In our California RN program guide, find rankings for both ADN and BSN Degree programs, tuition costs, NCLEX passing rates, and more. Research key California RN Program information to help you compare program metrics and to apply to best RN program for your career in nursing.
In the State of California, nurses are helping to change the face of healthcare. To ensure that they have the best education and preparation for future health care challenges, registered nurses need to graduate from a state-approved associate's degree in nursing program or a BSN degree program.
Nurses who graduate from an RN program can obtain certification in over 100 nursing specialties, go on to earn an RN to BSN or RN to MSN degree.
BSN degree holders have options to earn an Advance Practice Register Nursing (APRN) degree and become a Nurse Practitioner (NP), or earn an advanced degree for a career in any number of nursing leadership roles such Nurse Educator or Clinical Nurse Specialist.
California RN Program Comparisons: ADN vs BSN
Compare RN Programs | ADN | BSN |
---|---|---|
Number of Nursing Programs | 87 | 44 |
Average NCLEX Passing Rate | 88.72% | 87.43% |
NCLEX Passing Rate Range | 67.27% to 100.00% | 56.96% to 97.15% |
Average Net Price | $8,456.88 | $18,391.28 |
Average Net Price Range | $2,695.00 to $27,925.00 | $2,791.00 to $39,870.00 |
Average Student Loan | $7,205.45 | $20,192.08 |
Average Student Loan Range | $3,500.00 to $24,000.00 | $11,666.00 to $42,032.00 |
See Additional Detail | ADN Rankings for California State | BSN Rankings for California State |
Best Ranked RN Programs in California
To help nursing students in their search for a top RN program, the education experts at RNCareers.org publish their annual findings of the best nursing schools for both California and the country. Schools ranked on our list have proven their ability to educate highly competent nurses.
To create our rankings, we evaluated 84 ADN degree programs and 36 BSN degree programs in California. We obtained each institution’s first-time NCLEX-RN passing rates, the number of students taking the test, the program nursing accreditation and more. We then compared the results against other nursing programs in California to provide our state rankings. View our methodology.
Grade | Degree | University | CA Rank | US Rank | City | Type: | Offered As: | Accreditor(s): | More: | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
100.00 | ADN | Monterey Peninsula College | 1 | 1 | Monterey | Monterey Peninsula College has multiple campuses – in Oceanside, Monterey and Seaside, California. The Maurine Church Coburn School of Nursing offers an RN degree with an LVN to RN option Unique to the Maurine Church Coburn School of Nursing is the Men in Nursing Program, which promotes and recruits men in the nursing program, then works towards male retention in nursing. | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | |
100.00 | ADN | Chabot College | 1 | 1 | Hayward | Chabot College is located in Hayward, California. They boast that their faculty has 20 or more years of experience. Also, the majority of their RN graduates move on to pursue their BSN degree at CSUEB bridge program. They also have incredible NCLEX-RN pass rates – over the past 5 years, pass rates have ranged from 96.3% to 100%. | Public | Campus | See School Details | ||
99.46 | ADN | Victor Valley College | 2 | 2 | Victorville | Victor Valley College is located in Victorville, California. The nursing program is housed under the Dr. Prem Reddy School of Health Sciences Department. They offer an RN degree and an LVN to RN option. Their nursing program “prepares students for an entry-level position in nursing practice. The structure of this program promotes professional and personal growth, including continuing education, and provides upward and lateral mobility for career options.” | Public | Campus | See School Details | ||
99.20 | ADN | Sierra College | 3 | 8 | Rocklin | Sierra College is located in Rocklin, California. Their nursing department offers a CNA program, and their RN program offers both the general RN program and an LVN to RN option. In addition, students may elect to pursue their BSN concurrently with the River City Collaborative, which means that they would have certain BSN degree requirements to attend do while they are completing their ADN education | Public | Campus | See School Details | ||
99.09 | ADN | Los Angeles Harbor College | 4 | 12 | Wilmington | Los Angeles Harbor College is located in Wilmington, California. They offer an RN program and an LVN to RN program. | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | |
