Nursing Schools in California (2026)

286 accredited nursing programs found

286

Nursing Schools

153 / 133

Public / Private

$2,891

Avg Public Tuition

55.0%

Avg Grad Rate

California has 286 nursing-relevant schools tracked in this directory, the largest count of any state, split fairly evenly between 153 public and 133 private institutions. Average annual in-state tuition is $10,571, but that average masks a wide gap: public schools average $2,891 while private schools average $34,464, and the top quartile of programs charges $11,075 or more. The cheapest tracked program is Barstow Community College at $1,104 per year. By volume, the largest is California State University-Fullerton, with about 36,956 undergraduates across all programs.

Across these California programs the average graduation rate is 55.0 percent and the average first-year retention rate is 75.4 percent. Reported median post-graduation earnings average $43,430, and median federal debt at graduation averages $13,581 — well below the BSN-heavy state averages elsewhere. The combination of a deep public-college pipeline, a long tail of low-tuition community colleges, and a comparatively well-paid RN labor market gives California one of the more favorable cost-to-earnings profiles in the nation, although the cost of living offsets a meaningful share of the headline pay advantage.

Registered Nurse Market in California

BLS wage and employment data for registered nurses

+6% projected growth

10th Percentile

$89,600

Median

$128,300

90th Percentile

$181,070

Employment

328,730

Openings

193,100

Registered Nurse Salary in California

Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024

Median Salary

$128,300

Mean Salary

$133,340

Entry Level (10th %)

$89,600

Experienced (90th %)

$181,070

RNs Employed: 328,730

vs National Median: +37% (above $93,600)

Job Growth (2023-2033): +6%

Average Tuition

$10,571

Matches the California average of $10,571.

Graduation Rate

55.0%

0.0%

Matches the California average of 55.0%.

Median Earnings

$43,430

Matches the California median of $43,430.

Tuition Overview

Avg Public Tuition	$2,891
Lowest Tuition	$1,104
Highest Tuition	$68,237
Avg Private Tuition	$34,464

Student Outcomes

Avg Graduation Rate	55.0%
Avg Earnings After Grad	$49,168
Avg Student Debt	$13,581
Total Enrollment	1,826,913

