Best Nursing Colleges in California2026 Rankings
With 61 Nursing programs spread across California, narrowing your list takes real data. Our algorithm ranks each school on six factors — admission rate, graduation rate, net price, median graduate earnings, student-faculty ratio, and major breadth — so you can compare apples to apples before you apply.
California offers 19 public and 11 private Nursing programs in this ranking. Public universities average $19,834 for in-state students, making them a strong value option. The most competitive school on the list — University of California-Los Angeles — accepts 9% of applicants. Early-career earnings for Nursing graduates average $49,014, with a state-wide graduation rate of 60% for ranked programs.
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| # | College | Value Score | Admit Rate | Grad Rate | Net Price | Median Earnings | Student:Faculty | Majors Offered | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California-Los AngelesPublic | Great· 40 | 9% | 93% | $11,065 | $94,611 | 18:1 | 75 | 33,040 |
| 2 | University of California-IrvinePublic | Great· 40 | 26% | 86% | $11,769 | $87,715 | 18:1 | 71 | 29,494 |
| 3 | Fresno Pacific UniversityPrivate | Great· 39 | 58% | 56% | $11,116 | $42,313 | 8:1 | 62 | 1,614 |
| 4 | California State University-Long BeachPublic | Great· 38 | 47% | 70% | $9,063 | $100,178 | 19:1 | 84 | 34,131 |
| 5 | Pacific Union CollegePrivate | Strong· 37 | 42% | 51% | $18,211 | $119,258 | 11:1 | 41 | 910 |
| 6 | Pacific CollegePrivate | Strong· 37 | 50% | 76% | $21,438 | $61,130 | 7:1 | 4 | 285 |
| 7 | San Diego State UniversityPublic | Strong· 36 | 34% | 78% | $14,205 | $100,221 | 22:1 | 79 | 33,654 |
| 8 | Concordia University-IrvinePrivate | Strong· 36 | 60% | 63% | $25,220 | $102,324 | 13:1 | 27 | 1,456 |
| 9 | Mount Saint Mary's UniversityPrivate | Strong· 35 | 69% | 53% | $25,413 | $99,457 | 11:1 | 52 | 1,746 |
| 10 | Vanguard University of Southern CaliforniaPrivate | Strong· 35 | 65% | 56% | $17,411 | $102,915 | 16:1 | 27 | 1,975 |
| 11 | San Jose State UniversityPublic | Strong· 34 | 80% | 65% | $12,948 | $58,993 | 18:1 | 90 | 26,757 |
| 12 | Biola UniversityPrivate | Strong· 34 | 60% | 69% | $25,038 | $93,629 | 14:1 | 48 | 3,390 |
| 13 | Azusa Pacific UniversityPrivate | Strong· 34 | 79% | 64% | $20,848 | $105,521 | 10:1 | 48 | 2,977 |
| 14 | University of San FranciscoPrivate | Good· 33 | 51% | 71% | $34,211 | $101,731 | 12:1 | 44 | 5,697 |
| 15 | California State University-Dominguez HillsPublic | Good· 33 | 91% | 47% | $4,942 | $110,626 | 18:1 | 59 | 12,642 |
| 16 | Sonoma State UniversityPublic | Good· 33 | 95% | 61% | $12,751 | $125,646 | 15:1 | 38 | 5,374 |
| 17 | California State University-BakersfieldPublic | Good· 33 | 88% | 49% | $6,183 | $38,105 | 16:1 | 40 | 8,183 |
| 18 | California State University-StanislausPublic | Good· 33 | 97% | 58% | $6,347 | $119,356 | 16:1 | 38 | 8,564 |
| 19 | California State University-FullertonPublic | Good· 33 | 87% | 69% | $5,438 | $103,028 | 22:1 | 60 | 36,956 |
| 20 | California State University-Channel IslandsPublic | Good· 33 | 93% | 53% | $9,293 | $103,484 | 15:1 | 27 | 5,230 |
| 21 | Dominican University of CaliforniaPrivate | Good· 33 | 96% | 76% | $46,242 | $97,762 | 8:1 | 27 | 1,178 |
| 22 | California State University-San BernardinoPublic | Good· 32 | 98% | 55% | $6,381 | $93,142 | 19:1 | 63 | 15,771 |
| 23 | California State University-FresnoPublic | Good· 32 | 96% | 55% | $7,220 | $96,890 | 18:1 | 83 | 21,070 |
| 24 | California State University-Los AngelesPublic | Good· 32 | 92% | 53% | $5,373 | $98,811 | 19:1 | 61 | 21,478 |
| 25 | California State Polytechnic University-HumboldtPublic | Good· 32 | 99% | 47% | $13,095 | $30,678 | 14:1 | 49 | 5,491 |
| 26 | California State University-Monterey BayPublic | Good· 32 | 95% | 63% | $13,868 | $117,088 | 16:1 | 27 | 5,811 |
| 27 | Chamberlain University-CaliforniaPrivate | Good· 32 | 60% | 0% | $20,462 | $83,188 | 8:1 | 1 | 676 |
| 28 | San Francisco State UniversityPublic | Good· 31 | 96% | 50% | $12,916 | $117,532 | 16:1 | 86 | 20,033 |
| 29 | California State University-East BayPublic | Good· 31 | 97% | 46% | $11,087 | $124,392 | 17:1 | 44 | 10,422 |
| 30 | California State University-ChicoPublic | Good· 30 | 94% | 64% | $13,937 | $113,181 | 20:1 | 83 | 13,057 |