National University is a veteran-founded, San Diego-based nonprofit. Since 1971, the mission of the school has been to provide accessible, achievable higher education to adult learners. It educates students from across the U.S. and around the globe, with over 180,000 alumni worldwide. National University is proud to expand the pool of candidates who enter the growing nursing field. The need for registered nurses is strong, and a bachelor’s or master’s degree can help graduates develop the high-quality, patient-centric care to excel in the field. The program focuses on effective communication, how to prioritize care, and developing the judgment to manage patients across a variety of health care settings.
Students seek desired outcomes and learn to apply current evidence to their practice to provide continuous improvement while meeting safety standards. The degree programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. The program is also approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing. National University has 20 locations throughout California, with 4 military learning centers.
Undergraduate programs – the traditional BSN a varied and intense program that in addition to the traditional courses, entails recording patient medical histories and symptoms, giving patients medicines and treatments, and setting up plans for patient care or contributing to existing plans. Students carefully make observations to share with doctors; they may operate and monitor state-of-the-art medical equipment and assist in performing diagnostic tests and analyzing results. There are multiple options from BSN, LVN to RN, LVN to BSN, RN to BSN.
The curriculum incudes effective ways to teach patients and their families how to manage illnesses or injuries. Graduates will develop critical thinking, communication, and therapeutic nursing skills within the framework of transcultural nursing. To finish faster, students can take four-week-long classes with evening and week-end options on campus, or they may choose an online format. In addition, there is the accelerated second degree ABSN.
Graduate programs – The accredited master’s degree program in nursing, and the post-graduate APRN certificate programs at National University take the student beyond the BSN. The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree is for baccalaureate-prepared nurses in need of advanced skills. A DNAP is a doctoral-level program in nurse anesthesia practice. The hybrid program takes about three years and includes a 15-month didactic residency at the Fresno campus with some online classes. Certificates offered include Family Nurse Practitioner, LVN to RN 30 Unit Option, and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certificate.
The nursing school at National University is a private not-for-profit institution located in La Jolla, California. Its nursing programs are accredited by ACEN, ACME, CCNE and COA.
Degree types you can earn at National University include Family Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Anesthetist, Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and Registered Nursing, and the school provides its offerings to students via campus, hybrid and online formats. The level of nursing programs offered to nursing students include Accelerated BSN, APRN Certificate, Associate Degree, Bachelor Degree, LPN to BSN, Master Degree, MSN to DNP, Post Master's NP Certificate and RN to BSN level degrees.
For nursing students in California, the state average NCLEX-RN passing rate for ADN programs is 90.30% and for BSN programs is 90.32%. The average national NCLEX-RN passing rate for ADN programs is N/A% and for BSN programs is N/A%.
Out of 160 nursing schools in California, the nursing program at National University ranks #37 in the state, and out of more than 1,700 nursing programs nationally, it ranks #318. It's 3-year average NCLEX-RN passing rate is 89.27%, giving the National University an overall grade of B.
Nursing Program Stats at a Glance for National University
- Grade: B
- NCLEX-RN Passing Rate Average: 89.27%
- California State Rank: 37
- National Rank: 318
Best Online Nursing Programs for California Students
In-state nursing schools are preferable to out-of-state programs as your tuition and logistics for attending school will be considerably less than if you attended school out-of-state. Online nursing schools are also an option.
Compare California Nursing School Rankings
Compare California Nursing Schools | ADN | BSN |
---|---|---|
Number of Nursing Programs | "26" | "26" |
Average NCLEX Passing Rate | 90.30% | 90.32% |
NCLEX Passing Rate Range | 30.60% to 100.00% | 30.56% to 99.29% |
Best Ranked School Details | ADN Rankings for California | BSN Rankings for California |
National University
Pass Rate

- 11255 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA - 92037-1011
- (800) 628-8648