99.06 | ADN | Grossmont College | 5 | 13 | El Cajon | Grossmont College is located in El Cajon, California. They offer an RN, LVN to RN, and now offer an RN to BSN program, with the assistance of a local university, Point Loma Nazarene University. The RN classes must be completed at Grossmont College, and then the BSN classes are competed at Grossmont College as well, but are taught by PLNU faculty on-campus | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | |
98.98 | ADN | Merritt College | 6 | 15 | Oakland | Merritt College is located in Oakland, California. Their nursing program is an ADN program. Merritt nursing students also have the option to elect an ADN to BSN option, by enrolling in the Cal State East Bay BSN (CSUEB) program, which is a transfer bridge program to a neighboring university. | Public | Campus | See School Details | ||
98.92 | ADN | San Diego City College | 7 | 16 | San Diego | San Diego City College is located in San Diego, California. They offer an RN program, an LVN to RN program, and a 30-unit option program. ADN graduates who seek to further their education also have the benefit of San Diego City College’s collaboration with San Diego State University; this allows the nursing graduate to continue for their BSN degree while working as an RN. | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | |
98.57 | ADN | Mira Costa College | 9 | 22 | Oceanside | MiraCosta College has two campuses in Oceanside, California and a campus in Cardiff, California. Their nursing program offers a CNA program, a home health aide program, an LVN program, an RN program and an LVN to RN program. MiraCosta College has several partnerships with neighboring universities so that their graduates may easily obtain their BSN after graduation, should they so choose – Chamberlain College of Nursing, California State University College of Nursing and Brandman University, which also discounts the price for MiraCosta students.. | Public | Campus | See School Details | ||
98.17 | ADN | Cuesta College | 12 | 32 | San Luis Obispo | Cuesta College is located in San Luis Obispo, California. They offer an RN and an LVN to RN program. Their LVN to RN program is 3 semesters, with the summer off. Clinical rotations are done at neighboring facilities. They also require their LVNs to have at least one year of experience prior to admittance into their program. | Public | Campus | See School Details | ||
98.00 | ADN | Ohlone College | 13 | 35 | Fremont | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
97.98 | ADN | Moorpark College | 14 | 36 | Moorpark | Moorpark College is located in Moorpark, California. They offer an RN program. LVNs can apply for advanced placement into the program; this accepts the LVN into the second or third semester of the program. While they do not have a specific LVN to RN program, this allows the LVN to proceed more quickly through their RN education. | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | |
97.81 | ADN | Mt. San Jacinto College (Mt San Jacinto Community College District) | 16 | 40 | San Jacinto | Mt. San Jacinto Community College has campuses in San Jacinto, California and Menifee Valley, California. They offer an RN and an LVN to RN program. Their nursing department philosophy, “focuses on the individual needs of the students and patients (persons), within the context of families, communities and environments who exist on a health continuum.” | Public | Campus | See School Details | ||
97.80 | ADN | Stanbridge University | 17 | 41 | Irvine | Stanbridge University is located in Irvine and Los Angeles, California. Stanbridge offers an Associate of Science in Nursing (RN) degree program. Stanbridge maintains a high standard of academic excellence by integrating innovative technology, hands-on practice, and community service for a holistic student experience. | Private For-Profit | Campus, Online | See School Details | ||
97.69 | ADN | Saddleback College | 18 | 47 | Mission Viejo | Saddleback College is located in Mission Viejo, California. They offer a generic RN program and an LVN to RN program. They also have a “Southern California New Graduate RN Transition Program” that is open to Orange County community college nursing graduates who have graduated within the past year; it is designed to transition the nurse from the school setting directly into the work setting. The program pairs the new graduate with a practicing RN for the duration of the program, working approximately 240 hours on the night shift. | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | |
