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2023 Most Popular Colleges for Registered Nursing in California

142 Ranked Colleges
15,938 Degrees Awarded
$29,900 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in California

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in California” ranking is part of that endeavor.

With 266,651 degrees handed out in 2020-2021, registered nursing is the 3rd most popular major in the United States.

Across California, there were 15,938 registered nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in California” ranking looked at 142 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in registered nursing. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular registered nursing programs in the United States.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in California” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in California

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

1

Out of the 142 schools in the Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, West Coast University - Orange County landed the #1 spot on the list. This small school is located in Anaheim, California, and it awarded 971 ’s registered nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, 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

2
West Coast University - Los Angeles crest
West Coast University - Los Angeles
North Hollywood, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend West Coast University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in California. West Coast University - Los Angeles is a small school located in North Hollywood, California that handed out 778 ’s registered nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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 West Coast University - Los Angeles Registered Nursing Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend West Coast University - Ontario. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in California list. Ontario, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s registered nursing degrees to 698 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, 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 undergraduate students.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at West Coast University - Ontario

4
Azusa Pacific crest
Azusa Pacific University
Azusa, California

Out of the 142 schools in the Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Azusa Pacific University landed the #4 spot on the list. Azusa, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s registered nursing degrees to 680 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Azusa Pacific Registered Nursing Report

5
Samuel Merritt University crest
Samuel Merritt University
Oakland, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Samuel Merritt University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in California list. Located in Oakland, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 595 degrees to qualified ’s registered nursing students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Registered Nursing at Samuel Merritt University

6

California State University - Fullerton came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in California ranking. Cal State Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 423 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 Cal State Fullerton

7
National University crest
National University
La Jolla, California

National University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in California ranking, coming in at #7. This fairly large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 404 ’s registered nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full National University Registered Nursing Report

8

California State University - San Marcos landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in California ranking. Located in San Marcos, California, this fairly large public school awarded 321 diplomas to qualified ’s registered nursing students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at CSUSM

9

With a ranking of #9, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in California list. California State University - Sacramento is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 316 ’s registered nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Sac State Registered Nursing Report

10
USFCA crest
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, California

University of San Francisco did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in California ranking, coming in at #10. University of San Francisco is a fairly large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 266 ’s registered nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full USFCA Registered Nursing Report

11

With a ranking of #11, California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in California list. Located in Carson, California, this fairly large public school awarded 256 degrees to qualified ’s registered nursing students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full CSUDH Registered Nursing Report

12
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University ranked #12 on this year’s Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in California list. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s registered nursing degrees to 249 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, 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 undergraduate students.

Read more about Registered Nursing at San Diego State University

13

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in California ranking, coming in at #13. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 248 ’s registered nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%.

Full California State University - Long Beach Registered Nursing Report

14
Cal Baptist crest
California Baptist University
Riverside, California

California Baptist University ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in California list. California Baptist University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 236 ’s registered nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Registered Nursing at Cal Baptist

15

With a ranking of #15, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in California list. Cal State LA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 246 ’s registered nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.

Full California State University - Los Angeles Registered Nursing Report

16

California State University - East Bay landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in California ranking. This fairly large school is located in Hayward, California, and it awarded 207 ’s registered nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Registered Nursing at Cal State East Bay

16
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University ranked #16 on this year’s Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in California list. Located in San Jose, California, this large public school awarded 207 degrees to qualified ’s registered nursing students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at San Jose State

16
MSMU crest
Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, California

Mount Saint Mary’s University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in California ranking. MSMU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 207 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad 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 Mount Saint Mary’s University Registered Nursing Report

19
Fresno City College crest
Fresno City College
Fresno, California

Fresno City College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in California ranking. Fresno City College is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 202 ’s registered nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Registered Nursing at Fresno City College

20
Loma Linda University crest
Loma Linda University
Loma Linda, California

Loma Linda University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in California ranking, coming in at #20. Loma Linda University is located in Loma Linda, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 200 ’s registered nursing degrees to qualified students.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at Loma Linda University

21
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in California ranking, coming in at #21. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s registered nursing degrees to 185 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at San Francisco State University

22
Riverside City College crest
Riverside City College
Riverside, California

Riverside City College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in California ranking. Riverside, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s registered nursing degrees to 166 students in 2020-2021.

Full Riverside City College Registered Nursing Report

23

California State University - San Bernardino ranked #23 on this year’s Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in California list. CSUSB is located in San Bernardino, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 163 ’s registered nursing degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full CSUSB Registered Nursing Report

24

University of California - San Francisco landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in California ranking. UCSF is located in San Francisco, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 159 ’s registered nursing degrees to qualified students.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 more about Registered Nursing at University of California - San Francisco

25
PLNU crest
Point Loma Nazarene University
San Diego, California

Point Loma Nazarene University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Registered Nursing Major in California ranking, coming in at #25. San Diego, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s registered nursing degrees to 160 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Registered Nursing at Point Loma Nazarene University

Notes and References

References

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Footnotes

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