at University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences Report

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West Coast University - Orange County came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Online Nursing Schools in California ranking. Located in the large city of Anaheim, West Coast University - Orange County is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

On average, nursing graduates from West Coast University - Orange County take out $38,146 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 $665.

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California State University - Fresno ranked #10 on this year’s Most Popular Online Nursing Schools in California list. Fresno State is a fairly large public school located in the city of Fresno.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Fresno State take out is $16,500.

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Best Nursing Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Most Popular 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 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 19 schools only.

  • 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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