97.64 | ADN | Chaffey College | 19 | 49 | Rancho Cucamonga | Chaffey College is located in Rancho Cucamonga, California. Their nursing program was founded in 1957 and was one of the first five associate’s degree nursing programs in California. They offer an RN program, a VN to RN program and a VN to RN (non-degree option). | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | |
96.80 | ADN | Glendale Community College | 21 | 76 | Glendale | Glendale Community College is located in Glendale, California. Glendale Community College offers an RN and an LVN to RN program. Unique to Glendale Community College is their Foreign Nurse Graduate program. This program is designed for foreign nurse graduates who have a deficiency in their education that is preventing them from taking the NCLEX-RN. | Public | Campus | See School Details | ||
96.68 | ADN | Bakersfield College | 22 | 79 | Bakersfield | Bakersfield College is located in Bakersfield, California. They offer an RN program, an LVN to RN program and the 30-unit option program. Bakersfield College also has a partnership with Cal State University Bakersfield (CSUB), where their graduates can easily transfer into an ADN to BSN program. | Public | Campus | See School Details | ||
96.47 | ADN | Rio Hondo College | 24 | 85 | Whittier | Rio Hondo College is located in Whittier, California. They offer an RN and an LVN to RN program. They also offer a Psych Tech (PT) to RN program. The programs for the LVN to RN and the PT to RN are similar. | Public | Campus | See School Details | ||
96.20 | ADN | Hartnell College | 26 | 95 | Salinas | Hartnell College is located in Salinas, California. Their nursing curriculum “is evolving and embraces new ideas and technology, yet is guided by foundational elements of safety, quality, and ethical-legal standards.” Their ADN program is four semesters (or two years) after completion of about a year of prerequisites. | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | |
96.10 | ADN | Imperial Valley College | 27 | 98 | Imperial | Imperial Valley College is located in Imperial, California. Imperial Valley College offers an LVN, an RN and an LVN to RN program. Their LVN to RN program is broken down into “track 1” and “track 2” – track 1 is for students who seek the ADN degree. Track 2 is the 30-unit option, which allows the LVN to get their RN license in 2 semesters bu not actually getting their ADN degree. | Public | Campus | See School Details | ||
95.87 | ADN | College of the Sequoias | 28 | 110 | Visalia | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
95.77 | ADN | College of the Siskiyous | 29 | 114 | Weed | College of the Siskiyous is located in Weed, California. They boast that they have one of the most beautiful campuses in California because their campus is housed on the base of Mount Shasta in Northern California. They offer an LVN to RN “Step-up” program. Their program is two semesters, although they require their students to take a three unit Transition course over the summer. | Public | Campus | See School Details | ||
95.71 | ADN | De Anza College | 30 | 117 | Cupertino | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
95.66 | ADN | Pacific Union College | 31 | 119 | Angwin | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus, Online | ACEN | See School Details | ||
95.61 | ADN | Los Angeles Pierce College | 32 | 122 | Woodland Hills | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
95.54 | ADN | Santa Rosa Junior College | 33 | 125 | Santa Rosa | Santa Rosa Junior College is located in Forestvilla, California. They offer an RN and an LVN to RN program. In addition, they have a partnership with Sonoma State University School of Nursing, allowing graduates to pursue their BSN or MSN after graduation from Santa Rosa Junior College. | Public | Campus | See School Details | ||
95.40 | ADN | Mt San Antonio College | 34 | 132 | Walnut | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
95.33 | ADN | Evergreen Valley College | 35 | 134 | San Jose | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
95.19 | ADN | College of Marin | 36 | 137 | Kentfield | College of Marin is located in Kentfield, California. Their mission is to “…educate entry-level practitioners for roles as providers of care across the health care continuum, as managers of care, and as active members within the profession of nursing.” Their program is small and exclusive – they select only 36 students each fall. | Public | Campus | See School Details | ||
95.18 | ADN | Sacramento City College | 37 | 138 | Sacramento | Sacramento City College is located in Sacramento, California. Their nursing department offers an ADN and an LVN and Career Mobility (VN-RN) program, which are four semesters and three semesters respectively. They also offer an LVN to RN 30-unit option, which readies the nurse to take the NCLEX-RN exam, but does not meet the requirements for an associates degree. | Public | Campus | See School Details | ||