Most Affordable Nursing Schools in California

#1 Lowest

Barstow Community College

Copper Mountain Community College

$1,114

#4 Lowest

Antelope Valley Community College District

$1,124

#5 Lowest

Woodland Community College

$1,124

Highest Graduation Rates in California

#1 Grad Rate

California Career Institute

100.0%

#2 Grad Rate

Hypnosis Motivation Institute

100.0%

#3 Grad Rate

American Medical Sciences Center

100.0%

#4 Grad Rate

California Career College

100.0%

#5 Grad Rate

Beaumont Adult School

100.0%

All Nursing Schools in California

Institution	City	Type	Tuition (In-State)	Grad Rate	Earnings After	Enrollment
California State University-Fullerton	Fullerton	Public	$7,073	69.2%	$62,951	36,956
California State University-Long Beach	Long Beach	Public	$7,008	69.9%	$64,403	34,131
University of California-San Diego	La Jolla	Public	$15,265	87.6%	$84,943	33,787
San Diego State University	San Diego	Public	$8,290	78.3%	$64,909	33,654
University of California-Berkeley	Berkeley	Public	$14,850	92.9%	$92,446	33,073
University of California-Los Angeles	Los Angeles	Public	$13,747	92.7%	$82,511	33,040
California State University-Northridge	Northridge	Public	$7,095	56.2%	$59,115	32,357
University of California-Davis	Davis	Public	$15,247	85.1%	$80,838	31,777
University of California-Irvine	Irvine	Public	$14,237	86.0%	$80,735	29,494
California State University-Sacramento	Sacramento	Public	$7,602	55.8%	$64,876	27,867
San Jose State University	San Jose	Public	$7,992	64.6%	$78,988	26,757
American River College	Sacramento	Public	$1,288	32.7%	$40,162	25,758
Mt San Antonio College	Walnut	Public	$1,364	39.3%	$46,283	25,311
East Los Angeles College	Monterey Park	Public	$1,238	33.3%	$42,006	24,401
Ashford University	San Diego	For-Profit	$13,160	8.8%	$35,404	23,734
Santa Ana College	Santa Ana	Public	$1,180	31.5%	$43,552	22,011
Long Beach City College	Long Beach	Public	$1,556	27.1%	$38,870	21,899
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo	San Luis Obispo	Public	$11,075	85.2%	$90,768	21,521
California State University-Los Angeles	Los Angeles	Public	$6,813	52.6%	$59,211	21,478
Santa Monica College	Santa Monica	Public	$1,156	35.8%	$42,193	21,194
California State University-Fresno	Fresno	Public	$6,980	54.8%	$61,244	21,070
University of Southern California	Los Angeles	Private	$68,237	92.0%	$92,498	20,817
Pasadena City College	Pasadena	Public	$1,180	41.1%	$43,937	20,624
San Francisco State University	San Francisco	Public	$7,424	50.1%	$68,077	20,033
El Camino Community College District	Torrance	Public	$1,144	36.6%	$41,589	18,994
Fresno City College	Fresno	Public	$1,334	28.3%	$37,361	18,774
Cerritos College	Norwalk	Public	$1,364	28.9%	$41,156	18,710
Riverside City College	Riverside	Public	$1,420	32.0%	$41,091	17,361
Sacramento City College	Sacramento	Public	$1,288	31.4%	$42,214	16,952
Southwestern College	Chula Vista	Public	$1,344	31.5%	$40,060	16,640
Fullerton College	Fullerton	Public	$1,150	33.9%	$43,366	16,637
Bakersfield College	Bakersfield	Public	$1,430	22.6%	$37,291	16,451
Palomar College	San Marcos	Public	$1,354	33.8%	$42,300	16,167
Orange Coast College	Costa Mesa	Public	$1,208	45.3%	$47,348	16,117
City College of San Francisco	San Francisco	Public	$1,696	39.6%	$45,805	16,060
Saddleback College	Mission Viejo	Public	$1,432	41.7%	$50,874	15,959
San Diego Mesa College	San Diego	Public	$1,150	33.8%	$45,120	15,899
California State University-San Bernardino	San Bernardino	Public	$7,675	54.6%	$59,977	15,771
