2023 Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in California
Finding the Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree School for You
In 2020-2021, nursing students earned 18,329 degrees and certificates from a California school, making the subject the 5th in the state.
With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in California to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 54 schools in California to see which bachelor's degree programs offered the best educational experiences for students. Factors related to overall quality of the school, post-graduation earnings, average student debt, and more accumulated were considered when coming up with this list.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California
Check out the nursing bachelor's degree programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.
Top 10 Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools
Our analysis found Samuel Merritt University to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in California. Samuel Merritt University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Oakland.
On average, nursing graduates from Samuel Merritt University take out $28,570 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $551, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Stanbridge University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in California. Stanbridge is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Irvine.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at Stanbridge accumulate an average of around $32,734 in student debt.
Full Nursing at Stanbridge University Report
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The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Pacific College helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in California. Pacific College is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the city of Costa Mesa.
Nursing majors at Pacific College take out an average of $15,905 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
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Out of the 54 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Loma Linda University landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the large suburb of Loma Linda, Loma Linda University is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from Loma Linda University carry an average student debtload of $34,125. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $416.
Full Nursing at Loma Linda University Report
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The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at West Coast University - Orange County helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in California. Located in the city of Anaheim, West Coast University - Orange County is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at West Coast University - Orange County accumulate an average of around $38,539 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $665.
Full Nursing at West Coast University - Orange County Report
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With a ranking of #6, West Coast University - Ontario did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. West Coast University - Ontario is a small private for-profit school located in the midsize city of Ontario.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at West Coast University - Ontario accumulate an average of around $38,539 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $665.
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West Coast University - Los Angeles landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree nursing programs. West Coast University - Los Angeles is a small private for-profit school located in the large city of North Hollywood.
Nursing majors at West Coast University - Los Angeles take out an average of $38,539 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $665.
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Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts ranked #8 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list. Located in the midsize city of San Mateo, Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
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California State University - Monterey Bay came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California ranking. CSUMB is a moderately-sized public school located in the midsize suburb of Seaside.
Nursing majors at CSUMB take out an average of $16,909 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
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University of California - Los Angeles landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree nursing programs. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Request InformationBest Nursing Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Nursing Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Washington | 3,851 |
| Oregon | 1,502 |
| Nevada | 2,015 |
| Hawaii | 535 |
| Alaska | 177 |
More Nursing Rankings in California
Nursing Related Rankings by Major
Nursing is one of 30 different types of programs to choose from.
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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