95.02 | ADN | Ventura College | 38 | 144 | Ventura | Ventura College is located in Ventura, California. Their ADN degree is unique – the student can elect simple to enroll for their RN degree, or to enroll for the Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) to the California State University (CSU) Systems. Many students elect this option if they believe that they will want to work as an RN while pursuing their BSN degree. | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | |
94.96 | ADN | American River College | 39 | 148 | Sacramento | American River College is located in Sacramento, California. They offer an RN program and an LVN to RN program. Each semester, they have anywhere from 200 to 300 qualified applicants for their nursing programs. Their nursing programs begin twice yearly, spring and fall. | Public | Campus | See School Details | ||
94.81 | ADN | Long Beach City College | 41 | 156 | Long Beach | Long Beach City College is located in Long Beach, California. They offer an LVN program, in addition to an ADN program. Their ADN program also offers an LVN to ADN options. Graduates of the LVN to RN program at Long Beach City College are eligible to enroll in neighboring universities in their ADN to BSN or ADN to MSN programs. | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | |
94.44 | ADN | Reedley College at Madera Community College Center | 43 | 167 | Reedley | Reedley College is located in Reedley, California. Their LVN to RN program is located in their Madera Center. Unique to Reedley College is the Madera College Advantage Program (MCCAP), which works to transition high school seniors into college life. | Public | Campus | See School Details | ||
94.38 | ADN | Napa Valley College | 44 | 170 | Napa | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
94.14 | ADN | West Hills College-Lemoore | 46 | 183 | Lemoore | West Hills College – Lemoore is located in Lemoore, California. They offer an RN program and an LVN to RN program. They also offer the 30-unit option for LVNs. The LVN to RN program is three semesters, beginning with a summer semester. The LVN to RN students then meet up with the traditional RN students to finish out the final two semesters. | Public | Campus | See School Details | ||
93.91 | ADN | Riverside City College | 47 | 194 | Riverside | Riverside City College is located in Riverside, California. Riverside City College’s ADN program was founded in 1957, and is nationally recognized as number two in the state of California for program completion. They offer an LVN, RN, RN to LVN and a 30-unit option program. | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | |
93.71 | ADN | Modesto Junior College | 48 | 204 | Modesto | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
93.67 | ADN | Santa Barbara City College | 49 | 207 | Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara City College is located in Santa Barbara, California. Their school of nursing educates CNAs, LVNs, an RNs. They also have an LVN to RN option. They also have two LVN to to RN options; both will require the same nursing classes but do allow entrance to LVNs with different prerequisites. | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | |
93.64 | ADN | Santa Monica College | 50 | 209 | Santa Monica | Santa Monica College is located in Santa Monica, California. They offer an ADN and an LVN to ADN program. The LVN to ADN program can be completed in three semesters. The LVN seeking entrance into the LVN to ADN program must have at least one year of nursing experience within the past two years and must also have IV certification. | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | |
93.42 | ADN | Mendocino College | 51 | 219 | Ukiah | Mendocino College is located in Ukiah, California. They offer both an RN program and an LVN to RN program; their LVN to RN program is a bit shorter, being three semesters as opposed to four semesters. They are proud to boast that their most current NCLEX-RN pas rate is 100%. | Public | Campus | See School Details | ||
93.39 | ADN | Antelope Valley College | 52 | 221 | Lancaster | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
92.95 | ADN | College of San Mateo | 53 | 238 | San Mateo | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
