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2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k

45 Ranked Colleges
8,469 Degrees Awarded
$85,684 Avg Salary
Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $48-$75k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking.

Nursing is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 3rd of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 313,362 degrees were awarded to students with this major. 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 $48-$75k” ranking looked at 45 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Nursing Schools

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 “Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k”.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Nursing (Income $48-$75k) 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 $48-$75k list. Cal State LA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 171 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $5,644 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Nursing at Cal State LA

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 $48-$75k list. CSUDH is a fairly large public school situated in Carson, California. It awarded 130 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills is $6,907 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 CSUDH Nursing Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Stanislaus. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Stanislaus is located in Turlock, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 135 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stan State, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Stan State is $7,772 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 California State University - Stanislaus Nursing Report

#4

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. UCLA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 44 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $13,081 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 University of California - Los Angeles

Out of the 45 schools in the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fresno landed the #5 spot on the list. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s nursing degrees to 186 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $7,549 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 4.7% 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 California State University - Fresno Nursing Report

With a ranking of #6, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Cal State Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 295 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $48-$75k list, Cal State Fullerton has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $9,427 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Nursing at Cal State Fullerton

California State University - Bakersfield ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. CSUB is a public institution located in Bakersfield, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 102 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Bakersfield is $7,564 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Nursing at California State University - Bakersfield

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #8. California State University - Long Beach is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 236 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB also took the #19 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $10,807 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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 California State University - Long Beach

California State University - Sacramento came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s nursing degrees to 253 students in 2019-2020.

Sac State also took the #16 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $11,413 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #10. California State University - Northridge is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 90 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $10,783 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Nursing at California State University - Northridge

#11

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. San Bernardino, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s nursing degrees to 107 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSUSB is $8,924 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Nursing at California State University - San Bernardino

With a ranking of #12, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. UC Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 47 bachelors’s nursing degrees 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. The estimated yearly cost for UC Irvine is $13,648 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 full report on Nursing at UC Irvine

With a ranking of #13, California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Seaside, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 68 degrees to qualified bachelors’s nursing students in 2019-2020.

CSUMB also made our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $13,311 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend CSUMB.

The low student loan default rate of 5.0% 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 CSUMB

California State University - San Marcos ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. CSUSM is located in San Marcos, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 345 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

CSUSM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Marcos is $14,582 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 CSUSM

#15

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school awarded 224 degrees to qualified bachelors’s nursing students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $48-$75k list, SDSU has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $14,730 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full SDSU Nursing Report

#16

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

San Jose State University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. San Jose State is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 170 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State also made our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $16,397 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend San Jose State University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full San Jose State Nursing Report

#17

University of Phoenix - California

Costa Mesa, California

University of Phoenix - California came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Costa Mesa, California, and it awarded 203 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Phoenix - California is $12,618 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Nursing at UOPX - California

California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. This fairly large school is located in Hayward, California, and it awarded 190 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,048 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cal State East Bay.

Read more about Nursing at California State University - East Bay

California State University - Channel Islands landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Camarillo, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 92 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s nursing students in 2019-2020.

CSUCI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Channel Islands is $15,108 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 CSUCI

#20

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. San Francisco State University is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 114 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend SFSU is $16,661 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Nursing at SFSU

California State University - Chico came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Chico, California, and it awarded 117 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Chico is $16,116 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Chico Nursing Report

#22

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California

Sonoma State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #22. This medium-sized school is located in Rohnert Park, California, and it awarded 67 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SSU, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SSU is $17,644 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Read more about Nursing at SSU

#23

Pacific Union College

Angwin, California

Pacific Union College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Angwin, California, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Pacific Union College is $20,083 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Nursing at Pacific Union College

#24

Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, California

Fresno Pacific University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Fresno Pacific University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 10 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Fresno Pacific University is $17,623 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Nursing at Fresno Pacific

With a ranking of #25, Vanguard University of Southern California did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Vanguard is located in Costa Mesa, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 75 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Vanguard is $18,625 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Vanguard University of Southern California Nursing Report

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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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