College of the Canyons	Santa Clarita	Public	$1,176	43.9%	$49,022	15,365
Rio Hondo College	Whittier	Public	$1,388	27.1%	$44,950	15,365
De Anza College	Cupertino	Public	$1,562	67.8%	$56,596	14,953
Mt San Jacinto Community College District	San Jacinto	Public	$1,406	36.5%	$38,319	14,859
Diablo Valley College	Pleasant Hill	Public	$1,312	45.6%	$51,378	14,734
Modesto Junior College	Modesto	Public	$1,270	26.1%	$42,368	14,714
Santa Rosa Junior College	Santa Rosa	Public	$1,318	34.3%	$47,224	14,327
California State University-San Marcos	San Marcos	Public	$7,739	54.2%	$62,908	14,174
San Joaquin Delta College	Stockton	Public	$1,288	32.5%	$43,212	13,964
Chaffey College	Rancho Cucamonga	Public	$1,184	31.9%	$42,975	13,568
Cosumnes River College	Sacramento	Public	$1,288	32.9%	$42,446	13,527
Sierra College	Rocklin	Public	$1,156	38.3%	$45,294	13,455
California State University-Chico	Chico	Public	$8,064	63.6%	$64,172	13,057
Los Angeles Pierce College	Woodland Hills	Public	$1,238	41.4%	$44,521	13,029
California State University-Dominguez Hills	Carson	Public	$7,064	46.9%	$57,162	12,642
Los Angeles Valley College	Valley Glen	Public	$1,238	41.2%	$42,678	12,470
Cypress College	Cypress	Public	$1,150	35.1%	$43,533	12,309
Victor Valley College	Victorville	Public	$1,425	32.4%	$36,119	12,107
Moorpark College	Moorpark	Public	$1,416	38.9%	$49,044	12,011
Grossmont College	El Cajon	Public	$1,332	31.6%	$40,309	11,467
San Bernardino Valley College	San Bernardino	Public	$1,185	22.1%	$39,676	11,106
Foothill College	Los Altos Hills	Public	$1,565	60.0%	$57,072	10,922
Antelope Valley Community College District	Lancaster	Public	$1,124	30.6%	$36,526	10,905
Chabot College	Hayward	Public	$1,150	41.3%	$48,143	10,861
Los Angeles City College	Los Angeles	Public	$1,238	24.0%	$36,190	10,857
College of the Sequoias	Visalia	Public	$1,394	32.8%	$39,092	10,752
San Diego Miramar College	San Diego	Public	$1,150	48.1%	$48,224	10,740
Santiago Canyon College	Orange	Public	$1,164	47.3%	$44,956	10,613
San Diego City College	San Diego	Public	$1,150	24.5%	$38,503	10,584
MiraCosta College	Oceanside	Public	$1,152	41.1%	$43,845	10,474
California State University-East Bay	Hayward	Public	$7,055	45.5%	$71,401	10,422
Los Angeles Trade Technical College	Los Angeles	Public	$1,238	27.0%	$35,233	10,165
Santa Barbara City College	Santa Barbara	Public	$1,234	35.6%	$47,647	10,070
Ventura College	Ventura	Public	$1,416	42.6%	$43,430	9,971
Glendale Community College	Glendale	Public	$1,181	33.3%	$41,540	9,807
National University	San Diego	Private	$13,320	50.0%	$67,548	9,725
Merced College	Merced	Public	$1,194	29.1%	$37,815	9,677
Irvine Valley College	Irvine	Public	$1,156	57.5%	$49,156	9,577
Folsom Lake College	Folsom	Public	$1,288	39.5%	$42,568	8,937
Golden West College	Huntington Beach	Public	$1,196	44.9%	$43,145	8,919
College of the Desert	Palm Desert	Public	$1,326	29.0%	$39,020	8,900
California State University-Stanislaus	Turlock	Public	$7,826	58.0%	$63,188	8,564
Butte College	Oroville	Public	$1,336	32.0%	$41,810	8,384
University of California-Merced	Merced	Public	$14,167	69.2%	$64,368	8,372
Moreno Valley College	Moreno Valley	Public	$1,420	32.6%	$52,133	8,292
California State University-Bakersfield	Bakersfield	Public	$7,696	49.3%	$59,009	8,183
Citrus College	Glendora	Public	$1,204	44.4%	$42,065	8,126
Los Angeles Mission College	Sylmar	Public	$1,238	30.7%	$39,834	8,031
California Baptist University	Riverside	Private	$39,720	59.5%	$61,504	7,914
Allan Hancock College	Santa Maria	Public	$1,156	27.5%	$42,786	7,812