92.93 | ADN | Los Angeles Valley College | 54 | 239 | Valley Glen | Los Angeles Valley College is located in Valley Glen, California. Their program offers an RN program, an LVN to RN option and an LVN 30 unit option. They also offer an ADN-BSN collaborative program, which links the student to California State University. This allows the student to obtain their ADN degree and continue immediately for their BSN degree while working as an RN. | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | |
92.78 | ADN | College of the Desert | 55 | 248 | Palm Desert | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
92.66 | ADN | Palomar College | 56 | 254 | San Marcos | Palomar College is located in San Marcos, California. They offer two types of RN degrees – an Associate of Arts (AA) in Nursing and an Associate of Science (AS) in Nursing. Both have identical nursing coursework, with the AA program requiring additional general education credits. They also have an LVN to RN option and an LVN 30-unit option. The LVN 30-unit option allows an LVN to take the coursework required to take the NCLEX-RN in one year, without receiving either an AA or AS degree. Of note with this option is that this is specific to California – this license may not transfer to other states. | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | |
92.61 | ADN | El Camino College (El Camino Community College District) | 57 | 257 | Torrance | El Camino Community College is located in Torrance, California. They offer an ADN, LVN to ADN and a 30 unit option. In addition, they do allow students to apply to their program with advanced placement; these students include LVN/LPNs, LPTs and transfers from other accredited nursing programs. | Public | Campus | See School Details | ||
92.27 | ADN | Santa Ana College | 58 | 270 | Santa Ana | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
92.21 | ADN | Los Angeles County College of Nursing and Allied Health | 59 | 271 | Los Angeles | Los Angeles County College of Nursing and Allied Health is located in Los Angeles, California. This community college is owned and operated by the County of Los Angeles. The nursing program began in 1895 and has evolved over the years into the program it is today; it graduates 100 to 150 RNs yearly. | Public | Campus | See School Details | ||
92.02 | ADN | Los Angeles City College | 60 | 276 | Los Angeles | Los Angeles City College is located in Los Angeles, California. Acceptance into their program is based on a “lottery” – qualified applicants must meet multiple requirements (such as prerequisites, an assessment test, and an application). All that qualify are placed into the lottery and those who are drawn are given entrance into their program. Graduates from their program may opt to attend Cal State University LA for their ADN to BSN program; this will allow the graduate to work as an RN while continuing their education. | Public | Campus | See School Details | ||
91.89 | ADN | San Joaquin Delta College | 61 | 280 | Stockton | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
91.86 | ADN | Butte College | 62 | 281 | Oroville | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
91.79 | ADN | Citrus College | 63 | 283 | Glendora | Citrus College is located in Glendora, California. They offer an LVN program, an RN program and an LVN to RN program. Their nursing program is fairly new compared to other nursing programs in California – their LVN to RN program was founded in 2007, with their ADN program forming in 2008. | Public | Campus | See School Details | ||
91.53 | ADN | Contra Costa College | 64 | 294 | San Pablo | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
91.51 | ADN | City College of San Francisco | 65 | 295 | San Francisco | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
91.44 | ADN | Solano Community College | 66 | 300 | Fairfield | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
91.19 | ADN | Cypress College | 67 | 312 | Cypress | Cypress College is located in Cypress, California. Cypress College boasts that their Health Science Division programs are ranked among the highest in the nation and the state, with NCLEX-RN pass rates that are higher than national standards. They offer an RN and an LVN to RN career mobility program. | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | |
90.44 | ADN | Shasta College | 68 | 337 | Redding | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
90.29 | ADN | Porterville College | 69 | 344 | Porterville | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
89.97 | ADN | Copper Mountain College (Copper Mountain Community College) | 70 | 356 | Joshua Tree | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
89.96 | ADN | Gavilan College | 71 | 357 | Gilroy | Gavilan College is located in Gilroy, California. They offer an LVN program, an RN program, an LVN to RN program and a 30-unit option program. Gavilan College was founded in 1919, and originally was named San Benito County Junior College. In 1963, the name was changed to Gavilan College. | Public | Campus | See School Details | ||
