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Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in California

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2023 Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in California

54 Colleges
$64,238 Avg Salary
$28,730 Avg Student Debt

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 city of Oakland, Samuel Merritt University is a private not-for-profit college 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.

Full Nursing at Samuel Merritt University Report

#2

Stanbridge University

Irvine, CA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Stanbridge University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list. Located in the large city of Irvine, Stanbridge is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from Stanbridge carry an average student debtload of $32,734.

Full Nursing at Stanbridge University Report

#3

Pacific College

Costa Mesa, CA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Pacific College. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list. Located in the midsize city of Costa Mesa, Pacific College is a private for-profit school with a 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.

Full Nursing at Pacific College Report

#4

Loma Linda University

Loma Linda, CA

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.

Full Nursing at Loma Linda University Report

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 large 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

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.

Full Nursing at West Coast University - Ontario Report

#7

West Coast University - Los Angeles

North Hollywood, CA

West Coast University - Los Angeles landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree nursing programs. Located in the 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.

Full Nursing at West Coast University - Los Angeles Report

Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts ranked #8 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list. Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts is a small private for-profit school located in the midsize city of San Mateo.

Full Nursing at Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts Report

California State University - Monterey Bay came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California ranking. Located in the suburb of Seaside, CSUMB is a public college 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.

Full Nursing at California State University - Monterey Bay Report

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California ranking. UCLA is a very large public school located in the city of Los Angeles.

Read full report on Nursing at University of California - Los Angeles

Best 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

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

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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