2023 Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in California
Finding the Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree School for You
Nursing is the most popular major in California with 18,329 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021.
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which healthcare 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 that offer fast-track entry to many fields.
The Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in California ranking is one of many tools that Healthcare Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 54 schools in California to see which bachelor's degree programs offered the best educational experiences 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 Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California
Check out the nursing bachelor's degree programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.
Top 10 Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools
Our analysis found Samuel Merritt University to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in California. Located in the large city of Oakland, Samuel Merritt University is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Nursing majors at Samuel Merritt University take out an average of $28,570 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $551.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanbridge University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list. Located in the large city of Irvine, Stanbridge is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from Stanbridge carry an average student debtload of $32,734.
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Out of the 54 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Pacific College landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the midsize city of Costa Mesa, Pacific College is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at Pacific College accumulate an average of around $15,905 in student debt.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Loma Linda University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list. Loma Linda University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Loma Linda.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Loma Linda University take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $34,125. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $416, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Out of the 54 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, West Coast University - Orange County landed the # 5 spot on the list. West Coast University - Orange County is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Anaheim.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from West Coast University - Orange County carry an average student debtload of $38,539. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $665.
Full Nursing at West Coast University - Orange County Report
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West Coast University - Ontario ranked #6 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list. Located in the city of Ontario, West Coast University - Ontario is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from West Coast University - Ontario carry an average student debtload of $38,539. 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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West Coast University - Los Angeles did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #7 on the list. Located in the large city of North Hollywood, West Coast University - Los Angeles is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at West Coast University - Los Angeles accumulate an average of around $38,539 in student debt. 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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Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree nursing programs. Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts is a small private for-profit school located in the midsize city of San Mateo.
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California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Seaside, CSUMB is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at CSUMB accumulate an average of around $16,909 in student debt.
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University of California - Los Angeles landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree nursing programs. UCLA is a fairly large public school located in the city of Los Angeles.
Full Nursing at University of California - Los Angeles Report
Request InformationBest Nursing Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Nursing Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Oregon | 1,502 |
| Washington | 3,851 |
| Nevada | 2,015 |
| Hawaii | 535 |
| Alaska | 177 |
More Nursing Rankings in California
Rankings in Majors Related to Nursing
One of 30 majors within the healthcare area of study, nursing has other similar majors worth exploring.
Nursing Concentrations
| 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 |
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Health & Medical Administrative Services | 89,359 |
| Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services | 84,492 |
| Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants | 84,274 |
| Allied Health Professions | 82,308 |
| Public Health | 40,596 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Aleksahgabrielle.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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