2022 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Nursing in California
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Nursing Schools for an Associate in California” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
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 associate degree level specifically, there were 5,887 nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,451 and $19,634 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Nursing Schools for an Associate in California” ranking looked at 64 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.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the nursing program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Nursing Schools for an Associate in California” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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 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 an Associate in California
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Nursing Schools for an Associate in California.
Top 25 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Nursing in California
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Los Angeles County College of Nursing and Allied Health. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Nursing Schools for an Associate in California. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s nursing degrees to 98 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at L.A. County School of Nursing, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 full report on Nursing at L.A. County School of Nursing
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Fresno City College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Nursing Schools for an Associate in California. Fresno City College is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 211 associates’s nursing degrees to qualified students.
Fresno City College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $2,622 for California Associate Degree Nursing students per year to attend Fresno City College.
Out of the 64 schools in the Best Value Nursing Schools for an Associate in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Merced College landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Merced, California, this fairly large public school awarded 55 degrees to qualified associates’s nursing students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california associate degree nursing students list, Merced Community College District has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,565 for California Associate Degree Nursing students per year to attend Merced Community College District.
Read full report on Nursing at Merced Community College District
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Bernardino Valley College. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for an Associate in California list. San Bernardino Valley College is a public institution located in San Bernardino, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 81 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend San Bernardino Valley College is $7,391 for California Associate Degree Nursing students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend College of the Canyons. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for an Associate in California list. This large school is located in Santa Clarita, California, and it awarded 106 associates’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
College of the Canyons also made our “Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend College of the Canyons is $4,088 for California Associate Degree Nursing students.
With a ranking of #6, Modesto Junior College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for an Associate in California list. This fairly large school is located in Modesto, California, and it awarded 114 associates’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
MJC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for MJC is $9,196 for california associate degree nursing students.
San Joaquin Delta College landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for an Associate in California ranking. San Joaquin Delta College is located in Stockton, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 110 associates’s nursing degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california associate degree nursing students list, Delta has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Delta is $10,599 for california associate degree nursing students.
Antelope Valley College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for an Associate in California ranking. Located in Lancaster, California, this fairly large public school handed out 110 degrees to qualified associates’s nursing students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Antelope Valley College is $4,775 for california associate degree nursing students.
Long Beach City College landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for an Associate in California ranking. Long Beach City College is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 86 associates’s nursing degrees to qualified students.
Long Beach City College also took the #11 spot in our “Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $3,066 for California Associate Degree Nursing students per year to attend Long Beach City College.
With a ranking of #10, Evergreen Valley College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for an Associate in California list. Evergreen Valley College is a medium-sized school located in San Jose, California that handed out 67 associates’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Evergreen Valley College, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Evergreen Valley College is $10,701 for california associate degree nursing students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
College of the Sequoias ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for an Associate in California list. Visalia, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s nursing degrees to 98 students in 2019-2020.
College of the Sequoias also took the #25 spot in our “Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for College of the Sequoias is $1,116 for california associate degree nursing students.
Yuba College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for an Associate in California list. Yuba College is located in Marysville, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 55 associates’s nursing degrees to qualified students.
Yuba College also took the #10 spot in our “Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $3,555 for california associate degree nursing students per year to attend Yuba College.
Santa Barbara City College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for an Associate in California ranking, coming in at #13. Santa Barbara City College is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 69 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Santa Barbara City College is $7,556 for california associate degree nursing students.
Ventura College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for an Associate in California list. Ventura College is located in Ventura, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 81 associates’s nursing degrees to qualified students.
Ventura College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ventura College is $1,514 for California Associate Degree Nursing students.
Los Angeles Valley College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for an Associate in California list. LAVC is a public institution located in Valley Glen, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 73 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.
LAVC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,561 for california associate degree nursing students per year to attend LAVC.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Butte College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for an Associate in California ranking. Located in Oroville, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 117 degrees to qualified associates’s nursing students in 2019-2020.
Butte College also took the #23 spot in our “Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Butte College is $5,070 for California Associate Degree Nursing students.
Santa Rosa Junior College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for an Associate in California ranking. Santa Rosa Junior College is a fairly large school located in Santa Rosa, California that handed out 111 associates’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
SRJC also made our “Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for SRJC is $5,782 for california associate degree nursing students.
With a ranking of #18, Sacramento City College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for an Associate in California list. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 69 associates’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Sacramento City, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $4,835 for california associate degree nursing students per year to attend Sacramento City.
Compton College landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for an Associate in California ranking. Compton College is located in Compton, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 66 associates’s nursing degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $11,215 for California Associate Degree Nursing students per year to attend Compton College.
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%.
With a ranking of #20, Santa Ana College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for an Associate in California list. SAC is a large public school situated in Santa Ana, California. It awarded 96 associates’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
SAC also took the #17 spot in our “Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SAC is $3,801 for california associate degree nursing students.
Napa Valley College landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for an Associate in California ranking. Napa Valley College is a public institution located in Napa, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 34 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california associate degree nursing students list, Napa Valley College has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Napa Valley College is $11,661 for California Associate Degree Nursing students.
College of the Desert did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for an Associate in California ranking, coming in at #22. This fairly large school is located in Palm Desert, California, and it awarded 63 associates’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
College of the Desert also made our “Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #21. The estimated yearly cost for College of the Desert is $9,654 for california associate degree nursing students.
With a ranking of #23, Cerritos College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for an Associate in California list. This large school is located in Norwalk, California, and it awarded 71 associates’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
Cerritos College also took the #22 spot in our “Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $4,022 for california associate degree nursing students per year to attend Cerritos College.
Los Angeles Trade Technical College landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for an Associate in California ranking. This fairly large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 68 associates’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Los Angeles Trade Technical College is $6,907 for california associate degree nursing students.
Read more about Nursing at Los Angeles Trade Technical College
Riverside City College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for an Associate in California list. Riverside City College is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 177 associates’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
Riverside City College also took the #8 spot in our “Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Riverside City College is $4,620 for california associate degree nursing students.
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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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