2024 Best Nursing Master's Degree Schools in California
Nursing is of the hottest master's degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #2 most popular major in the country. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.
For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 38 schools in California to determine which ones were the best for nursing students pursuing a master's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 3,048 master's degrees in nursing to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
Choosing a Great Nursing School for Your Master's Degree
The nursing master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality nursing program can vary widely even among the top schools. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.
A Great Overall School
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
Early-Career Earnings
One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of master's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their master's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.
Other Factors We Consider
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
- Major Focus - How much a school focuses on nursing students vs. other majors.
- Major Demand - The number of nursing students who choose to seek a master's degree at the school.
- Educational Resources - The amount of money and other resources allocated to students while they are pursuing their degree. These resources include such things as number of students per instructor and education expenditures per student.
- Student Debt - How easy is it for nursing to pay back their student loans after receiving their master's degree.
- Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized nursing related body.
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for nursing students working on their master's degree.
One Size Does Not Fit All
The nursing school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Nursing Master's Degree Schools in California.
Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Nursing in California
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in nursing.
10 Top California Schools for a Master's in Nursing
University of Southern California is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a master's degree in nursing. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles.
Master's recipients from the nursing degree program at University of Southern California make $51,171 more than the typical college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a master’s in nursing from University of Southern California
Samuel Merritt University is a good decision for individuals pursuing a master's degree in nursing. Located in the city of Oakland, Samuel Merritt University is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.
Master's recipients from the nursing program at Samuel Merritt University get $7,606 above the average graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a master’s in nursing from Samuel Merritt University
University of California - Los Angeles is a good option for students pursuing a master's degree in nursing. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Students who graduate with their master's from the nursing program state that they receive average early career earnings of $94,892.
More information about a master’s in nursing from University of California - Los Angeles
University of California - San Francisco is a good decision for students pursuing a master's degree in nursing. Located in the city of San Francisco, UCSF is a public university with a small student population.
Nursing master's degree recipients from University of California - San Francisco earn a boost of around $2,089 over the average income of nursing majors.
More information about a master’s in nursing from University of California - San Francisco
USU is a small private for-profit university located in the city of San Diego.
Soon after graduating, nursing master's recipients generally make about $116,603 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a master’s in nursing from United States University
Located in the large suburb of Pomona, Western University of Health Sciences is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.
After graduation, nursing master's recipients generally make an average of $104,132 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a master’s in nursing from Western University of Health Sciences
USFCA is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of San Francisco.
After graduation, nursing master's recipients typically earn around $117,274 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a master’s in nursing from University of San Francisco
UC Irvine is a very large public university located in the large city of Irvine.
Students who graduate with their master's from the nursing program state that they receive average early career earnings of $109,417.
More information about a master’s in nursing from University of California - Irvine
Located in the large city of Anaheim, West Coast University - Orange County is a private for-profit university with a small student population.
Students who graduate with their master's from the nursing program state that they receive average early career earnings of $110,302.
More information about a master’s in nursing from West Coast University - Orange County
Azusa Pacific is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Azusa.
Soon after graduating, nursing master's recipients usually earn an average of $115,116 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a master’s in nursing from Azusa Pacific University
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