Solano Community College	Fairfield	Public	$1,172	33.8%	$44,170	7,688
Evergreen Valley College	San Jose	Public	$1,366	42.8%	$53,077	7,670
Chapman University	Orange	Private	$62,784	80.4%	$70,070	7,629
Cabrillo College	Aptos	Public	$1,270	38.1%	$44,114	7,404
College of San Mateo	San Mateo	Public	$1,332	56.7%	$54,172	7,359
West Los Angeles College	Culver City	Public	$1,238	21.4%	$38,537	7,277
Hartnell College	Salinas	Public	$1,404	30.0%	$44,316	7,153
Skyline College	San Bruno	Public	$1,332	41.4%	$55,702	7,132
Los Medanos College	Pittsburg	Public	$1,312	38.9%	$42,454	7,100
San Jose City College	San Jose	Public	$1,366	32.1%	$46,215	7,039
Coastline Community College	Fountain Valley	Public	$1,180	27.5%	$44,483	7,007
Ohlone College	Fremont	Public	$1,202	54.9%	$54,278	6,958
Imperial Valley College	Imperial	Public	$1,126	46.3%	$34,487	6,881
Cuesta College	San Luis Obispo	Public	$1,340	44.2%	$46,047	6,879
Cuyamaca College	El Cajon	Public	$1,340	33.5%	$32,435	6,788
Las Positas College	Livermore	Public	$1,168	48.5%	$51,088	6,766
Clovis Community College	Fresno	Public	$1,334	39.6%	N/A	6,759
Los Angeles Harbor College	Wilmington	Public	$1,238	35.9%	$41,133	6,496
Santa Clara University	Santa Clara	Private	$59,241	88.4%	$109,183	6,235
West Valley College	Saratoga	Public	$1,490	52.3%	$51,688	6,086
Oxnard College	Oxnard	Public	$1,416	32.6%	$41,393	6,059
California State University-Monterey Bay	Seaside	Public	$7,437	63.2%	$59,247	5,811
Monterey Peninsula College	Monterey	Public	$1,188	30.2%	$42,176	5,759
University of San Francisco	San Francisco	Private	$58,222	71.1%	$89,812	5,697
Mission College	Santa Clara	Public	$1,438	52.5%	$50,936	5,557
Shasta College	Redding	Public	$1,197	29.1%	$39,269	5,536
California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt	Arcata	Public	$7,913	46.6%	$47,626	5,491
Sonoma State University	Rohnert Park	Public	$8,190	60.5%	$65,986	5,374
California State University-Channel Islands	Camarillo	Public	$6,817	53.4%	$62,152	5,230
Merritt College	Oakland	Public	$1,167	21.3%	$44,392	5,153
Crafton Hills College	Yucaipa	Public	$1,188	36.8%	$42,553	5,074
University of Massachusetts Global	Irvine	Public	$12,520	0.0%	$65,703	4,902
Canada College	Redwood City	Public	$1,332	49.1%	$50,087	4,878
Reedley College	Reedley	Public	$1,334	42.4%	$38,493	4,853
Contra Costa College	San Pablo	Public	$1,312	33.0%	$40,850	4,805
Unitek College	Fremont	For-Profit	N/A	71.7%	$79,550	4,715
Gavilan College	Gilroy	Public	$1,506	43.9%	$47,169	4,410
Yuba College	Marysville	Public	$1,128	32.3%	$39,552	4,311
College of Alameda	Alameda	Public	$1,148	33.9%	$42,563	4,274
College of Marin	Kentfield	Public	$1,558	36.3%	$42,654	3,928
Madera Community College	Madera	Public	$1,334	33.2%	N/A	3,852
Los Angeles Southwest College	Los Angeles	Public	$1,238	33.6%	$32,172	3,793
College of the Redwoods	Eureka	Public	$1,147	25.0%	$36,243	3,514
Cerro Coso Community College	Ridgecrest	Public	$1,384	26.1%	$34,963	3,496
Biola University	La Mirada	Private	$46,704	68.8%	$56,778	3,390
University of La Verne	La Verne	Private	$47,000	65.5%	$65,464	3,341
University of the Pacific	Stockton	Private	$55,340	67.8%	$78,445	3,247
Lemoore College	Lemoore	Public	$1,384	39.9%	$40,292	3,223
Taft College	Taft	Public	$1,108	33.8%	$38,861	3,216
Napa Valley College	Napa	Public	$1,156	31.8%	$49,517	3,205
Point Loma Nazarene University	San Diego	Private	$43,550	73.8%	$63,998	3,132
Azusa Pacific University	Azusa	Private	$43,600	64.4%	$66,677	2,977
