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

43 Ranked Colleges
8,306 Degrees Awarded
$12,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor's in California

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking.

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 bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 8,306 registered nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking analyzed 43 colleges that offered 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.

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

More Ways to Rank Registered Nursing Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

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

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

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

#15 in overall quality

Out of the 43 schools in the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Monterey Bay landed the #1 spot on the list. Seaside, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s registered nursing degrees to 68 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree registered nursing students list, CSUMB has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Registered Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Monterey Bay is $12,212 for california bachelor’s degree registered nursing students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Registered Nursing at CSUMB

#2

University of Phoenix - California

Costa Mesa, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Phoenix - California. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. UOPX - California is a small private for-profit school situated in Costa Mesa, California. It awarded 203 bachelors’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UOPX - California is $12,664 for California Bachelor’s Degree Registered Nursing students.

Full University of Phoenix - California Registered Nursing Report

Out of the 43 schools in the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fresno landed the #3 spot on the list. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s registered nursing degrees to 186 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,464 for California Bachelor’s Degree Registered Nursing students per year to attend Fresno State.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full California State University - Fresno Registered Nursing Report

#17 in overall quality

Out of the 43 schools in the Best Value Registered 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. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s registered nursing degrees to 236 students in 2019-2020.

CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Registered Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $9,622 for California Bachelor’s Degree Registered 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 more about Registered Nursing at CSULB

#18 in overall quality

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 Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. Located in Turlock, California, this fairly large public school handed out 135 degrees to qualified bachelors’s registered nursing students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree registered nursing students list, Stan State has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Registered Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Stanislaus is $6,019 for California Bachelor’s Degree Registered Nursing students.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Stan State Registered Nursing Report

#6

United States University

San Diego, California

With a ranking of #6, United States University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in San Diego, California, this small private for-profit school awarded 26 degrees to qualified bachelors’s registered nursing students in 2019-2020.

Read more about Registered Nursing at United States University

California State University - Northridge ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school handed out 90 degrees to qualified bachelors’s registered nursing students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge is $8,414 for california bachelor’s degree registered 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 California State University - Northridge Registered Nursing Report

#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, California State University - San Marcos did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. San Marcos, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s registered nursing degrees to 345 students in 2019-2020.

CSUSM also took the #19 spot in our “Best Registered Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Marcos is $13,399 for california bachelor’s degree registered nursing students.

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 Registered Nursing at California State University - San Marcos

#9

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California
#16 in overall quality

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

SSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Registered Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Sonoma State University is $17,478 for california bachelor’s degree registered nursing students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Sonoma State University Registered Nursing Report

#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Sac State is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 253 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Registered Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $9,979 for california bachelor’s degree registered nursing students.

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 Registered Nursing at Sac State

California State University - Chico ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Chico, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s registered nursing degrees to 117 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Chico is $15,017 for california bachelor’s degree registered 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 Registered Nursing at Chico State

California State University - Bakersfield came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. CSUB is located in Bakersfield, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 102 bachelors’s registered nursing degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend CSUB is $5,318 for California Bachelor’s Degree Registered Nursing students.

Read more about Registered Nursing at CSUB

#13

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#13 in overall quality

San Jose State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. San Jose State is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 170 bachelors’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree registered nursing students list, San Jose State has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Registered Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State University is $14,928 for California Bachelor’s Degree Registered Nursing students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at San Jose State

With a ranking of #14, California State University - East Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in Hayward, California, this fairly large public school handed out 190 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s registered nursing students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - East Bay is $11,116 for california bachelor’s degree registered nursing students.

Read more about Registered Nursing at Cal State East Bay

#22 in overall quality

California State University - Channel Islands came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Located in Camarillo, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 92 degrees to qualified bachelors’s registered nursing students in 2019-2020.

CSUCI also made our “Best Registered Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #22. It costs about $13,558 for California Bachelor’s Degree Registered Nursing students per year to attend California State University - Channel Islands.

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 Registered Nursing Report

#21 in overall quality

California State University - Fullerton landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school awarded 295 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s registered nursing students in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton also took the #21 spot in our “Best Registered Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $7,991 for California Bachelor’s Degree Registered Nursing students per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

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

Read more about Registered Nursing at California State University - Fullerton

California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #17. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a public institution located in Carson, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 130 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $4,215 for California Bachelor’s Degree Registered Nursing students per year to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills.

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%.

Read more about Registered Nursing at CSUDH

#18

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California State University - San Bernardino is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 107 bachelors’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $7,342 for california bachelor’s degree registered nursing students.

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

Full California State University - San Bernardino Registered Nursing Report

#19

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#25 in overall quality

San Francisco State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 114 bachelors’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Registered Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $15,113 for California Bachelor’s Degree Registered Nursing students per year to attend San Francisco State University.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at San Francisco State University

#2 in overall quality

West Coast University - Orange County came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This small school is located in Anaheim, California, and it awarded 759 bachelors’s registered 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 Registered 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 registered 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 more about Registered Nursing at West Coast University - Orange County

California State University - Los Angeles came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 171 degrees to qualified bachelors’s registered nursing students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $2,768 for California Bachelor’s 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 Cal State LA

#22

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#20 in overall quality

San Diego State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. SDSU is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 224 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU also took the #20 spot in our “Best Registered Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $14,788 for california bachelor’s degree registered nursing students.

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 low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 San Diego State University

#23

National University

La Jolla, California

National University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. National University is a private not-for-profit institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 326 bachelors’s degrees 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 full report on Registered Nursing at National University

#24

Brandman University

Irvine, California

Brandman University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Brandman University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Brandman is $21,604 for California Bachelor’s Degree Registered Nursing students.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at Brandman

#25

American University of Health Sciences

Signal Hill, California
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #25, American University of Health Sciences did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Signal Hill, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out bachelors’s registered nursing degrees to 55 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree registered nursing students list, AUHS Signal Hill has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Registered Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend AUHS Signal Hill is $21,706 for california bachelor’s degree registered nursing students.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at AUHS Signal Hill

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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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