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2024 Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California

70 Colleges in California
5,625 Associate Degrees
Registered Nursing is of the hottest associate degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #3 most popular major in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 70 schools in California to determine which ones were the best for registered nursing students pursuing a associate degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 5,625 associate degrees in registered nursing during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Registered Nursing School for Your Associate Degree

Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California The registered nursing associate degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:

Overall Quality Is a Must

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To account for this we consider a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a combination of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for registered nursing students working on their associate degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Registered Nursing Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California list, to help you choose the best school for you.

Best Schools for Associate Students to Study Registered Nursing in California

The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing an associate degree in registered nursing. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

10 Top California Schools for an Associate in Registered Nursing

1
Pacific College crest
Pacific College
Costa Mesa, CA

It's difficult to beat Pacific College if you want to pursue an associate degree in registered nursing. Located in the midsize city of Costa Mesa, Pacific College is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.More information about a associate in registered nursing from Pacific College

2
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
45 Annual Graduates

Mount Saint Mary's University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting an associate degree in registered nursing. MSMU is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Los Angeles.More information about a associate in registered nursing from Mount Saint Mary’s University

3
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
123 Annual Graduates

Every student who is interested in an associate degree in registered nursing needs to look into San Joaquin Delta College. Located in the city of Stockton, Delta is a public college with a fairly large student population.More information about a associate in registered nursing from San Joaquin Delta College

4
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
91 Annual Graduates

Pacific Union College is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting an associate degree in registered nursing. Located in the rural area of Angwin, PUC is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.More information about a associate in registered nursing from Pacific Union College

5
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
75 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Los Angeles, L.A. County School of Nursing is a public college with a small student population.More information about a associate in registered nursing from Los Angeles County College of Nursing and Allied Health

6
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
202 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Fresno, Fresno City College is a public college with a fairly large student population.More information about a associate in registered nursing from Fresno City College

7
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
48 Annual Graduates

Carrington College, Sacramento is a small private for-profit college located in the large suburb of Sacramento.More information about a associate in registered nursing from Carrington College, Sacramento

8
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
54 Annual Graduates

Located in the medium-sized city of Santa Rosa, SRJC is a public college with a fairly large student population.More information about a associate in registered nursing from Santa Rosa Junior College

9
Butte College crest
Butte College
Oroville, CA
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
113 Annual Graduates

Butte College is a medium-sized public college located in the rural area of Oroville.More information about a associate in registered nursing from Butte College

10

Located in the city of Ontario, is a private for-profit college with a small student population.More information about a associate in registered nursing from San Joaquin Valley College-Ontario

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great schools for Registered Nursing students in the state of California that almost earned our Best Registered Nursing Associate Degree Schools in California award.

Rank College Location
11 Riverside City College Riverside, CA
12 Saddleback College Mission Viejo, CA
13 Merced College Merced, CA
14 Modesto Junior College Modesto, CA
15 College of the Canyons Santa Clarita, CA
16 Pasadena City College Pasadena, CA
17 San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia Visalia, CA

Best Registered Nursing Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Registered Nursing Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Washington 288 1,825
Oregon 260 608
Nevada 185 519
Hawaii 79 135

View All Rankings >

Registered Nursing is one of 23 different types of Nursing programs to choose from.

Notes and References

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