Woodland Community College	Woodland	Public	$1,124	36.8%	$40,042	2,949
Lake Tahoe Community College	South Lake Tahoe	Public	$1,131	41.9%	$36,657	2,909
Palo Verde College	Blythe	Public	$1,288	14.3%	$36,389	2,909
Compton College	Compton	Public	$1,142	31.6%	$34,181	2,881
Mendocino College	Ukiah	Public	$1,423	30.9%	$40,243	2,857
Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts	San Jose	For-Profit	N/A	69.8%	$66,844	2,844
Porterville College	Porterville	Public	$1,409	29.4%	$36,328	2,775
West Coast University-Los Angeles	North Hollywood	For-Profit	$37,194	44.4%	$102,672	2,687
Barstow Community College	Barstow	Public	$1,104	33.3%	$35,104	2,585
Stanbridge University	Irvine	For-Profit	N/A	77.2%	$62,144	2,373
San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia	Visalia	For-Profit	N/A	33.9%	$38,317	2,270
Carrington College-Sacramento	Sacramento	For-Profit	N/A	51.8%	$39,633	2,262
Smith Chason College	Los Angeles	For-Profit	$19,100	48.5%	$58,004	2,221
Coalinga College	Coalinga	Public	$1,384	41.9%	$37,633	2,177
University of Redlands	Redlands	Private	$57,614	70.7%	$72,690	2,095
American Career College-Los Angeles	Los Angeles	For-Profit	N/A	72.3%	$38,430	2,066
Saint Mary's College of California	Moraga	Private	$56,134	69.0%	$78,812	2,024
American Career College-Ontario	Ontario	For-Profit	N/A	62.0%	$38,492	2,014
Vanguard University of Southern California	Costa Mesa	Private	$39,950	55.9%	$59,541	1,975
Columbia College	Sonora	Public	$1,547	30.4%	$39,035	1,917
Mount Saint Mary's University	Los Angeles	Private	$48,132	53.4%	$72,379	1,746
High Desert Medical College	Lancaster	For-Profit	N/A	66.0%	N/A	1,721
Fresno Pacific University	Fresno	Private	$35,558	55.9%	$58,896	1,614
Feather River Community College District	Quincy	Public	$1,465	46.9%	$38,142	1,574
Lassen Community College	Susanville	Public	$1,144	28.6%	$35,994	1,564
Concordia University-Irvine	Irvine	Private	$41,390	62.5%	$65,083	1,456
Los Angeles Pacific University	San Dimas	Private	$11,976	32.5%	N/A	1,453
UEI College-Gardena	Gardena	For-Profit	N/A	62.9%	$30,848	1,444
CBD College	Los Angeles	Private	N/A	68.6%	$37,237	1,408
Institute of Technology	Clovis	For-Profit	N/A	74.5%	$35,095	1,376
Westmont College	Santa Barbara	Private	$51,790	70.1%	$64,778	1,310
Summit College	San Bernardino	For-Profit	N/A	73.7%	$40,187	1,210
Pitzer College	Claremont	Private	$62,692	83.2%	$69,512	1,191
Dominican University of California	San Rafael	Private	$50,666	76.3%	$84,713	1,178
La Sierra University	Riverside	Private	$35,910	68.1%	$61,824	1,155
National Holistic Institute	Emeryville	For-Profit	N/A	69.6%	$27,978	1,134
Copper Mountain Community College	Joshua Tree	Public	$1,114	38.3%	$33,281	1,090
College of the Siskiyous	Weed	Public	$1,444	30.0%	$39,098	1,080
UEI College-Huntington Park	Huntington Park	For-Profit	N/A	59.9%	$31,141	1,036
MTI College	Sacramento	For-Profit	N/A	73.6%	$45,328	1,025
William Jessup University	Rocklin	Private	$37,150	60.7%	$56,257	1,021
UEI College-Fresno	Fresno	For-Profit	N/A	54.5%	$27,688	974
Career Networks Institute	Santa Ana	For-Profit	N/A	76.9%	$45,256	971
Pacific Union College	Angwin	Private	$35,214	51.5%	$70,484	910
Loma Linda University	Loma Linda	Private	N/A	N/A	$89,816	867
Glendale Career College	Glendale	For-Profit	N/A	59.3%	$41,472	854
Downey Adult School	Downey	Public	N/A	89.3%	$46,851	844
Laurus College	San Luis Obispo	For-Profit	N/A	38.5%	$30,896	794
Simpson University	Redding	Private	$38,522	41.7%	$54,340	751
Samuel Merritt University	Oakland	Private	N/A	N/A	$143,238	712
