Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Nursing in California (With Aid)

50 Ranked Colleges
8,469 Degrees Awarded
$11,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Getting Aid

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 50 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the nursing program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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 “Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Nursing in California (With Aid)

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. Cal State LA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 171 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $2,768 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Nursing at Cal State LA

Out of the 50 schools in the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #2 spot on the list. CSUDH is a fairly large school located in Carson, California that handed out 130 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUDH is $4,215 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Nursing at CSUDH

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 Getting Aid list. Stan State 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.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree nursing students with aid list, Stan State has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $6,019 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students with aid per year to attend Stan State.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Nursing at California State University - Stanislaus

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school handed out 186 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s nursing students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $5,464 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students with aid.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Nursing at Fresno State

Out of the 50 schools in the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fullerton landed the #5 spot on the list. California State University - Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 295 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton also took the #23 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $7,991 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students with aid.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Nursing at California State University - Fullerton

California State University - Bakersfield came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Bakersfield, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s nursing degrees to 102 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUB is $5,318 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students with aid.

Read full report on Nursing at CSUB

California State University - Northridge ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. CSUN is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 90 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $8,414 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students with aid.

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%.

Full California State University - Northridge Nursing Report

California State University - Long Beach landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 236 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,622 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students with aid per year to attend CSULB.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Nursing at California State University - Long Beach

With a ranking of #9, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid 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.

Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,979 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students with aid per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.

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%.

Read full report on Nursing at Sac State

#10

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - San Bernardino is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 107 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $7,342 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students with aid.

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

Full CSUSB Nursing Report

#11

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. UCLA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 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. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $14,279 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students with aid.

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%.

Full UCLA Nursing Report

University of California - Irvine ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 47 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $14,783 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students with aid.

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%.

Full UC Irvine Nursing Report

California State University - San Marcos landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid 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 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 CSUSM is $13,399 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Nursing at CSUSM

California State University - Monterey Bay landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - Monterey Bay is a medium-sized school located in Seaside, California that handed out 68 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree nursing students with aid list, CSUMB has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUMB is $12,212 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students with aid.

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 California State University - Monterey Bay

#15

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 224 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,788 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students with aid per year to attend San Diego State University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, 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 SDSU

California State University - East Bay landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - East Bay is a fairly large school located in Hayward, California that handed out 190 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State East Bay is $11,116 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students with aid.

Read more about Nursing at California State University - East Bay

#17

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

San Jose State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. San Jose State is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 170 bachelors’s 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 $14,928 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students with aid per year to attend San Jose State University.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Nursing at San Jose State University

#18

University of Phoenix - California

Costa Mesa, California

University of Phoenix - California ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. University of Phoenix - California is located in Costa Mesa, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 203 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $12,664 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students with aid per year to attend University of Phoenix - California.

Read full report on Nursing at University of Phoenix - California

California State University - Channel Islands ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Channel Islands is a medium-sized public school situated in Camarillo, California. It awarded 92 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUCI, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Channel Islands is $13,558 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Nursing at California State University - Channel Islands

#20

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #20, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. San Francisco State University is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 114 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,113 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students with aid per year to attend SFSU.

Read full report on Nursing at San Francisco State University

#21

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California

Sonoma State University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Sonoma State University 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. It costs about $17,478 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students with aid per year to attend SSU.

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 full report on Nursing at SSU

With a ranking of #22, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Chico is located in Chico, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 117 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Chico State is $15,017 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students with aid.

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%.

Full Chico State Nursing Report

#23

American University of Health Sciences

Signal Hill, California

American University of Health Sciences ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Signal Hill, California, and it awarded 55 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

AUHS Signal Hill also made our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for American University of Health Sciences is $21,706 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students with aid.

Read more about Nursing at AUHS Signal Hill

#24

United States University

San Diego, California

With a ranking of #24, United States University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. USU is a small school located in San Diego, California that handed out 26 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

Read more about Nursing at United States University

#25

Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, California

Fresno Pacific University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Fresno Pacific University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Fresno Pacific University is $16,356 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students with aid.

Read more about Nursing at Fresno Pacific University

Switch to a Similar Major

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.

Credits

Featured Nursing Schools

Find Schools Near You