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Best Nursing Doctor's Degree Schools in California

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2023 Best Nursing Doctor's Degree Schools in California

12 Schools Ranked

There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which nursing program is right 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. Or you may find the programs at a trade school or bootcamp to be a better alternative for you.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Nursing Degree Search has created the Best Nursing Doctor's Degree Schools in California to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 12 schools in California to see which doctor's degree programs offered the best educational experiences for nursing students. Factors related to overall quality of the school, post-graduation earnings, average student debt, and more accumulated were considered when coming up with this list.

View our full ranking methodology.

Top Nursing Doctor's Degree Schools in California

Learn more about these excellent schools below:

#1

Point Loma Nazarene University

San Diego, California

Our analysis found Point Loma Nazarene University to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a doctor’s degree in California.

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since PLNU does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 56% took at least some of their classes online.

Read full report on Point Loma Nazarene University

#2

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
$13,036 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in California list.

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at UCLA. In fact, around 79% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Full University of California - Los Angeles Report

#3

University of California - Davis

Davis, California
$13,608 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means University of California - Davis is a great place for nursing students working on their doctor’s degree.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at UC Davis. In fact, around 52% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read full report on University of California - Davis

$8,087 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend California State University - Fresno. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in California list.

Fresno State does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In 2019-2020 about 98% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read More…

#5

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, California
$27,250 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means University of San Francisco is a great place for nursing students working on their doctor’s degree.

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at USFCA. In fact, around 100% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#6

Azusa Pacific University

Azusa, California
$16,696 Average Tuition & Fees

Azusa Pacific University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a doctor’s degree. It came in at #6 on the list.

Since the graduate programs at Azusa Pacific are online, the school is an excellent choice for graduate students who need more flexibility than what is offered at some other schools.

Read full report on Azusa Pacific University

#7

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
$9,286 Average Tuition & Fees

San Jose State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in California ranking.

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at San Jose State. In 2019-2020 about 94% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read More…

#8

Brandman University

Irvine, California
$12,720 Average Tuition & Fees

Brandman University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a doctor’s degree. It came in at #8 on the list.

Interested in an online degree? Then you definitely want to check out Brandman. Every graduate student at the school took at least one class online.

Read More…

$8,410 Average Tuition & Fees

California State University - Fullerton landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best doctor’s degree nursing programs.

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Cal State Fullerton. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 99% took at least some of their classes online.

Read More…

#10

University of California - Irvine

Irvine, California
$13,356 Average Tuition & Fees

University of California - Irvine ranked #10 on this year’s Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in California list.

UC Irvine does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In 2019-2020 about 95% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Full University of California - Irvine Report

#11

California Baptist University

Riverside, California
$14,320 Average Tuition & Fees

California Baptist University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools in California ranking.

One thing to take note of is that Cal Baptist does offer online graduate classes in some areas. During the 2019-2020 year, about 45% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read full report on California Baptist University

#12

University of San Diego

San Diego, California
$28,410 Average Tuition & Fees

University of San Diego landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best doctor’s degree nursing programs.

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at USD. In 2019-2020 about 24% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Full University of San Diego Report

Best Nursing Doctor's Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region

View Best Nursing Doctor’s Degree Schools Nationwide >

Notes and References

Footnotes

*These averages are for the top 12 schools only.

References

  • 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 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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