2026 Best Nursing Science Schools in California
Nursing Science degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. The schools below stand out for the quality of their nursing science programs.
For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for nursing science students pursuing a degree.
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Best Schools for Nursing Science in California
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the nursing science degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Nursing Science
Leading the list is University Of California Irvine, our #1 school for nursing science. University Of California Irvine is a very large public school located in the city of Irvine. Roughly 87% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 48 nursing science degrees were awarded at University Of California Irvine in the most recent year. Nursing Science graduates of University Of California Irvine earn a median of $87,466 early in their careers. University Of California Irvine graduates carry a median of $13,400 in student loans.
Get the full nursing science details for University Of California Irvine
Students looking for a strong nursing science program will find one at Touro University California, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Vallejo, Touro University California is a small private not-for-profit university. Touro University California awarded about 16 nursing science degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, nursing science degree recipients from Touro University California generally make around $130,133. Touro University California graduates carry a median of $16,002 in student loans.
See the full nursing science program report for Touro University California
Students looking for a strong nursing science program will find one at Fresno Pacific University, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Fresno, Fresno Pacific University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Roughly 50% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 22 nursing science degrees were awarded at Fresno Pacific University in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, nursing science degree recipients from Fresno Pacific University generally make around $132,057. Students borrow a median of $24,596 to complete this degree.
See the full nursing science program report for Fresno Pacific University
More Nursing Science Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 7 schools evaluated.
- 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 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
