2023 Most Popular 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.
The Most Popular Nursing 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 153 schools in California to see which programs were the most popular for healthcare students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Nursing program at each school on the list.
2023 Most Popular Nursing Schools in California
Check out the nursing programs at these schools if you want to attend one of the most popular in California.
Top 15% Most Popular Nursing Schools
Our 2023 rankings named West Coast University - Orange County the most popular school in California for nursing students. West Coast University - Orange County is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Anaheim.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at West Coast University - Orange County take out is $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.
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Out of the 153 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, West Coast University - Los Angeles landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the large city of North Hollywood, West Coast University - Los Angeles is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at West Coast University - Los Angeles 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.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Samuel Merritt University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in California list. Located in the city of Oakland, Samuel Merritt University is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Samuel Merritt University take out is $25,500. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $551.
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The excellent programs at West Coast University - Ontario helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in California. Located in the midsize city of Ontario, West Coast University - Ontario is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from West Coast University - Ontario carry an average student debt load 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.
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Azusa Pacific University is a great place for nursing students. Azusa Pacific is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Azusa.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Azusa Pacific take out is $26,740. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $246.
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With a ranking of #6, University of San Francisco did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students. Located in the city of San Francisco, USFCA is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.
Nursing majors at USFCA take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $639.
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United States University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Schools in California ranking. USU is a small private for-profit school located in the large city of San Diego.
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California State University - Fullerton came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Schools in California ranking. Cal State Fullerton is a very large public school located in the large suburb of Fullerton.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Cal State Fullerton carry an average student debt load of $18,607.
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National University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Schools in California ranking. Located in the city of La Jolla, National University is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at National University take out is $37,500. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $198, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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California State University - Long Beach landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular nursing programs. CSULB is a very large public school located in the city of Long Beach.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at CSULB accumulate an average of around $16,575 in student debt.
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With a ranking of #11, California State University - San Marcos did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students. Located in the large suburb of San Marcos, CSUSM is a public college with a large student population.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at CSUSM accumulate an average of around $25,000 in student debt.
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California State University - Sacramento landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular nursing programs. Located in the large city of Sacramento, Sac State is a public school with a fairly large student population.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Sac State carry an average student debt load of $18,574.
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California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular nursing programs. CSUDH is a large public school located in the small city of Carson.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from CSUDH carry an average student debt load of $17,500.
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University of California - Los Angeles ranked #14 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in California list. UCLA is a very large public school located in the large city of Los Angeles.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at UCLA take out is $19,210.
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San Diego State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Schools in California ranking. Located in the city of San Diego, SDSU is a public college with a fairly large student population.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at SDSU accumulate an average of around $19,448 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $250.
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With a ranking of #16, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students. Located in the city of Los Angeles, Cal State LA is a public college with a fairly large student population.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Cal State LA carry an average student debt load of $18,131.
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Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science ranked #16 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in California list. Located in the suburb of Los Angeles, CDU is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
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California Baptist University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for nursing students. It came in at #18 on the list. Cal Baptist is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Riverside.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at Cal Baptist accumulate an average of around $35,562 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $458, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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With a ranking of #19, Loma Linda University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students. Loma Linda University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Loma Linda.
On average, nursing graduates from Loma Linda University take out $32,500 in student loans while working on their degree. 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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San Jose State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for nursing students. It came in at #20 on the list. San Jose State is a very large public school located in the large city of San Jose.
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Mount Saint Mary’s University ranked #20 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in California list. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, MSMU is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
On average, nursing graduates from MSMU take out $25,242 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $212.
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California State University - East Bay landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular nursing programs. Located in the large suburb of Hayward, Cal State East Bay is a public school with a fairly large student population.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Cal State East Bay carry an average student debt load of $17,910.
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Here are some additional popular schools for Nursing students in the state of California that almost earned our Most Popular Nursing Schools in California award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | Fresno City College | Fresno, CA |
| 24 | San Francisco State University | San Francisco, CA |
| 25 | University of California - San Francisco | San Francisco, CA |
| 26 | University of Phoenix - California | Costa Mesa, CA |
| 27 | Saddleback College | Mission Viejo, CA |
| 28 | Glendale Community College | Glendale, CA |
| 29 | Point Loma Nazarene University | San Diego, CA |
| 30 | California State University - Fresno | Fresno, CA |
Best Nursing Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Most Popular Nursing Schools 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 |
Nursing Related Majors
One of 30 majors within the healthcare area of study, nursing has other similar majors worth exploring.
Nursing Concentrations
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.
- 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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