Find Healthcare Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools in California

Find Schools Near

2023 Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools in California

22 Colleges
$41,222 Avg Salary
$20,983 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree School for You

Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants is the #14 most popular major in California with 1,055 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

Today's healthcare students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. 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.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Healthcare Degree Search has created the Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools in California to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 22 schools in California to see which ones offered the best associate degree programs for healthcare 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.

2023 Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools in California

The colleges and universities below are the best for practical nursing majors pursuing a associate degree.

Top 10 Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools

Our analysis found Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts to be the best school for practical nursing and nursing assistants students who want to pursue a associate degree in California. Located in the city of San Mateo, Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that practical nursing majors at Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts take out while working on their Associate Degree is $18,804.

Full Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts Report

#2

Unitek College

Fremont, CA

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Unitek College is a great place for practical nursing and nursing assistants students working on their associate degree. Located in the suburb of Fremont, Unitek College is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

Practical Nursing majors at Unitek College take out an average of $20,602 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $184, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read More…

#3

Pacific College

Costa Mesa, CA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Pacific College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools in California list. Pacific College is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the midsize city of Costa Mesa.

While working on their Associate Degree, practical nursing majors at Pacific College accumulate an average of around $20,773 in student debt.

Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Pacific College

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Carrington College, Sacramento. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools in California list. Carrington College, Sacramento is a small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Sacramento.

The average amount in student loans that practical nursing majors at Carrington College, Sacramento take out while working on their Associate Degree is $31,342.

Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Carrington College, Sacramento

#5

Merced College

Merced, CA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Merced College. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools in California list. Merced Community College District is a medium-sized public school located in the small city of Merced.

Read More…

#7

Cuesta College

San Luis Obispo, CA

Cuesta College landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree practical nursing and nursing assistants programs. Cuesta College is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo.

Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Cuesta College

#8

Sacramento City College

Sacramento, CA

Sacramento City College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools in California ranking. Sacramento City is a large public school located in the city of Sacramento.

Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Sacramento City College

#9

Riverside City College

Riverside, CA

Riverside City College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools in California ranking. Located in the city of Riverside, Riverside City College is a public school with a large student population.

After completing their Associate Degree, practical nursing graduates from Riverside City College carry an average student debtload of $7,686.

Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Riverside City College

#10

Santa Barbara City College

Santa Barbara, CA

Santa Barbara City College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools in California ranking. SBCC is a large public school located in the city of Santa Barbara.

Full Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Santa Barbara City College Report

Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Washington 113
Nevada 0

One of 30 majors within the healthcare area of study, practical nursing and nursing assistants has other similar majors worth exploring.

Practical Nursing Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training 44,900
Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide 34,557
Other Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants 4,817

Majors Similar to Practical Nursing

Related Major Annual Graduates
Nursing 322,592
Health & Medical Administrative Services 89,359
Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services 84,492
Allied Health Professions 82,308
Public Health 40,596

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 22 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).

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Featured Schools

Find Healthcare Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited healthcare schools across the U.S.