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Best Value Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools in California

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

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

22 Colleges
$2,201 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$41,222 Avg Salary

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.

The Best Value Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools in California ranking is one of many tools that Healthcare Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 22 schools in California to see which ones offered the best value associate degree programs for practical nursing students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.

Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.

In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

Top 10 Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools

#1

Merced College

Merced, CA

Our 2023 rankings named Merced College the best value school in California for practical nursing and nursing assistants students working on their associate degree. Merced Community College District is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Merced.

Merced Community College District undergraduate students pay an average of $1,180 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Merced Community College District not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #1 on our Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools in California list.

Full Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Merced College Report

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#2

Cuesta College

San Luis Obispo, CA

The excellent associate degree programs at Cuesta College helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best value practical nursing and nursing assistants schools in California. Cuesta College is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Cuesta College are $1,338 per year.

Cuesta College also claimed a spot on our Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools in California list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.

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#3

Sacramento City College

Sacramento, CA

The excellent associate degree programs at Sacramento City College helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best value practical nursing and nursing assistants schools in California. Sacramento City is a large public school located in the large city of Sacramento.

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#4

Riverside City College

Riverside, CA

Out of the 22 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Riverside City College landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the large city of Riverside, Riverside City College is a public college with a large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Riverside City College are $1,420 per year. After completing their Associate Degree, practical nursing graduates from Riverside City College carry an average student debtload of $7,686.

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#5

Santa Barbara City College

Santa Barbara, CA

The excellent associate degree programs at Santa Barbara City College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best value practical nursing and nursing assistants schools in California. SBCC is a large public school located in the small city of Santa Barbara.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at SBCC are $1,232 a year.

SBCC excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools in California list.

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#6

Butte College

Oroville, CA

Butte College landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree practical nursing and nursing assistants programs. Butte College is a medium-sized public school located in the rural area of Oroville.

Butte College undergraduate students pay an average of $1,368 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their Associate Degree, practical nursing graduates from Butte College carry an average student debtload of $18,505.

Butte College also claimed a spot on our Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools in California list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.

Full Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Butte College Report

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Napa Valley College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools in California list. Located in the small city of Napa, Napa Valley College is a public school with a small student population.

Napa Valley College undergraduate students pay an average of $1,150 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Napa Valley College

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#8

Santa Rosa Junior College

Santa Rosa, CA

Santa Rosa Junior College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for practical nursing and nursing assistants students to get a associate degree. It came in at #8 on the list. SRJC is a large public school located in the city of Santa Rosa.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SRJC are $1,328 per year.

Full Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Santa Rosa Junior College Report

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College of the Redwoods came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools in California ranking. Located in the rural area of Eureka, College of the Redwoods is a public college with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at College of the Redwoods are $1,147 a year.

Full Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at College of the Redwoods Report

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#10

College of the Desert

Palm Desert, CA

College of the Desert ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Nursing & Nursing Assistants Associate Degree Schools in California list. Located in the small city of Palm Desert, College of the Desert is a public school with a large student population.

College of the Desert undergraduate students pay an average of $1,326 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

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

Explore all the Best Value Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Colleges 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.

  • 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.

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