89.87 | ADN | Los Medanos College | 72 | 359 | Pittsburg | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
89.69 | ADN | College of the Redwoods | 73 | 367 | Eureka | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
89.62 | ADN | El Camino College-Compton Education Center | 75 | 370 | Compton | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
89.39 | ADN | Cerritos College | 76 | 380 | Norwalk | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
89.22 | ADN | Unitek College | 77 | 385 | Fremont | Private For-Profit | Campus, Online | CCNE | See School Details | ||
89.18 | ADN | Golden West College | 78 | 387 | Huntington Beach | Golden West College is located in Huntington Beach, California. They offer an RN and an LVN to RN program. They also offer co-enrollment programs for ADNs seeking to become BSNs with Concordia University, California State University – Fullerton, and Vanguard University. The student would attend Golden West College full-time, but could concurrently attend one of these universities one to two evenings per week to shorten the length of time of the BSN program. | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | |
87.83 | ADN | Merced College | 81 | 436 | Merced | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
87.61 | ADN | College of the Canyons | 82 | 446 | Santa Clarita | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
87.60 | ADN | Yuba College | 83 | 447 | Marysville | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
87.35 | ADN | Allan Hancock College | 84 | 457 | Santa Maria | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
86.97 | ADN | San Bernardino Valley College | 85 | 466 | San Bernardino | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
86.59 | ADN | CNI College | 86 | 477 | Orange | Private For-Profit | Campus, Online | See School Details | |||
85.80 | ADN | Southwestern College | 87 | 498 | Chula Vista | Public | Campus | ACEN | See School Details | ||
84.62 | ADN | San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia | 89 | 522 | Visalia | Private For-Profit | Campus | See School Details | |||
84.45 | ADN | Fresno City College | 90 | 526 | Fresno | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
83.52 | ADN | Los Angeles Trade Technical College | 92 | 551 | Los Angeles | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
82.92 | ADN | Cabrillo College | 93 | 565 | Aptos | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
77.25 | ADN | Los Angeles Southwest College | 94 | 638 | Los Angeles | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
77.11 | ADN | Mission College | 95 | 640 | Santa Clara | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
75.58 | ADN | Carrington College | 96 | 647 | Sacramento | Private For-Profit | Campus | See School Details | |||
73.94 | ADN | East Los Angeles College | 97 | 658 | Monterey Park | Public | Campus | See School Details | |||
61.63 | ADN | Mount St Mary's University-Los Angeles | 99 | 693 | Los Angeles | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus | CCNE | See School Details | ||
99.49 | BSN | California State University-Long Beach | 1 | 2 | Long Beach | California State University – Long Beach is located in Long Beach, California. For BSN nursing, they offer a traditionl nursing program, designed for students without a prior nursing license, and a “registered nurse student” program which is designed for students already holding an RN license. They also offer a DNP program. | Public | Campus | ACEN, ACME, CCNE, COA | See School Details | |
98.18 | BSN | California State University-Sacramento | 2 | 32 | Sacramento | California State University – Sacramento is located in Sacramento, California. They offer a variety of BSN programs – a traditiona BSN program, an RN to BSN program and an LVN to RN 30-unit option, non-degree program. The non-degree program serves the LVN who wants to work as an RN but may not have time to complete an ADN or BSN degree. On the downside, they do not have a degree after completion and their nursing license may not transfer state-to-state. | Public | Campus | CCNE | See School Details | |
97.78 | BSN | Sonoma State University | 3 | 43 | Rohnert Park | Sonoma State University is located in Rohnert Park, California. Sonoma State University offers “pre-licensure BSN” and “post-licensure” BSN programs. The pre-licensure program is designed for traditional BSN students, where as the post-licensure BSN program is designed for students who hold an ADN degree and their RN license. | Public | Campus, Hybrid | ACEN, ACME, CCNE, COA | See School Details | |
