2023 Best Value Nursing Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Prices
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. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools and bootcamps that offer fast-track entry to many fields.
The Best Value Nursing Undergraduate Certificate 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 21 schools in California to see which ones offered the best value undergraduate certificate programs for nursing students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
Featured schools near , edit
Top Value Nursing Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Glendale Community College to be the best value school for nursing students who want to pursue a undergraduate certificate in California. Located in Glendale, California, the fairly large public school handed out 87 undergraduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at GCC are $7,531 per year. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $22,175 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since GCC does offer online classes for certain majors. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 58% took at least some of their classes online.
GCC also made our Best Nursing Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California list, coming in at #1.
Out of the 21 schools in California that were part of this year’s value ranking, Cuesta College landed the # 2 spot on the list. Cuesta College is located in San Luis Obispo, California and has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 28 undergraduate certificates to qualified students.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Cuesta College are $8,702 per year.
One thing to take note of is that Cuesta College does offer online classes in some areas. During the 2019-2020 year, about 96% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Cuesta College not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #2 on our Best Nursing Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California list.
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Napa Valley College is a great place for nursing students working on their undergraduate certificate who want the most bang for their educational buck. Napa Valley College is a small public school situated in Napa, California. It awarded 15 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Napa Valley College undergraduate students pay an average of $8,734 in tuition and fees each year.
One thing to take note of is that Napa Valley College does offer online classes in some areas. In fact, around 93% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Napa Valley College also made our Best Nursing Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California list, coming in at #4.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Saddleback College. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California list. Located in Mission Viejo, California, the fairly large public school awarded 88 diplomas to qualifed undergraduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Saddleback College are $10,292 per year.
Saddleback College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 89% took at least some of their classes online.
Saddleback College also took the #5 spot in our Best Nursing Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California rankings.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Riverside City College. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California list. Located in Riverside, California, the fairly large public school awarded 38 diplomas to qualifed undergraduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Riverside City College are $10,120 a year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $16,109 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Riverside City College does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In 2019-2020 about 37% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Victor Valley College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California ranking. Victorville, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out undergraduate certificates to 48 students in 2020-2021.
Victor Valley College undergraduate students pay an average of $9,374 in tuition and fees each year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $10,618 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Online courses are available at Victor Valley College, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. During the 2019-2020 year, about 44% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Sacramento City College landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value undergraduate certificate nursing programs. Sacramento City is located in Sacramento, California and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 undergraduate certificates to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Sacramento City are $10,168 a year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Sacramento City does offer online classes for certain majors. During the 2019-2020 year, about 62% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #8, Pasadena City College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their undergraduate certificate. Located in Pasadena, California, the large public school awarded 74 diplomas to qualifed undergraduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Pasadena City College are $7,596 per year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Pasadena City College does offer online classes for certain majors. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 100% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #9, College of the Redwoods did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their undergraduate certificate. Located in Eureka, California, the small public school awarded 25 diplomas to qualifed undergraduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at College of the Redwoods are $8,131 per year.
Online courses are available at College of the Redwoods, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2019-2020 about 39% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Bakersfield College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California ranking. Bakersfield College is a public institution located in Bakersfield, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 27 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Bakersfield College undergraduate students pay an average of $9,380 in tuition and fees each year.
Bakersfield College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 97% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
College of the Desert came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California ranking. Palm Desert, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out undergraduate certificates to 25 students in 2020-2021.
College of the Desert undergraduate students pay an average of $8,970 in tuition and fees each year.
One thing to take note of is that College of the Desert does offer online classes in some areas. In 2019-2020 about 100% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Reedley College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for nursing students to get an undergraduate certificate. It came in at #12 on the list. This medium-sized public school is located in Reedley, California, and it awarded 5 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Reedley College are $8,504 per year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $5,807 in student loans.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Reedley College. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 34% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #13, Rio Hondo College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their undergraduate certificate. RHCCD is a fairly large public school situated in Whittier, California. It awarded 12 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at RHCCD are $8,780 a year.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at RHCCD. During the 2019-2020 year, about 30% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Shasta College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California ranking. This medium-sized public school is located in Redding, California, and it awarded 14 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Shasta College undergraduate students pay an average of $7,909 in tuition and fees each year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $12,814 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Shasta College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 95% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Antelope Valley College landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value undergraduate certificate nursing programs. Antelope Valley College is a public institution located in Lancaster, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 9 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Antelope Valley College are $6,980 per year. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $14,432 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Online courses are available at Antelope Valley College, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. During the 2019-2020 year, about 24% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Mission College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California ranking. Mission College is a medium-sized public school situated in Santa Clara, California. It awarded 38 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Mission College are $8,572 per year.
Online courses are available at Mission College, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2019-2020 about 82% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
City College of San Francisco ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California list. Located in San Francisco, California, the fairly large public school awarded 34 diplomas to qualifed undergraduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at City College of San Francisco are $8,704 per year. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $13,738 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
One thing to take note of is that City College of San Francisco does offer online classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 35% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Santa Barbara Business College - Bakersfield landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value undergraduate certificate nursing programs. Santa Barbara Business College - Bakersfield is located in Bakersfield, California and has a very small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 61 undergraduate certificates to qualified students.
Santa Barbara Business College - Bakersfield undergraduate students pay an average of $11,658 in tuition and fees each year. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $6,984 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Santa Barbara Business College - Bakersfield. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 66% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Santa Barbara Business College - Santa Maria came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California ranking. This very small private for-profit school is located in Santa Maria, California, and it awarded 16 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Santa Barbara Business College - Santa Maria are $11,658 per year.
One thing to take note of is that Santa Barbara Business College - Santa Maria does offer online classes in some areas. In 2019-2020 about 66% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #20, University of Antelope Valley did quite well on this year’s best value schools for nursing students working on their undergraduate certificate. UAV is a very small private for-profit school situated in Lancaster, California. It awarded 12 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
UAV undergraduate students pay an average of $0 in tuition and fees each year. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $12,954 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at UAV. In fact, around 7% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Institute of Technology came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California ranking. This small private for-profit school is located in Clovis, California, and it awarded 220 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Fresno Institute of Technology are $0 a year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $12,757 in student loans.
Fresno Institute of Technology also took the #3 spot in our Best Nursing Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California rankings.
Best Value Nursing Undergraduate Certificate Schools in the Far Western US Region
View Best Value Nursing Undergraduate Certificate Schools Nationwide >
More California Rankings
Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 21 schools only.
References
- 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.
Featured Schools
Request Info
|
Southern New Hampshire University You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs. Learn More > |
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.