Asher College	Sacramento	For-Profit	N/A	85.7%	$45,468	699
Career Care Institute	Lancaster	For-Profit	N/A	71.8%	$39,888	649
North-West College-West Covina	West Covina	For-Profit	N/A	65.2%	$37,542	635
Milan Institute-Visalia	Visalia	For-Profit	N/A	48.6%	$32,493	632
Institute for Business and Technology	Santa Clara	For-Profit	N/A	77.4%	$38,015	609
Platt College-Los Angeles	Alhambra	For-Profit	$14,804	62.3%	$40,669	598
Casa Loma College-Los Angeles	Sherman Oaks	Private	N/A	63.2%	$49,854	581
California Career Institute	Anaheim	For-Profit	N/A	100.0%	N/A	517
InterCoast Colleges-West Covina	West Covina	For-Profit	N/A	81.3%	$36,089	507
Hacienda La Puente Adult Education	La Puente	Public	N/A	87.1%	$39,271	496
Central Coast College	Salinas	For-Profit	N/A	88.7%	$40,823	490
Angeles College	Los Angeles	For-Profit	N/A	97.1%	$49,108	484
Baldwin Park Adult & Community Education	Baldwin Park	Public	N/A	53.6%	$32,069	435
Touro University Worldwide	Los Alamitos	Private	$14,600	42.3%	$40,803	416
Healthcare Career College	Paramount	For-Profit	N/A	68.2%	$32,613	381
National Career College	Panorama City	For-Profit	N/A	68.5%	$19,347	366
American University of Health Sciences	Signal Hill	For-Profit	$24,575	50.0%	$93,610	364
Contra Costa Medical Career College	Antioch	For-Profit	N/A	75.0%	N/A	337
Hypnosis Motivation Institute	Tarzana	Private	N/A	100.0%	$24,244	335
Unitek College	Hayward	For-Profit	N/A	74.8%	$87,877	326
The Chicago School at Los Angeles	Los Angeles	Private	$20,844	N/A	$56,899	324
American College of Healthcare and Technology	Riverside	For-Profit	N/A	65.4%	$31,109	321
Mayfield College	Cathedral City	For-Profit	N/A	77.4%	$29,384	316
North-West College-Pomona	Pomona	For-Profit	N/A	64.5%	$39,876	315
National Polytechnic College	Lakewood	For-Profit	N/A	72.7%	$30,781	299
California Healing Arts College	Carson	For-Profit	N/A	59.9%	$25,151	298
Milan Institute-Palm Desert	Palm Desert	For-Profit	N/A	57.4%	$29,491	290
Pacific College	Costa Mesa	For-Profit	N/A	75.9%	$70,064	285
Universal Healthcare Careers College	Los Angeles	For-Profit	N/A	88.7%	N/A	279
Clovis Adult Education	Clovis	Public	N/A	86.6%	$50,098	268
Concorde Career College-San Bernardino	San Bernardino	For-Profit	N/A	73.1%	$39,993	260
Healing Hands School of Holistic Health	Escondido	For-Profit	N/A	71.4%	$24,366	256
South Coast College	Orange	For-Profit	$13,409	33.3%	$44,897	241
Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science	Los Angeles	Private	$18,933	50.0%	$83,438	233
University of Saint Katherine	San Marcos	Private	$28,800	43.5%	N/A	230
North-West College-Van Nuys	Van Nuys	For-Profit	N/A	62.4%	$32,488	225
Diversified Vocational College	Los Angeles	For-Profit	N/A	84.5%	$25,328	224
Lincoln University	Oakland	Private	$11,420	75.0%	$53,695	223
Los Angeles County College of Nursing and Allied Health	Los Angeles	Public	N/A	N/A	$115,318	220
ICOHS College	San Diego	Private	N/A	49.1%	N/A	215
Concorde Career College-Garden Grove	Garden Grove	For-Profit	N/A	79.9%	$45,711	202
American Medical Sciences Center	Glendale	For-Profit	N/A	100.0%	$29,972	200
California Career College	Canoga Park	For-Profit	N/A	100.0%	$51,684	195
ABC Adult School	Cerritos	Public	N/A	27.6%	N/A	185
World Mission University	Los Angeles	Private	$6,920	50.0%	N/A	180
Concorde Career College-San Diego	San Diego	For-Profit	N/A	71.4%	$39,169	178
Homestead Schools	Torrance	Private	N/A	93.8%	$59,398	176
CET-San Jose	San Jose	Private	N/A	78.7%	$32,986	175