96.48 | BSN | University of California-Los Angeles | 4 | 86 | Los Angeles | Public | Campus | ACEN, ACME, CCNE, COA | See School Details | ||
96.26 | BSN | California State University-Bakersfield | 5 | 99 | Bakersfield | California State University – Bakersfield is locate in Bakersfield, California. The BSN degree has been offered at CSUB since 1970, when the university was founded. Since that time, over 2000 nurses have graduated from their nursing program. Their nursing program expanded in 1987, and began a master’s in nursing administration program. It has since expanded and now includes family nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, clinical nurse leaders, and nurse educators. | Public | Campus, Hybrid | ACEN, ACME, CCNE, COA | See School Details | |
95.92 | BSN | California State University-Los Angeles | 6 | 109 | Los Angeles | California State University – Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California. They have the ability to boast that they are ranked on US News & World Report’s Best Nursing Schools: Master’s list. Their nursing department offers a traditional BSN program, an accelerated BSN program, an ADN to BSN program and multiple post-graduate options. In addition, they have collaborative agreements with various community colleges, allowing ADN graduates to segue into their programs easily. | Public | Campus | ACEN, ACME, CCNE, COA | See School Details | |
95.02 | BSN | California State University-Fullerton | 7 | 144 | Fullerton | Public | Campus, Online | ACEN, ACME, CCNE, COA | See School Details | ||
93.75 | BSN | Samuel Merritt University | 8 | 201 | Oakland | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus, Hybrid | ACEN, ACME, CCNE, COA | See School Details | ||
92.19 | BSN | California State University-Fresno | 9 | 260 | Fresno | Public | Campus, Online | ACEN, ACME, CCNE, COA | See School Details | ||
92.10 | BSN | Loma Linda University | 10 | 264 | Loma Linda | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus, Hybrid, Online | ACEN, ACME, CCNE, COA | See School Details | ||
91.21 | BSN | West Coast University | 11 | 294 | North Hollywood | Private For-Profit | Campus | ACME, COA | See School Details | ||
90.39 | BSN | National University | 12 | 311 | La Jolla | National University has 19 locations throughout California, with 4 military learning centers. They have multiple types of nursing programs, from BSN, LVN to RN, LVN to BSN, RN to BSN, doctorate of nursing practice, master of science in nurse anesthesia and master of science in nursing. | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus, Hybrid, Online | ACEN, ACME, CCNE, COA | See School Details | |
89.38 | BSN | University of San Francisco | 13 | 340 | San Francisco | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus, Hybrid, Online | ACEN, ACME, CCNE, COA | See School Details | ||
88.25 | BSN | California Baptist University | 14 | 365 | Riverside | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus, Online | ACEN, ACME, CCNE, COA | See School Details | ||
88.09 | BSN | Mount St Mary's University-Los Angeles | 15 | 370 | Los Angeles | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus | CCNE | See School Details | ||
85.22 | BSN | San Francisco State University | 16 | 431 | San Francisco | Public | Campus, Hybrid | ACEN, ACME, CCNE, COA | See School Details | ||
84.47 | BSN | Azusa Pacific University | 17 | 442 | Azusa | Private Not-For-Profit | Campus, Hybrid, Online | ACEN, ACME, CCNE, COA | See School Details |
Online RN Programs in California
Today there are very few disadvantages to earning an online RN degree in California. With advances in online learning coupled the need to educate more nurses because of the nursing shortage, many nursing schools are offing online nursing programs. For nurses needing to complete clinicals, nursing programs usually help a nurse to find one. Be sure to choose an accredited program that meets quality standards set by either the ACEN or CCNE accrediting agencies. An accredited online RN Nursing program will help ensure that your units pass can transfer to another accredited college and help you in gain employment. Learn more about online RN programs.California RN Licensing Requirements
RN License by Endorsement
Candidates who are licensed in one of the other 50 states can obtain licensure by endorsement. They must also meet the following requirements:- Completion of an approved education program meeting all requirements as set by California
- Obtaining a passing score on the NCLEX or State Board Test Pool Examination (SBTPE).