- NCLEX Passing Rate: (B) 89.27%
- Programs: Family Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Anesthetist, Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Registered Nursing
- Award Levels: Accelerated BSN, APRN Certificate, Associate, Bachelor, LPN to BSN, MSN, MSN to DNP, Post Master's NP Certificate
University Information
Total Faculty: 211
In-State Undergraduate Tuition: $1,125
Book and Supplies: N/A
Percent Received Aid: 73%
Average Grant or Scholarship: $5,783
Percent Admitted: 89%
Percent Admitted who Enrolled: 43%
Graduation Rate: 47%
Cities in California Offering Accredited Nursing Programs
If you are not finding the right nursing program in La Jolla or want to compare nursing schools from other cities in California? Compare average NCLEX scores, in-state and out-of-state tuition costs as well as schools with strong alumni networks. The following is a list of cities in with accredited nursing programs in California: Anaheim, Angwin, Aptos, Arcata, Azusa, Bakersfield, Calexico, Camarillo, Carson, Chico, Chula Vista, Compton, Costa Mesa, Cupertino, Cypress, El Cajon, Eureka, Fremont, Fresno, Fullerton, Gilroy, Glendora, Hayward, Huntington Beach, Imperial, Irvine, Joshua Tree, Kentfield, La Jolla, La Mirada, Lancaster, Lemoore, Loma Linda, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Marysville, Merced, Mission Viejo, Modesto, Monterey, Monterey Park, Moorpark, Napa, North Hollywood, Northridge, Oakland, Oceanside, Orange, Oroville, Palm Desert, Porterville, Rancho Cucamonga, Redding, Reedley, Riverside, Rocklin, Rohnert Park, Sacramento, Salinas, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jacinto, San Jose, San Luis Obispo, San Marcos, San Mateo, San Pablo, San Rafael, Santa Ana, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Clarita, Santa Maria, Santa Monica, Santa Rosa, Signal Hill, Stockton, Torrance, Turlock, Ukiah, Valley Glen, Ventura, Victorville, Visalia, Walnut, Weed and Woodland Hills
.
Additional Nursing Programs in California
- Allan Hancock College
- American Medical Sciences Center
- American River College
- American University of Health Sciences
- Angeles College
- Antelope Valley College
- Ashford University
- Azusa Pacific University
- Bakersfield College
- Biola University
- Brandman University
- Butte College
- Cabrillo College
- California Baptist University
- California State University-Bakersfield
- California State University-Channel Islands
- California State University-Chico
- California State University-Dominguez Hills
- California State University-East Bay
- California State University-Fresno
- California State University-Fullerton
- California State University-Long Beach
- California State University-Los Angeles
- California State University-Monterey Bay
- California State University-Northridge
- California State University-Sacramento
- California State University-San Bernardino
- California State University-San Marcos
- California State University-Stanislaus
- Carrington College
- Casa Loma College-Van Nuys
- Cerritos College
- Chabot College
- Chaffey College
- Chamberlain University-California
- Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science
- Citrus College
- City College of San Francisco
- CNI College
- College of Marin
- College of San Mateo
- College of the Canyons
- College of the Desert
- College of the Redwoods
- College of the Sequoias
- College of the Siskiyous
- Concordia University Irvine
- Contra Costa College
- Copper Mountain College (Copper Mountain Community College)
- Cuesta College
- Cypress College
- De Anza College
- Dominican University of California
- East Los Angeles College
- El Camino College (El Camino Community College District)
- El Camino College-Compton Education Center
- Evergreen Valley College
- Feather River Community College District
- Fresno City College
- Fresno Pacific University
- Gavilan College
- Glendale Career College
- Glendale Community College
- Golden West College
- Grossmont College
- Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts
- Hartnell College
- Holy Names University
- Homestead Schools
- Humboldt State University
- Imperial Valley College
- Loma Linda University
- Long Beach City College
- Los Angeles City College
- Los Angeles County College of Nursing and Allied Health
- Los Angeles Harbor College
- Los Angeles Pacific University
- Los Angeles Pierce College
- Los Angeles Southwest College
- Los Angeles Trade Technical College
- Los Angeles Valley College
- Los Medanos College
- Medical Allied Career Center
- Mendocino College
- Merced College
- Merritt College
- Mills College
- Mira Costa College
- Mission College
- Modesto Junior College
- Monterey Peninsula College
- Moorpark College
- Mount St Mary's University-Los Angeles
- Mt San Antonio College
- Mt. San Jacinto College (Mt San Jacinto Community College District)
- Napa Valley College
- National University
- Northcentral University
- Ohlone College
- Ohlone College
- Pacific College
- Pacific Union College
- Palomar College
- Platt College-Anaheim
- Platt College-Los Angeles
- Platt College-Ontario
- Platt College-Riverside
- Point Loma Nazarene University
- Porterville College
- Reedley College at Madera Community College Center
- Rio Hondo College
- Riverside City College
- Sacramento City College
- Saddleback College
- Samuel Merritt University
- San Bernardino Valley College
- San Diego City College
- San Diego State University
- San Diego State University-Imperial Valley Campus
- San Francisco State University
- San Joaquin Delta College
- San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia
- Santa Ana College
- Santa Barbara Business College-Bakersfield
- Santa Barbara Business College-Santa Maria
- Santa Barbara City College
- Santa Monica College
- Santa Rosa Junior College
- Shasta College
- Sierra College
- Simpson University
- Solano Community College
- Sonoma State University
- Southwestern College
- Stanbridge University
- The Valley Foundation School of Nursing at San Jose State University
- United States University
- Unitek College
- University of Antelope Valley
- University of California-Davis
- University of California-Irvine
- University of California-Los Angeles
- University of Phoenix-Bay Area Campus
- University of Phoenix-California
- University of Phoenix-Central Valley Campus
- University of Phoenix-Sacramento Valley Campus
- University of Phoenix-San Diego Campus
- University of Phoenix-Southern California Campus
- University of San Diego/Hahn
- University of San Francisco
- University of Southern California
- Vanguard University of Southern California
- Ventura College
- Victor Valley College
- West Coast Ultrasound Institute
- West Coast University
- West Coast University-Ontario
- West Coast University-Orange County
- West Hills College-Lemoore
- Yuba College
Learn About In-Demand Nursing Professions
California Nursing School Rankings
Back to RN Program Rankings in California
Best Nursing Schools in the US
- About the Author
- Latest Posts

After graduating with a degree in English Literature from UCLA, Jeff published four editions of the World Wide Web Yellow Pages by Barnes and Noble, and several editions of the Best of the Web. He’s worked as an executive at both startup and mature companies including CareerPath.com and Microsoft. With nearly three decades of publishing and business development expertise, he now puts that experience to use operating RNCareers.org to help future nursing students get reliable information on registered nursing careers.
Sources: The State Board of Nursing from Each State, U.S. Department of Education: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education – OPE, National Center for Education Statistics, Bureau of Labor Statistics