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2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California

46 Ranked Colleges
8,469 Degrees Awarded
$12,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor's 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 a Bachelor’s 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 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” ranking looked at 46 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in nursing. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality nursing programs that also have a lower cost than 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. 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”.

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

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree nursing students.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Nursing in California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Monterey Bay. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in Seaside, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 68 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s nursing students in 2019-2020.

CSUMB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Monterey Bay is $12,212 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students.

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%.

Full CSUMB Nursing Report

#2

University of Phoenix - California

Costa Mesa, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Phoenix - California. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. University of Phoenix - California is a small school located in Costa Mesa, California that handed out 203 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,664 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students per year to attend UOPX - California.

Read more about Nursing at University of Phoenix - California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California State University - Fresno is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 186 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $5,464 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students.

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 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 California State University - Fresno Nursing Report

Out of the 46 schools in the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the #4 spot on the list. CSULB is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 236 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $9,622 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 California State University - Long Beach

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Stanislaus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. Located in Turlock, California, this fairly large public school awarded 135 degrees to qualified bachelors’s nursing 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 $6,019 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Nursing at California State University - Stanislaus

#6

United States University

San Diego, California

United States University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. United States University is a private for-profit institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Read more about Nursing at USU

California State University - Northridge landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. California State University - Northridge 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 California State University - Northridge is $8,414 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students.

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%.

Full CSUN Nursing Report

California State University - San Marcos ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California State University - San Marcos 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 also took the #21 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Marcos is $13,399 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students.

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 CSUSM

#9

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California

Sonoma State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Rohnert Park, California, and it awarded 67 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

SSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend SSU is $17,478 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students.

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%.

Read full report on Nursing at Sonoma State University

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #10. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 253 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State also made our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $9,979 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students 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 more about Nursing at Sac State

California State University - Chico ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in Chico, California, this fairly large public school awarded 117 degrees to qualified bachelors’s nursing students in 2019-2020.

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

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%.

Read more about Nursing at California State University - Chico

California State University - Bakersfield landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This fairly large school is located in Bakersfield, California, and it awarded 102 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Bakersfield is $5,318 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students.

Read more about Nursing at California State University - Bakersfield

#13

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

With a ranking of #13, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. San Jose State University is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 170 bachelors’s nursing degrees 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 estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $14,928 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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%.

Read more about Nursing at San Jose State

California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #14. California State University - East Bay is located in Hayward, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 190 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - East Bay is $11,116 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students.

Full California State University - East Bay Nursing Report

#15

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. University of California - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. 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. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $14,279 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Nursing at University of California - Los Angeles

California State University - Channel Islands came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. California State University - Channel Islands 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. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Channel Islands is $13,558 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students.

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%.

Full CSUCI Nursing Report

California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #17. California State University - Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 295 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

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

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read more about Nursing at Cal State Fullerton

California State University - Dominguez Hills came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Located in Carson, California, this fairly large public school awarded 130 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s nursing students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSUDH is $4,215 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students.

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 California State University - Dominguez Hills

#19

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Located in San Bernardino, California, this fairly large public school awarded 107 degrees to qualified bachelors’s nursing students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,342 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students per year to attend CSUSB.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on Nursing at California State University - San Bernardino

#20

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 114 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $15,113 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students.

Full San Francisco State University Nursing Report

With a ranking of #21, West Coast University - Orange County did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. West Coast University - Orange County is a small private for-profit school situated in Anaheim, California. It awarded 759 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at West Coast University - Orange County, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for West Coast University - Orange County is $39,100 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students.

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%.

Read full report on Nursing at West Coast University - Orange County

California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #22. California State University - Los Angeles 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.

It costs about $2,768 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students per year to attend Cal State LA.

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%.

Full Cal State LA Nursing Report

#23

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s nursing degrees to 224 students in 2019-2020.

SDSU also took the #22 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,788 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students per year to attend SDSU.

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

Full SDSU Nursing Report

With a ranking of #24, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. University of California - Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 47 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also took the #15 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $14,783 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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

#25

National University

La Jolla, California

National University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Located in La Jolla, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 326 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s nursing students in 2019-2020.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Nursing at National University

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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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