- Appropriate fees
- Completed endorsement application
- Completed fingerprints using either Live Scan or the Applicant Fingerprint Card
- A recent passport-type photography
- Verification of License
RN License for Nurses Educated Abroad
Candidates who have studied abroad also have the opportunity to gain licensure through the state of California. In order to complete this the following documentation must be provided:- Passing an exam to prove comprehension in the English language
- Curriculum similar to that of a California college
- Application for licensure
California State Board of Vocational Nursing
2535 Capitol Oaks Drive, Suite 205 Sacramento, CA 95833 Phone: (916) 263-7800RN Salaries in California
The RN-BSN Programs are known as bridge programs or BSN completion programs. They are designed to give credit to experienced RNs based on the knowledge they already have. The experience they gained working, as an RN will help move them towards a Bachelor’s degree. Courses in humanities and medical ethics can prepare even the most well informed professional nurse to seek out a career in advanced practice. A typical nursing school in California offers RN to BSN programs that include curriculum such as:- Developmental psychology and sociology
- Algebra
- Nursing management of complex health issues
- Foundations in nursing informatics
- Health assessment and diagnostic reasoning
- Pathophysiology concepts for nursing
California Registered Nursing Salaries
The Los Angeles area has the most registered nursgin, but they are paid the highest annual median wage in all of the metropolitan areas in the state of California. However, the Oakland metropolitan area has the highest hourly mean wage.Area name | Employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual median wage |
---|---|---|---|
Bakersfield-Delano, CA | 4,370 | $40.09 | $80,850 |
Chico, CA | 2,240 | $37.17 | $72,480 |
El Centro, CA | 680 | $36.71 | $73,200 |
Fresno, CA | 5,870 | $40.48 | $78,380 |
Hanford-Corcoran, CA | 1,180 | $43.91 | $89,550 |
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division | 70,140 | $45.26 | $95,040 |
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA | 88,420 | $44.80 | $93,590 |
Merced, CA | 800 | $44.16 | $92,260 |
Modesto, CA | 3,360 | $50.17 | $103,900 |
Napa, CA | 1,690 | $48.18 | $101,610 |
Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, CA Metropolitan Division | 20,310 | $59.01 | $127,480 |
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 4,470 | $41.29 | $86,760 |
Redding, CA | 1,780 | $43.25 | $90,240 |
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 23,980 | $43.04 | $88,480 |
Sacramento--Arden-Arcade--Roseville, CA | 15,750 | $50.67 | $108,620 |
Salinas, CA | 2,500 | $48.63 | $101,630 |
San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA | 23,490 | $41.23 | $83,500 |
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 34,460 | $60.09 | $130,480 |
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Divi | 14,150 | $61.63 | $134,260 |
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 14,510 | $58.57 | $130,030 |
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | 1,300 | $42.02 | $89,010 |
Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division | 18,280 | $43.04 | $88,310 |
Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta, CA | 2,570 | $45.64 | $92,880 |
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 1,380 | $59.17 | $136,570 |
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | 3,580 | $49.36 | $101,740 |
Stockton, CA | 3,840 | $42.99 | $90,370 |
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA | 2,260 | $54.95 | $114,340 |
Visalia-Porterville, CA | 1,840 | $35.89 | $74,380 |
Yuba City, CA | 700 | $38.56 | $78,210 |
Eastern Sierra Region of California nonmetropolitan area | 260 | $38.46 | $78,240 |
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area | 1,670 | $32.92 | $66,910 |
North Valley Region of California nonmetropolitan area | 240 | $37.63 | $80,650 |
Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan ar | 1,200 | $35.88 | $71,850 |