2023 Best Nursing Schools in California
Finding the Best Nursing 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.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Healthcare Degree Search has created its Best Nursing Schools in California ranking. This report analyzed 124 schools in California to see which ones offered the best programs for healthcare students.
View our full ranking methodology.
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2023 Best Nursing Schools in California
The colleges and universities below are the best for nursing majors pursuing a .
Top 15% Best Nursing Schools
Our analysis found Samuel Merritt University to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a degree in California. Located in the large city of Oakland, Samuel Merritt University is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
On average, nursing graduates from Samuel Merritt University take out $25,500 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $551.
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Stanbridge University is a great place for nursing students. Located in the large city of Irvine, Stanbridge is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Stanbridge take out is $37,517.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in California list. Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts is a small private for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of San Mateo.
On average, nursing graduates from Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts take out $18,603 in student loans while working on their degree.
Out of the 124 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Los Angeles County College of Nursing and Allied Health landed the # 4 spot on the list. L.A. County School of Nursing is a fairly small public school located in the city of Los Angeles.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at L.A. County School of Nursing accumulate an average of around $19,688 in student debt.
Read full report on Nursing at Los Angeles County College of Nursing and Allied Health
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Southern California. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Nursing Schools in California list. Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population.
Pacific College landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Located in the medium-sized city of Costa Mesa, Pacific College is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. USAHS is a medium-sized private for-profit school located in the large suburb of San Marcos.
Read full report on Nursing at University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences
Loma Linda University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in California ranking. Loma Linda University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Loma Linda.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at Loma Linda University accumulate an average of around $32,500 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $416, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Touro University California ranked #9 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in California list. TUC is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Vallejo.
Nursing majors at TUC take out an average of $16,982 in student loans while working on their egree.
With a ranking of #10, West Coast University - Ontario did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Located in the city of Ontario, West Coast University - Ontario is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at West Coast University - Ontario accumulate an average of around $38,146 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.
Read full report on Nursing at West Coast University - Ontario
West Coast University - Los Angeles came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in California ranking. Located in the large city of North Hollywood, West Coast University - Los Angeles is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from West Coast University - Los Angeles carry an average student debtload of $38,146. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $665.
California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #12 on the list. Located in the midsize suburb of Seaside, CSUMB is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at CSUMB accumulate an average of around $13,312 in student debt.
Read full report on Nursing at California State University - Monterey Bay
With a ranking of #13, West Coast University - Orange County did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. West Coast University - Orange County is a small private for-profit school located in the large city of Anaheim.
On average, nursing graduates from West Coast University - Orange County take out $38,146 in student loans while working on their degree. 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
With a ranking of #14, American University of Health Sciences did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. AUHS Signal Hill is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Signal Hill.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at AUHS Signal Hill take out is $46,029. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $471.
University of California - San Francisco ranked #15 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in California list. Located in the city of San Francisco, UCSF is a public college with a small student population.
Unitek College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in California ranking. Unitek College is a small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Fremont.
On average, nursing graduates from Unitek College take out $23,468 in student loans while working on their degree.
Chamberlain University - California landed the #17 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Chamberlain - California is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Rancho Cordova.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Chamberlain - California take out is $38,460. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $256, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
University of California - Davis came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in California ranking. UC Davis is a very large public school located in the small suburb of Davis.
Honorable Mentions
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Nursing Schools in California award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 19 | Sonoma State University | Rohnert Park, CA |
| 20 | California State University - Dominguez Hills | Carson, CA |
| 21 | Western University of Health Sciences | Pomona, CA |
| 22 | California State University - Stanislaus | Turlock, CA |
| 23 | University of California - Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA |
| 24 | Dominican University of California | San Rafael, CA |
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 |
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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