2023 Best Nursing Schools in California
Finding the Best Nursing 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.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Nursing Schools in California ranking. Our analysis looked at 124 schools in California to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
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2023 Best Nursing Schools in California
The colleges and universities below are the best for nursing majors pursuing a .
Top 15% Best Nursing Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Samuel Merritt University the best school in California for nursing students. Samuel Merritt University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Oakland.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Samuel Merritt University take out is $25,500. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $551, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
The excellent 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 large city of Irvine.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Stanbridge carry an average student debtload of $37,517.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Nursing Schools in California list. Located in the city of San Mateo, Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts take out is $18,603.
The excellent programs at Los Angeles County College of Nursing and Allied Health helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in California. Located in the city of Los Angeles, L.A. County School of Nursing is a public school with a small student population.
Nursing majors at L.A. County School of Nursing take out an average of $19,688 in student loans while working on their egree.
Full Nursing at Los Angeles County College of Nursing and Allied Health Report
The excellent programs at University of Southern California helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in California. USC is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles.
Pacific College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in California list. Pacific College is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Costa Mesa.
With a ranking of #7, University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Located in the suburb of San Marcos, USAHS is a private for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.
Read full report on Nursing at University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences
Loma Linda University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the suburb of Loma Linda, Loma Linda University is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Nursing majors at Loma Linda University take out an average of $32,500 in student loans while working on their egree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $416.
Touro University California came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in California ranking. Located in the city of Vallejo, TUC is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
On average, nursing graduates from TUC take out $16,982 in student loans while working on their degree.
With a ranking of #10, West Coast University - Ontario did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. West Coast University - Ontario is a small private for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Ontario.
Nursing majors at West Coast University - Ontario take out an average of $38,146 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $665.
West Coast University - Los Angeles landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. West Coast University - Los Angeles is a small private for-profit school located in the large city of North Hollywood.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at West Coast University - Los Angeles accumulate an average of around $38,146 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $665.
California State University - Monterey Bay ranked #12 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in California list. CSUMB is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Seaside.
Nursing majors at CSUMB take out an average of $13,312 in student loans while working on their egree.
West Coast University - Orange County did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #13 on the list. Located in the large city of Anaheim, West Coast University - Orange County is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at West Coast University - Orange County take out is $38,146. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $665.
American University of Health Sciences came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in California ranking. Located in the suburb of Signal Hill, AUHS Signal Hill is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from AUHS Signal Hill carry an average student debtload of $46,029. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $471.
Full Nursing at American University of Health Sciences Report
University of California - San Francisco came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in California ranking. UCSF is a small public school located in the large city of San Francisco.
Read full report on Nursing at University of California - San Francisco
With a ranking of #16, Unitek College did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Located in the large suburb of Fremont, Unitek College is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Unitek College take out is $23,468.
With a ranking of #17, Chamberlain University - California did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Located in the city of Rancho Cordova, Chamberlain - California is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Chamberlain - California carry an average student debtload of $38,460. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $256.
With a ranking of #18, University of California - Davis did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Located in the small suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Read full report on Nursing at University of California - Davis
Additional Noteworthy Schools
Here are some additional great schools for Nursing students in the state of California that almost earned our Best Nursing Schools in California award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 19 | Sonoma State University | Rohnert Park, CA |
| 20 | California State University - Dominguez Hills | Carson, CA |
| 21 | Western University of Health Sciences | Pomona, CA |
| 22 | California State University - Stanislaus | Turlock, CA |
| 23 | University of California - Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA |
| 24 | Dominican University of California | San Rafael, CA |
Best 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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