2025 Best Registered Nursing Schools in California
112Colleges in California
16,962Registered Nursing Degrees Awarded
Ranked #3 in popularity, registered nursing is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.
For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 112 schools in California to determine which ones were the best for registered nursing students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 16,962 degrees in registered nursing to qualified students.
The registered nursing program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Registered Nursing rankings. For our Best Overall Registered Nursing School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.
In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.
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 Registered Nursing Schools in California list to help you make the college decision.
More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
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.
Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the registered nursing degree levels they offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
Samuel Merritt University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in registered nursing. Samuel Merritt University is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Oakland.
There were approximately 594 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at Samuel Merritt University in the most recent data year.
Loma Linda University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in registered nursing. Loma Linda University is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Loma Linda.
There were roughly 208 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at Loma Linda University in the most recent data year.
With the affordable and transfer-friendly online RN to BSN program at Southern New Hampshire University, you can build upon your prior educational journey and enhance your professional experience in a program designed to fit around your schedule.
University of San Francisco is a wonderful option for students interested in a degree in registered nursing. Located in the city of San Francisco, USFCA is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #152 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means USFCA is a great university overall.
There were approximately 346 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at USFCA in the most recent data year.
Azusa Pacific University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in registered nursing. Located in the suburb of Azusa, Azusa Pacific is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #143 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Azusa Pacific is a great university overall.
There were roughly 889 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at Azusa Pacific in the most recent data year.
MSMU is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #186 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means MSMU is a great university overall.
There were about 305 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at MSMU in the most recent data year.
West Coast University - Orange County is a small private for-profit university located in the large city of Anaheim.
There were about 934 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at West Coast University - Orange County in the most recent year we have data available.
Stan State is a moderately-sized public university located in the suburb of Turlock. This university ranks 76th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were approximately 142 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at Stan State in the most recent year we have data available.
BS in Nursing - RN to BSN - Accelerated RN to MSNProgram Name
At Southern New Hampshire University, we understand the demands placed on today's nursing professionals. When it comes to your education, consider saving money and time by electing the RN to MSN pathway. Eligible students will complete graduate courses within their undergraduate program. This pathway allows you to gain a BSN along the way and ultimately shorten your time within the MSN Nursing Education or Population Healthcare tracks.
Located in the city of Long Beach, CSULB is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #246 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means CSULB is a great university overall.
There were roughly 314 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at CSULB in the most recent data year.
Located in the city of Modesto, MJC is a public college with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #230 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means MJC is a great college overall.
There were roughly 102 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at MJC in the most recent year we have data available.
Located in the city of San Diego, SDSU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #185 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means SDSU is a great university overall.
There were roughly 229 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at SDSU in the most recent year we have data available.
National University is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of San Diego. A Best Colleges rank of #249 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means National University is a great university overall.
There were approximately 401 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at National University in the most recent year we have data available.
Located in the city of San Diego, PLNU is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 58th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were approximately 156 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at PLNU in the most recent data year.
Merced Community College District is a fairly large public college located in the city of Merced. This college ranks 39th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were roughly 53 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at Merced Community College District in the most recent data year.
MS in Nursing - Family Nurse PractitionerProgram Name
Break into one of the most high-demand occupations in the nation with your online MSN Family Nurse Practitioner track from Southern New Hampshire University.
Located in the large suburb of San Marcos, CSUSM is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 65th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were approximately 346 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at CSUSM in the most recent data year.
DUofC is a small private not-for-profit university located in the small city of San Rafael. This university ranks 54th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were about 115 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at DUofC in the most recent data year.
Cal State Fullerton is a very large public university located in the large suburb of Fullerton. This university ranks 41st out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were roughly 485 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at Cal State Fullerton in the most recent data year.
Located in the city of San Francisco, SFSU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #225 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means SFSU is a great university overall.
There were about 209 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at SFSU in the most recent data year.
Cal State East Bay is a large public university located in the large suburb of Hayward. This university ranks 62nd out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were roughly 190 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at Cal State East Bay in the most recent data year.
Sac State is a very large public university located in the large city of Sacramento. This university ranks 40th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were about 241 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at Sac State in the most recent year we have data available.
Chico State is a fairly large public university located in the city of Chico. This university ranks 64th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were roughly 127 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at Chico State in the most recent year we have data available.
Rest of the Top Best Registered Nursing Schools in California
Honorable Mentions
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Registered Nursing Schools in California award.
The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
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 the rest 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).
The registered nursing program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Registered Nursing rankings. For our Best Overall Registered Nursing School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.
