College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Practical Nursing

16 Ranked Colleges
9,835 Degrees Awarded
Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Practical Nursing

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, veterans have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Practical Nursing” ranking.

Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants is the 187th most popular major in the country with 84,274 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, practical nursing and nursing assistants graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $36,863 and had an average of $15,708 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Far Western US region, there were 9,835 practical nursing and nursing assistants graduates with average earnings and debt of $41,012 and $17,391 respectively.

For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Practical Nursing” ranking, we looked at 16 colleges that offer a degree in practical nursing and nursing assistants. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality practical nursing and nursing assistants programs as well as strong veteran support.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the practical nursing and nursing assistants program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran satisfaction. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Practical 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 “Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Practical Nursing” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Practical Nursing

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Practical Nursing”.

Top 16 Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Colleges for Veterans in the Far Western US Region

1
Merced Community College District crest
Merced College
Merced, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Merced College. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Practical Nursing list. Merced Community College District is a medium-sized school located in Merced, California that handed out 12 ’s practical nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our far western us region vets studying practical nursing list, Merced Community College District has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 10,645 students enrolled at Merced College, 143 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 71 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $342. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Read More…

2
RHCCD crest
Rio Hondo College
Whittier, California

Out of the 16 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Practical Nursing that were part of this year’s ranking, Rio Hondo College landed the #2 spot on the list. Rio Hondo College is a public institution located in Whittier, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 18 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

RHCCD also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Rio Hondo College supports 15,692 students, and 1 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $740. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Read More…

3
Napa Valley College crest
Napa Valley College
Napa, California

Out of the 16 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Practical Nursing that were part of this year’s ranking, Napa Valley College landed the #3 spot on the list. Napa Valley College is a small public school situated in Napa, California. It awarded 16 ’s practical nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

Napa Valley College also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 93 of the 4,931 students enrolled at Napa Valley College were GI Bill® students, of which 61 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $877. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Napa Valley College]](/colleges/napa-valley-college/student-life/veterans/)

4
Cuesta College crest
Cuesta College
San Luis Obispo, California

Out of the 16 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Practical Nursing that were part of this year’s ranking, Cuesta College landed the #4 spot on the list. Cuesta College is located in San Luis Obispo, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 58 ’s practical nursing degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our far western us region vets studying practical nursing list, Cuesta College has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Cuesta College supports 10,093 students, and 131 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 91 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $552. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Read More…

5
Reedley College crest
Reedley College
Reedley, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Reedley College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Practical Nursing list. Reedley College is a medium-sized school located in Reedley, California that handed out 16 ’s practical nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

Reedley College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 6,796 students enrolled at Reedley College, 111 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 58 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,918. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Full Reedley College Veteran Student Life Report

6
SRJC crest
Santa Rosa Junior College
Santa Rosa, California

Santa Rosa Junior College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Practical Nursing ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Santa Rosa, California, this fairly large public school awarded 107 diplomas to qualified ’s practical nursing students in 2020-2021.

SRJC also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 289 of the 16,757 students enrolled at SRJC were GI Bill® students, of which 223 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $578. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Full SRJC Veteran Student Life Report

7
Sacramento City crest
Sacramento City College
Sacramento, California

Sacramento City College landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Practical Nursing ranking. Sacramento City is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 41 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Sacramento City, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 20,027 students enrolled at Sacramento City College, 421 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 270 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $365. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Sacramento City]](/colleges/sacramento-city-college/student-life/veterans/)

8
Riverside City College crest
Riverside City College
Riverside, California

Riverside City College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Practical Nursing ranking, coming in at #8. Riverside City College is a fairly large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 156 ’s practical nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

Riverside City College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 20,080 students enrolled at Riverside City College, 327 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 195 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $295. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Riverside City College offers credit for military training for eligible students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Riverside City College]](/colleges/riverside-city-college/student-life/veterans/)

9
Butte College crest
Butte College
Oroville, California

Butte College landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Practical Nursing ranking. Butte College is a medium-sized public school situated in Oroville, California. It awarded 78 ’s practical nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

Butte College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Butte College supports 9,335 students, and 250 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 154 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $487. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Read More…

10
College of the Redwoods crest
College of the Redwoods
Eureka, California

College of the Redwoods came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Practical Nursing ranking. College of the Redwoods is a public institution located in Eureka, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 42 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

College of the Redwoods did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 91 of the 3,891 students enrolled at College of the Redwoods were GI Bill® students, of which 43 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $657. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

[Read full report on veteran student life at College of the Redwoods]](/colleges/college-of-the-redwoods/student-life/veterans/)

11
IVC crest
Imperial Valley College
Imperial, California

Imperial Valley College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Practical Nursing ranking. Located in Imperial, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 15 degrees to qualified ’s practical nursing students in 2020-2021.

