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2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in California

64 Ranked Colleges
5,887 Degrees Awarded
$6,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in California

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in California” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 259,493 registered nursing students received their degree, making the major the 3rd most popular in the country.

Across California, there were 16,063 registered nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the associate degree level specifically, there were 5,887 registered nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,451 and $19,634 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in California” ranking, we looked at 64 colleges that offer a degree in registered nursing. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality registered nursing programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the registered nursing program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Registered 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. 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 Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in California

The colleges and universities below are the best for california associate degree registered nursing students.

Top 25 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Registered Nursing in California

#1 in overall quality

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 Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in California. Los Angeles County College of Nursing and Allied Health is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 98 associates’s registered nursing degrees to qualified students.

L.A. County School of Nursing did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California” list.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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 L.A. County School of Nursing Registered Nursing Report

#2

Fresno City College

Fresno, California
#4 in overall quality

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 Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in California. Fresno City College is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 211 associates’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

Fresno City College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Fresno City College is $2,622 for california associate degree registered nursing students.

Full Fresno City College Registered Nursing Report

#3

Merced College

Merced, California
#9 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Merced College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in California. Merced Community College District is located in Merced, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 55 associates’s registered nursing degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california associate degree registered nursing students list, Merced Community College District has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Merced College is $10,565 for California Associate Degree Registered Nursing students.

Read more about Registered Nursing at Merced College

#4

San Bernardino Valley College

San Bernardino, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend San Bernardino Valley College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in California. This fairly large school is located in San Bernardino, California, and it awarded 81 associates’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for San Bernardino Valley College is $7,391 for California Associate Degree Registered Nursing students.

Read more about Registered Nursing at San Bernardino Valley College

#5

College of the Canyons

Santa Clarita, California
#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend College of the Canyons. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in California. College of the Canyons is a large public school situated in Santa Clarita, California. It awarded 106 associates’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california associate degree registered nursing students list, College of the Canyons has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for College of the Canyons is $4,088 for California Associate Degree Registered Nursing students.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at College of the Canyons

#6

Modesto Junior College

Modesto, California
#6 in overall quality

Modesto Junior College landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in California ranking. MJC is a fairly large public school situated in Modesto, California. It awarded 114 associates’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

MJC also made our “Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $9,196 for California Associate Degree Registered Nursing students per year to attend Modesto Junior College.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at Modesto Junior College

#7

San Joaquin Delta College

Stockton, California
#7 in overall quality

San Joaquin Delta College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in California ranking, coming in at #7. This fairly large school is located in Stockton, California, and it awarded 110 associates’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california associate degree registered nursing students list, Delta has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Delta is $10,599 for California Associate Degree Registered Nursing students.

Read more about Registered Nursing at San Joaquin Delta College

#8

Antelope Valley College

Lancaster, California

Antelope Valley College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in California ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Lancaster, California, this fairly large public school handed out 110 diplomas to qualified associates’s registered nursing students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Antelope Valley College is $4,775 for california associate degree registered nursing students.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at Antelope Valley College

#9

Long Beach City College

Long Beach, California
#11 in overall quality

Long Beach City College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in California ranking, coming in at #9. Long Beach City College is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 86 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california associate degree registered nursing students list, Long Beach City College has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $3,066 for California Associate Degree Registered Nursing students per year to attend Long Beach City College.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at Long Beach City College

#10

Evergreen Valley College

San Jose, California
#13 in overall quality

Evergreen Valley College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in California list. Evergreen Valley College is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 67 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Evergreen Valley College also made our “Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend Evergreen Valley College is $10,701 for California Associate Degree Registered Nursing students.

The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 full report on Registered Nursing at Evergreen Valley College

#11

College of the Sequoias

Visalia, California
#25 in overall quality

College of the Sequoias landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in California ranking. College of the Sequoias is a fairly large school located in Visalia, California that handed out 98 associates’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

College of the Sequoias also made our “Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend College of the Sequoias is $1,116 for California Associate Degree Registered Nursing students.

