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2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k

46 Ranked Colleges
8,469 Degrees Awarded
$8,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $30-$48k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

With 313,362 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, nursing is the 3rd most popular major in the United States. In 2017-2018, nursing graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $67,065 and had an average of $26,282 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 18,266 nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $87,508 and $30,286 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 8,469 nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 46 colleges that offered a degree in nursing. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great nursing programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the nursing program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Nursing (Income $30-$48k) in California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 171 degrees to qualified bachelors’s nursing students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $2,117 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full California State University - Los Angeles Nursing Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Carson, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s nursing degrees to 130 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Dominguez Hills is $3,115 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full California State University - Dominguez Hills Nursing Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Stanislaus. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. Turlock, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s nursing degrees to 135 students in 2019-2020.

Stan State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Stanislaus is $3,958 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 4.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Stan State Nursing Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fresno. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. Fresno State is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 186 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $3,731 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Nursing at California State University - Fresno

#5

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 44 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,254 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCLA.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Nursing at University of California - Los Angeles

California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. California State University - Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 295 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State Fullerton, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $6,100 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Nursing at California State University - Fullerton

California State University - Bakersfield came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Bakersfield is located in Bakersfield, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 102 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Bakersfield is $3,880 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full California State University - Bakersfield Nursing Report

California State University - Long Beach ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 236 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s nursing students in 2019-2020.

CSULB also made our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $7,595 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Nursing at California State University - Long Beach

University of California - Irvine landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school handed out 47 degrees to qualified bachelors’s nursing students in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $10,373 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Irvine.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Irvine Nursing Report

With a ranking of #10, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Northridge is located in Northridge, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 90 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $6,883 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Nursing at California State University - Northridge

California State University - Sacramento ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Sacramento is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 253 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Sac State, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $7,823 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full California State University - Sacramento Nursing Report

#12

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. This fairly large school is located in San Bernardino, California, and it awarded 107 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Bernardino is $5,869 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full California State University - San Bernardino Nursing Report

#13

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Diego State University is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 224 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $30-$48k list, SDSU has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,594 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend San Diego State University.

The low student loan default rate of 2.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Nursing at SDSU

California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. CSUMB is a medium-sized public school situated in Seaside, California. It awarded 68 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUMB also took the #17 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Monterey Bay is $9,567 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full CSUMB Nursing Report

California State University - San Marcos landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Marcos, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s nursing degrees to 345 students in 2019-2020.

CSUSM also took the #21 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Marcos is $10,347 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Nursing at California State University - San Marcos

With a ranking of #16, California State University - East Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Hayward, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s nursing degrees to 190 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,891 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cal State East Bay.

Full California State University - East Bay Nursing Report

#17

University of Phoenix - California

Costa Mesa, California

University of Phoenix - California ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Phoenix - California is a small private for-profit school situated in Costa Mesa, California. It awarded 203 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

Read full report on Nursing at UOPX - California

#18

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

San Jose State University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in San Jose, California, this large public school handed out 170 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s nursing students in 2019-2020.

San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State University is $11,752 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full San Jose State University Nursing Report

#19

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 114 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,517 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend San Francisco State University.

Read more about Nursing at San Francisco State University

California State University - Channel Islands landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. CSUCI is a public institution located in Camarillo, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 92 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUCI also made our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $11,497 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Channel Islands.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Nursing at California State University - Channel Islands

#21

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California

Sonoma State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. SSU is located in Rohnert Park, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 67 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

SSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for SSU is $13,248 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Sonoma State University Nursing Report

California State University - Chico came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Chico, California, and it awarded 117 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,576 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Chico.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Nursing at Chico State

Vanguard University of Southern California landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Vanguard is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Costa Mesa, California. It awarded 75 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Vanguard University of Southern California is $14,123 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Nursing at Vanguard University of Southern California

#24

Pacific Union College

Angwin, California

Pacific Union College landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Pacific Union College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Angwin, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,984 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend PUC.

Full PUC Nursing Report

#25

American University of Health Sciences

Signal Hill, California

American University of Health Sciences ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Signal Hill, California, and it awarded 55 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

AUHS Signal Hill did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list.

Read more about Nursing at American University of Health Sciences

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Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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