International School of Beauty Inc	Palm Desert	For-Profit	N/A	84.5%	$19,799	173
Pacific College of Health and Science	San Diego	For-Profit	$10,732	67.3%	$26,209	173
PCI College	Cerritos	For-Profit	N/A	76.9%	$36,141	168
Career Development Institute Inc	Los Angeles	For-Profit	N/A	76.9%	$62,209	168
United States University	San Diego	For-Profit	$6,600	N/A	$80,980	167
Associated Technical College-Los Angeles	Los Angeles	For-Profit	N/A	91.9%	$24,368	159
Bay Area Medical Academy	San Francisco	For-Profit	N/A	31.7%	N/A	159
Integrity College of Health	Pasadena	For-Profit	N/A	60.0%	N/A	158
Marian Health Careers Center-Los Angeles Campus	Los Angeles	For-Profit	N/A	77.8%	$63,612	154
Fremont University	Cerritos	For-Profit	N/A	33.8%	$39,003	153
Mt. Diablo Adult Education-Mt. Diablo USD	Concord	Public	N/A	68.6%	$40,175	153
Concorde Career College-North Hollywood	North Hollywood	For-Profit	N/A	75.6%	$50,552	143
ATI College-Whittier	Whitter	For-Profit	N/A	20.0%	$38,938	141
Southern California University of Health Sciences	Whittier	Private	$10,769	N/A	$70,649	132
Angeles Institute	ARTESIA	For-Profit	N/A	47.6%	$61,195	132
San Francisco School of Massage & Bodywork	San Francisco	For-Profit	N/A	N/A	N/A	131
California Nurses Educational Institute	Palm Springs	For-Profit	N/A	84.0%	$46,895	114
Riverside County Office of Education-School of Career Education	Riverside	Public	N/A	84.5%	N/A	108
Premiere Career College	Irwindale	For-Profit	N/A	45.5%	$41,270	106
ATA College	El Cajon	For-Profit	N/A	86.0%	$35,017	106
CES College	Burbank	Private	N/A	31.8%	$22,916	106
Sacramento Ultrasound Institute	Sacramento	For-Profit	N/A	76.5%	N/A	104
Beaumont Adult School	Beaumont	Public	N/A	100.0%	$50,801	101
Modern Technology School	Fountain Valley	For-Profit	N/A	78.6%	$50,667	99
Victory Career College	Carson	For-Profit	N/A	100.0%	N/A	97
Charles A Jones Career and Education Center	Sacramento	Public	N/A	67.7%	$41,047	90
Xavier College School of Nursing	Stockton	For-Profit	N/A	N/A	N/A	87
Central California School of Continuing Education	San Luis Obispo	For-Profit	$9,895	87.5%	$41,223	72
Southern California Health Institute	North Hollywood	For-Profit	N/A	81.5%	$34,558	69
California Northstate University	Elk Grove	For-Profit	$56,501	87.9%	N/A	69
Galaxy Medical College	North Hollywood	For-Profit	N/A	91.0%	N/A	65
Medical Allied Career Center	Santa Fe Springs	For-Profit	N/A	78.6%	N/A	64
Sri Sai Krish Institute	ORANGE	For-Profit	$64,500	N/A	N/A	61
Valley College of Medical Careers	West Hills	For-Profit	N/A	78.6%	$37,453	57
Ventura Adult and Continuing Education	Ventura	Public	N/A	96.7%	$38,232	52
Regan Career Institute	El Monte	For-Profit	N/A	100.0%	N/A	51
Stellar Career College	Modesto	For-Profit	N/A	82.0%	$30,337	50
Sutter County Career Training Center	Yuba City	For-Profit	N/A	55.8%	$34,846	50
Palladium Technical Academy Inc	Temple City	For-Profit	N/A	80.0%	$34,799	45
Butte County Regional Occupational Program	Chico	Public	N/A	66.7%	N/A	41
Agape College of Business and Science	Fresno	Private	$8,132	N/A	N/A	41
California Institute of Medical Science	Clovis	For-Profit	N/A	N/A	N/A	36
Annenberg School of Nursing	Reseda	Private	N/A	100.0%	N/A	24
CalCopa Massage School	Huntington Beach	For-Profit	N/A	73.7%	N/A	19
American Institute of Massage Therapy	Santa Ana	For-Profit	N/A	97.5%	N/A	17
Blake Austin College	Vacaville	For-Profit	N/A	70.0%	$42,518	11
Medical Career College of Northern California	Roseville	For-Profit	$19,576	100.0%	N/A	10
Ukiah Adult School	Ukiah	Public	N/A	N/A	N/A	0

