2023 Most Popular 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.
The Most Popular Nursing Schools in California ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 153 schools in California to see which programs were the most popular for students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Nursing program at each school on the list.
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2023 Most Popular Nursing Schools in California
Check out the nursing programs at these schools if you want to attend one of the most popular in California.
Top 15% Most Popular Nursing Schools
Our analysis found West Coast University - Orange County to be the most popular school for nursing students who want to pursue a degree in California. Located in the large city of Anaheim, West Coast University - Orange County is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from West Coast University - Orange County carry an average student debt load of $38,146. 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
The excellent programs at West Coast University - Los Angeles helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in California. West Coast University - Los Angeles is a small private for-profit school located in the city of North Hollywood.
Nursing majors at West Coast University - Los Angeles 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.
Read full report on Nursing at West Coast University - Los Angeles
The excellent programs at Samuel Merritt University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in California. Samuel Merritt University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Oakland.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Samuel Merritt University carry an average student debt load of $25,500. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $551, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend West Coast University - Ontario. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in California list. West Coast University - Ontario is a small private for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Ontario.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at West Coast University - Ontario 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.
Read full report on Nursing at West Coast University - Ontario
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Azusa Pacific University. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in California list. Located in the suburb of Azusa, Azusa Pacific is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Azusa Pacific carry an average student debt load of $26,740. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $246.
With a ranking of #6, University of San Francisco did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students. USFCA is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of San Francisco.
On average, nursing graduates from USFCA take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $639, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
United States University ranked #7 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in California list. Located in the large city of San Diego, USU is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
California State University - Fullerton did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for nursing students. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the large suburb of Fullerton, Cal State Fullerton is a public college with a fairly large student population.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at Cal State Fullerton accumulate an average of around $18,607 in student debt.
Read full report on Nursing at California State University - Fullerton
National University ranked #9 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in California list. National University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of La Jolla.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from National University carry an average student debt load of $37,500. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $198, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
With a ranking of #10, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students. Located in the city of Long Beach, CSULB is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Nursing majors at CSULB take out an average of $16,575 in student loans while working on their egree.
Read full report on Nursing at California State University - Long Beach
California State University - San Marcos came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Schools in California ranking. CSUSM is a large public school located in the large suburb of San Marcos.
Nursing majors at CSUSM take out an average of $25,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
California State University - Sacramento came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Schools in California ranking. Sac State is a fairly large public school located in the city of Sacramento.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at Sac State accumulate an average of around $18,574 in student debt.
Read full report on Nursing at California State University - Sacramento
California State University - Dominguez Hills ranked #13 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in California list. Located in the city of Carson, CSUDH is a public college with a fairly large student population.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at CSUDH accumulate an average of around $17,500 in student debt.
Full Nursing at California State University - Dominguez Hills Report
With a ranking of #14, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students. Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public college with a very large student population.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from UCLA carry an average student debt load of $19,210.
Read full report on Nursing at University of California - Los Angeles
With a ranking of #15, San Diego State University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students. SDSU is a very large public school located in the large city of San Diego.
Nursing majors at SDSU take out an average of $19,448 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $250, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
With a ranking of #16, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students. Cal State LA is a very large public school located in the large city of Los Angeles.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at Cal State LA accumulate an average of around $18,131 in student debt.
Read full report on Nursing at California State University - Los Angeles
Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for nursing students. It came in at #16 on the list. CDU is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Los Angeles.
With a ranking of #18, California Baptist University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students. Located in the large city of Riverside, Cal Baptist is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
Nursing majors at Cal Baptist take out an average of $35,562 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $458, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Loma Linda University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Schools in California ranking. Located in the large suburb of Loma Linda, Loma Linda University is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Loma Linda University take out is $32,500. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $416.
San Jose State University landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular nursing programs. Located in the city of San Jose, San Jose State is a public college with a very large student population.
Mount Saint Mary’s University landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular nursing programs. MSMU is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at MSMU take out is $25,242. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $212, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
California State University - East Bay did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for nursing students. It came in at #22 on the list. Cal State East Bay is a large public school located in the large suburb of Hayward.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at Cal State East Bay accumulate an average of around $17,910 in student debt.
Full Nursing at California State University - East Bay Report
Additional Noteworthy Schools
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also popular but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Most Popular Nursing Schools in California award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | Fresno City College | Fresno, CA |
| 24 | San Francisco State University | San Francisco, CA |
| 25 | University of California - San Francisco | San Francisco, CA |
| 26 | University of Phoenix - California | Costa Mesa, CA |
| 27 | Saddleback College | Mission Viejo, CA |
| 28 | Glendale Community College | Glendale, CA |
| 29 | Point Loma Nazarene University | San Diego, CA |
| 30 | California State University - Fresno | Fresno, CA |
Best Nursing Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Most Popular 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 |
Majors Related to Nursing
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.
- 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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