National University - Nursing Programs

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 88.72% and for BSN programs is 87.43%. The average national NCLEX-RN passing rate for ADN programs is 85.48% and for BSN programs is 87.22%.

Out of 134 nursing schools in California, the nursing program at National University ranks #12 in the state, and out of more than 1,700 nursing programs nationally, it ranks #315. It's 3-year average NCLEX-RN passing rate is 90.00%, 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: 90.00%
• California State Rank: 12
• National Rank: 315

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

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