IVC also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 67 of the 7,123 students enrolled at IVC were GI Bill® students, of which 29 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $376. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Read More…

12
SBCC crest
Santa Barbara City College
Santa Barbara, California

With a ranking of #12, Santa Barbara City College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Practical Nursing list. SBCC is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

SBCC also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, SBCC supports 12,525 students, and 154 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 102 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $645. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

[Read full report on veteran student life at SBCC]](/colleges/santa-barbara-city-college/student-life/veterans/)

13
Mission College crest
Mission College
Santa Clara, California

Mission College landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Practical Nursing ranking. Santa Clara, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s practical nursing degrees to 64 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mission College, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 6,504 students enrolled at Mission College, 112 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 87 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $573. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Mission College]](/colleges/mission-college/student-life/veterans/)

14
College of the Desert crest
College of the Desert
Palm Desert, California

College of the Desert did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Practical Nursing ranking, coming in at #14. This fairly large school is located in Palm Desert, California, and it awarded 41 ’s practical nursing degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our far western us region vets studying practical nursing list, College of the Desert has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 10,932 students enrolled at College of the Desert, 203 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 128 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $436. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

[Read full report on veteran student life at College of the Desert]](/colleges/college-of-the-desert/student-life/veterans/)

15
College of the Siskiyous crest
College of the Siskiyous
Weed, California

College of the Siskiyous landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Practical Nursing ranking. Weed, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s practical nursing degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at College of the Siskiyous, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 1,276 students enrolled at College of the Siskiyous, 47 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 29 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $930. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Full College of the Siskiyous Veteran Student Life Report

16
Platt College - Los Angeles crest
Platt College - Los Angeles
Alhambra, California

Platt College - Los Angeles came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Practical Nursing ranking. Alhambra, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s practical nursing degrees to 30 students in 2020-2021.

Platt College - Los Angeles also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 717 students enrolled at Platt College - Los Angeles, 25 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 21 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,978. To help with additional expenses, 4 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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…

Switch to a Similar Major

Health Sciences & Services
Best Health Sciences & Services Colleges for Veterans in the Far Western US Region

Communication Sciences
Best Communication Sciences Colleges for Veterans in the Far Western US Region

Advanced Dentistry & Oral Sciences
Best Advanced Dentistry & Oral Sciences Colleges for Veterans in the Far Western US Region

Health & Medical Administrative Services
Best Health & Medical Administrative Services Colleges for Veterans in the Far Western US Region

Allied Health Professions
Best Allied Health Professions Colleges for Veterans in the Far Western US Region

Health/Medical Prep Programs
Best Health/Medical Prep Programs Colleges for Veterans in the Far Western US Region

Medical Science
Best Medical Science Colleges for Veterans in the Far Western US Region

Optometry
Best Optometry Colleges for Veterans in the Far Western US Region

Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Sciences
Best Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Sciences Colleges for Veterans in the Far Western US Region

Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions
Best Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions Colleges for Veterans in the Far Western US Region

Medical Illustration & Informatics
Best Medical Illustration & Informatics Colleges for Veterans in the Far Western US Region

Bioethics/Medical Ethics
Best Bioethics/Medical Ethics Colleges for Veterans in the Far Western US Region

Alternative Medical Support Services
Best Alternative Medical Support Services Colleges for Veterans in the Far Western US Region

Movement & Mind-Body Therapies
Best Movement & Mind-Body Therapies Colleges for Veterans in the Far Western US Region

Nursing
Best Nursing Colleges for Veterans in the Far Western US Region

Chiropractic
Best Chiropractic Colleges for Veterans in the Far Western US Region

Dentistry
Best Dentistry Colleges for Veterans in the Far Western US Region

Dental Support Services
Best Dental Support Services Colleges for Veterans in the Far Western US Region

Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services
Best Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services Colleges for Veterans in the Far Western US Region

Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science
Best Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science Colleges for Veterans in the Far Western US Region

Medicine
Best Medicine Colleges for Veterans in the Far Western US Region

Mental & Social Health Services
Best Mental & Social Health Services Colleges for Veterans in the Far Western US Region

Ophthalmic & Optometric Support Services
Best Ophthalmic & Optometric Support Services Colleges for Veterans in the Far Western US Region

Public Health
Best Public Health Colleges for Veterans in the Far Western US Region

Health Aids/Attendants/Orderlies
Best Health Aids/Attendants/Orderlies Colleges for Veterans in the Far Western US Region

Dietetics & Clinical Nutrition Services
Best Dietetics & Clinical Nutrition Services Colleges for Veterans in the Far Western US Region

Alternative Medicine & Systems
Best Alternative Medicine & Systems Colleges for Veterans in the Far Western US Region

Somatic Bodywork & Therapeutic Services
Best Somatic Bodywork & Therapeutic Services Colleges for Veterans in the Far Western US Region

Energy & Biologically Based Therapies
Best Energy & Biologically Based Therapies Colleges for Veterans in the Far Western US Region

Other Health Professions
Best Other Health Professions Colleges for Veterans in the Far Western US Region

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options