Read more about Registered Nursing at College of the Sequoias

#12

Yuba College

Marysville, California
#10 in overall quality

Yuba College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in California ranking. Yuba College is a public institution located in Marysville, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 55 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Yuba College also made our “Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend Yuba College is $3,555 for california associate degree registered nursing students.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at Yuba College

#13

Santa Barbara City College

Santa Barbara, California

Santa Barbara City College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in California ranking. Santa Barbara City College is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 69 associates’s registered nursing degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Santa Barbara City College is $7,556 for california associate degree registered nursing students.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at Santa Barbara City College

#14

Ventura College

Ventura, California
#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, Ventura College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in California list. Ventura College is a public institution located in Ventura, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 81 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Ventura College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Ventura College is $1,514 for California Associate Degree Registered Nursing students.

Full Ventura College Registered Nursing Report

#15

Los Angeles Valley College

Valley Glen, California
#12 in overall quality

Los Angeles Valley College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in California list. Valley Glen, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s registered nursing degrees to 73 students in 2019-2020.

LAVC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,561 for california associate degree registered nursing students per year to attend Los Angeles Valley College.

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%.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at Los Angeles Valley College

#16

Butte College

Oroville, California
#23 in overall quality

Butte College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in California ranking, coming in at #16. Butte College is a public institution located in Oroville, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 117 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Butte College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Butte College is $5,070 for california associate degree registered nursing students.

Full Butte College Registered Nursing Report

#17

Santa Rosa Junior College

Santa Rosa, California
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, Santa Rosa Junior College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in California list. SRJC is located in Santa Rosa, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 111 associates’s registered nursing degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california associate degree registered nursing students list, SRJC has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SRJC is $5,782 for California Associate Degree Registered Nursing students.

Read more about Registered Nursing at SRJC

#18

Sacramento City College

Sacramento, California
#16 in overall quality

Sacramento City College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in California list. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 69 associates’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

Sacramento City also took the #16 spot in our “Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Sacramento City College is $4,835 for California Associate Degree Registered Nursing students.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at Sacramento City

#19

Compton College

Compton, California

Compton College landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in California ranking. Compton College is a public institution located in Compton, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 66 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Compton College is $11,215 for California Associate Degree Registered Nursing students.

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%.

Read more about Registered Nursing at Compton College

#20

Santa Ana College

Santa Ana, California
#17 in overall quality

Santa Ana College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in California ranking. Santa Ana, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s registered nursing degrees to 96 students in 2019-2020.

SAC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for SAC is $3,801 for california associate degree registered nursing students.

Full SAC Registered Nursing Report

#21

Napa Valley College

Napa, California
#18 in overall quality

Napa Valley College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in California list. Napa Valley College is a small school located in Napa, California that handed out 34 associates’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Napa Valley College, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Napa Valley College is $11,661 for california associate degree registered nursing students.

Full Napa Valley College Registered Nursing Report

#22

College of the Desert

Palm Desert, California
#21 in overall quality

College of the Desert ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in California list. Palm Desert, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s registered nursing degrees to 63 students in 2019-2020.

College of the Desert did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend College of the Desert is $9,654 for california associate degree registered nursing students.

Full College of the Desert Registered Nursing Report

#23

Cerritos College

Norwalk, California
#22 in overall quality

Cerritos College landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in California ranking. Norwalk, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s registered nursing degrees to 71 students in 2019-2020.

Cerritos College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $4,022 for california associate degree registered nursing students per year to attend Cerritos College.

Full Cerritos College Registered Nursing Report

#24

Los Angeles Trade Technical College

Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #24, Los Angeles Trade Technical College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for an Associate in California list. This fairly large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 68 associates’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,907 for california associate degree registered nursing students per year to attend Los Angeles Trade Technical College.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at Los Angeles Trade Technical College

#25

Riverside City College

Riverside, California
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #25, Riverside City College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Registered 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 registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

Riverside City College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $4,620 for california associate degree registered nursing students per year to attend Riverside City College.

Full Riverside City College Registered 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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