Nursing Guides & Resources

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many nursing schools are in California?

There are 286 nursing schools in California, including 153 public and 133 private institutions.

What is the average nursing school tuition in California?

Average in-state tuition across nursing schools in California is $10,571. Tuition ranges from $1,104 to $68,237 where data is available.

What is the average graduation rate for nursing schools in California?

The average graduation rate is 55.0%, with Hypnosis Motivation Institute reporting the highest rate at 100.0%.

What is the average retention rate in California?

The average retention rate across nursing schools in California is 75.4%.

What do graduates from nursing schools in California earn?

The median schoolwide earnings figure among these institutions is $43,430 10 years after entry. This is institution-level outcomes data rather than nursing-only wage data.

What is the average student debt at nursing schools in California?

Average median debt among nursing schools in California is $13,581.

How much do registered nurses earn in California?

Registered nurses earn a median annual salary of $128,300, with the 10th percentile at $89,600 and the 90th percentile at $181,070.

What is the RN job outlook for California?

The RN occupation shows projected growth of 6% in this state, with 328,730 registered nurses employed in the latest BLS wage data.

California Nursing Market Context

Bureau of Labor Statistics data for California shows an RN median annual wage of $128,300 and a mean of $133,340, the highest in the country. The 10th to 90th percentile range runs from $89,600 to $181,070, meaning even early-career California RNs typically earn above the national median of $93,600 reported for the country as a whole. State employment is approximately 328,730 RNs and the projected growth rate is 6 percent, in line with the national figure.

Tying salary back to cost: the average median federal debt at California programs in this directory is $13,581, which on a standard 10-year repayment plan translates to a manageable monthly burden against a $128,300 median wage. Even a graduate at the state's 10th-percentile starting point of $89,600 has a comfortable debt-to-income ratio. The largest practical caveat is housing cost in coastal metro areas; the headline wage premium relative to other states narrows substantially after rent. New graduates often weigh the choice between staying in higher-paying coastal markets and moving to inland regions where the same wage figures buy considerably more.

Nursing Programs in Other States

New York 193 Florida 184 Pennsylvania 159 Texas 159 Ohio 145 Illinois 119 North Carolina 101 Missouri 79 Georgia 78 Michigan 77

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